Introducing a New Persona Into Your GTM Motion
WRITTEN BY Anderson Beres, Fluvio Consultant
Introducing a new persona into your existing GTM motion can be a powerful way to enhance your product marketing efforts and reach new audiences.
If your current personas aren't attracting enough leads or aren't converting well, a new persona could help address these issues by improving targeting and messaging.
Additionally, if you're expanding into new markets or launching new products, a new persona may be needed to appeal to a different audience. Lastly, a new persona can help keep your marketing strategy fresh and relevant, as consumer behavior and preferences can change over time.
But if you’re reading this blog, you probably know that not all personas are created equal.
In this post, we'll cover when and when not to add a new persona to your GTM motion, opportunities and pitfalls when adding a new persona, how to research a new persona, how to ensure a smooth enablement process, as well as how to ensure the new persona fits into existing product marketing strategies.
When and When Not to Add a New Persona to Your GTM Motion
Before you start, it’s important to note that adding a new persona isn’t always the right choice. Some factors to consider:
When to add a new persona:
You've identified a new market segment that has distinct needs and preferences that your current personas don't fully address.
You want to differentiate your product from competitors by highlighting the unique benefits for a specific audience.
You're looking to drive growth by expanding your customer base.
When not to add a new persona:
Your current personas are already saturated and you're not seeing significant ROI from them.
The new persona doesn't align with the benefits of your product or the goals of your business.
The cost of adding a new persona outweighs the potential benefits.
Opportunities and Pitfalls When Adding a New Persona
Creating an additional persona can unlock new revenue streams and make a profound impact on your business, but there are also risks involved:
Opportunities:
Tailor messaging and positioning: With a new persona, you can create messaging and positioning that speaks directly to their unique needs and preferences, which can help differentiate your product and drive growth.
Reach a new market: By understanding the pain points and goals of a new market segment, you can attract customers that you haven't previously targeted.
Improve ROI: If you're targeting a new market with messaging and positioning that resonates with them, you can drive more sales and improve ROI.
Pitfalls:
Diluted messaging and positioning: If you try to target too many personas, you risk diluting your messaging and positioning, which can confuse your existing customers and hurt your brand.
Overinvesting resources: Introducing a new persona requires time, resources, and investment. If the cost of adding a new persona outweighs the potential benefits, it might not be the most effective use of your resources.
Underinvesting resources: The other side of the persona coin. Introducing a new persona is not the time for half-measures. Underinvesting in the research and targeting of a new persona is a surefire way to chase two rabbits and catch none.
Misaligned expectations: If the new persona doesn't align with the benefits of your product or the goals of your business, you risk misaligned expectations and disappointing customers.
How to Research a New Persona and Ensure It Fits into Existing Product Marketing Strategies
When researching a new persona, it's critical to take a strategic approach that aligns with product marketing goals, as well as wider organizational goals. Here are some key steps to follow:
Identify the market segment you want to target: Leverage data and research to identify a new market segment that has distinct needs and preferences that your current personas don't fully address. Your sales team likely has input that can provide a strong starting point.
Conduct research: Conduct research to understand the pain points, goals, behaviors, and demographics of the new persona. Interview internal and external stakeholders who are familiar with the persona in question. Use qualitative and quantitative research methods such as surveys, interviews, and user testing.
Create messaging and positioning: Use the insights from your research to create messaging and positioning that speaks directly to the new persona's unique needs and preferences. Ensure that the messaging and positioning aligns with your existing product marketing strategies.
Test and iterate: Test the messaging and positioning with the new persona and iterate based on feedback. Ensure that the new persona fits into your existing product marketing strategies and doesn't dilute your messaging and positioning.
Know when to cut and run: Sometimes, you hypothesis about a new target persona is incorrect. That’s why it’s called a hypothesis! Don’t fall into the sunk-cost trap of pursuing a persona that doesn’t fit your strategy just because the research has already been done.
Collaborating with Sales Teams: Ensuring Smooth Enablement and Achieving Product-Market Fit
When introducing a new persona into your GTM motion, it's crucial to work cross-functionally with your sales teams to gather feedback throughout the process. By doing so, you can ensure that the new persona aligns with your existing product marketing strategies and that your sales teams are equipped to handle the new persona effectively.
Steps you can take to collaborate with your sales teams and achieve a smooth enablement process when introducing a new persona:
Involve sales teams in persona research: Involve your sales teams in the research phase of persona development to gather insights on the new persona's pain points, goals, behaviors, and demographics. This will help you to create more accurate and effective buyer personas.
Develop sales enablement materials together: Collaborate with your sales teams to develop sales enablement materials that are tailored to the new persona. This can include battle cards, objection handling guides, and customer success stories. Ensure that the materials are easy to access and use. Set up a cadence to ensure sales teams have the opportunity to provide feedback throughout the creation process.
Test messaging and positioning together: Test messaging and positioning with your sales teams to ensure that it resonates with the new persona. This will help you to achieve product-market fit and ensure that your sales teams are properly equipped to handle the new persona. Bringing in a seasoned sales person (someone who’s in the field, not a leader) to help present real-world examples is a powerful way to make sure enablement
Encourage feedback and iteration: Encourage feedback from your sales teams throughout the process and use it to iterate on your sales enablement materials and messaging. This will help you to refine your approach and achieve better results.
By working cross-functionally with your sales teams and involving them early in the process, you can ensure a smooth enablement process and ensure product-market fit with your new persona.
Introducing a new persona into your existing GTM motion can be a powerful way to enhance your product marketing efforts, but it's important to evaluate whether it's the right decision for your product and business.
Conclusion: Adding a New Persona to Your GTM Motion
Introducing a new persona into your GTM motion can be a powerful way to enhance your product marketing efforts and drive growth for your business. However, it's important to evaluate whether it's the right decision for your product and business, and to take a strategic approach to researching and integrating the new persona.
By considering the opportunities and pitfalls when adding a new persona and taking a strategic approach to researching and integrating the new persona, you can effectively expand your customer base and drive growth for your business without risking your heard earned product-market fit with existing customers and prospects.
Things to remember when adding a new persona to your GTM motion:
Evaluate whether it's the right decision for your product and business
Conduct thorough research on the new persona's pain points, goals, behaviors, and demographics
Develop tailored messaging and positioning that speaks directly to the new persona's unique needs and preferences
Ensure that your sales teams are properly equipped to handle the new persona through training, sales enablement materials, and feedback
In keeping these items top-of-mind, you can effectively expand your customer base and differentiate your product from competitors. By taking a strategic and collaborative approach, you can maximize the potential benefits of adding a new persona and drive growth for your business.