It’s no surprise as B2B companies transition from 2020’s spending bloat to 2023’s spending cuts, new go-to-market (GTM) efficiency trends have emerged in 2024.
In a recent LeanData webinar, B2B sales and marketing leaders discussed the results of the 2024 State of GTM Efficiency Report, identifying trends they’re seeing internally, with prospects, and with customers.
So here are the top four GTM efficiency trends to watch, monitor, and in many cases, adopt:
#1 From GTM Predictability to GTM Adaptability
The State of GTM Efficiency Report revealed that 71% of B2B companies agreed revenue growth was a challenge in 2023.
After several years of running sales and marketing programs that delivered predictable results, companies are now constantly adapting their programs to buyer and market conditions.
This change to GTM adaptability looks like:
- Continuously testing and experimenting with new programs
- Proof of ROI before implementing new programs
- Efficiently executing on every Opportunity
- Spending less time with Opportunities that will never close
- Investigating sub-segments of your ICP
- Collaborating internally to expand product offerings
After years of growth-at-all-costs, the pendulum for B2B sales and marketing then swung to efficiency-at-all-costs. In 2024, the pendulum appears to be settling in the middle: growth chaperoned by efficiency.
#2 From Tech Consolidation to Tech Optimization
One surprisingly contradictory data point from the State of GTM Efficiency Report showed that 30% of B2B organizations’ top three GTM priorities included new tech stack investments and tech stack consolidation.
On the one hand, organizations who overspent in 2021 and 2022 have been forced to consolidate in order to cut budget. However, at the same time, if a company has a deep pain point that can be solved by technology, you can bet they will scrape to find budget for it.
Christine Maxey, VP Revenue Operations at LeanData, recommends a mindset shift from tech stack consolidation to tech stack optimization. When the focus is on optimization, the tech you purchase and keep will not only streamline operations, but also scale and adjust for growth.
Last, before hacking away at your tech stack, consider the cascading effect that removal will have on your processes and pipeline.
#3 From Replacing Humans to Making Humans More Efficient
In the current AI hype cycle, AI tools do a great job at making humans more efficient, but they’re not replacing us just yet.
Companies are experiencing the largest commercial AI boom in history, making it easier than ever to automate workflows without support from IT.
Fast LLMs and no-code workflow builders give companies easy-access tools to streamline their path to revenue.
According to the State of GTM Efficiency report, revenue teams are investing in platforms that:
- Use generative AI and advanced predictive models to automate sales communication
- Create targeted content on the fly
- Understand and apply buyer intent data
- Remove friction from the customer journey
- Engage potential customers across multiple channels
When asked which areas they expect AI to impact the most, survey respondents ranked “replacing SDR functions” the highest.
However, especially for high-consideration, B2B products and services, where the buyer is a Buying Group, the purchase process still requires really good human interaction. Simply stated: people buy from people.
#4 From ABM & Lead-Centric Motions to Opportunity-Based in Buying Groups
When asked about current GTM motions, survey participants’ top responses aligned closely with those commonly seen in the SaaS market. Account-based selling took the top spot, followed by Opportunity-based and Lead-based strategies.
Momentum is clearly growing for a new, Opportunity-based motion focused on Buying Groups.
Although many sellers rely on the popular MQL (marketing qualified lead) metric associated with Lead-centric models, the reality is, MQLs don’t work when your B2B buyer is a committee.
Not to mention, Accounts are too big a target. An Account is not your buyer. There are groups of buyers within an Account with many potential Opportunities.
An Opportunity-based sales motion is similar to an Account-based motion, but operates on dynamic Buying Groups that make up the buying committee for a specific Opportunity rather than an Account in general.
More and more organizations are finding that an Opportunity-centric GTM motion delivers multiple positive outcomes: a better buying experience, greater marketing and sales efficiency, and increased revenue growth.
GTM Efficiency Recommendations
The State of GTM Efficiency Report underscores that success in 2024 will be fueled by adaptability, efficiency, and strategic use of technology.
Based on report findings, we recommend these six areas of focus for GTM success:
- Adopt Opportunity-based selling focused on Buying Groups.
- Invest in AI that streamlines SDR functions.
- Get laser-focused on marketing and sales alignment.
- Don’t neglect data hygiene.
- Stick with scalable technologies that promote efficient processes.
- Improve your lead management strategies.
Kim Peterson
Kim Peterson is the Manager of Content Strategy at LeanData where she digs deep into all aspects of the revenue process and shares her findings across multiple content channels. Kim's writing experiences span tech companies, stunt blogging, education, and the real estate industry. Connect with Kim on LinkedIn.