Revenue Planning Topics

Frost & Sullivan offers a good definition of market size and some of the variables to consider.

Here are some useful articles by a VC on Addressable Market Size:
Addressable Market
Making the Estimate
Is Your Addressable Market Size Realistic?

It is important to understand some of the terminology ... this blog site has some great definitions and a diagram:

TAM: Total Available Market – i.e. how big is the overall market?

SAM: Served Available Market – how much of that market is actually served by market participants?

TM: Target Market – how much will you reach within a given time frame (in diagram aove this is a called a Serviceable and Obtainable Market)

Here is the methodology that Macromedia used to estimate Total Addressable Market Size for its products. Here is another example of calculating a TAM.

Some tips to learn how to develop revenue projections for your plan.

A VC's guide to startup market sizing from OVP.

And an excellent market sizing example from Lightspeed Ventures.

Market Targeting Topics

Before you begin targeting, you need to do proper segmentation. Here is a review of the segmentation concepts.

This is a good summary article on B2B market segmentation concepts.

This NetMBA article is a review of variables you need to consider in selecting target market segments. Here is a detailed article describing B2B segmentation variables.

Here is an Oxford lecture discussing market segmentation on how proper segmentation can avoid a common pricing trap:

Competitive Strategy Topics

We discussed the use of a Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) Analysis and the basic questions you need to answer along with some examples can be found at this site. Then later, we showed a video by an Oxford professor pointing out that the analysis must be uniquely relevant, concrete and based on specific segments:

This QuickMBA article is a good overview of Porter's Five Forces model for competitive strategy.

We talked about the strategies outlined in the Marketing Playbook, so you can visit the site for that book for more resources. Here is a summary of the 5 strategies:

• No. 1: Drag Race: Pick a company and try to beat it in head-on competition. Example: Microsoft Excel vs. Lotus 1-2-3.
• No. 2: Stealth: Remain under the radar, slowly gaining on the competition. About 90 percent of startups begin in stealth mode. Example: when Enterprise Rent-a-Car focused on in-city rentals rather than airport business. It handles replacement cars for people who have been in accidents and loaner cars for repair shops.
• No. 3: Platform: This is where a company allows others to succeed. Example: A mall that draws in shoppers for multiple stores.
• No. 4: Best of Both: Bringing two ends of the market together. Example: Volkswagen, which ties the reputation of an economical, high-performance, German-engineered car for regular people.
• No. 5: High-Low Play: A product that can be both a big-margin product and a low-end product that sells a lot. Example: Michael Graves, the architect known for hip teapots, has crossed the chasm by selling both expensive ones and a mass-produced version at Target.

We highlight how Apple has been using differentiation as a key element in its advertising. Here is a video with many of those famous tv ads:

Channel Validation Topics

This Microsoft article is a good summary of the process of deciding on a channel strategy. This BNET article is also a good review of the concepts covered in Seminar 2. This article provides a simple list of questions you must ask yourself.

In the seminar, we showed the following video from Motorola that provided an excellent example of the key elements of a channel program to make sure it benefits prospective partners:


For more details on the Motorola partner program, here is a brochure that outlines the elements of the program.

Dell changed its "direct-only strategy" in 2008, to include multiple types of channel partners. Here is a 20 minute interview discussing this strategy decision:

Customer Validation Topics

In seminar 2, we discussed how to understand the customer better and how to find what words the customer would use to describe your solution. We also discussed how to leverage customer testimonials to prove your value proposition.

I showed this video at the beginning of the seminar to highlight the importance of talking to customers instead of guessing what they are thinking:

Here is a Harvard Business School article on customer experience. And this eHow article is a simple overview of "How to Integrate Voice of Customer into Marketing Programs".

Casey Hubbard's Stories That Sell is a book that I recommend on the value and methods around using customer case studies to market your offering in the marketplace, and the website has some great resources.

Pricing Topics

The NetMBA site has a good overview of the pricing concepts we covered in class.

Please review the LeveragePoint video on Value Management to see a very good example of evaluating the value of a product.

And here is the analysis of ZipCar using the Economic Value Estimation approach.

A good summary article on value based-pricing can be found here.

For more information on pricing metrics, please see this LeveragePoint article.

This is a simple, useful Pricing Strategy Article - Choosing Effective Prices.

Here is a great article on pricing pages on web sites.

Here is a Harvard Business School Toolkit for Break-Even Analysis that you will find useful for selecting a profitable pricing model.

The McKinsey Quarterly has some excellent articles on pricing. You will have to register for this service to access them, but they are well worth it.

Booz & Company also has some great resources that require you register for ... In particular, I found this article on how to turn commodities into branded goods to be invaluable.

Whole Product Topics

Here is a nice overview of the Whole Product concept.

In the seminar we mentioned the Geoffrey Moore book, Crossing the Chasm. If you haven't read that book, here is a good summary I found online. This will help you see why understanding your whole product scenario impacts you market strategy. When it is easy for the customer to acquire the "whole product", sales happen faster.

Eight tips on Whole Product Management from Geoffrey Moore's Crossing the Chasm.

Positioning Topics

This QuickMBA article is a good review of the "positioning" concepts we covered in class. This video from LeveragePoint provides an integrated view of the concepts.


We often find that people need to see more example of "positioning" from companies they know. This image is a table summarizing some recognizable examples.

Here is a wisemarketer.com article that looks at it from the start-up perspective.

This article from McKinsey shows the process for making sure your positioning is relevant.

As we mentioned in the seminar, Jack Trout wrote "the book" on Positioning (The Battle for Your Mind).

Here are two great video clips of Jack Trout:

1. Repositioning the Competition


2. Tests of Obviousness

Market Research Topics

In seminar 1, we discussed the impact of market research on the success of companies entering new markets or introducing new products.

Here is a YouTube video with a great example of how "talking to customers" can change your business plans.



This NetMBA article is a good overview of key concepts in selecting a target market.

This BusinessWeek article is a concise summary of some methods for cost effective market research.

Here is a podcast and article on determining the value of an idea.

Welcome

For participants in the Go-to-Market Program, this blog is the source for supplemental information such as relevant links to Internet resources. You will want to check back weekly to view the latest articles, links or tweets that can provide you with useful insight.