Scaling Your GTM Function: The Foundational Activities That Drive Sustainable Revenue Growth

Scaling revenue isn’t about finding a silver bullet. It’s about getting the right levers in place and turning them in sync. In this Scaling Series session, I break down the ten foundational activities that make a GTM function scalable, predictable, and profitable.

Doing the Right Things, Doing Them Right

In every founder conversation I’ve had, there’s a moment when we talk about “what’s really driving growth.” And here’s the truth – there is no one silver bullet to revenue.

As Marilyn Pearson Hendricks said in our WorkTech Scaling Series discussion:

“There isn’t one single thing. There are lots of not-so-small things that need to be done right. And they need to work holistically.”

I’ve seen companies burn months, and millions, chasing the latest tactic, tool, or “growth hack,” only to plateau. Sustainable scaling comes from a strong GTM function, built on planning, productivity, and predictability.

These pillars aren’t theoretical. They’re a blueprint you can act on now, whether you have three sellers or three hundred.

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Pillar 1: Planning

Planning is about clarity and alignment, ensuring your team knows where you’re going, who you serve, and how you’ll get there.

1. Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and Make It Your North Star

If you take nothing else from this post, take this: your ICP is the single most important element in scaling your GTM function.

It’s the disciplined, objective definition of the customer most likely to buy from you based on the problem you solve and the value you deliver. When everyone knows the ICP, everyone rows in the same direction – marketing, product, sales.

And yet…

“Eighty-four percent of scaling small businesses do not have a clear ideal customer profile. Even if that number is inflated, say half don’t. That means half of businesses don’t have their North Star.” — Eric Hachmer

Without an ICP, you’re selling “everything to everybody.” That’s one of the hardest, slowest sales motions to run. With it, your entire GTM engine becomes more efficient, and resources are applied where they’ll create the most revenue velocity.

2. Deploy the Right Capacity and Coverage Model

Too many leaders start the year with a top-down number: “We need $50M. We have 200 sellers. Divide and conquer.” That’s not a plan, that’s a wish.

“The secret is taking a bottoms-up approach… understand your segments, know what each can deliver, and decide where to invest your time and dollars.” — Eric Hachmer

This shift ensures your resources go where ROI will be highest, instead of spreading them too thin.

3. Set Realistic, Math-Backed Revenue Targets

Nothing kills sales morale faster than targets that feel arbitrary.

“The best sales organizations are built on sales targets that people understand. If you can show the math and why it’s realistic, your team will get behind it.” — Eric Hachmer

In one organization, moving from finger-in-the-air quotas to math-backed targets increased attainment from ~30% to over 70%. That’s the power of clarity and logic.

Pillar 2: Productivity

Productivity is about making sure every activity moves the needle and removing friction that slows your team down.

4. Build a Clear, Repeatable Sales Process

Predictable results require a predictable process.

As Steve Frappier put it:

“If you do things continuously, day in and day out – with some creativity – you’ll get the results you’re looking for. The people without a process just wander.”

I’ve seen small teams double sales in a year without adding headcount simply by agreeing on:

• How to qualify deals

• What “good” looks like at each stage

• Which opportunities to pursue or disqualify

5. Ensure Manager and Team Accountability

Accountability works when it’s paired with enablement.

“Focus on the vital few. If you drive accountability and enablement around those, the other things will follow.” — Eric Hachmer

The best leaders don’t just ask, “Did you do it?” They ask, “What got in your way, and how can I help remove it?” That combination builds trust, keeps goals front-and-center, and fosters a team sport mindset.

6. Drive Territory and Account Focus

Not every account is created equal.

As Steve explained:

“Your competition is calling all your accounts. You can’t lose sight of the bottom left of the grid, but you should be leaning hard into those top-right accounts where growth potential is highest.”

7. Allocate Time to High-Value Activities

B2B sellers spend only about 30% of their time actually selling.

“We have to take an honest look at what we’re asking salespeople to do… and make sure they can spend time on the most high-value activities.” — Eric Hachmer

Automate, delegate, or eliminate low-value work so sellers can spend more time building relationships and closing deals.

