SkillVari adapts its go-to-market strategy by geography. In the US, they focus on the large high school and community college vocational training market. Conversely, in Europe and Asia, their primary customer base consists of industrial companies conducting in-house employee training.
For its $5k average deal size, SkillVari found a direct US sales model unviable, as travel costs could erase profits. Instead, they built a network of 10 regional resellers, incentivized with commissions up to 20%, to provide local, hands-on demos and support.
For EdTech startups, pivoting from D2C to B2B school sales is challenging, with long sales cycles. However, it creates a stickier business not subject to seasonal dips and, more importantly, provides equitable access to students in underserved communities, not just affluent families.
Instead of building expensive hardware, SkillVari's software runs on affordable, off-the-shelf headsets like Meta Quest. This allows a starting subscription of $4,000, drastically lowering the barrier to entry compared to competitors whose one-time purchase solutions cost over $35,000.
SkillVari uses a land-and-expand model where schools start with a low-cost software plan using standard VR controllers. As students advance, schools can purchase higher-margin hardware extensions like welding guns, increasing account value over time without a large upfront commitment.
Instead of concentrating its sales force in one region, Deel hired individual salespeople in various countries early in its journey. This counterintuitive move, often criticized as defocusing, allowed the company to quickly test and understand multiple markets in parallel. This strategy was key to rapidly ramping up a global go-to-market motion with localized insights.
Large tech firms often struggle with global ABM because strategies are dictated by a central, US-centric corporate team. This leads to a disconnect with regional field marketing teams who understand local nuances, cultural differences, and specific account needs, crippling campaign effectiveness.
The company leverages its remote structure by hiring strategically. A Spanish team is located near suppliers for better sourcing and relationships, while a British team focuses on the consumer market. This intentional geographic distribution optimizes both supply chain and marketing efforts.
In every industry, a few established enterprises—like Costco for HR software—act as 'tastemakers' by adopting new technology early. Winning these key accounts first provides crucial validation and influences other companies in the vertical to follow, creating a powerful go-to-market advantage that bypasses smaller customers.
A bifurcated GTM strategy can de-risk entry into different market segments. For large enterprises with entrenched systems, lead with AI agents that integrate and augment existing workflows. For the more agile mid-market, offer a full-stack, AI-native replacement for their legacy tools.
A successful startup curriculum can't be one-size-fits-all globally. It requires real-time adaptation to address specific local ecosystem gaps, such as a need for better design skills in the Middle East or a push for global-facing products in an otherwise mature, domestic-focused market like Japan.