Go-to-market strategy for SaaS and IT businesses in German speaking markets
What is a go-to-market strategy and why do you need one?
A go to market strategy is a tactical action plan that outlines the steps necessary to succeed in a new market or moving a current product into a new market.
An easy way to think of it is as a more specific version of your marketing plan, one with a narrow scope and that is hyper-focused on a specific product or service. Important to say, a go-to-market strategy needs to be comprehensive enough to be valuable, yet agile enough to be updated as you get customer feedback. Therefore the strategy document will be constantly updated and adjusted.
A go to market strategy serves a couple of purposes. First, it clarifies why you’re launching your product, who it’s for, and how you’re going to tackle the never-easy job of getting them to engage with and buy it. Who wants to sail into uncharted waters without at least a glimpse of what could wait and proper preparation?
Second, it forces you to think through all the issues your customers will face when presented with your product. This helps make sure you can give them the best experience possible and build trust with them.
Go-to-Market strategy tailored towards German speaking markets and your products and services
As a full-service-agency we provide high quality go-to-market strategies for SaaS and IT companies tailored to Germany and/or the german speaking countries Germany, Austria and Switzerland (called DACH) to prepare your market entry, minimize risks, and ensure your success in the long term.
The Go-to-Market strategy will contain the following chapters:
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Business Case
Background of project, the expected business benefits, the options considered (with reasons for rejecting or carrying forward each option), the expected costs of the project, a gap analysis and the expected risks.)
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Audience and Buyers
In the second part of the go-to-market Strategy we are going to have a look at the audience and buyers- Who is going to buy your software, what do you know about them, and how does the strategy support them?
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Competitive landscape
Entering new markets is risky and there are a lot of pitfalls and unknowns companies want to avoid - Competition is one of them. We therefore dedicate a whole chapter Who else is in the market and how are they going to react to you waltzing in?
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Distribution
Which channels are used to distribute your Software in the markets? This heavily depends on the nature of your software and if it is more marketing-or sales-intensive.
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Product-Market Fit
How you plan to engage with customers, create value, and hit strategic objectives and goals.
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Pricing Strategy
How much are you going to charge for your product and why? Is your software relatively cheap or expensive? Higher prices reflect larger economic decisions and involve mid or top level decision makers in the buying process and therefore sales would be more involved than marketing. On the other hand, a low price would be more suitable for marketing.
Local branch - Company foundation in Germany
Europe’s SaaS and Software market is huge and growing. In fact it is going to grow threefold over the next few years. Market analysis has shown that Germany alone accounts for 25% (and growing) of the European software market. Forecast is to grow to a staggering 27 billion EUR worth.
Therefore you made a great decision to enter Germany or the german speaking markets!
Nevertheless, entering a new market and especially Germany or the german speaking markets Austria and Switzerland is complicated, cost intensive and might take months. With our team of professionals at SaaS-Growth.com, you can take the shortcut to start selling your software in record time without spending a fortune upfront and minimizing risks!
Patrick Wings
Local branch and Mail Box Address
It is critical to have a local present in the market to build trust and credibility before approaching potential customers. In case you are still a startup with limited budget but still want to have your local presence we have the right service for you!
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Company address in Germany, Austria or Switzerland
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Choose between Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Zurich or Vienna as location
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Desk or private office in co-working space
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Access to conference rooms, high speed internet, event space
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Mailbox to receive correspondence
Optional related services (extra costs apply):
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German phone number (extra costs apply)
Foundation of “Ltd.” limited liability company aka “GmbH” in Germany
If you are an established company ready to take the next step to build a presence in Germany, building a team to grow brand awareness and sales, founding a so called “GmbH” (Ltd.) is the logical next step. Bear in mind that this is an expensive and time consuming process - but no worries, we will handle everything for you. Save flight budgets, loads of hours for travelling and research + manpower and let us handle it all. The GmbH is the most common type of company in Germany and provides a huge spectrum of advantages like limited liability and highest credibility in the eyes of the customer.
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Foundation of a fully operating GmbH within 3 months to start conquering Germany
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Choose between Berlin, Hamburg or Munich as location
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Get access to our network of local professionals needed to setup the GmbH
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Including all related fees for solicitor, lawyer, german authorities, no hidden costs
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Drafting the articles of association (in german and english language)
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Notarial certification of the articles of association
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Opening of german business bank account
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Registration in the commercial register
Pricing Strategy
Do you need help with your pricing strategy? Software prizing is a complex topic and every market is different. Let us help you with your pricing strategy for Germany or the german speaking countries Austria or Switzerland.
Why is SaaS Pricing so important?
Besides solving problems for your customers and target audience, setting their product apart from competitors, making it user friendly etc. SaaS and IT companies spend little time on creating a pricing strategy and how to market their products. Although most have a proper SaaS Marketing Strategy (link to ms earlier in this doc) in place risks of low sales are high due to the lack of a proper and well thought out pricing model and pricing strategy.
How much are you going to charge for your product and why? Is your software relatively cheap or expensive? In the world of business, and especially for SaaS businesses, pricing can be one of the biggest hurdles to overcome. If you set the prize to high you kick yourself out of the market, if it is too low you will struggle to reach your sales targets.
With so many different models available possibilities are endless and many pitfalls are waiting. Our team has experience with SaaS pricing and can help you to pick the right model to be successful.
What is included in the Pricing Strategy?
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Customer Profile
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Internal costs and revenue targets
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Competitors analysis (local and international)
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Local market analysis and outlook
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Pricing model including segmentation, packages and pricing
Business Partner Development - ISV Sales
In addition to direct sales, we also support our customers in setting up and implementing reseller programs as a foundation for successful and sustainable partner sales in Germany / DACH region. Setting up a reseller/ISV network is already standard practice for many providers of fully scalable solutions today, especially since it can significantly accelerate market entry and penetration.
ISVs are established in the local market, have an existing customer base in various vertical markets, and usually bring a complementary solution portfolio with them, enabling them to serve customers completely from a single source and address new target groups. The steps required to build ISVs and develop a profitable business for both partners require a well thought-out concept that provides a uniform framework for resellers, but also leaves room to implement individual requirements for companies or local markets. We support our customers in this process - from the development of an attractive reseller model, through selection and approach, to accompanying the onboarding process.