1. 5000 Yonge St, Ste 1901, Toronto, ON M2N 7E9 |marketingcopilot.com|T416 218 2009
Synposis:
Every entrepreneur and business leader
spends many a sleepless night figuring out
the fastest route to finding customers and
keeping customers (and world domination).
But for many, something happened that they
weren’t quite prepared for:
Buyer behaviour has
changed!
What your customer wants to see, learn and
understand before they speak with a sale
rep or anyone from your company, has
raised the table stakes. We call this THE
CONTENT GAP.
The Content Gap:
How ready are you to grow
your business?
A new checklist for the savvy entrepreneur.

2. © 2013 All rights reserved. Marketing CoPilot Inc.|2
Marketing CoPilot
Go-to-Market Checklist
The purpose of this checklist is to a realistic approach to the market place and
what content exists in your business to assist in the Buying Process of your
customer.
Business Strategy Map
Start your checklist here:
Here’s the problem: the content and
information required to really add more leads to
the sales pipeline and support the sales process,
rarely exists. The information that should be on
the website to help people self-serve is never
available. And, the work that needs to happen
to really understand how to sell something and
who is going to buy, rarely gets done.
How real is The Content Gap in
your business?

3. © 2013 All rights reserved. Marketing CoPilot Inc.|3
Requirements Yes No MC Best Practice
Product/Service Content Readiness
1. Features & functions:There is a clearly
defined set of features or services you offer
when a customer “buys” something from
your company.
☐ ☐
We call this the “offer” and it is a specific
outline of what a client gets when they
write you a cheque for something.
2. Integration to customers’ business:You
have a documented explanation of how the
product/service integrates into a customer’s
business.
☐ ☐
Sometimes we call this the “before and
after” document. Before our customer did
“this”. After we implemented our product
or service, the customer now does “this”.
3. Ease of installation:Your installation
procedures are clear or you have
documents outlining what a customer does
“Day One” when working with you.
☐ ☐
People forget that after they sell
something, it needs to be delivered. Not
being able to paint a clear picture of
“what happens next” is often a stumbling
block in adoption of a product or service.
4. Value to customer:You have
product/service proof points to prove the
value you bring to customers.
☐ ☐
Sometimes this comes in the form of a
case study, but you have at least one
proven installation of your product or
service in which a client agrees that there
was a quantifiable outcome to
implementing something.
5. Ease of support: You have a clear definition
of how you will support a customer during
the lifecycle of the product/service.
☐ ☐
When people are looking to buy
something or hire someone, they want to
understand how they will be supported
after doing so. This is often a point they
want to understand before they call a
sales rep.
6. Ease to use: You can articulate how your
product/service simplifies the customer’s
business.
☐ ☐
How someone will use your
product/service and the business benefits
they derive is more important than what it
is.
Next Marketing Content Readiness checklist »
Requirements Yes No MC Best Practice

4. © 2013 All rights reserved. Marketing CoPilot Inc.|4
Marketing Content Readiness
7. Competitive analysis: You have a list of
competitors or alternatives that people
would buy instead of your product or
service.
☐ ☐
Don’t forget that along with companies
that look like you, there are other ways to
solve a business problem. Do you have a
deep understanding of the many ways to
do something and what you come up
against most?
8. Market segmentation: You have a clear
definition of who fits best and why, and you
know where they are and how to reach
them.
☐ ☐
SMB is not a segment nor is one or more
industry verticals. A segment is a group of
well-defined people that your product or
service perfectly fit. If you are a small
company (under $5M and 20 employees)
it must be very focused or you won’t have
resources to properly target. Being
everything to everyone will lead you to be
nothing to anyone.
9. Proof of value proposition (ROI): You have
documented proof points that indicate the
value you stated was delivered.
☐ ☐
If you state, “we can save you 30% per
year in your business because of the
efficiency of our product or service,” you
need to be able to prove it and have a
customer confirm it.
10. Collateral materials: You have organized,
branded documents that are used in the
sales process clearly defining your
product/service.
☐ ☐
Many companies start their marketing
program by creating product information.
What do you have so far and what is
outstanding to create?
11. Advertising, shows and PR: You have other
outbound marketing tactics you will be
using to reach your target segments.
☐ ☐
Many companies start their GTM strategy
by hiring a sales rep. This approach is
based on one-to-one selling and it still
means that person requires tactics to help
them with market awareness and
documentation to push out into the
marketplace.
12. Customer testimonials: You have
references to use in the marketing and sales
process that will vouch for your value and
can be used in written material.
☐ ☐ If you are a new entrant in the
marketplace, credibility matters.
13. Pricing model: You have a clear pricing
structure, or ranges that indicate what you
get paid and can publically state this pricing
model.
☐ ☐
Once a prospect is engaged and thinks
you can help them solve their problem,
the next question they ask is, “how
much?” When you provide the answer in
writing, it can be a powerful tool to help
you qualify people quickly either in or out
of the sales process.
Next Sales Content Readiness checklist »
Requirements Yes No MC Best Practice

