

GTM Science - A show for GTM and RevOps leaders
Union Square Consulting
To us, GTM is both an art and a science. We don't claim to be experts in the "art"—the marketing campaigns, sales messaging, and branding. We ARE experts in the "science"—GTM strategy, process design, growth planning, and RevOps. On GTM Science, we share what we've learned by solving these problems at scale for B2B recurring revenue businesses. We also bring you unfiltered conversations with CROs, private equity investors, and revenue leaders who’ve done it themselves.
No silver bullets. Just real talk about what works.
Learn more at unionsquareconsulting.com
No silver bullets. Just real talk about what works.
Learn more at unionsquareconsulting.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 5, 2025 • 48min
Mastering ICP: Understanding Our Customers Better with Data with Brady Jensen
Most B2B SaaS companies think they have their ICP nailed down, until you realize their "ideal customer" spans fourteen industries, three market segments, and basically anyone with a pulse and a credit card. In this episode, Eddie Reynolds sits down with Brady Jensen, CEO of Clear Go to Market, to talk about why your ICP is probably too broad (or just sneakily WRONG) and what to do about it.Brady shares his methodology for actually validating your ICP by talking to prospects in non-sales contexts, how to find those "weird" characteristics that truly define your best buyers (hint: it's not just industry and revenue), and why competitive intelligence should focus on strategic signals rather than feature-by-feature battle cards that nobody believes anyway. Brady shares when to say no to customers outside your ICP, how to test differentiation messages before your sales team wastes months pitching them, and why the gap between what marketing creates and what actually resonates with buyers is still embarrassingly wide at most companies.From insurance companies to private equity firms, Eddie and Brady use real examples to show how narrowing your focus (even when it means walking away from revenue) can be the smartest growth strategy you'll ever implement.You can learn more about Clear Go to Market at cleargtm.com or reach out to Brady at bjensen@cleargtm.com.Read the article on this topic here.[00:45] Intro And Welcome[01:21] Brady Introduces Clear Go To Market[01:41] Brady's Journey From Sales Rep To CEO - The Problem Of Unvalidated Messaging[04:05] The Art And Science Of Go To Market[05:14] Defining ICP - Starting With Eddie's Example Of Companies Being Too Broad[08:20] Tangible Criteria For Defining ICP[14:20] Brady's Validation Process - Talking To Prospects In Non-Sales Contexts[19:23] Narrowing Down ICP Beyond Broad Categories[24:25] When To Say No To Customers Outside Your ICP[30:58] The Importance Of Buyers Feeling "These People Get Me"[35:40] Competitive Intelligence Discussion[37:16] What Competitive Intelligence Really Means[38:48] The Four Criteria For Differentiation[42:27] Strategic Vs Tactical Competitive Monitoring[44:06] "Weird" ICP Characteristics And Non-Obvious Buying Signals[46:41] How To Learn More About Clear Go To Market_____________________________________________________________________GTM STRATEGY, GROWTH PLANNING, & REVOPS SERVICES● Website● LinkedIn● TikTok

Dec 1, 2025 • 56min
Building the Foundation for AI in GTM
Rachael Bueckert and Eddie Reynolds dive into why most AI implementations in go to market fail and what it takes to build AI foundations that actually work. Using Sas's successful AI SDR that outperformed human reps in just 2 weeks as a case study, Eddie breaks down the critical foundational work that most teams skip when jumping straight to AI tools and prompts.Eddie explains why the same elements that make human SDR teams successful are exactly what AI needs to work properly. This includes hyper-segmented buyer personas, clean data in your CRM, documented processes, and strong accountability from frontline management. The conversation reveals how Union Square Consulting built their own AI-powered content workflow and why having a human subject matter expert who already knows what good looks like is non-negotiable for AI success.Read the full article here.[00:00] Intro[02:04] Why the Faster AI SDR story hits a nerve[03:21] The failed attempts at AI SDR implementation[05:08] Why go to market leaders jump straight to tools[07:27] Key foundational elements for AI success[12:08] What makes AI and human motions fail similarly[14:10] Identifying bad versus missing data[18:38] Defining good processes for accurate data[24:43] The human component in process breakdowns[28:45] Following the go to market efficiency pyramid[30:18] The right time to introduce AI[34:18] Using AI to accelerate content production[42:02] Where teams should start with AI implementation[44:49] How realistic are 2 week results[49:23] Why old school mentality won't survive[53:04] Maintaining momentum during foundational work_____________________________________________________________________GTM STRATEGY, GROWTH PLANNING, & REVOPS SERVICES● Website● LinkedIn● TikTok

