Almitra Karnik

In the last 6 months, we doubled Aligned’s ARR and ACV by moving upmarket. I’ve now led 5 Enterprise Sales orgs through $1M-$100M ARR. And every time - it looked ready but failed before it worked. Here are the 6 warning signs I now look for before committing to Enterprise👇 1. Your team panics without a step-by-step sales process If your AEs need explicit next steps after every call, they’re not ready for enterprise. And you need to find someone who is. Enterprise reps dance. They know every deal is different. Complex. Messy. Their job isn’t to follow steps. It’s to facilitate. To lead. That takes VP-level thinking - planning moves, reading the situation, adapting. If you don’t have that, you’ll be stuck in fake enterprise land. Running big logos through a weak sales motion. That won’t work. 2. You’re cheering for logo meetings, but it’s Wild Wild West after that If your team is celebrating big logo meetings, but when you ask “How’s that IKEA deal going?” your rep mumbles through the problem you’re solving or who the economic buyer is - you’re burning cash (and market). None of these deals will close. Enterprise needs top quality execution, or it becomes the worst investment your company will ever make. This is a red neon warning light that you need to fix execution before landing another meeting. 3. Your leadership team never joins sales calls Enterprise sales teams don’t get far. Only enterprise sales companies do. If your execs can’t or won’t show up to build trust, align vision, or unblock red tape - you’re not ready. One missed VP-VP alignment call can cost you 6 months of climbing to power. And if your competitors are doing it? You’re screwed. 4. Your GTM motion doesn’t attract execs SMB buyers want to try your tool. Enterprise buyers want to trust you. If your pipeline-gen is inbound-heavy, your outbound is mass sequenced, and your brand doesn’t speak to the C-suite - you won’t land with decision-makers. You’ll just fight decision-blockers. Build the motion that gets you to the top, and make them trust you. Early. Referrals, Partners, PLG Sales Assist, ABM, Strategic Outbound. 5. Your product looks great… but sounds small It looks clean. But something’s off. The way it’s pitched on the site, the way reps describe it, the way it communicates with you - it all screams “tool.” A nice one. But small. Enterprise buyers don’t buy tools. They buy transformation. If your story doesn’t speak to a $500K problem - you won’t close a $500K deal. You might land the logo. But not the ACV. And if you’re missing things like infosec, governance, or legal protections - you’re not enterprise-ready. You’re a risk. 6. (Continues in the comments) —— Most teams chase Enterprise too early. The signs are there. You just have to look. Fix the system. Then make the move. P.S. We built Aligned to help manage the deal complexity of Enterprise Sales. 100% FREE Deal Room used by 40,000 sellers. Try it: https://lnkd.in/d_49kHZE

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If AI isn’t in your GTM strategy, you don’t have a GTM strategy. The GTM leaders winning today aren’t just executing playbooks. They’re shaping how AI transforms customer acquisition, sales, and revenue operations. Most GTM leaders treat AI as a side project. But in today’s fast-evolving landscape, your grasp of AI isn’t just a personal advantage, it’s a competitive moat. The power of AI-driven GTM leadership: 1. Credibility and market authority     Customers and peers trust leaders who understand the next wave of change. Sharing AI insights positions you as a forward thinker shaping the future of revenue growth. 2. Talent magnetism and team evolution     The best talent wants to work with leaders who stay ahead of the curve. Showing your AI expertise signals to top performers that you’re building for the future, not clinging to the past. 3. Pipeline acceleration and operational leverage     AI isn’t just tech, it’s leverage. Smart use of AI tools and strategy can shorten sales cycles, personalize engagement at scale, and open new market opportunities. How to get started: • Go from “reading about AI” to “testing AI”: share what you learn along the way. • Engage with other AI-in-GTM voices: collaboration accelerates your learning curve. • Tie AI insights back to GTM outcomes: revenue, efficiency, and market positioning. A GTM leader’s AI fluency isn’t optional. It’s a strategic advantage. The best GTM leaders don’t just run teams, they shape conversations, influence industries, and unlock new growth levers. If you want to learn fast, learn from the top voices already leading the AI-in-GTM conversation 👇  1. Dharmesh Shah  2. Yamini Rangan  3. Jacco van der Kooij  4. Saanya Ojha  5. Jason M. Lemkin       6. Liza Adams  7. Aaron Levie  8. Nicole Leffer  9. Kieran Flanagan 10. Maja Voje      11. Kevin "KD" Dorsey 12. Kyle Norton 13. Santosh Sharan 14. Jordan Crawford 15. Alex Lindahl      16. Jonathan M K. 17. Greg Isenberg 18. Allie K. Miller 19. Sam Jacobs 20. Jake Dunlap Who would you add?

