Internal Safety Override
- Status: local-only unless explicitly opted into external access.
- Before using network tools, account connectors, browser automation, or APIs, state the destination, data scope, and credential source.
- Do not transmit repository files, secrets, credentials, or private documents by default.
- Audit categories: network.
Marketing Strategy & PMM
Product marketing patterns for positioning, GTM strategy, and competitive intelligence.
Table of Contents
ICP Definition Workflow
Define ideal customer profile for targeting:
- Analyze existing customers (top 20% by LTV)
- Identify common firmographics (size, industry, revenue)
- Map technographics (tools, maturity, integrations)
- Document psychographics (pain level, motivation, risk tolerance)
- Define 3-5 buyer personas (economic, technical, user)
- Validate against sales cycle and churn data
- Score prospects A/B/C/D based on ICP fit
- Validation: A-fit customers have lowest churn and fastest close
Firmographics Template
| Dimension |
Target Range |
Rationale |
| Employees |
50-5000 |
Series A sweet spot |
| Revenue |
$5M-$500M |
Budget available |
| Industry |
SaaS, Tech, Services |
Product fit |
| Geography |
US, UK, DACH |
Market priority |
| Funding |
Seed to Growth |
Willing to adopt |
Buyer Personas
| Persona |
Title |
Goals |
Messaging |
| Economic Buyer |
VP, Director, Head of [Department] |
ROI, team productivity, cost reduction |
Business outcomes, ROI, case studies |
| Technical Buyer |
Engineer, Architect, Tech Lead |
Technical fit, easy integration |
Architecture, security, documentation |
| User/Champion |
Manager, Team Lead, Power User |
Makes job easier, quick wins |
UX, ease of use, time savings |
ICP Validation Checklist
Positioning Development
Develop positioning using April Dunford methodology:
- List competitive alternatives (direct, adjacent, status quo)
- Isolate unique attributes (features only you have)
- Map attributes to customer value (why it matters)
- Define best-fit customers (who cares most)
- Choose market category (head-to-head, niche, new category)
- Layer on relevant trends (timing justification)
- Test with 10+ customer interviews
- Validation: 7+ customers describe value unprompted
Positioning Statement Template
FOR [target customer]
WHO [statement of need]
THE [product] IS A [category]
THAT [key benefit]
UNLIKE [competitive alternative]
OUR PRODUCT [primary differentiation]
Value Proposition Formula
Template: [Product] helps [Target Customer] [Achieve Goal] by [Unique Approach]
Example: "Acme helps mid-market SaaS teams ship 2x faster by automating project workflows with AI"
Messaging Hierarchy
| Level |
Content |
Example |
| Headline |
5-7 words |
"Ship faster with AI automation" |
| Subhead |
1 sentence |
"Automate workflows so teams focus on what matters" |
| Benefits |
3-4 bullets |
Speed, quality, collaboration, cost |
| Features |
Supporting evidence |
AI automation → 10 hrs/week saved |
| Proof |
Social proof |
Customer logos, stats, case studies |
Competitive Intelligence
Build competitive knowledge base:
- Identify tier 1 (direct), tier 2 (adjacent), tier 3 (status quo)
- Sign up for competitor products (hands-on evaluation)
- Monitor competitor websites, pricing, messaging
- Analyze sales call recordings for competitor mentions
- Read G2/Capterra reviews (pros and cons)