Pillar 3: Predictability

Predictability turns your GTM engine from reactive to proactive, where revenue outcomes can be forecast with confidence.

8. Maintain Pipeline Discipline

Pipeline coverage matters, but so does shape.

“Otherwise you end up as an opportunity collector… It’s not just about the amount, but about the balance and quality.” — Eric Hachmer

And as Marilyn added:

“What we don’t want is a fantasy pipeline. Predictability comes from discipline, accuracy, and understanding reality.”

9. Make Coaching and Skills Development a Priority

You can scale impact without scaling headcount by making sellers better at what they do.

“If you’re not committed to helping your people become better salespeople, and making that an ongoing priority, you’re missing a key opportunity.” — Eric Hachmer

Coaching works both ways. The best leaders listen deeply during coaching to spot patterns that inform product, marketing, and GTM adjustments.

10. Align the Entire GTM Function

A strong GTM strategy connects product, marketing, and sales so tactical execution aligns with strategic priorities.

And here’s the reality check:

“There’s no playbook that will tell a founder exactly what to do in what order and guarantee success… Experiment, try, get better at it, and keep doing more of what works.” — Eric Hachmer

Bringing It All Together

Scaling a GTM function isn’t glamorous. It’s discipline, alignment, and a willingness to revisit the fundamentals until they’re second nature.

In my work with founders and executives, these ten activities are the difference between flat growth and sustainable scale. They’re not magic bullets, but together, they’re the closest thing I’ve found.

FAQ & Key Takeaways

FAQ

1. Q: What’s the most critical first step in scaling my GTM function?
   A:  Define your ICP. Without it, you’re steering without a compass.

2. Q: How often should I review my capacity and coverage model?
   A: At least annually, with adjustments quarterly based on performance and market shifts.

3. Q: What’s the right pipeline coverage ratio?
   A: It depends on your sales cycle and conversion rates, but shape and quality matter as much as volume.

4. Q: How can I make sales coaching more impactful?
   A: Pair accountability with enablement, focus on the “vital few” metrics, and use coaching to listen for market signals.
5. Q: Do these principles apply to small teams?
   A: Absolutely. They scale up or down. Rigor can be a small “r.”

Key Takeaways

• No single silver bullet to revenue growth: Scaling requires multiple, interconnected activities working together across Planning, Productivity, and Predictability.

• Your ICP is your North Star: It aligns strategy and tactics, ensuring resources are applied where they generate the most value.

• Bottoms-up beats top-down planning: Capacity and coverage models should be built from market reality, not arbitrary targets.

• Set math-backed revenue targets: Logical, transparent quotas increase buy-in and performance.

• Repeatable sales processes drive predictability: Consistency, not just creativity, leads to scalable growth.

• Accountability works when paired with enablement: Focus on the “vital few” metrics and help remove barriers to success.

• Territory and account focus matters: Prioritize high-growth, high-potential accounts while protecting the base.

• Protect seller time for high-value activities: Automate, delegate, or remove low-value tasks.

• Pipeline shape matters as much as coverage: Avoid “opportunity collection” with disciplined qualification and movement.

• Ongoing coaching boosts productivity without adding headcount: It’s a growth lever and a source of market intelligence.

Turn Your GTM Function into a Predictable Growth Engine

If your go-to-market strategy feels more like guesswork than a system, it’s time to change that. At WorkTech Advisory, we help founders and executives design GTM functions that run on clarity, discipline, and data – not hope. From defining your ICP to building repeatable sales processes and instilling pipeline discipline, we work alongside you to create the foundations for sustainable, scalable growth.

Video Transcript

Behind the Conversation: How This Transcript Is Structured

This transcript captures a live Scaling Series session built around the 10 Foundational Activities for Scaling Your GTM Function, based on a Planning, Productivity, and Predictability framework.