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95% 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐈. But most sales teams are still stuck in manual mode. BetterCloud's 2025 𝐒𝐚𝐚𝐒 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞-𝐮𝐩 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥: 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐥 → But automation isn’t.  → Most GTM teams are still buried in repetitive tasks like prospecting, enrichment, follow-ups. 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐦 → 60% of IT teams say manual ops limit their strategic focus.  → Sales teams feel it too: context-switching, data clean-up, scattered systems. 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 → 70% prefer unified SaaS platforms over cobbled-together point tools.  → Seamless AI workflows are the future. 𝐀𝐩𝐩 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 → Teams use ~106 SaaS apps on average.  → That’s fewer than last year, but still messy for GTM workflows. 𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚 “𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞-𝐭𝐨-𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞” → It’s table stakes.  → Sales teams who automate early get compounding returns in pipeline, precision, and productivity. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨��𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧. 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

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📏 The New Rules of Partner Execution - Part 1 From Relationship Manager to Revenue Operator The old partner persona? 🤝 Schmooze at summits 🗂️ Build slide decks on enablement and roadmaps 📊 Report on “alignment” That version has been retired. In today’s GTM motion, partner teams aren’t judged by presence and influence, they’re judged by performance. Here’s what that shift looks like: ✅ From logos signed → to pipeline sourced ✅ From QBRs run → to deals closed ✅ From relationship tracking → to revenue orchestration 💡 3 Moves to Start Operating Like a GTM Leader: 1. Nail Your ICP + IPP Combo + Territory TAM Your ICP defines your buyer. Your IPP defines the partners who can reach them. You need both. 👉 ICP = firmographics + personas • Example: CISOs or Heads of Infrastructure at $100–500M fintech companies running AWS + CrowdStrike 👉 IPP = partners who already serve that persona • Think: cloud security MSPs, niche GSIs in threat detection, PE firms with fintech portfolios. (These are just examples) 👉 Know your partner’s TAM with you. It is the baseline for everything 🎯 Filter every partner through this lens: “Can they influence this persona before our AE can?” Or can they increase the win rate or drive deal velocity? 2. Align Your Flywheels to Your Company’s Segments or AE Segments Partner impact is rarely “horizontal.” It’s specific. 📌 GSI → Map to your enterprise AEs in transformation-heavy verticals 📌 PE firms → Map to segment leads aligned to fintech or vertical markets (Mid-market is a great way to go and using Pitchbook to look at potential) 📌 MSPs → Attach to mid-market AEs focused on adoption velocity 📌 Tech partners → Embed with solutions architects during technical validation. Use you aligned partners (AE to AE or CSM connects rarely work) 🧭 Be intentional. Don’t “support the field.” Design around it. 3. Track Execution with a Live Co-Sell Tracker No PRM required to start (There are some good ones if you want recommendations). Use a shared doc. I love Trumpet, hear good things about Aligned (but have not used) Track: • Account • Deal stage • AE + partner lead • Action items • Partner’s impact (yes/no) Then refine. Execution starts with visibility. 🧠 Ask your team this week: “Which 5 partners are actively impacting deals right now, and with which reps?” If you can’t answer, you’re not operating. You’re reacting. 📩 Next up in the series: Execution Is the GTM Advantage

