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The Era of Ai and Buyer Led GTM | Santosh Sharan | S3:E12
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The Evolution of GTM: From Relationship-Driven Sales to AI-Driven Intelligence:
Over the past 15 years, sales has evolved from a relationship-based model to a data-driven, automated approach. Santosh shares how he witnessed this transformation firsthand while working with ZoomInfo and Apollo, helping sales teams leverage real-time data and automation.
“We went from a world where data was scarce to a world where we have too much data. The challenge now is filtering through the noise.”
While automation initially helped sales teams become more efficient, it has now reached a breaking point—buyers are bombarded with outreach, and response rates are plummeting.
The Sales Saturation Problem: Why Traditional GTM is Breaking Down:
Sales teams today have more data and automation than ever before, yet 79% of reps are missing their quota (Epsta research, 2024). Why?
1: Too many sellers, not enough buyers – Thousands of companies are sending millions of outreach messages daily.
2: Buyers are overloaded – 20+ calls and 100+ emails a day have made outreach ineffective.
3: Trust is declining – With so much noise, buyers no longer believe in vendor-driven messaging.
This shift has opened the door for buyer-led GTM—a strategy where buyers drive the process and sellers must earn trust to gain engagement.
The Rise of Buyer-Led GTM: Flipping the Traditional Sales Model:
So, what is buyer-led GTM, and how does it differ from the seller-led model we’ve relied on for decades?
Traditional Seller-Led GTM:
- Sales reps blast emails, calls, and LinkedIn messages
- Buyers get flooded with unsolicited outreach
- 95% of buyers aren’t ready to purchase—but they’re still getting pitched
The New Buyer-Led GTM:
- Buyers raise their hand when they are actively looking
- They conduct their own research instead of relying on vendor messaging
- Sellers earn trust through valuable, unbiased content and partnerships
Santosh explains how AI-powered buyer research tools will replace traditional lead-gen tactics, ensuring buyers get the insights they need without spammy outreach.
AI-Powered Agents: The Future of GTM is Automated & Intelligent:
As AI advances, agents will begin replacing manual outreach and traditional sales reps. Santosh predicts that:
- AI agents will replace SDR outreach – Instead of cold emails, AI will handle buyer engagement
- Buyers will use AI for vendor research – They’ll get real-time, unbiased insights before making decisions
- Seller & buyer agents will negotiate deals – AI-powered assistants will interact to simplify transactions
The implication? Sales teams must adapt now. Companies that don’t integrate AI-driven research into their GTM strategies will struggle to compete.
Learn more at www.forceandfrictionpodcast.com
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By Mike J MidgleySend us a text
The Evolution of GTM: From Relationship-Driven Sales to AI-Driven Intelligence:
Over the past 15 years, sales has evolved from a relationship-based model to a data-driven, automated approach. Santosh shares how he witnessed this transformation firsthand while working with ZoomInfo and Apollo, helping sales teams leverage real-time data and automation.
“We went from a world where data was scarce to a world where we have too much data. The challenge now is filtering through the noise.”
While automation initially helped sales teams become more efficient, it has now reached a breaking point—buyers are bombarded with outreach, and response rates are plummeting.
The Sales Saturation Problem: Why Traditional GTM is Breaking Down:
Sales teams today have more data and automation than ever before, yet 79% of reps are missing their quota (Epsta research, 2024). Why?
1: Too many sellers, not enough buyers – Thousands of companies are sending millions of outreach messages daily.
2: Buyers are overloaded – 20+ calls and 100+ emails a day have made outreach ineffective.
3: Trust is declining – With so much noise, buyers no longer believe in vendor-driven messaging.
This shift has opened the door for buyer-led GTM—a strategy where buyers drive the process and sellers must earn trust to gain engagement.
The Rise of Buyer-Led GTM: Flipping the Traditional Sales Model:
So, what is buyer-led GTM, and how does it differ from the seller-led model we’ve relied on for decades?
Traditional Seller-Led GTM:
- Sales reps blast emails, calls, and LinkedIn messages
- Buyers get flooded with unsolicited outreach
- 95% of buyers aren’t ready to purchase—but they’re still getting pitched
The New Buyer-Led GTM:
- Buyers raise their hand when they are actively looking
- They conduct their own research instead of relying on vendor messaging
- Sellers earn trust through valuable, unbiased content and partnerships
Santosh explains how AI-powered buyer research tools will replace traditional lead-gen tactics, ensuring buyers get the insights they need without spammy outreach.
AI-Powered Agents: The Future of GTM is Automated & Intelligent:
As AI advances, agents will begin replacing manual outreach and traditional sales reps. Santosh predicts that:
- AI agents will replace SDR outreach – Instead of cold emails, AI will handle buyer engagement
- Buyers will use AI for vendor research – They’ll get real-time, unbiased insights before making decisions
- Seller & buyer agents will negotiate deals – AI-powered assistants will interact to simplify transactions
The implication? Sales teams must adapt now. Companies that don’t integrate AI-driven research into their GTM strategies will struggle to compete.
Learn more at www.forceandfrictionpodcast.com