In the flow of discussion, the speakers moved naturally between activities — sometimes jumping ahead or circling back — based on real-time examples, questions, and stories. To make this transcript easier to navigate, we’ve labeled each section with its correct framework activity number (10–1), even if that activity wasn’t discussed in numerical order.

You’ll see timestamps and speaker names exactly as they occurred, so you can follow the conversation in full while also tracking back to each specific GTM activity.

Marilyn Pearson Hendricks (00:00):
Welcome everyone. Today’s session is called Scaling the Go-To-Market Function: Foundational Activities for Sustained Growth. We’re going to explore how founders and CEOs can strengthen their GTM function by doing the right things, doing them right, and aligning sales teams and leaders with the rest of the organization.

Our goal is to share a framework you can take back into your business — built on three key pillars: Planning, Productivity, and Predictability. We’ll cover critical questions you should be asking, plus the tangible benefits of applying this framework effectively.

I’m joined today by my collaborators and co-hosts, Eric Hachmer and Steve Frappier, founders of High Five Advisory. They bring over 60 years of combined experience leading sales and revenue functions at companies like Oracle, SAP, LinkedIn, Ernst & Young, and more.

Eric Hachmer (07:44):
We’re here to share ideas and perspectives — not a “one-size-fits-all” playbook. Think of this as a set of building blocks that you can use to remove guesswork from your GTM execution and scale with purpose.

Activity #10 – Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) as Your North Star

Eric Hachmer (13:56):
If you can align strategy and tactics, you’ll have everyone rowing in the same direction — people, time, and budget working together. At the heart of that alignment is your ICP. It’s the disciplined, objective way of defining the client most likely to buy from you, based on the problem you solve and the value you bring.

Eighty-four percent of scaling small businesses don’t have a clear ICP. Even if that number is high, say half don’t — that means half are operating without a North Star. Without it, how can you make the best use of resources? That’s the difference between a flat business and a scaling business.

Steve Frappier (17:18):
When we talk to CEOs who lack a head of sales, the absence of an ICP is often a big gap. Starting there would make their GTM strategy far clearer than their current approach.

Marilyn Pearson Hendricks (18:22):
Founders often confuse ICP with total addressable market. This isn’t about limiting your valuation — it’s about increasing your velocity to revenue. Without ICP clarity, you’re trying to sell everything to everybody, and that’s one of the hardest sales motions to run.

Activity #9 – Deploy the Right Capacity and Coverage Model

Steve Frappier (20:48):
When thinking about coverage, start with your goals. What’s the right mix of roles? How many sellers do you need? Do you need to hire more? It’s not guesswork — it’s about using data and insights to plan where opportunities really are.

Eric Hachmer (22:24):
When I led sales at ADP Canada, I used a bottom-up approach. I didn’t just divide a $50M goal by 200 reps. I looked at segments — small business, mid-market, enterprise — and what each could realistically deliver. That informed where to invest resources for the best ROI.

Marilyn Pearson Hendricks (24:08):
This bottom-up method is often a 180-degree shift for founders who haven’t grown up in sales. It prevents “stupid spend” and speeds sales velocity by focusing on the right markets first.

Activity #8 – Set Realistic, Math-Backed Revenue Targets

Eric Hachmer (26:03):
Start with your business revenue goal, then work backwards. What’s coming from renewals, upsells, new logos? Use that to determine sales targets. When sellers understand the math and logic, they buy in — and performance rises.

Steve Frappier (28:23):
I’ve worked in orgs where quotas changed with the wind — only 20–30% hit target, morale dropped, and turnover rose. In contrast, at a high-growth company I joined, we had crisp, realistic targets and 70%+ attainment. That created a place where people wanted to stay and win.

Marilyn Pearson Hendricks (30:55):
Segmentation also plays a role here. It reduces friction in achieving revenue goals and helps sellers focus where they can win fastest.

Activity #7 – Build a Clear, Repeatable Sales Process

Steve Frappier (33:42):
I’m all about predictability. The more predictable the sales outcome, the better you can forecast and manage the business. A repeatable sales process is essential. At Oracle, I learned the discipline of following a process consistently — with some creativity, yes, but without skipping steps.

