Are you driving your GTM strategy or just seeing what happens!

In this episode of Funnel Vision, host Richard Bounds interviews Paul Sullivan, a serial entrepreneur, founder of Arise Go-to-Market, and author of "Go-to-Market Uncovered." The discussion centers on how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming modern sales strategies and how sellers must adapt to these changes, particularly in supporting sales and product-led growth.

Paul shares his unconventional career journey, from corporate finance and investment banking at firms like JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley to founding a tech business and a publishing company. He highlights his consistent involvement in 'onboarding projects' and automating processes within banking, which ignited his passion for leveraging technology to improve efficiency. This passion ultimately led him to specialize in Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy, culminating in his proprietary 'Arise' methodology and subsequent book.

He explains his GTM philosophy, which boils down to answering three core business questions: how to convey value to the end-user, how to enable buyers to purchase, and how to onboard, retain, upsell, and cross-sell customers. Paul emphasizes the often overcomplicated nature of sales, suggesting a simplified, five-step process that underpins his methodology.

Regarding the biggest changes in sales, Paul identifies AI as the most significant impact. He observes a divergence in sales approaches: those who are 'spamming the world' with mass emails and those who are strategically using AI for 'signal-based selling.' While he acknowledges the productivity benefits of AI for tasks like email generation, he cautions against generic, unoptimized use. He champions using AI for 'prep work'—training large language models (LLMs) on brand voice, customer personas, and sales assets to generate highly targeted and personalized communication.

Paul stresses the importance of aligning marketing, sales, and customer success teams, advocating for a 'Chief Go-to-Market Officer' role to oversee this holistic view. He notes that while AI can significantly boost productivity and identify opportune signals (like intent data from platforms like Bombora), it should not replace human relationships and understanding. He also touches on the ethical concerns around data privacy and the trend towards 'sovereign AI,' where companies manage their AI models on-premise rather than relying solely on large public clouds.

Ultimately, Paul believes that experienced sales professionals who embrace AI tools for intelligent data analysis, personalized messaging, and strategic decision-making will thrive. He encourages a focus on understanding customer needs and leveraging technology to facilitate genuine connections, rather than simply increasing outreach volume. The goal is to make sales processes more productive and efficient, freeing up sellers to focus on the human aspects of relationship building and closing deals. He concludes by emphasizing that while AI accelerates activities, the core principles of understanding customer needs and providing value remain paramount.