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Your 2025 ROI Playbook
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This week’s research note includes:
GTM Research: Your 2025 ROI Playbook
Analyst Hour Recap: Are AI SDRs a game changer or a step too far?
RevCon24: Join us!
Better Together: Join us in NYC
GTM Events: Upcoming events around the country
GTM Research: Your 2025 ROI Playbook
A weekly deep-dive into new GTM research and insights
In the B2B jungle, where every dollar counts, proving ROI is the new survival skill.
Research shows that 57% of buyers now expect to see ROI from their software purchases in under 90 days (whereas just one year ago, 47% expected to see ROI in 6 months).
Decision-makers are now part-time detectives, scrutinizing every investment like the last piece of the budget pie.
Companies like ON24, Vidyard, G2, Totango + Catalyst, ZoomInfo, MadKudu, TechTarget, TechnologyAdvice, and more have recognized this challenge and risen to meet it head-on with ROI studies of their own.
In fact, we’ve done more than two dozen ROI studies, and they’re worth taking a look at as a model for your own or if you’re interested in checking out any of those solutions for your own tech stack!
The Anatomy of an Effective ROI Study
Key Components of an ROI Study
An effective ROI study is more than just a collection of numbers – it's a compelling narrative backed by data that clearly demonstrates the value of a product or service.
Here are some key components
Business Challenge: A clear description of the problem or opportunity the solution addresses.
Solution Overview: A brief explanation of how the product or service solves the challenge.
Use Cases: How is the solution used by the customer or customers reflected in the ROI study?
Quantitative and/or Qualitative Benefits: Hard numbers showing financial impact (e.g., cost savings, revenue increases) or softer benefits that may not have a direct dollar value but are still important.
Customer Quotes and Testimonials: Real feedback from real customers to add credibility.
Third-Party Validation: In addition to customer quotes, it can be helpful to have other third-party validation from academics, analysts, industry experts, or thought leaders.
Methodology: An outline of how data was collected and analyzed.
Quantitative vs. Qualitative Measures
While quantitative measures provide concrete numbers that are easy to grasp, qualitative measures often tell a more complete story.
Quantitative Measures:
Revenue increases (e.g., G2 customers reporting 174% increase in ARR)
Cost savings (e.g., ZoomInfo customers saving hours per day in productivity)
Productivity improvements (e.g., Vidyard customers booking 4x more meetings)
Pipeline generation (e.g., ON24 customers generating $25M in pipeline in one year)
Qualitative Measures:
Enhanced customer satisfaction
Improved brand perception
Better employee morale
Increased market share
For example, Totango + Catalyst's ROI study highlighted both quantitative metrics like a 20% increase in retention and qualitative benefits such as CS teams becoming "trusted advisors" to both customers and leadership.
Short-term vs. Long-term ROI Considerations
It's crucial to consider both immediate and future benefits in an ROI study.
Short-term ROI:
Immediate cost savings
Quick productivity boosts
Fast implementation wins
Long-term ROI:
Sustained revenue growth
Long-term cost efficiencies
Strategic market positioning
Scalability benefits
For instance, ZoomInfo's ROI study showcased both immediate productivity gains (5 hours saved per week using Copilot) and long-term revenue impacts ($2M in new revenue for Focus EduVation).
Case Study: ON24's Comprehensive Approach to ROI Measurement
ON24's ROI study exemplifies a comprehensive approach to measuring both short-term and long-term value:
Short-term metrics: 98% registration-to-attendee conversion rate (Qualtrics)
Long-term impact: $25M in pipeline driven in one year (Enterprise Technology Provider)
Qualitative benefits: Ability to customize experiences and "wow" customers
Quantitative efficiency gains: 4x faster content production using AI-powered ACE (Flexential)
By presenting a mix of immediate gains, long-term benefits, and both qualitative and quantitative measures, ON24's ROI study provides a holistic view of the platform's value, appealing to various stakeholders in the buying process.
GTM Partners' Comprehensive Approach
To illustrate a thorough methodology for conducting ROI studies, let's examine GTM Partners' three-stage approach:
Vendor Capabilities Assessment:
In-depth analysis of the vendor's solution through use-case-driven surveys
Demonstration of the product and discussion of future roadmap
Market Analysis:
Examination of G2 data to understand market-wide usage patterns
Review of segment feedback to gauge performance against competitors
Customer Validation:
Interviews with multiple customers to verify primary use cases
Evaluation of total investment required, including additional costs beyond the core solution
This comprehensive methodology ensures that ROI studies capture not just the vendor's claims, but also real-world applications and results, providing a more accurate and trustworthy picture of a solution's value.
