GTM Strategy & Planning for ABC product – (Self Simulated Project)

By Kashika Satyaprakash Shrivastava
All images in this project are developed by me using AI tools and Microsoft office.

Product: ABC (AI-driven networking solution)

Core Value Proposition:

• Automated provisioning & configuration
• Predictive analytics for proactive issue resolution
• Simplified user experience, reducing IT overhead

Target Customers: Mid-size to large enterprises and service providers in industries with high uptime requirements.

Channel Partner Ecosystem Strategy

Partner Value Proposition

1. Differentiation: Automation for “fewer support calls,” “proactive maintenance,” and “reduced operating costs” for end customers
2. Profitability: Competitive margin structures and incentives for early adopters
3. Ease of Deployment: Pre-built integration templates, minimal on-site configuration
4. Services Upsell: Partners can bundle professional services for higher revenue.

Partner Segmentation Target

Partner Enablement 

Training & Certification

Certifications based on Partner Tiers every year

• Silver Tier: At least 2 certified sales reps + 2 certified engineers.
• Gold Tier: 5 certified sales reps + 5 engineers, plus advanced accreditation.
• Platinum Tier: 10+ certified staff, possibly an Expert-level engineering lead.

Office hours – where partners can ask product experts about advanced deployment scenarios.

Partner Community Forum –  discuss best practices, share success stories, or crowdsource solutions for complex deployments. Periodic roundtables or Q&A with your product development team to keep advanced partners engaged.

Partner enablement resources:

All above resources to be customized for ABC product. Image was developed in Napkin.ai

Incentives & Commercial Model

Margin Structure & Discounts

• Base Margin (~ 20%)
• Accelerators: Additional discount and rebates on hitting quarterly revenue thresholds*
• Deal Registration margin: Extra margin (~ +5%) for partners who bring in net-new deals and register them early
• Discounts: Guaranteed tier based and product based discounts*

*Market Push: push new product lines or meet growth targets in specific regions or verticals by offering product based Accelerators or discounts

Marketing Development Funds (MDF)

• Allocate 4% of partner sales back to the partner for co-marketing activities
• Require simple proof-of-execution to ensure MDF is spent effectively

Active Marketing Efforts: consume at least 75% of allocated MDF within each quarter, 

Spiffs: 

Short-term incentives for partner sales reps who close ABC deals within a set period.

• $500 bonus per closed deal above $100K in subscription value, capped at $5,000/quarter per partner sales rep.

Partner Compliance:

Tier Upgrades: If a partner consistently meets revenue/technical targets, they move to a higher partner tier (e.g., Gold → Platinum) with better margins and marketing support.

Marketing & Demand Generation

Co-Marketing Campaigns

• Aim for 10 co-hosted webinars in the first year, each targeting 50+ attendees.
• Co-branded solution briefs: “How Partner X + ABC can cut your network OPEX by 30%.”
• Partner website listings, featuring ABC as a premium AI-driven networking solution.
• Target a 3–5% click-through rate on co-branded LinkedIn or email ads (industry average ~2%).

Partner-Focused Content

Partner Performance Dashboards

This data-driven view helps identify top vs. underperforming partners, guiding resource allocation.

*screenshot of partner dashboard developed in collaboration with Channel Mechanics.

Ongoing Support & Evolution

• Continuous Partner Enablement: Update training with new product releases, advanced features, and industry best practices.
• Feedback/ Partner council: Schedule quarterly business reviews with top partners to gather feedback on product improvements and market demands.
• Expand Partner Network: As you grow, target new geographies or vertical-specific partners 

Refine Incentives: Regularly assess if incentives remain competitive and align with your business goals