Ep. 527 | AI-First GTM: The New Playbook for Sales Execution

Episode Summary

In this episode of OnBase, host Paul Gibson welcomes Hannah Ajikawo for a deeply insightful conversation on building strong go-to-market foundations and how AI is reshaping the future of sales execution.

Hannah reflects on her career journey and the moment she realized that many teams don’t truly understand strategy. She outlines the importance of focusing GTM energy on where businesses win most, shares her “go-to-market building blocks” framework, and explains how AI can enhance precision across the buyer journey—from awareness to pricing strategy.

Whether you're leading a sales team, rolling out new tech, or trying to scale confidently, this episode is full of practical wisdom.

Quotes

“If you really sit down, remove ego, and look at the data—you’ll find where you win. Focus there. That’s the cheat code.”

Best Moments 

• (00:53) – Hannah Ajikawa's career journey and the founding of Revenue Funnel.  
• (02:51)-04:39 – The importance of GTM fundamentals and addressing underperforming teams.  
• (05:54) – How repositioning and focus transformed pipeline generation for a B2B tech company.  
• (10:00) – AI's influence on GTM strategies and sales processes.  
• (12:22) – Areas of GTM most primed to benefit from AI integration.  
• (16:19) – Actionable advice for strengthening GTM foundations.  
• (22:46) – How AI is changing account-based go-to-market approaches.

Tech Recommendations

• Demandbase – For GTM prioritization and signal intelligence.

• Sybill.ai – AI-powered call analysis and coaching.

• Twain.ai – Tailored messaging and engagement optimization.

• SimpleTalk.ai – Conversational AI for real-time needs handling.
  

Resource Recommendations

Podcasts

• The Founders Podcast