Case Study: How Vidyard's ROI Studies Drive Customer Adoption
Vidyard's ROI study exemplifies how effectively presenting ROI can drive customer adoption:
Quantifiable Results: Customers reported 4x more meetings booked and a 6x ROI on the platform.
Diverse Use Cases: The study highlighted how different teams (sales, marketing, customer success) could leverage video messaging.
Efficiency Gains: Customers like Hubspot reported booking 4x more meetings, while others saved up to 5 hours per week.
Revenue Impact: Taulia generated $125M in a new pipeline using Vidyard.
By clearly demonstrating these benefits, Vidyard not only justified the investment for current customers but also created compelling reasons for potential customers to adopt their solution.
How to Conduct an Effective ROI Study
Conducting an effective ROI study requires careful planning, execution, and presentation. Let's break down the process, drawing insights from the successful ROI studies of ON24, Vidyard, G2, Totango + Catalyst, Technology Advice, and ZoomInfo.
Define Clear Objectives
Before beginning your ROI study, it's crucial to define what you want to achieve. Your objectives might include:
Demonstrating the financial impact of your solution
Highlighting efficiency gains or time savings
Showcasing improvements in key business metrics
Comparing your solution's performance to alternatives or the status quo
Example: TechnologyAdvice’s ROI Study showed a 20x pipeline and a 20% higher conversion rate, which are metrics their customers will be using to evaluate them.
Select the Right Metrics
Choose metrics that align with your objectives and resonate with your target audience. Common metrics in B2B ROI studies include:
Revenue growth
Cost savings
Productivity improvements
Pipeline generation
Customer retention rates
Time to value
Example: Totango + Catalyst's study focused on metrics like Net Revenue Retention (NRR), churn reduction, and time saved on manual tasks, aligning with the key concerns of customer success teams.
TechTarget’s ROI study focused largely on pipeline, revenue, conversion, and opportunity creation that their customers experienced.
Gather and Analyze Data
Data collection is the backbone of any ROI study. Methods may include:
Customer surveys and interviews
Analysis of platform usage data
Integration with customers' CRM or other relevant systems
Third-party market research
Ensure your data collection is comprehensive and your analysis is thorough and unbiased.
Example: MadKudu’s ROI study leveraged data from their platform, customer interviews, and third-party validation from GTM Partners to present a comprehensive view of their impact. We identified results like 60x more sales opps and 90% of pipeline generated from 25% of leads.
Present Results
The presentation of your ROI study is just as important as the data itself. Consider these best practices:
Use clear, concise language
Leverage visual aids like charts and infographics
Highlight key findings prominently
Include customer quotes and case studies to add credibility
Provide context for your results
Example: ON24's ROI study effectively used a mix of quantitative data, customer quotes, and visual elements to present their findings in an engaging and easily digestible format.
E. Case Study Example: G2's Approach to Measuring and Presenting ROI
G2's ROI study serves as an excellent example of effective ROI measurement and presentation:
Clear Objectives: The study aimed to demonstrate how G2 Marketing Solutions impact pipeline, revenue, and cost per lead (CPL).
Relevant Metrics: They focused on metrics that matter to their target audience, such as:
Pipeline influenced
Revenue increase
Reduction in CPL
Increase in MQLs
Comprehensive Data Collection: G2 leveraged:
Customer interviews
Platform data
Third-party validation from GTM Partners
G2 review data
Effective Presentation:
Used a clean, visually appealing layout
Presented key metrics prominently (e.g., "$1.8M pipeline driven by G2 for Salesloft")
Included numerous customer quotes to add credibility
Provided context with information about market challenges and how G2 addresses them
Diverse Examples: The study included results from various companies across different industries and use cases, demonstrating G2's broad applicability.
Balanced View: While focusing on positive outcomes, the study also provided a realistic view of how companies use G2, including challenges they may face.
By following these principles, G2 created an ROI study that not only demonstrated the value of their solution but also served as a powerful sales and marketing tool.
The Future of B2B ROI Studies
As B2B markets evolve and new technologies emerge, the approach to ROI studies is also changing. Here's a look at some emerging trends and predictions for the future of ROI studies in B2B:
Emerging Trends
AI-Driven Analysis: AI and machine learning are being used to analyze vast amounts of data quickly, uncovering insights that might be missed by human analysts.
Real-Time ROI Tracking: Instead of static reports, companies are moving towards dynamic dashboards that show ROI in real-time.
Predictive ROI Modeling: Advanced analytics are being used to predict future ROI based on current trends and historical data.
