Sharpening the GTM Saw: A Path to Sustainable Growth

In recent months, I've had a number of conversations with C-level execs facing the same challenge: sales team attainment has dropped in the last 24 months resulting in missed top-line budgets and increased scrutiny from their shareholders.

Their response? They point the finger at the marketing and sales teams they've got in seat and begin to performance manage them out of the business to replace them with "better" talent. But it's not the team's fault that the underlying system isn't working as well as it once did, and it's not their sole responsibility to bear the burden of making up the revenue gap. It's the leader's responsibility to guide them through the current Go-To-Market (GTM) efficiency crisis and 'Sharpen the Saw' of their RevenueOS.

At times like this, business leaders need to remember Stephen Covey's 7th Habit - "Sharpen the Saw". Many leaders are so busy doing the wrong things that they don't take the time to pause, step back and refine their approach. They're trying to make progress in a changing B2B market with a dull saw, when what they really need is to pause and sharpen their tools.

The key lies in rebuilding their RevenueOS - their operating system for revenue generation. It's not about the people you've hired: it's about creating the right repeatable processes for them to follow. And this starts with getting two critical elements right: your Data Model and your GTM Model.

In his recent whitepaper on GTM Efficiency (check it out here ) Dave Boyce from Winning by Design talks about the importance of creating a 'Lean Revenue Factory' and highlights the importance of doing the right things at the right time - in particular, creating a foundational data model (Stage 3) and GTM Model (Stage 4) to underpin a repeatable revenue process before jumping to expand the operation or tighten up on execution.

Yet too often leaders try to fix their revenue challenges without having these fundamentals in place, and it's creating an unnecessary burden on their team, on their budgets and on their boards expectations of growth. Companies that cling to outdated expansion models are finding themselves slowing down or grinding to a halt. The market has changed, and the GTM approach needs to change with it.

The companies that are winning in today's market are those willing to pause, reflect, and "sharpen their saw." They're reimagining their GTM models, creating efficiency, improving Net Revenue Retention (NRR) rates, and achieving better Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) payback. In essence, they're building more sustainable businesses for the long term.

These forward-thinking organisations are rebuilding their GTM teams into a 'Lean Revenue Factory' with a RevenueOS at the core that allows them to be more capital efficient and much more likely to succeed in the current market.

So, my advice to B2B leaders facing attainment challenges? Before you rush to performance manage or overhaul your team, take a step back. Examine your Data Model and GTM Model. Are they aligned? Are they efficient? Are they driving the results you need? Have you agreed on a RevenueOS that can support your team and help them succeed?

Remember, in times of market downturns it's not just about working harder - it's about working smarter. This is where leadership accountability is crucial. Sharpen your GTM saw, create an aligned RevenueOS with a clear data and GTM model and you'll find your team cutting through their revenue challenges with far less effort and far better results.

Want to learn more? Drop me a DM to discuss or visit us at www.therevenueos.com