How do I calculate ROI on my GTM strategy?

As a growth-focused B2B tech leader, you’ve probably asked yourself: 

“Is all this GTM planning actually worth it?” 

You’re not alone, and it’s a fair question.

In the early stages, momentum often comes from the hustle and who you know. But to scale efficiently, you need to take it further than that. By getting your GTM strategy right, you should in turn see continuous momentum and results. However, to get buy-in and justify the investment, you need to quantify that value.

What is GTM ROI?

Return on Investment (ROI) for GTM strategy is a tangible way to link strategic work to financial outcomes. The formula is:

GTM ROI = (Incremental Revenue Gain – GTM Investment) / GTM Investment

Let’s walk through how this works:

1. Start with your GTM Investment

From the data in your internal GTM planning sheet, an example may include:

Total: £117,000 over 3 months

Note: This doesn’t include strategic time spent aligning your positioning, ICP, pricing models, or funnel structure, yet these are what drive accumulative returns. However it does include the largest cost which is people.

2. Estimate the Revenue Uplift

You don’t have to guess here. Use specific funnel metrics before and after the GTM strategy intervention. Let’s say:

• Before GTM strategy work:
  
  • 100 leads per month
    
  • 10% convert to SQLs
    
  • 20% of SQLs close
    
  • Avg deal size: £20,000
    
  • → 4 deals x £20k = £80,000 revenue / month
    
• After GTM strategy work (3-month lag):
  
  • 150 leads/month
    
  • 20% convert to SQLs
    
  • 30% of SQLs close
    
  • Avg deal size: £25,000
    
  • → 9 deals x £25k = £225,000 revenue/month
    

That’s a £145,000/month uplift, or £435,000 over three months.

And remember this includes 5 employees. 

3. Do the math

(£435,000 – £117,000) / £117,000 = 2.71 → 271% ROI

So for every £1 invested, you receive £2.71 return

Bear in mind, this is just an example to help shape your own model. These numbers are fairly conservative, however even if you assume a lower conversion increase, that’s still a strong return. Plus an effective GTM keeps growing and scaling across every stage of the funnel, so the rewards keep coming. 

Where does ROI actually come from?

The word GTM isn’t a magic wand. It does require strategic planning and research to build an effective and bespoke model for each business, however the value is found in the following:

• Clearer ICP and qualification criteria
  → Better fit leads, less sales time wasted.
• Aligned messaging and sales enablement
  → Higher conversion and shorter cycles.
• Stronger pricing structure and positioning
  → Increased deal size and engaged customers
• Focused investment in tools that deliver
  → Outreach, intent tools, and automation actually used properly.
• Benchmarking and data reporting
  → Deeper understanding of what is working and what isn’t, saving wastage and scaling success

What if it doesn’t work?

Sometimes businesses think they have a robust GTM strategy, however the ROI isn’t as what is hoped. Here’s what to check:

• Did you define clear success metrics?
• Was your ICP too broad?
• Are sales and marketing still misaligned?
• Was strategy just “theoretical” with no operational follow-through?

The GTM work isn’t done after the ideas are on paper. Execution is whats brings this to life, and sometimes change is hard. So, upfront be clear that you need to invest time, effort and resources into making this work. A strategy will go no where without the people to drive it.

Regular check-ins are helpful to keep everyone on track with responsibilities and to monitor KPIs. Adjustments may also need to be made – that’s ok, it’s going to happen.

What you can do to get started

Here’s how to get proactive today:

1. Benchmark your funnel
    Know your baseline lead-to-revenue metrics.
2. Log and quantify GTM investment & spend
   People, platforms and programmes.
3. Set measurable uplift targets
   Choose 1–2 levers (conversion %, volume, AOV) to focus on.
4. Run a 90-day experiment
   Implement, track, refine.

Engineer a path to success

Creating a successful GTM strategy isn’t easy – that’s why so many businesses are throwing good money after bad hoping something will stick. They are not investing their efforts into the right places. 

By creating a scalable and sustainable GTM strategy for your business, for every hour and pound invested in strategy, your seeing return comes from better leads, faster closes, and bigger deals. 

So if you’re wondering whether it’s worth investing in GTM strategy, remember, the ROI is not only measurable, it’s transformative for your business.