Holistic Value Measurement: There's a growing focus on measuring not just financial ROI, but also factors like environmental impact, employee satisfaction, and social responsibility.
Integration with Customer Success Platforms: ROI measurement is becoming an integral part of customer success strategies, with continuous monitoring throughout the customer lifecycle.
Predictions for How ROI Studies Will Evolve
Greater Personalization: ROI studies will become more tailored to individual prospects, taking into account their specific industry, company size, and business challenges.
Increased Transparency: As buyers become more sophisticated, there will be a demand for more transparency in ROI calculations, including access to underlying data and methodologies.
Multi-Touch Attribution: ROI studies will need to account for the complex, multi-touch nature of B2B buying processes, attributing value across various touchpoints and interactions.
Integration with Emerging Technologies: As new technologies like AR/VR, blockchain, and IoT become more prevalent in B2B, ROI studies will need to evolve to measure their impact.
Focus on Ecosystem ROI: As more businesses rely on interconnected systems and partnerships, ROI studies will need to measure the value of entire ecosystems rather than individual products.
8 Ways to Leverage ROI Studies for Product Marketing Content
Not only does an ROI study make prospects and customers trust you more.
Not only does it reduce skepticism and risk.
Not only does it help you close faster, bigger deals.
The icing on the cake is that it gives you 3-6 months of the best marketing content you will ever have.
Here’s what we would do with a credible, independent, third-party ROI study to get the most bang for our buck.
Content marketing:
Create blog posts, articles, and whitepapers that highlight key findings.
Develop case studies that showcase real-world customer examples.
Produce infographics or visual content that summarizes the ROI data.
Create compelling video content (explainer videos or customer testimonials).
Email campaigns:
Share ROI study via targeted email campaigns to customers and prospects; focus on segmentation where possible, and matching ROI to persona.
Social media:
Share ROI study snippets and highlights on social media platforms.
Enable customers to easily share their own ROI success stories, using templated graphics and pre-written copy.
Webinars and events:
Host webinars or seminars where you present the ROI study findings with customer advocates.
Present the ROI study at industry events and conferences, either delivered by your leadership or by customers (who often don’t have to pay to speak or sponsor).
Website:
Create a call to action on your homepage that links to your ROI study.
Design dedicated landing pages with strong CTA’s that offer ungated reports or case studies.
Sales collateral:
Equip your sales team with ROI-focused materials, including ROI calculators, sales presentations, and one-pagers.
Train sales representatives to effectively communicate the ROI potential to prospects.
Media outreach:
Issue a press release with ROI study results and quotes from the author.
Reach out to trade publications, blogs, podcasts, and others who might cover your proven, third-party validated ROI.
Advertising and direct mail:
Use PPC, display, social, and SEM campaigns to promote the ROI study to a wider audience.
GTM Partners' Research and Methodology
GTM Partners' ROI studies are third-party validated assessments of Go-to-Market vendor solutions, primarily focused on how to get the most out of an investment in technology. These studies are centered around use cases rather than stack-ranking vendors, providing readers with a data-driven analysis of what problems the solution is intended to solve and how well it delivers on those promises.
GTM Partners' ROI Studies are developed in three stages:
Vendor Capabilities Assessment:
Vendor responds to a use-case-driven market survey
Vendor provides a demo and insights into their roadmap
Market Analysis:
Analysis of G2 data to understand how the market at large is using the solution
Review of feedback on the entire segment to understand how the vendor performs against competitors or similar solutions in the specified use cases
Customer Validation:
Interviews with three customers to understand their primary use cases
Assessment of any additional investment outside of the solution cost
Confirmation of any need for additional investment in companion solutions required for the use cases to be performed
This rigorous methodology ensures that GTM Partners' ROI studies provide a comprehensive and unbiased view of a solution's value and effectiveness.
By leveraging these resources, you'll be well-equipped to create impactful ROI studies that drive your B2B marketing efforts forward. Remember, the key to successful ROI studies lies not just in the calculations but in how you gather, analyze, and present the data to tell a compelling story about the value of your solution.
Interested in learning more about our ROI studies? Book a call with Sangram to learn more.
Do you need help with your GTM strategy and execution?
GTM Partners works with B2B companies who need help with GTM, whether you just need a few tweaks or a full reboot of your strategy.
We’re booking now for 2025 planning work, including:
GTM Audit and Plan: We assess your current GTM challenges and opportunities, provide a GTM Score, and offer a plan for identifying and prioritizing your biggest GTM challenges.