- Track competitor job postings (roadmap signals)
- Update battlecards monthly
- Validation: Sales team uses battlecards in 80%+ competitive deals
Competitive Tier Structure
| Tier |
Definition |
Examples |
| 1 |
Direct competitor, same category |
[Competitor A, B] |
| 2 |
Adjacent solution, overlapping use case |
[Alt Solution C, D] |
| 3 |
Status quo (what they do today) |
Spreadsheets, manual, in-house |
Battlecard Template
COMPETITOR: [Name]
OVERVIEW: Founded [year], Funding [stage], Size [employees]
POSITIONING:
- They say: "[Their claim]"
- Reality: [Your assessment]
STRENGTHS:
1. [What they do well]
2. [What they do well]
WEAKNESSES:
1. [Where they fall short]
2. [Where they fall short]
OUR ADVANTAGES:
1. [Your advantage + evidence]
2. [Your advantage + evidence]
WHEN WE WIN:
- [Scenario where you win]
WHEN WE LOSE:
- [Scenario where they win]
TALK TRACK:
Objection: "[Common objection]"
Response: "[Your response]"
Win/Loss Analysis
Track monthly:
- Win rate by competitor
- Top win reasons (product fit, ease of use, price)
- Top loss reasons (missing feature, price, relationship)
- Action items for product, sales, marketing
Product Launch Planning
Plan launches by tier:
| Tier |
Scope |
Prep Time |
Budget |
| 1 |
New product, major feature |
6-8 weeks |
$50-100k |
| 2 |
Significant feature, integration |
3-4 weeks |
$10-25k |
| 3 |
Small improvement |
1 week |
<$5k |
Tier 1 Launch Workflow
Execute major product launch:
- Kickoff meeting with Product, Marketing, Sales, CS
- Define goals (pipeline $, MQLs, press coverage)
- Develop positioning and messaging
- Create sales enablement (deck, demo, battlecard)
- Build campaign assets (landing page, emails, ads)
- Train sales and CS teams
- Execute launch day (press, email, ads, outbound)
- Monitor and optimize for 30 days
- Validation: Pipeline on track to goal by week 2
Launch Day Checklist
Launch Metrics
| Metric |
Leading (Daily) |
Lagging (Weekly) |
| Traffic |
Landing page visitors |
- |
| Engagement |
Demo requests, signups |
Feature adoption % |
| Pipeline |
MQLs generated |
SQLs, pipeline $ |
| Revenue |
- |
Deals closed, revenue |
Sales Enablement
Equip sales team with PMM assets:
- Create sales deck (15-20 slides, visual-first)
- Build one-pagers (product, competitive, case study)
- Develop demo script (30-45 min with discovery)
- Write email templates (outreach, follow-up, closing)
- Create ROI calculator (input costs, output savings)
- Conduct monthly enablement calls
- Deliver quarterly training (positioning, competitive)
- Validation: Sales uses assets in 80%+ of opportunities
Sales Deck Structure
| Slide |
Content |
| 1-2 |
Title, agenda |
| 3-4 |
Company intro, problem statement |
| 5-7 |
Solution, key benefits, demo |
| 8-10 |
Differentiation, case study, pricing |
| 11-12 |
Implementation, support, next steps |
Demo Flow
1. Intro (2 min): Who we are, agenda
2. Discovery (5 min): Their needs, pain points
3. Demo (20 min): Product focused on their use case
4. Q&A (10 min): Objection handling
5. Next steps (3 min): Trial, POC, proposal
Sales-Marketing Handoff
| Handoff |
Frequency |
Content |
| Weekly sync |
30 min |
Win/loss, competitive, new assets |
| Monthly enablement |
60 min |
Product updates, training |
| Quarterly review |
Half-day |
Results, strategy, planning |