If you’re making five calls one day, none the next, and maybe an email after, you’re not following a process. And without process, it’s hard to get predictable results.

Eric Hachmer (36:16):
Rigor doesn’t have to mean big bureaucracy. The same principles apply whether you have three sellers or 300. I once centralized a seven-person sales team that had no common process. We aligned on qualification, deal pursuit, and common language. Within a year, sales grew 150% — without adding headcount — because everyone was working consistently.

Marilyn Pearson Hendricks (36:56):
When hiring, I value sellers who are students of the sales process more than those with a Rolodex. If they don’t have ICP alignment, their contacts might not be relevant. Process-oriented sellers thrive in a disciplined, repeatable system.

Activity #6 – Ensure Manager and Team Accountability

Steve Frappier (39:19):
When I lead a sales team, I set expectations and accountability from the start — for both sellers and leaders. Good reps often use a “bottom-up” approach for themselves, breaking quotas into the activity levels needed to hit them. Sales is a team sport, and everyone should be marching to the same beat.

Eric Hachmer (43:57):
Focus on the “vital few” metrics. Drive accountability and enablement around those, and the rest will follow. In coaching, don’t just check the box — ask what got in the way and how you can help remove barriers, both internal and external. That shared accountability is a productivity driver.

Activity #5 – Maintain Pipeline Discipline

Eric Hachmer (47:38):
Pipeline coverage matters, but so does shape. A 3x coverage ratio doesn’t mean much if it’s all early-stage deals. Look for balance, quality, and steady movement through the funnel — avoid becoming an “opportunity collector.”

Steve Frappier (48:33):
Pipeline health also means removing stale deals. At NetSuite, our co-founder could look at weighted pipeline in the CRM and predict end-of-month results more accurately than sales leaders. That came from disciplined deal tracking and accurate stage progression.

Marilyn Pearson Hendricks (52:19):
We don’t want a “fantasy pipeline.” Predictability comes from discipline, accuracy, and an honest view of what’s real.

Activity #4 – Make Coaching and Skills Development a Priority

Eric Hachmer (54:14):
Founders often want to scale without adding sellers — the key is making your current team more effective. Coaching can be training, 1:1s, team calls, or deal reviews. If you’re not helping sellers improve continually, you’re missing a major productivity lever.

Steve Frappier (55:55):
Hiring is an investment. If we coached more consistently, we could avoid many performance improvement plans. Skills development should be ongoing, not a last resort.

Marilyn Pearson Hendricks (57:51):
Coaching isn’t just about developing sellers — it’s a way for leaders to spot patterns in the market, product fit, and competition. Those insights can shape the GTM strategy in real time.

Activity #3 – Drive Territory and Account Focus

Steve Frappier (1:00:06):
I like to segment my territory in a “three-by-three” grid, similar to a Magic Quadrant. One axis is the customer’s growth potential; the other is our opportunity to expand with them. Accounts in the top right — high growth, high expansion potential — get the most attention, while still protecting the base in lower quadrants.

Eric Hachmer (1:03:04):
In a consulting role, I led annual client growth planning for our top 150 accounts. By reassessing each account’s growth drivers and needs, we often completely reordered our priorities — ensuring we invested time where we could make the biggest impact.

Activity #2 – Allocate Time to High-Value Activities

Eric Hachmer (1:06:11):
B2B sellers spend only about 30% of their time selling. The rest goes to admin, planning, and prep. While non-client time can be valuable, we have to protect seller time for the highest-value activities: engaging clients, prospecting, and building relationships. Automate or remove low-value tasks to increase selling time.

Activity #1 – Align the Entire GTM Function

Steve Frappier (1:13:26):
A strong GTM strategy connects product, marketing, and sales so tactical execution aligns with strategic priorities.

Eric Hachmer (1:16:02):
There’s no universal playbook for founders. Markets shift. Products evolve. Competitors react. The key is maintaining a growth mindset: experiment, learn, and double down on what works.