Nov 21, 2025 • 54min
CRO Stories: How Datarails Grew 90% in New Sales YoY with Aviv Canaani
When Forbes compares your company to the Salesforce of your industry without you even pitching them, you're doing something extraordinary with your brand and go-to-market strategy. Host Rachael Bueckert sits down with Aviv Canaani, CRO/CMO of Datarails to uncover how he did it, helping Datarails grow 90% in new sales YoY in the process.In this episode, Aviv reveals the counterintuitive journey from marketing leader to revenue chief, sharing how Datarails flipped from 95% outbound to 95% inbound in just a few years. From earning respect in the sales org as "the marketing guy" to building a waterfall planning system that turns revenue targets into exact headcount and budget requirements, Aviv breaks down what it actually takes to create predictable revenue. If you're trying to figure out how to make your revenue machine actually predictable instead of just hoping for the best, this conversation will change how you think about integrated revenue operations.Connect with Aviv on LinkedIn.[0:14] When Forbes Compares You to Salesforce Unsolicited[1:26] Building a Predictable Revenue Machine[4:47] Transforming from 95% Outbound to 95% Inbound[5:23] Inheriting the CRO Role: Building Respect as "The Marketing Guy"[6:12] Promoting Your Best AEs to Build Your Sales Leadership[10:18] "Now I Have No One to Blame"[11:42] Why Revenue Is a Team Sport, Not Marketing vs. Sales[13:09] The Case Against AEs Prospecting[15:00] How to Build the Leading Podcast in Your Industry[16:09] The Waterfall System: From Budget to Meetings to Revenue[18:27] Hiring B2C Marketers for B2B: The Data-Driven Approach[22:15] Multi-Touch Attribution: From Forms to SDR Calls to Gong[26:15] Why Speed to Lead Beats Everything[28:27] Scaling from 6 to 27 AEs While Filling Their Calendars[29:59] Why Inbound Converts Better Than Outbound[32:31] Sales vs. Marketing Attribution Wars Are Pointless[35:14] Why Yesterday's Best Practices Stop Working[38:38] Using AI and Automation to Make SDRs 4x More Productive[41:03] The AI SDR That Laughed When Asked If It Was AI[42:43] Your Biggest Deal Ever Came from ChatGPT[45:47] The CFO vs. CEO: Who's Leading AI Adoption?[51:00] Annual Planning: Working Backwards from ARR Target[53:23] Why It Doesn't Matter If You Come from Sales or Marketing[54:18] Advice for New CROs: Get in the Trenches and Experience Sales_____________________________________________________________________GTM STRATEGY, GROWTH PLANNING, & REVOPS SERVICES● Website● LinkedIn● TikTok

Nov 18, 2025 • 52min
What It Really Costs to Grow: Benchmarking GTM Efficiency
Hosts Eddie Reynolds and Rachael Bueckert discuss a metric that most CROs overlook until it's too late: the Go-to-Market Efficiency Ratio. Why do revenue leaders who crush their numbers still get replaced? The answer lies in understanding what it actually costs to grow, not just whether you're growing.In this episode, Eddie breaks down the GTM Efficiency Ratio pioneered by David Spitz, exploring why traditional metrics like CAC Payback and LTV:CAC fall short of telling the full story. From analyzing the real cost per dollar of new revenue to understanding when manual hustle stops scaling, this conversation reveals the systems-thinking approach that separates $10M CROs from $100M ones. If you're a revenue leader wondering how to build a truly scalable engine (or why efficiency matters more than ever in 2026) this episode is essential listening.Read the newsletter on this topic here.Explore all of our Frameworks here.[00:00] Why CROs get fired despite hitting targets[01:13] Introduction to GTM efficiency benchmarking[02:17] David Spitz and the GTM Efficiency Ratio[03:08] What's missing from CAC Payback and LTV:CAC[06:58] Understanding the GTM Efficiency Ratio formula[11:42] New business efficiency vs. total business efficiency[15:28] Benchmarking data across revenue stages[22:04] How to calculate your own GTM efficiency[26:37] What good efficiency looks like by company stage[31:15] Identifying where money is being wasted[36:44] The difference between growth and profitable growth[40:18] Building repeatable, scalable systems[46:46] When manual effort stops working at scale[48:50] Understanding your numbers as a capital steward[49:36] Getting help to reach the next level_____________________________________________________________________GTM STRATEGY, GROWTH PLANNING, & REVOPS SERVICES● Website● LinkedIn● TikTok

Nov 8, 2025 • 59min
The Best Use Cases for AI in GTM
Explore the transformative role of AI in go-to-market strategies. Discover how to lay the right foundations before diving into AI adoption. Hear about innovative uses like personalized messaging and lead prioritization. Learn how AI can analyze customer data to predict churn and uncover expansion opportunities. The hosts share insights on using AI as a content co-pilot for quality output while minimizing administrative burdens. They emphasize strategic focus over volume when integrating AI into existing workflows.