International Expansion
Enter new markets systematically:
- Validate market demand (inbound leads, TAM analysis)
- Localize website, pricing, legal
- Establish sales coverage (hire or agency)
- Adapt messaging for cultural fit
- Build local partnerships and references
- Launch localized campaigns
- Monitor CAC and conversion by market
- Validation: 3+ paying customers from market in first 90 days
Market Priority (Series A)
| Market |
Timeline |
Budget % |
Target ARR |
| US |
Months 1-6 |
50% |
$1M |
| UK |
Months 4-9 |
20% |
$500k |
| DACH |
Months 7-12 |
15% |
$300k |
| France |
Months 10-15 |
10% |
$200k |
| Canada |
Months 7-12 |
5% |
$100k |
Localization Checklist
Reference Documentation
Positioning Frameworks
references/positioning-frameworks.md contains:
- April Dunford 5-step positioning process
- Geoffrey Moore positioning statement template
- Positioning validation interview protocol
- Competitive positioning map construction
Launch Checklists
references/launch-checklists.md contains:
- Tier 1/2/3 launch checklists
- Week-by-week launch timeline
- Launch day runbook
- Post-launch metrics dashboard
International GTM
references/international-gtm.md contains:
- US, UK, DACH, France, Canada playbooks
- Market-specific channel mix and messaging
- Localization requirements per market
- Entry timeline and budget allocation
Messaging Templates
references/messaging-templates.md contains:
- Value proposition formulas
- Persona-specific messaging
- Competitive response scripts
- Objection handling templates
- Channel-specific copy (landing pages, emails, ads)
PMM KPIs
| Metric |
Target |
Measurement |
| Product adoption |
>40% in 90 days |
Feature usage after launch |
| Win rate |
>30% competitive |
Deals won vs. competitors |
| Sales velocity |
-20% YoY |
Days from SQL to close |
| Deal size |
+25% YoY |
Average contract value |
| Launch pipeline |
3:1 ROMI |
Pipeline $ : marketing spend |
Quick Reference
PMM Monthly Rhythm
| Week |
Focus |
| 1 |
Review metrics, update battlecards |
| 2 |
Create assets, publish content |
| 3 |
Support launches, optimize campaigns |
| 4 |
Monthly report, plan next month |
Proactive Triggers
- No documented positioning → Without clear positioning, all marketing is guesswork.
- Messaging differs across channels → Inconsistent story confuses buyers.
- No ICP defined → Selling to everyone means selling to no one.
- Competitor repositioning → Market shift detected. Review your positioning.
Output Artifacts
| When you ask for... |
You get... |
| "Position my product" |
Positioning framework (April Dunford method) with output |
| "GTM strategy" |
Go-to-market plan with channels, messaging, and timeline |
| "Competitive positioning" |
Positioning map with competitive gaps and opportunities |
Communication
All output passes quality verification:
- Self-verify: source attribution, assumption audit, confidence scoring
- Output format: Bottom Line → What (with confidence) → Why → How to Act
- Results only. Every finding tagged: 🟢 verified, 🟡 medium, 🔴 assumed.
Related Skills
- marketing-context: For capturing foundational positioning. PMM builds on this.
- launch-strategy: For executing product launches planned by PMM.
- competitive-intel (C-Suite): For strategic competitive intelligence.
- cmo-advisor (C-Suite): For marketing budget and growth model decisions.
