The Private Equity Podcast, by Raw Selection

How to Build a Go-To-Market Strategy That Scales in Private Equity

10 snips

Nov 18, 2025

In this discussion, Brian Gustason, an Operating Partner at Craig Group with 25 years of expertise in go-to-market strategies, shares invaluable insights for private equity-backed businesses. He critiques traditional due diligence methods, emphasizing the need for forward-thinking approaches. Through a compelling case study, he illustrates transforming a $30M distributor into a structured powerhouse. Brian highlights the significance of ideal customer profiles, lead qualification techniques, and the power of marginal gains in sales metrics for exponential growth.

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INSIGHT

Due Diligence Often Misses Growth Potential

Traditional commercial due diligence often misses forward-looking growth potential in lower-middle-market deals.
Evaluating a company's revenue engine scalability early reveals whether it can meet the investment thesis.

ANECDOTE

Transforming A $30M Founder-Led Distributor

Brian transformed a $30M founder-led distributor by building ICPs, a sales process, and customer success playbooks.
This raised close rates, average contract values, and reduced churn, accelerating growth.

ADVICE

Target A Few Ideal Customer Profiles

Prioritise and target 4–5 Ideal Customer Profiles instead of accepting every lead.
Use ICPs to aim marketing and create higher-quality lead flow for sales.

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Guest: Brian Gustason, Operating Partner at Craig Group
Host: Alex Rawlings, Founder of Raw Selection

🔍 Episode Summary:

In this episode, Brian Gustason shares practical insights on building scalable go-to-market (GTM) strategies for lower-middle-market, PE-backed companies. With over 25 years of operating and advisory experience, Brian explains how to move beyond traditional, backward-looking due diligence and implement forward-focused GTM strategies across marketing, sales, and customer success.

He walks through a real-world case study of transforming a $30M founder-led business—covering ICP development, sales process creation, lead qualification, and customer retention. Brian also discusses how marginal gains across key sales metrics (win rates, ACVs, churn) can compound into significant growth and how CEOs, sales leaders, and boards can drive accountability and execution.

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 – Brian’s background and role at Craig Group
01:30 – Why traditional due diligence often fails to assess growth
03:00 – Real-world GTM transformation of a founder-led distributor
06:00 – Building ideal customer profiles (ICPs) and prioritising markets
09:00 – Improving lead qualification and using pre-suasion techniques
14:00 – Structuring an effective, trainable sales process
17:30 – Playbooks, documentation, and AI tools to support sales
20:00 – Importance of coaching and ongoing process evolution
23:00 – Growth 2.0: Compounding small improvements across KPIs
27:00 – Who owns GTM? Role of CEO, sales leaders, and the board
29:00 – Brian’s content recommendation: The 80/20 Principle and his LinkedIn series

📚 Resources:

Craig Group: www.craiggroup.io
Connect with Brian on LinkedIn: Brian Gustason
Book Recommendation: The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch

Raw Selection partners with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies to secure exceptional executive talent. We focus on de-risking executive recruitment through meticulous search and selection processes, ensuring top-tier performance and long-term success.

🔗 Connect with Alex Rawlings on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrawlings/
🌐 Visit Raw Selection: www.raw-selection.com

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