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While big SaaS debates AI strategy with million-dollar sales budgets, here's what it looks like on the ground in MicroSaaS where the focus is punching above our weight class (aka no fluff operating leverage). The data shows the AI divide happening now. ServiceNow grew sales headcount by 38%. Zendesk cut 18%. Some companies are using AI to scale their teams, others to replace them. In MicroSaaS, we don't have budgets for massive sales teams or elaborate AI rollouts. So we keep it simple and immediate ROI: • 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀. No delays, no missed opportunities • 𝗗𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 scoring (based on pain tags) and 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. AI learns from closed deals to identify better prospects over time • 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. Catch at-risk deals before they slip • 𝗔𝗜-𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀. Trained on our specific industry compliance and workflows. You don't need ServiceNow's budget or Zendesk's elaborate efficiency plans. Most times, the scrappiest approach wins. How are you implementing AI in your sales process? I share more about how I operate and acquire MicroSaaS in the AI era on my Substack >> https://t2m.io/4aDyNCpu For the love of the game 🏴‍☠️⚡ #ai #futurism

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Remember when getting sales to update Salesforce was our biggest headache? Those days are ending. But the GTM Ops job just got WAY more important (and complex). The wave of AI across GTM has created a massive shift in the scope of work for GTM Ops, especially when it comes to the sales process. Pre-AI GTM Ops reality: • Ops builds a process designed for a human • Sales reps learn the process   • Volume of data updates is capped by the productivity of the rep • Ops is pinged to help with issues • Ops monitors what the humans are doing • Sales reps have a degree of autonomy • Sales reps adjust to the nuances in the system Post-AI GTM Ops reality: • Ops has to design AI automation that massively scales output • Ops has to design AI automation that is precise and highly accurate   • Ops trains AI models on what "excellent" looks like • Ops has to remove all the nuance that would break the system • Ops has to figure out how to monitor the data operating at a much higher scale • Ops has to make sure the system doesn't break and the sales process stops • Ops has to make sure any outward-facing comms are on message  GTM Ops was already critical. But in the AI era, we're not just supporting the sales process. We're running the sales process. It's a different ball game. And it makes GTM Ops more important than ever.

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24 months worth of data from Presales Leaders + 2 Engineers + 3 cups of coffee + Alpha Presales swag. We're preparing for a huge event in New York City next week with over 100 Sales Engineering / Solutions Consulting Leaders. Here’s a sneak peek at what the data is telling us are 3 big priorities for Presales/Solutions Leaders right now: --- 1. There's a need to shift from Technical -> to Business-oriented. The overwhelming pattern is SE teams stuck in technical mode when they need business acumen. 2. There's a process standardization crisis Many leaders are citing the inconsistency amongst demo approaches, lack of standardized (or non-existant) discovery, and no repeatable frameworks. 3. Confusion on what the role means Several leaders explicitly mention executives don't distinguish between AEs and SEs, or they have SEs doing post-sales work instead of presales. This role ambiguity is killing productivity and deal velocity. What'd we miss? What is top of mind for you right now? Coffee or Coke? P.S. Most Sales Engineers are product geniuses, but they don't talk about value because they don’t know how to shift their focus from the product to the prospect. We built Alpha Presales to give them the skills and confidence they need. Check it out (link in bio).

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In enterprise sales, multi-stakeholder deals can feel like herding cats. 6 people. 6 different priorities. 6 different calendars. The traditional playbook says: Book 12 meetings. Convince each one individually. Try to maintain momentum. The problem is, By the time you’ve spoken to everyone, the energy is gone. Urgency disappears. The deal stalls. This is how I do it differently: I build one page (a digital deal room) that works for me 24/7. On that page, every stakeholder gets exactly what they need to move forward: • Their ROI spelled out in plain numbers • The risks they care about addressed head-on • Their next steps clearly assigned • The context to see how it all ties to the company’s big objectives When they can see their wins and their risks in one place, they don’t need another meeting to “align internally.” They already have everything they need. The result: deals keep progressing while I’m working on the next one.