Oct 31, 2025 • 1h 3min
How to Get Quick Hits in GTM Ops and RevOps
How do we show fast progress in GTM Ops and RevOps without waiting on a 12-month roadmap?Eddie shares the exact frameworks Union Square Consulting uses to help clients achieve results within as little as 3 months (including how one of our clients saw a lead-to-won conversion rate lift of 0.2% to 5% in just months).The conversation centers on two core tools - the Go to Market Efficiency Pyramid and the Go to Market Decision Tree - that help revenue leaders focus their efforts where they'll have maximum impact. Eddie explains why most companies instinctively jump to pipeline generation when the real bottlenecks are often downstream in retention, expansion, or deal management. Using real client examples, he demonstrates how getting fundamentals and adoption right can deliver transformational results in 30 to 90 days, even in organizations with 9-month sales cycles.Read the newsletter on this topic here.Explore all of our Frameworks here.[00:00] Intro[04:08] Board expectations for new CROs[08:34] Defining quick hits in go-to-market[15:52] Go-to-market efficiency pyramid explained[20:06] Foundation before adoption matters[28:55] Go-to-market decision tree framework[33:01] Most companies wrongly focus on lead generation[38:50] Real world example of 25x improvement[44:20] Profitable companies leaving money on table[46:17] Adoption through dashboards and accountability[54:38] Key takeaway on quick implementation[55:38] Why this approach works across companies[59:44] One action item for revenue leaders_____________________________________________________________________GTM STRATEGY, GROWTH PLANNING, & REVOPS SERVICES● Website● LinkedIn● TikTok

Oct 17, 2025 • 50min
Why Your MQLs Aren't Converting
We recently talked with a CMO at a $100 million company whose leads weren't converting, despite having quality inbound interest. The cause? It always boils down to two main problems. And this story isn't unique -- it repeats across organizations of all sizes. The two problems also repeat.Eddie breaks down the core diagnosis framework he uses with clients to solve the issue. He also walks through a detailed case study where implementing these fixes resulted in a 2500% increase in lead to closed won conversion rates for one of our clients.Read the newsletter on this topic here.Explore all of our Frameworks here.[01:09] Why MQLs Aren't Converting to SQLs[02:25] The Real Problem Behind Poor Lead Conversion[05:10] Two Reasons Leads Don't Convert[06:44] Building a Solid Follow Up Process[08:08] Hand Raisers Getting Zero Follow Up[10:05] Case Study 25x Conversion Rate Increase[13:02] Why Speed to Lead Matters[16:17] The 5 Minute Response Rule[19:46] Essential Follow Up Process Components[22:00] Tracking and Enforcing Follow Quality[24:13] Capacity Planning for Lead Teams[27:34] Intent Signals and Lead Scoring[30:16] Starting Simple with Lead Qualification[34:46] CAC Payback by Lead Type[38:30] Using Data to Identify True ICP[41:29] Segmenting SQLs for Meaningful Insights[45:50] Defining MQLs Based on Performance[48:10] First Things to Audit After This Episode_____________________________________________________________________GTM STRATEGY, GROWTH PLANNING, & REVOPS SERVICES● Website● LinkedIn● TikTok

Oct 10, 2025 • 51min
The Unblended Funnel: Why Targets Get Missed when Dashboards Look Great
Hosts Rachael Bueckert and Eddie Reynolds tackle one of the most deceptive problems in B2B revenue operations: why marketing dashboards can look stellar while revenue targets consistently get missed. Together, they introduce the concept of the "unblended funnel" as the solution.Eddie breaks down how blending all leads together creates dangerous blind spots, using examples like hand-raiser leads versus webinar attendees that convert at vastly different rates. He explains how this same problem extends beyond marketing into sales execution, customer success, and net revenue retention, often leaving companies chasing low-converting opportunities while ignoring their highest-value segments. The conversation covers practical steps for segmenting data by industry, company size, lead source, and stakeholder engagement to identify what's actually driving revenue growth.Read the newsletter The Unblended Funnel here.Explore all of our Frameworks here.[00:00] Intro[01:24] The Blended Funnel Problem[04:04] Beyond Marketing Attribution Issues[07:29] Essential Processes for Data Accuracy[10:50] Close Rate Segmentation Insights[14:28] Micro Funnels for Lead Sources[16:31] Critical Segmentation Dimensions[18:25] Sales Execution Close Rate Analysis[24:27] Net Revenue Retention Breakdown[31:28] Connecting Segmentation to Revenue[37:08] Doubling Down on What Works[39:47] Ruthless Resource Allocation Decisions[44:07] Ultimate Alignment Through Data[47:39] Practical Implementation Timeline_____________________________________________________________________GTM STRATEGY, GROWTH PLANNING, & REVOPS SERVICES● Website● LinkedIn● TikTok

