skills/design-btob-growth/references/btob-structure.md

# B2B Growth Structure

## Contents

1. Core model
2. ICP and readiness
3. Buying committee
4. Stage evidence
5. Common bottlenecks

## 1. Core model

```text
Demand-bearing account / ICP
  → contact and recall
  → problem resolution, comparison, and sales value
  → internal approval and consensus
  → procurement and implementation
  → value realization
  → continuing relationship
```

B2B differs through how decisions are made: multiple functions, longer time, risk, ROI, procurement, implementation, and internal approval. The customer is still human, but the decision must survive organizational transmission.

## 2. ICP and readiness

Separate:

- **Fit:** the account can receive material value.
- **Need:** a relevant problem or event exists.
- **Readiness:** the account can prioritize, fund, decide, and implement now.
- **Access:** the seller can reach or be recalled by relevant roles.

Use exclusion criteria to protect capacity. Examples include insufficient problem magnitude, impossible integration, no budget path, adverse unit economics, unacceptable legal risk, or chronic inability to realize value.

## 3. Buying committee

| Role | Primary question |
|---|---|
| Problem owner | Does this solve the actual business problem? |
| User/operator | Will this improve or disrupt daily work? |
| Champion | Can I explain and defend this internally? |
| Economic buyer | Is the expected value worth the cost and risk? |
| Technical/security/legal | Is it feasible, safe, and compliant? |
| Procurement/finance | Is the commercial and approval structure acceptable? |
| Executive sponsor | Does this align with strategic priorities? |
| Blocker/status-quo owner | What do I lose if this changes? |

One person may hold multiple roles. Map only roles material to the decision.

## 4. Stage evidence

Prefer evidence of buyer commitment:

- Sharing internal data or process details
- Introducing another stakeholder
- Agreeing comparison criteria
- Confirming budget or approval route
- Assigning an internal owner
- Scheduling a mutual next step
- Reviewing security, legal, or implementation requirements
- Committing to a pilot with success and stop conditions

Seller activity—messages, meetings, proposals, demos—is not sufficient stage evidence.

## 5. Common bottlenecks

| Observed symptom | Likely structural question |
|---|---|
| Many leads, few meetings | Fit, permission, signal strength, or relevance |
| Meetings, no next step | Problem resolution, urgency, or mutual commitment |
| Proposal sent, silence | Approval route, comparison, risk, or internal explanation |
| Champion engaged, no progress | Authority, consensus, or economic buyer access |
| Procurement delay | Commercial terms, vendor process, legal/security readiness |
| Won, slow implementation | Responsibility, integration, change management, or capacity |
| Implemented, low renewal | Expectation gap, value realization, adoption, or relationship |