5. © 2013 All rights reserved. Marketing CoPilot Inc.|5
Sales Content Readiness
14. Channel or partner strategies: You have
identified people who can help you sell by
referring you or reselling your product or
solution.
☐ ☐
Many people forget that a website is also
for all of the people that exist outside your
company that could assist in the lead
generation process. How good are your
materials or website in helping third
parties with this process?
15. Support to your distribution channels: You
have a defined process and documentation
for people selling on your behalf.
☐ ☐
If someone wanted to pass you a lead,
what would the process be and do you
have documentation that helps someone
else sell on your behalf.
16. Clear sales process: You have documented
the steps in the sales process with a
confirmed lead definition and qualification
process.
☐ ☐
Most companies rely on their network to
generate interest and have not clearly
defined how they sell or who they sell to.
This makes it very hard for someone else
to sell on your behalf, including new sales
reps to your company.
17. Sales pitch: You have a documented sales
pitch that has been tested with prospects
and proven to close deals.
☐ ☐
Many people start their pitch with “what
they do” making it really hard to get
traction. You have to start with the
problem you solve that is compelling
enough for someone to stop and listen.
18. Sales engineering: You have people
involved in the technical details of selling
your product or service.
☐ ☐
Explaining how a product or service fits
into someone’s business is paramount to
helping someone envision why they want
your product or service.
19. Lead generation: You have a clear
delineation between mild interest and a
confirmed, sales-ready lead with metrics
and tracking that can be shared between
sales and marketing.
☐ ☐
Many companies do not delineate
between where marketing and sales.
There is often confusion about who is
responsible for what and the honest
definition of a sales-ready lead and how
many are required to hit the revenue
forecast.
20. Product or services training: You have
training that you offer to new customers to
ensure adoption of your product or service.
☐ ☐
Training material is hard to create but
powerful once developed. It confirms the
level of sophistication in a company.
21. Sales training: You have documented (and
offer to new reps) training with respect to
who to look for in the marketplace and
what to say when you find them.
☐ ☐
If you can’t teach new people how to sell
your product or services, you likely don’t
know who you are selling to or why.
22. Sales expansion: You have a vision and
strategy for where your next target market
will evolve once you get traction in the
market you are now serving.
☐ ☐
Understanding where the next group of
prospects may come from is important to
understanding if your value proposition is
resonating with the market.
Add your results »
Next your final score »

6. © 2013 All rights reserved. Marketing CoPilot Inc.|6
How did you score on your
Go-To-Market Checklist?
Your final score is »
Your final score will identify your
current business' Go-to-Market strategy stage.
Stage 1 »
Brochure
Mode
If your total scoredis 14 or less
of Yes’s on this checklist, you
are in what we call, “brochure-
mode” or Stage One. You have
your solution ready to go but
you are lacking some
important information about
your buyer and what they will
need to see to start their
buyer journey. Your “self-
serve” information is likely
nothing more than a product
brochure and won’t really
guide prospects to the next
step in the buying process or
to measurable conversion
points where you can
determine what they need
and why they need it.
Stage 2 »
Buyer
Conversation-ready
If your total scoreis more than
15 Yes’s, you are well on your
way and could be using your
content to start the buyer
conversation online. If you
have not thought about value
to customers and how this
content could be used in email
campaigns or blog content,
then you have a great
opportunity available to help
you turn your website into
your best sales tool.
Stage 3 »
Poised
for Growth
If you scored a perfect set of
22 Yes’s on this entire
checklist, then you are likely
generating lots of leads on
your website today and
keeping customers engaged
through value-added content.
Well done! You’re poised for
growth.
If you want to learn about how you could close The Content Gapin
your business, go to www.marketingcopilot.com and learn more
about how to turn your web presence into your best sales tool.
Good luck with your World Domination!
Marie Wiese
President & Founder Marketing CoPilot
marie@marketingcopilot.com
416-218-2009