Sep 25, 2025 • 45min
The GTM Ops Decision Tree
How do you figure out which part of the business needs the most attention? How do you prioritize projects in GTM improvement with confidence? These are the questions we sought to answer when developing the GTM Ops Decision Tree. With this model in mind, revenue leaders can ask the right questions to determine where to focus their attention for the highest, most immediate reward possible.The decision tree starts with a fundamental choice between focusing on new business or net revenue retention, then branches into specific areas like pipeline generation versus pipeline management. USC Founder and CEO Eddie Reynolds walks through concrete scenarios of the decision tree in action, for example, showing how a company can double revenue by improving pipeline management processes rather than doubling pipeline generation. He emphasizes the compound effect of operational improvements versus one-time marketing investments and shares real examples from his experience at Salesforce and building Union Square Consulting.Explore all of our Frameworks here.02:19 Why Go to Market Teams Play Whack-a-Mole04:54 Go to Market Efficiency Pyramid vs Decision Tree06:16 New Business vs Net Revenue Retention Priority08:50 Long Term vs Short Term Revenue Impact11:23 Making Priority Decisions with Imperfect Data16:31 Measuring Net Revenue Retention Fundamentals18:38 Customer Health Tracking Transforms CS Results22:00 When New Business Takes Priority Over Retention25:13 Why Sales Process Beats Pipeline Generation31:12 Average Close Rates and Realistic Improvements34:21 Building Your Case for Leadership Buy-in35:37 Breaking Down Pipeline Generation by Channel38:53 Revenue Operations Roadmap Framework41:37 Action Steps for Implementing Decision Tree44:00 Resources and Next Steps

Aug 26, 2025 • 1h 19min
The Pipeline Management Framework: How to Close More of the Deals You’re Already Working
In this episode of GTM Science, Union Square Consulting Marketing Manager Rachael Bueckert and founder/CEO Eddie Reynolds explore the common challenges and transformative opportunities around building a disciplined sales pipeline. Eddie draws on his extensive experience in sales leadership and consulting to explain why many organizations get stuck with messy pipelines full of stale or unqualified deals. The conversation debunks the myth that simply generating more leads is the answer, highlighting that a broken pipeline process makes additional pipeline investments wasteful.The heart of the discussion centers around Union Square Consulting’s Pipeline Management Framework and its practical, layered approach. They walk through the Pipeline Efficiency Pyramid, starting with foundational elements—like defining a tight ideal customer profile (ICP), specifying buyer personas, and outlining a robust sales process embedded directly in the CRM system. From there, they look at driving organizational adoption through regular pipeline reviews and coaching, before advancing to optimization using metrics, cross-functional pipeline council meetings, and, finally, thoughtfully-applied AI and automation. The episode is packed with actionable strategies for quickly cleaning up your pipeline, improving forecasting, boosting close rates, and freeing reps to focus on truly winnable opportunities.Throughout the episode, Rachael and Eddie emphasize tangible benefits—such as clearer forecasting, faster sales cycles, and stronger team alignment across sales, marketing, and customer success. They also provide insights on how to analyze data for ICP refinement, spot and clear out "zombie deals," and create a culture focused on continuous improvement. This episode is an essential listen for revenue leaders, CROs, and ops professionals aiming to systematize how they handle pipeline and scale B2B growth, with all the detailed frameworks and further resources available on Union Square Consulting’s website.Read the full Pipeline Management Framework here.Explore all of our Frameworks here.00:00 Improving Sales Process Effectiveness10:11 Efficient Sales Strategy Optimization13:29 Pipeline Challenges and Rapid Solutions18:03 Mastering the Complex Sales Process24:10 Optimizing Sales Performance28:52 Defining Product Personas at Salesforce33:28 Optimizing ICP for Target Efficiency42:06 Qualifying Criteria for Sales Opportunities47:31 Practice and Reminders for Effective Presentations52:04 Essential Sales Questions for Accountability56:17 Sales Management: The Power of Checklists01:02:17 Keys to Top Sales Reps' Success01:07:20 AI in Sales Forecasting01:12:56 Structured Success in Entrepreneurship01:15:17 Accelerating Sales with AI Optimization_____________________________________________________________________GTM STRATEGY, GROWTH PLANNING, & REVOPS SERVICES● Website● LinkedIn● TikTok


