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Chapter 5

GTM & Deal Capture Motion

The choreography of turning technical capability into closed deals through proof-of-value sprints

Chapter Highlights

Technical First Meetings

FDE leads with live demo, DS frames business value

2-Week Proof Sprint

Working prototype on real data with measurable ROI

85% Conversion Rate

Funded pilots convert to full deployment at scale

5.1Sales Choreography

Who Goes to the First Meeting

Forward Deployed Engineer

✓ Runs technical discovery

✓ Demonstrates capabilities

✓ Answers architecture questions

Deployment Strategist

✓ Frames business value

✓ Identifies stakeholders

✓ Maps political landscape

Executive Sponsor

✓ For $10M+ opportunities

✓ Peer-to-peer credibility

✓ Strategic vision alignment

Meeting Structure

First 15 minutes: Problem Discovery

  • "What's the most painful problem you face today?"
  • "What would success look like in 90 days?"
  • "What have you tried that didn't work?"

Next 30 minutes: Technical Deep-Dive

  • Live demonstration on sample data
  • Architecture discussion
  • Security and compliance review

Final 15 minutes: Partnership Model

  • Pilot program structure
  • Success metrics definition
  • Next steps and timeline

Pre-Meeting Preparation

Research Required

  • ✓ Industry challenges and trends
  • ✓ Customer's public statements
  • ✓ Competitive landscape
  • ✓ Regulatory environment

Materials to Prepare

  • ✓ Relevant case studies
  • ✓ Demo environment with sample data
  • ✓ Architecture diagrams
  • ✓ Security documentation

5.2Proof-of-Value Sprint Plan

2-Week Sprint Structure

Week 1: Data Ingestion & Discovery

Day 1-2: Initial Access
  • ✓ Access customer systems
  • ✓ Initial data profiling
  • ✓ Identify quick wins
Day 3-4: Build Foundation
  • ✓ Build data pipelines
  • ✓ Create initial ontology
  • ✓ Basic quality checks
Day 5: First Prototype
  • ✓ First workflow prototype
  • ✓ User feedback session
  • ✓ Iteration planning

Week 2: Value Demonstration

Day 6-7: Refinement
  • ✓ Refine workflows
  • ✓ Add visualizations
  • ✓ Performance optimization
Day 8-9: Deployment
  • ✓ User training
  • ✓ Pilot deployment
  • ✓ Metrics collection
Day 10: Executive Presentation
  • ✓ Executive presentation
  • ✓ ROI calculation
  • ✓ Expansion roadmap

Success Criteria

Quantitative Metrics

Time savingsMinimum 30%
Cost reductionMinimum 20%
Accuracy improvementMinimum 25%

Qualitative Metrics

  • ✓ User satisfaction
  • ✓ Executive buy-in
  • ✓ IT approval
  • ✓ Stakeholder enthusiasm

5.3Commercial Entry Models

Model A: Funded Pilot

Price

$250K-500K

Duration

90 days

Team

2 FDEs + 1 DS on-site

Success Rate

85%

convert to full deployment

Model B: Risk-Sharing

Upfront Cost

$0

Success Fee

20% of validated savings

Commitment

3-year partnership

Success Rate

70%

higher lifetime value

Model C: Platform License

Annual Platform

$2-5M

Implementation

$1-2M services

Support

20% annual maintenance

Renewal Rate

95%

high retention

5.4Expansion Play

Land and Expand Strategy

1

Phase 1: Beachhead (Months 1-3)

  • ✓ Single use case
  • ✓ Single department
  • ✓ Prove value quickly
2

Phase 2: Adjacent Expansion (Months 4-9)

  • ✓ Related use cases
  • ✓ Same department
  • ✓ Deepen relationships
3

Phase 3: Cross-Functional (Months 10-18)

  • ✓ New departments
  • ✓ Integrated workflows
  • ✓ Enterprise visibility
4

Phase 4: Enterprise Platform (Months 19-24)

  • ✓ Company-wide deployment
  • ✓ Standard operating platform
  • ✓ Strategic partnership

Expansion Triggers

Technical Triggers

  • ✓ Data volume growth
  • ✓ New data sources
  • ✓ Performance requirements

Business Triggers

  • ✓ New regulations
  • ✓ M&A activity
  • ✓ Digital transformation

Political Triggers

  • ✓ New executive sponsor
  • ✓ Competitor deployment
  • ✓ Board mandate

Account Development Tactics

Quarterly Business Reviews

  • ROI documentation
  • New use case identification
  • Roadmap alignment

Executive Briefings

  • Industry trends
  • Peer benchmarking
  • Vision sessions

Innovation Workshops

  • Art of the possible
  • Hackathons
  • Co-creation sessions

Summary: Deal Capture Essentials

Technical teams lead sales: FDEs demo live, DS frames ROI, no PowerPoint decks

2-week proof sprints deliver working prototypes on real customer data with measurable impact

Three entry models: Funded Pilot ($250-500K), Risk-Sharing (no upfront), Platform License ($2-5M)

Land and expand in four phases: Beachhead → Adjacent → Cross-Functional → Enterprise Platform

85% pilot conversion rate driven by undeniable value and embedded team relationships

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