Advisory: We work one-on-one or with your entire GTM team to execute your plan using our proprietary GTM Operating System and the frameworks we’ve built to accelerate your growth. We can do this on a project basis to address specific needs or help you through a total GTM transformation.
GTM Certification: We offer Go-to-Market certification for individuals, teams, and agencies using our proprietary GTM Operating System.
We’d love to chat more about your needs and how we can help.
RevCon 24 - 10/1-10/3: What’s Next
Join Sangram Vajre, Lindsay Cordell, and Karthi Ratnam for this year’s RevCon, which will be held online and is free to attendees. The whole agenda is available here, but following are the GTM Partners’ sessions:
Day 1
How to Build The Revenue Team Investors Love: Lindsay Cordell is speaking with Tiffany Gonzales, Head of Growth and Revenue Operations at Microsoft, about how to win over investors and leverage their expertise for your benefit. This session is a must if you’re part of an early-stage startup and preparing to raise funds.
Influencing and Implementing Go-to-Market Strategies within Organizations: It's not enough to just have a GTM Strategy—you have to implement it effectively and efficiently. Our Director of GTM, Karthi Ratnam will be on a panel with Kolene Hammer, Senior Director of Sales, North America at OpenSesame, and Judith Hammerman, SVP of Cloud Growth at Acxiom for a really fun and engaging session.
Day 3
GTM Planning in 2025 - What's next? Q4 is almost here, and almost everyone is planning for 2025. Some of you are probably in the midst of your planning. Sangram Vajre will talk about what we’re likely to see in terms of GTM in 2025. He’ll be speaking amazing GTM experts - Mary Kay Evans, Chief GTM Officer at Alida, Kate M Hahn, Head of Growth Marketing at Bazaarvoice and Karin Stevens, EVP, CMO at Overhaul.
Analyst Hour Recap: The Great AI SDR Debate - A Game Changer or a Step Too Far?
If you missed our analyst hour last week on the debate over AI SDRs . . . it was an amazing session with our speakers dropping facts and statistics about AI and its role in GTM.
Here are some of the key takeaways:
Michael Maximoff, Co-Founder of Belkins.io
My concern about AI is that it will be used by today's 15—20-year-olds, who have not spent the time that today’s SDRs have in the actual sales process. They don’t know how it works and will not know how to access the learnings that we have.
Cost of SDRs went up 20%, CAC went up 50% and the cost of tools went up by 50 - 100%. We spend too much on tools and automation and too little on salaries and our costs go up.
Kyle Coleman, CMO of Copy.ai
It’s a disaster when there is no human in the loop - to give AI access to your CRM and outreach inbox and whatever and just hope for the best is not going to work.
You’re going to Spam your TAM, burn your Addressable market to the ground and may see a little bump in productivity and the number of meetings because of sheer volume of emails sent but it is going to fall off the cliff because it’s just a volume play.
Kelsey Ericks Carricato, Global Director of Business Development at Copado
The best salespeople have a spidey sense and are able to get off a call and tell what everyone on that call was thinking or feeling. AI will never be able to do that.
For example, Regie.ai steps in and does the monotonous work before a BDR actually contacts the account so that the BDR can focus on what a human does best.
Matt Millen, Co-Founder and President of Regie.ai
Be clear about the problems that you are trying to solve and make sure that you are looking at the right solutions to solve that.
If you are looking at Generative AI, use it to solve a problem that has scale behind it. Use it (AI) to solve big problems.
Technology has primarily determined how GTM teams have been architected. We started with door-to-door sales, then went to phone sales, then sales engagement platforms, and now we have entirely new technology to support us. It is time for us to say how we rethink how teams exist today in the GTM era and where technology fits. Technology is a teammate.
These are just some of the interesting and thought-provoking points our speakers shared last week.
You can watch the entire session here.
GTM is Better Together: Updates!
“GTM is Better Together” is a revolutionary new vision that the future of GTM is better together with unified teams, tech, and trust. This is a weekly feature where we will share the latest announcements related to this important initiative.
We’d love to see you at one of our last two GTM is Better Together leadership summits.
October 22, NYC:
November 20, San Francisco:
Boston and Atlanta were a lot of fun—How many B2B conferences have you been to with on-brand light up drummers to kick off the day?
GTM Events
A list of upcoming events of interest to GTM professionals
October 1-3, virtual: RevCon24
October 14-16, Austin, TX: Pavilion’s GTM 2024 (use code GTMPARTNERS20 for 20% off your ticket)
October 16, Austin: GTM Made Simple Roadshow
October 22, NYC: GTM is Better Together
November 20, San Francisco: GTM is Better Together
Love,
The GTM Partners Team
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