AE @ Gong | Closed Won 🦙 | 5x President's Club

Creating raving fans @ Gong. Founder of Closed Won. Dad to Monty 🐾 

Brian LaManna

Gong's AI Builder went GA last week. And it's absolutely insane.

I was lucky enough to have 5 customers Beta this in Q3.

They're saving 10, 20, 30+ hours per week.

Here's what makes it different.

It turns what your top performers are ALREADY doing in the field into repeatable content the rest of your org can use.

Battle cards. Scripts. Case studies. Objection handling guides. Engagement flows.

All built directly from your Gong data and revenue graph.

AI is only powerful as the dataset that underpins it.

What will you build?

AE @ Gong | Closed Won 🦙 | 7x President’s Club

My best prospecting month was in May. Generated 7 new meetings and about $500K in new pipeline.

All as a full-time AE running demos, pilots, and even dealing with 20 customers.

𝐀 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝:

-Didn’t take a single day off. Built it into my daily habits.

-Prospected 3-5 accounts per day and about 3-4 people at each account.

-Never did an insane day of prospecting. Never broke a day of even 60+ activities. “Do a little every day, so you never have to do a lot.”

-Mixed up multi-channel. LI, video, calling, gifting, warm intros. Different prospects respond better to each. Try them all.

-Did unscalable prospecting methods. Sent custom gifts to people’s homes. Bought a prospect’s book they authored. Prospect how other sellers would never dare.

-Systematized everything. Used my sequences for 2 personas. High, medium, or low personalization. Used my OPPS email framework to kick off every 1st touch. Repurposed it over and over via multi-channel.


Comes back to my favorite motto for prospecting.

“Do a little every day, so you never have to do a lot.”

Revenue lags hard work, so keep at it to finish EOY.


P.S. Loads of resources on pipeline creation here: https://lnkd.in/gVY8Xpxc

Not sure who needs to hear this with Q4 and EOY….

But if your prospect tells you “No, I’m the decision maker on this.”

They most certainly are NOT the decision maker. 

Very junior thing to say lol

It certainly feels like we are living through the attention economy.

Every buyer is flooded with sales pitches, ads, and endless outreach. 

You no longer win because you show up … you win because you stand out.

And nothing stands out more than showing the actual product in a way that feels both engaging and personal.

That’s why Storylane has worked so well for me in 2025.

Instead of a generic deck or a static walkthrough, you can deliver interactive demos.

Buyers don’t just see a feature list, they experience how the product solves their pain.

And here’s the kicker: once they’ve gone through a demo, they’re more invested. 

At Gong, we know the most effective sales motions are the ones that get buyers leaning in early. 

Attention is scarce. Storylane helps you earn it and keep it.

Brand partnership • AE @ Gong | Closed Won 🦙 | 7x President’s Club

Personio

As Director of International, I'm cross-functional responsible for all our Revenue operations within UKI, Nordics, Benelux, Spain and our Rest of World teams. Within this operation we are working with 75+ talented professional (Marketing, Sales Development, Account Executives, Partnership Managers, Solution Engineers, Implementation Managers, Customer Success Managers, Account Managers and Support) to serve our thousands of International customers to enable their businesses so they can focus on the HR they signed up for.

Director of International 🇪🇺

As Head of Benelux, I'm cross-functional responsible for the Benelux Revenue operations within Personio. Within the Benelux we are working with 35+ talented professional (Marketing, Sales Development, Account Executives, Implementation Managers, Customer Success Managers, Growth Managers and Support) to serve our hundreds of Benelux customers to enable their businesses so they can focus on what matters most: their PEOPLE.

Head of Benelux 🇳🇱🇧🇪🇱🇺

GTM OS

Co-Founder

Pavilion

I represent a group of 150 wonderfully talented Revenue Executives from some of the fastest-growing companies in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Together, we have a confidential and dependable space to share best practices, strategize, and problem-solve with peers.

I'm fortunate to co-lead this chapter with our founding father André Bressel and the amazing Greg Higgens & Brendon Montgomery.

Co-Lead Chapter Amsterdam

Pavilion (formerly Revenue Collective) was founded in 2016 as a support network for revenue leaders. Since opening our first chapter in New York City, we’ve grown into an international center providing peer-to-peer connection, training and development, and career resources for all high-growth professionals. We’re always imagining new ways to help current and future leaders unlock and achieve their professional potential. 

For more information about Pavilion or to become a member of one of our worldwide chapters, visit joinpavilion.com.

Member, Chapter Amsterdam

trumpet 🎺

Async selling isn’t theory for me. It’s how my teams sell.
And Trumpet makes it scalable.

If you're serious about closing deals faster, keeping control, and creating a buying experience that matches how people actually make decisions…

Your team needs a Digital Sales Room. A single place where deals move forward.

Want a behind-the-scenes look at how we use Trumpet in real deals?

DM me “Trumpet” I’ll walk you through exactly how we use it.

