demand-origin-classifierlisted

# Demand Origin Classifier Every GTM strategy assumes an answer to one upstream question, usually without asking it: **does this market already know it wants what we sell?** Get this wrong and the messaging, the qualification bar, and the "more leads will fix it" instinct are all wrong by the same margin. ## The three demand origins | Origin | What the market believes | Who you're really competing with | Messaging job | Qualification signal | |---|---|---|---|---| | **Dormant** | Unaware the problem is worth solving, or that it's solvable | Inertia — "we've always done it this way" | Name the cost of inaction; make the invisible problem visible | A prospect with the standing to *sponsor change*, not just a form-fill | | **Substitution** | Aware of the problem; already has a workaround or inferior fix | Whatever they use today (a manual process, a legacy tool, a competitor) | Prove a materially better approach exists | Active dissatisfaction with the current approach | | **Active-Category** | Buys this routinely; has budget and a defined process | Direct, named competitors | Win on differentiation — features, price, service, trust | Budget + authority + need + timeframe are all already in place | ## Inputs to gather **Required:** - What the product/offer actually solves, and for whom (the specific segment or persona) **Helpful, not blocking:** - Real prospect language — how do they describe the problem when they first hear about it? Do they already have a name for it? -