Filters
The Future of GTM is Better Together
Thanks for being one of more than 100,000 forward-thinking GTM Leaders who subscribe to this weekly research note. We aim to be the go-to for go-to-market, so we appreciate you reading and sharing when you see something you like!
This week’s research note includes:
GTM Research: The future of GTM
Better Together: Recap of our first roadshow in Atlanta
GTM Events: Coming soon
GTM Made Simple Live! this Tuesday with Sangram and Bryan on 2025 Planning
GTM Research: The Future of GTM
A weekly deep-dive into new GTM research and insights
In B2B technology companies, we’ve been obsessed with the relentless pursuit of growth at any cost over the last few decades.
However, it’s becoming clear that this approach is unsustainable.
GTM has to evolve to drive efficient growth.
How We Got Here
1. Isolated Technological Environment
The proliferation of GTM technology within the B2B space has gotten insane!
20 years ago, it was all about CRM. 10 years ago, it was about CRM and MAP.
Today, tools and platforms flood the market. In fact, in Scott Brinker’s 2023 MarTech Landscape, there are now more than 11,000 companies!
Yet, amidst this abundance, navigating this labyrinth of options is harder than ever.
We need a more discerning approach to technology adoption that prioritizes alignment with strategic objectives over sheer quantity.
2. Rise of Specialized Functional Teams
In tandem with the technological explosion, B2B organizations have prioritized specialized functional teams.
Departments like marketing, sales, product, customer success have become increasingly compartmentalized, operating within their own spheres of influence. CMO’s role didn’t become common until around 2000 and we didn’t see the CRO title until around 2010.
This fragmentation poses a significant challenge to collaboration and synergy across the GTM spectrum.
Within marketing alone, the landscape is delineated into various specializations—product marketing, demand generation, brand management, operations, account-based marketing (ABM), communications, and more—each with its own set of objectives and priorities.
While specialization can bring expertise forward, it also risks creating silos that hinder holistic approaches to problem-solving and strategy execution.
3. Silos in Problem-Solving
The trend towards specialized teams exacerbates the issue of siloed problem-solving.
The broader organizational perspective often gets lost as functional teams focus inward on their respective domains.
Challenges and opportunities are tackled within silos, limiting the exchange of insights and best practices across departments.
This fragmentation impedes the flow of information and innovation, hindering the organization's ability to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing market landscape.
The Brutal Truth
Go-to-Market is hard.
So many tech choices, isolated teams, and siloed decision-making mean that GTM is hard.
Just check out a few of the stats from G2’s report on Buyer Behavior Trends:
The B2B buying process is complex. 80% of B2B companies have buying committees that influence software purchasing decisions with 22 distinct roles which are involved in the process.
SaaS contracts are shorter. More than half of software contracts are for fewer than 6 months and only 11% last more than two years.
The importance of the vendor’s sales team is declining. 68% of B2B buyers only involve the vendor’s sales team at the last stage of the buying process.
Vendors need to show value quickly. Buyers list simple implementation, a quicker return on investment (ROI), and ease of use as their three most important considerations.
Renewals are getting trickier. Only 45% of software buyers renew without consideration. 53% research and contemplate alternatives when a product is up for renewal.
So you’re not alone if you’re feeling like GTM is harder than ever at a time when we need efficient growth badly.
How will you know GTM is hard?
Because you’re experiencing a few of the 15 problems or 5 valleys of death .
The Future of GTM: We Are Better Together
As companies navigate the ever-evolving landscape of go-to-market (GTM) strategies, there's a clear shift from traditional approaches to more innovative and integrated methodologies. Here's how companies can evolve their GTM teams from old ways to new paradigms.
Read on to learn how we explored the “Better Together” theme at our first event in Atlanta.
Do you need help with your GTM strategy and execution?
GTM Partners works with B2B companies in the following ways:
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.
1:1 Advisory: Our 1-on-1 advisory provides coaching for GTM leaders who need help elevating their strategy. Through regular calls, you'll work with our analysts to refine your GTM and achieve personal and professional goals.
GTM Team Advisory: We work 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.
We’d love to chat more about what you need and how we can help.
GTM is Better Together: Atlanta Recap
“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.
Last Wednesday in Atlanta, GTM pros gathered for “GTM is Better Together,” an event that explored how companies can align their teams and tech stacks to hit growth targets—better together. Atlanta was the first of four executive summits this fall around the country.
We had an incredible keynote by Dr. Tim Elmore, who discussed the differences in how each generation approaches work challenges, ethics, and leadership. His thesis was that companies are “better together” when they embrace each generation’s strengths and unique attributes rather than trying to make everyone the same.
We also wanted to highlight some of the great info shared in our morning sessions on use cases and execution strategies.
Use Case 1: Cold Outbound to Warm Follow-up
The panel underscored the shift from traditional cold outbound approaches to more intelligent, context-aware strategies that integrate AI-driven insights. Companies can significantly improve their conversion rates and overall efficiency by aligning sales and marketing efforts and leveraging dynamic playbooks.
Speakers:
Sam Levan, Co-Founder and CEO, MadKudu
Tyler Lessard, CMO, Technology Advice
Jam Khan, SVP Portfolio Marketing, ZoomInfo
Use Case 2: Unlocking Pipeline with Customer Time to Value and ROI
The panelists underscored the importance of understanding and using intent signals effectively, addressing revenue leaks by focusing on the right processes, and leveraging personalized storytelling to enhance customer engagement. By doing so, companies can better manage their pipelines, improve customer time to value, and achieve more reliable ROI outcomes.
Speakers:
Chris Moody, VP Brand Marketing, Demandbase
Julien Sauvage, GVP Marketing, Clari
Justin Noodleman, Senior Director of Revenue, Vidyard
Use Case 3: Unlocking Customer Growth for Efficiency and Profitability
Customer marketing should be centered on delivering and sustaining value. Product teams must be integrated into the process by providing data on product utilization, updates, features, and renewals. Addressing churn and driving growth require a collaborative, company-wide effort.
Speakers:
Palmer Houchins, Head of Marketing, G2
Karen Budell, CMO, Totango + Catalyst
Lastly, check out the ROI studies for our partners to understand how they are helping customers grow.
Clari - The Importance of an Integrated Revenue Platform
G2 - Capture Demand while Building Brand Reputation
MadKudu - The Importance of Signal-Based Selling
TechnologyAdvice - Meeting Buyers on their Terms
Totango + Catalyst - Unlocking Customer Growth
Vidyard - Sending Personalized Messages on Scale
ZoomInfo CoPilot - Why Sellers Need Accurate Intent Data
GTM Events
A list of upcoming events of interest to GTM professionals
September 10, Boston: GTM is Better Together
September 18-20, Boston: INBOUND 2024
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
GTM Made Simple Live! Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. EST
Join our co-founder and CEO Sangram Vajre every week on LinkedIn at 12:30 ET for a deep dive into one of our research topics.
Join Sangram and Bryan from GTM Partners on September 4th for a special GTM Made Simple Live episode.
In this 45-minute session, Sangram and Bryan will draw on their years of experience to show you how to build your entire GTM Executive Strategy on a single slide.
You'll learn how to identify which of the 15 reasons your GTM might be broken and explore the eight pillars of our proprietary GTM Operating System. By the end, you'll have insights on creating a unified slide to align your GTM teams for efficient growth and retention.
Join Sangram and Bryan on LinkedIn Live or register for the weekly series.
Hope to see many of you on the road this fall!
Love,
The GTM Partners Team