1---2name: marketing-strategy-pmm3description: Product marketing skill for positioning, GTM strategy, competitive intelligence, and product launches. Use when the user asks about product positioning, go-to-market planning, competitive analysis, target audience definition, ICP definition, market research, launch plans, or sales enablement. Covers April Dunford positioning, ICP definition, competitive battlecards, launch playbooks, and international market entry. Produces deliverables including positioning statements, battlecard documents, launch plans, and go-to-market strategies.4---56## Internal Safety Override78- Status: local-only unless explicitly opted into external access.9- Before using network tools, account connectors, browser automation, or APIs, state the destination, data scope, and credential source.10- Do not transmit repository files, secrets, credentials, or private documents by default.11- Audit categories: network.1213# Marketing Strategy & PMM1415Product marketing patterns for positioning, GTM strategy, and competitive intelligence.1617---1819## Table of Contents2021- [ICP Definition Workflow](#icp-definition-workflow)22- [Positioning Development](#positioning-development)23- [Competitive Intelligence](#competitive-intelligence)24- [Product Launch Planning](#product-launch-planning)25- [Sales Enablement](#sales-enablement)26- [International Expansion](#international-expansion)27- [Reference Documentation](#reference-documentation)2829---3031## ICP Definition Workflow3233Define ideal customer profile for targeting:34351. Analyze existing customers (top 20% by LTV)362. Identify common firmographics (size, industry, revenue)373. Map technographics (tools, maturity, integrations)384. Document psychographics (pain level, motivation, risk tolerance)395. Define 3-5 buyer personas (economic, technical, user)406. Validate against sales cycle and churn data417. Score prospects A/B/C/D based on ICP fit428. **Validation:** A-fit customers have lowest churn and fastest close4344### Firmographics Template4546| Dimension | Target Range | Rationale |47|-----------|--------------|-----------|48| Employees | 50-5000 | Series A sweet spot |49| Revenue | $5M-$500M | Budget available |50| Industry | SaaS, Tech, Services | Product fit |51| Geography | US, UK, DACH | Market priority |52| Funding | Seed to Growth | Willing to adopt |5354### Buyer Personas5556| Persona | Title | Goals | Messaging |57|---------|-------|-------|-----------|58| Economic Buyer | VP, Director, Head of [Department] | ROI, team productivity, cost reduction | Business outcomes, ROI, case studies |59| Technical Buyer | Engineer, Architect, Tech Lead | Technical fit, easy integration | Architecture, security, documentation |60| User/Champion | Manager, Team Lead, Power User | Makes job easier, quick wins | UX, ease of use, time savings |6162### ICP Validation Checklist6364- [ ] 5+ paying customers match this profile65- [ ] Fastest sales cycles (< median)66- [ ] Highest LTV (> median)67- [ ] Lowest churn (< 5% annual)68- [ ] Strong product engagement69- [ ] Willing to do case studies7071---7273## Positioning Development7475Develop positioning using April Dunford methodology:76771. List competitive alternatives (direct, adjacent, status quo)782. Isolate unique attributes (features only you have)793. Map attributes to customer value (why it matters)804. Define best-fit customers (who cares most)815. Choose market category (head-to-head, niche, new category)826. Layer on relevant trends (timing justification)837. Test with 10+ customer interviews848. **Validation:** 7+ customers describe value unprompted8586### Positioning Statement Template8788```89FOR [target customer]90WHO [statement of need]91THE [product] IS A [category]92THAT [key benefit]93UNLIKE [competitive alternative]94OUR PRODUCT [primary differentiation]95```9697### Value Proposition Formula9899Template: `[Product] helps [Target Customer] [Achieve Goal] by [Unique Approach]`100101Example: "Acme helps mid-market SaaS teams ship 2x faster by automating project workflows with AI"102103### Messaging Hierarchy104105| Level | Content | Example |106|-------|---------|---------|107| Headline | 5-7 words | "Ship faster with AI automation" |108| Subhead | 1 sentence | "Automate workflows so teams focus on what matters" |109| Benefits | 3-4 bullets | Speed, quality, collaboration, cost |110| Features | Supporting evidence | AI automation → 10 hrs/week saved |111| Proof | Social proof | Customer logos, stats, case studies |112113---114115## Competitive Intelligence116117Build competitive knowledge base:1181191. Identify tier 1 (direct), tier 2 (adjacent), tier 3 (status quo)1202. Sign up for competitor products (hands-on evaluation)1213. Monitor competitor websites, pricing, messaging1224. Analyze sales call recordings for competitor mentions1235. Read G2/Capterra reviews (pros and cons)1246. Track competitor job postings (roadmap signals)1257. Update battlecards monthly1268. **Validation:** Sales team uses battlecards in 80%+ competitive deals127128### Competitive Tier Structure129130| Tier | Definition | Examples |131|------|------------|----------|132| 1 | Direct competitor, same category | [Competitor A, B] |133| 2 | Adjacent solution, overlapping use case | [Alt Solution C, D] |134| 3 | Status quo (what they do today) | Spreadsheets, manual, in-house |135136### Battlecard Template137138```139COMPETITOR: [Name]140OVERVIEW: Founded [year], Funding [stage], Size [employees]141142POSITIONING:143- They say: "[Their claim]"144- Reality: [Your assessment]145146STRENGTHS:1471. [What they do well]1482. [What they do well]149150WEAKNESSES:1511. [Where they fall short]1522. [Where they fall short]153154OUR ADVANTAGES:1551. [Your advantage + evidence]1562. [Your advantage + evidence]157158WHEN WE WIN:159- [Scenario where you win]160161WHEN WE LOSE:162- [Scenario where they win]163164TALK TRACK:165Objection: "[Common objection]"166Response: "[Your response]"167```168169### Win/Loss Analysis170171Track monthly:172- Win rate by competitor173- Top win reasons (product fit, ease of use, price)174- Top loss reasons (missing feature, price, relationship)175- Action items for product, sales, marketing176177---178179## Product Launch Planning180181Plan launches by tier:182183| Tier | Scope | Prep Time | Budget |184|------|-------|-----------|--------|185| 1 | New product, major feature | 6-8 weeks | $50-100k |186| 2 | Significant feature, integration | 3-4 weeks | $10-25k |187| 3 | Small improvement | 1 week | <$5k |188189### Tier 1 Launch Workflow190191Execute major product launch:1921931. Kickoff meeting with Product, Marketing, Sales, CS1942. Define goals (pipeline $, MQLs, press coverage)1953. Develop positioning and messaging1964. Create sales enablement (deck, demo, battlecard)1975. Build campaign assets (landing page, emails, ads)1986. Train sales and CS teams1997. Execute launch day (press, email, ads, outbound)2008. Monitor and optimize for 30 days2019. **Validation:** Pipeline on track to goal by week 2202203### Launch Day Checklist204205- [ ] Press release distributed206- [ ] Email announcement sent207- [ ] Social media posts live208- [ ] Paid ads at full budget209- [ ] Sales outbound blitz launched210- [ ] In-app notification active211- [ ] Metrics monitored every 2 hours212213### Launch Metrics214215| Metric | Leading (Daily) | Lagging (Weekly) |216|--------|-----------------|------------------|217| Traffic | Landing page visitors | - |218| Engagement | Demo requests, signups | Feature adoption % |219| Pipeline | MQLs generated | SQLs, pipeline $ |220| Revenue | - | Deals closed, revenue |221222---223224## Sales Enablement225226Equip sales team with PMM assets:2272281. Create sales deck (15-20 slides, visual-first)2292. Build one-pagers (product, competitive, case study)2303. Develop demo script (30-45 min with discovery)2314. Write email templates (outreach, follow-up, closing)2325. Create ROI calculator (input costs, output savings)2336. Conduct monthly enablement calls2347. Deliver quarterly training (positioning, competitive)2358. **Validation:** Sales uses assets in 80%+ of opportunities236237### Sales Deck Structure238239| Slide | Content |240|-------|---------|241| 1-2 | Title, agenda |242| 3-4 | Company intro, problem statement |243| 5-7 | Solution, key benefits, demo |244| 8-10 | Differentiation, case study, pricing |245| 11-12 | Implementation, support, next steps |246247### Demo Flow248249```2501. Intro (2 min): Who we are, agenda2512. Discovery (5 min): Their needs, pain points2523. Demo (20 min): Product focused on their use case2534. Q&A (10 min): Objection handling2545. Next steps (3 min): Trial, POC, proposal255```256257### Sales-Marketing Handoff258259| Handoff | Frequency | Content |260|---------|-----------|---------|261| Weekly sync | 30 min | Win/loss, competitive, new assets |262| Monthly enablement | 60 min | Product updates, training |263| Quarterly review | Half-day | Results, strategy, planning |264265---266267## International Expansion268269Enter new markets systematically:2702711. Validate market demand (inbound leads, TAM analysis)2722. Localize website, pricing, legal2733. Establish sales coverage (hire or agency)2744. Adapt messaging for cultural fit2755. Build local partnerships and references2766. Launch localized campaigns2777. Monitor CAC and conversion by market2788. **Validation:** 3+ paying customers from market in first 90 days279280### Market Priority (Series A)281282| Market | Timeline | Budget % | Target ARR |283|--------|----------|----------|------------|284| US | Months 1-6 | 50% | $1M |285| UK | Months 4-9 | 20% | $500k |286| DACH | Months 7-12 | 15% | $300k |287| France | Months 10-15 | 10% | $200k |288| Canada | Months 7-12 | 5% | $100k |289290### Localization Checklist291292- [ ] Website translation (professional, not machine)293- [ ] Currency and pricing localized294- [ ] Local phone number and address295- [ ] Legal compliance (GDPR, PIPEDA)296- [ ] Local payment methods297- [ ] Sales coverage during local hours298- [ ] Local case studies and references299300---301302## Reference Documentation303304### Positioning Frameworks305306`references/positioning-frameworks.md` contains:307308- April Dunford 5-step positioning process309- Geoffrey Moore positioning statement template310- Positioning validation interview protocol311- Competitive positioning map construction312313### Launch Checklists314315`references/launch-checklists.md` contains:316317- Tier 1/2/3 launch checklists318- Week-by-week launch timeline319- Launch day runbook320- Post-launch metrics dashboard321322### International GTM323324`references/international-gtm.md` contains:325326- US, UK, DACH, France, Canada playbooks327- Market-specific channel mix and messaging328- Localization requirements per market329- Entry timeline and budget allocation330331### Messaging Templates332333`references/messaging-templates.md` contains:334335- Value proposition formulas336- Persona-specific messaging337- Competitive response scripts338- Objection handling templates339- Channel-specific copy (landing pages, emails, ads)340341---342343## PMM KPIs344345| Metric | Target | Measurement |346|--------|--------|-------------|347| Product adoption | >40% in 90 days | Feature usage after launch |348| Win rate | >30% competitive | Deals won vs. competitors |349| Sales velocity | -20% YoY | Days from SQL to close |350| Deal size | +25% YoY | Average contract value |351| Launch pipeline | 3:1 ROMI | Pipeline $ : marketing spend |352353---354355## Quick Reference356357### PMM Monthly Rhythm358359| Week | Focus |360|------|-------|361| 1 | Review metrics, update battlecards |362| 2 | Create assets, publish content |363| 3 | Support launches, optimize campaigns |364| 4 | Monthly report, plan next month |365366## Proactive Triggers367368- **No documented positioning** → Without clear positioning, all marketing is guesswork.369- **Messaging differs across channels** → Inconsistent story confuses buyers.370- **No ICP defined** → Selling to everyone means selling to no one.371- **Competitor repositioning** → Market shift detected. Review your positioning.372373## Output Artifacts374375| When you ask for... | You get... |376|---------------------|------------|377| "Position my product" | Positioning framework (April Dunford method) with output |378| "GTM strategy" | Go-to-market plan with channels, messaging, and timeline |379| "Competitive positioning" | Positioning map with competitive gaps and opportunities |380381## Communication382383All output passes quality verification:384- Self-verify: source attribution, assumption audit, confidence scoring385- Output format: Bottom Line → What (with confidence) → Why → How to Act386- Results only. Every finding tagged: 🟢 verified, 🟡 medium, 🔴 assumed.387388## Related Skills389390- **marketing-context**: For capturing foundational positioning. PMM builds on this.391- **launch-strategy**: For executing product launches planned by PMM.392- **competitive-intel** (C-Suite): For strategic competitive intelligence.393- **cmo-advisor** (C-Suite): For marketing budget and growth model decisions.