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Your weekly dose of The 🧅 ⬇️ CEOs Who Never Understood RevOps Now Announce 'Bold' Shift to GTM Engineering, Cite ‘Cooler Sounding Acronym’ as Primary Strategy Executives across LinkedIn are rushing to rebrand their ops teams as GTM Engineers, despite still confusing RevOps with “whoever helps me with my Salesforce login.” One CEO proudly proclaimed: “RevOps felt too focused on revenue and operations, which aren't necessary and sound boring. GTM Engineering makes us sound like we’re building rockets.” #revops #revenueoperations

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Here are 4 ways I would optimize Gong’s homepage hero (based on thousands of B2B SaaS A/B tests) ⬇️ 1) CTAs with process-level clarity tend to win. What this means is a clear sense of what happens when you click the button. If you click “Book a demo”, “Start free trial”, “See Pricing”, those are clear. But “Meet the agents” could take me to a video about their agents, or a product page, or link me to a demo where they teach me about the agents. It’s not clear, and thus likely a losing bet. 2) Vague headers / subheaders tend to lose in A/B tests. You can’t get a lot across in the header and subheader, it’s just a quick teaser, but you do want to get the “what you do” across. Reading that they are the #1 platform for revenue and that they use “AI agents to help you sell” leaves a lot of question marks. Just keep it simple, like Databox says “An Easy-to-Use Analytics Platform for Growing Businesses.” 3) Be careful of unintended signaling with social proof. When I see trusted by 4,000+ customers, I immediately think “Wait, this is the same Gong that is a category-leading and running Superbowl ads right? They must be bigger than that no?”. You also can’t interact with their logo bar, so you are just trying to find something relevant that jumps out to you. Instead, I recommend what Asana tested into, “85% of Fortune 100 companies choose Asana” with a few relevant enterprise logos. Or what Clay does, linking to the actual case studies from the logos 4) Product imagery tends to win. In the hero, you get a fairly vague image with some stock photography and names of AI features. The very next image down the page though, you get a clear image of how their AI Tasker works. I realize they are trying to encompass the multi-product nature of their business in the hero, but I might try something like what Sundial does, having multiple product visuals and de-emphasizing the one not currently hovered over. Gong has tremendous brand equity and is leaning heavily into the AI agentic future, which is a sound bet, but the data says some small CRO tweaks might hike up their on-page conversion rates.

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The old way of selling was seller-driven. Every deal depended on the rep’s instincts. Every exec conversation relied on “who’s good in the room.” Every account plan was different, if one existed at all. Elite GTM teams are moving to AI-guided selling. Not just call scripts or playbooks. Embedded logic inside the sales AI workflows. Here’s what that looks like: In executive meetings: - Reps don’t wing the agenda. Because Databook nudged them 48hrs in advance to prep them on their customer's real-time needs and send out an agenda 24hrs in advance. We built our AI with, things like: "Help me build a Strategic Point of View" or That’s guided selling. In real time. ... and: "Help me write a VITO letter" (Very Important Top Officer) That’s guided selling to engage executive. Not get sent to who you sound like selling speeds and feeds. CROs, you don't need to hope your reps “figure it out.” Your reps can see red/yellow/green account signals based on trigger events: exec turnover, budget shifts, and timeline decay. That’s how you scale confidence across the team. Autonomous selling will have its place in low-ACV, transactional sales. The bot books the meeting. The buyer checks out. No rep needed. But that’s not enterprise. In enterprise sales, there are 6–10 stakeholders, legal and security reviews, and 7-figure decisions on the line. Autonomy doesn’t win there. Certainty does. And certainty comes from guided selling: - Embedded reasoning in the workflow - CFO-ready narratives baked into deal prep - A system that makes average reps perform like top reps That’s what guided selling delivers. Check out how we are helping enterprise teams do this at -> databook.com #SalesInnovation #AIDrivenSales #GuidedSelling #EnterpriseSuccess #SalesTransformation #DataDrivenDecisions #StrategicSelling #ExecutiveEngagement #TeamPerformance

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Dear Gong - 3 feature requests please for the AI era of GTM software: 1. MCP for better access to call data for automations, workflows, & asking questions about calls within other systems. (Plus plug into ChatGPT, etc.) 2. AI model flexibility to plug in different providers. Honestly, word around the block is that your AI has fallen behind. We need optionality. 3. Agent that can automate adding new contacts from calls to opps + 100+ other actions These would be huge unlocks. The creator GTM ecosystem would go bananas. Thank you, Alex P.s. still love you and building awesome workflows with Clay + Gong Engage

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