Brand Ambassador

Winning by Design

The Winning by Design Ambassador Program is a tight knit community of like-minded GTM leaders, who embrace scientific, sustainable revenue growth at SaaS & Technology businesses.

Interested joining the team?

👉 https://winningbydesign.com/ambassador-program

Ambassador

MessageBird

As Head of Sales - 24sessions, I managed the video revenue amongst our New Business (new logo), Account Management (net expansion) and Strategic Partner Channel team (channel revenue). Acquired by MessageBird in February, 2021

Head of Sales & Strategic Partnerships 24sessions

Teamleader CRM

As Country Manager I managed the Dutch Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success team (16 FTE).

✔️ Country Strategy
✔️ Managing P&L
✔️ Budget and Forecast
✔️ Hiring & Recruitment
✔️ Lead Generation 
✔️ Sales Channel development
✔️ Operational structure & process

Country Manager NL 🇳🇱

Managing and coaching our local sales teams Ghent, Amsterdam, Berlin, Madrid, Milan, and Paris (45 FTE).
 
✔️ Sales Strategy & Processes 
✔️ Sales Onboarding Bootcamp
✔️ Sales Playbooks & Content
✔️ Sales Training & Coaching 
✔️ Sales Forecasting & Benchmarking
✔️ Peer2Peer Social Learning

Sales Coach & Operations Manager

In the period of 6 months, I have been responsible for creating, implementing, and executing the sales structure, processes, training, and coaching programs for our 45 sales reps in 6 European countries. As Project Manager, I worked very closely with Project Owner Sjoerd Göddeke to successfully implement the Sales Design, Training, and Coaching framework of Winning By Design into our customer-centric sales teams in our Amsterdam, Berlin, Ghent, Madrid, Milan, and Paris offices.

Sales Enablement Project: Winning By Design

Account Executive

WeHandcraft

WeOrder is based on a B2B Transaction Platform & ERP solution to help grow your retail chain or wholesale business. We assist SME businesses doing efficient and better administration. Our online platform makes ordering between you and your customer easy, convenient and effective. No more Excel or handwritten sales or purchase orders or transactions. *Acquired by Blue-Donut.com*

Co-Founder / Business Development

Sweebr (Acquired)

In 2012, Sweebr (founded in Haarlem, the Netherlands) was the first ever software company that provided HTML5 POS-software, offering retailers a solution that is truly independent of POS hardware. Sweebr aimed to liberate retailers from the chains of many of their current POS-providers by having information flow easily between applications. Focusing on smaller retailers in the early days, mid-market retailers were increasingly asking for the same agile, hardware-, OS- and channel-independent solutions. *Acquired by Countr POS*

Happy Customer Scout

Stam-Aardappelen

At Stam I have been responsible for implementing and maintaining Food Safety Procedures according the BRC Global Standard. Five years in a row rewarded with a A status. Next I was responsible for implementing and maintaining SAP Business One ERP system. 

About Stam.
Stam Potatoes is a family-owned wholesale company specialized in delivering high quality potatoes and onions for a wide variety of clients such as supermarkt chains, food wholesalers, restaurants, and more.

BRC Global Standard for Food Safety, SAP Business One Implementation

Preparing for the future by innovation and focusing on efficiency. Implemented new ERP software, fresh new Stam identity, and a focus on the latest Food Safety Global Standard.

Project Efficiency & Professionalism

Head of Benelux @Personio | Unlock the Power of Your People

Over the past 12 years in SaaS, I’ve seen firsthand where most Founders and Revenue leaders fail: 

- No structured Go-To-Market strategy → Running multiple GTM motions at once. Growth stalls, especially beyond the home market.
- No consistent sales process → Relying on individual performance instead of repeatable systems. No scalable growth engine.
- No clear revenue insights → Looking at blended metrics instead of pinpointing what drives conversions. Low rep productivity, declining ARR per FTE.

I get it. Day-to-day operations take over, and revenue inefficiencies stack up.

The bad news? You’re responsible for fixing it.

The good news? I can help you and your SaaS business.

How I help B2B SaaS teams ($5M-$25M ARR) scale faster:

- GTM & Sales Strategy – Structuring inbound, outbound, and partner strategies across SMB, Mid-Market, and Enterprise.
- Sales Process Optimization – Improving conversion rates and reducing reliance on top performers.
- Playbooks & Execution – Building structured systems, coaching frameworks, and checklists for consistent revenue growth.
- High-Performing Teams – Hiring, developing, and structuring commercial teams with clear accountability.

Results I’ve helped drive:

→ Increased sales team efficiency by 2X through scalable sales team structuring and skill development frameworks.

→ Improved win rates to 25% by implementing structured tactical and operational Go-To-Market tactics.

→ Built GTM playbooks that accelerated ARR growth for early-stage and scaling SaaS companies to $10M ARR.

How we can work together: 

1. Coaching & Advisory – Hands-on support to build a scalable sales engine.
2. On-Demand Sessions – Solving your biggest sales execution challenges.
3. GTM Playbooks & Frameworks – Proven templates for predictable growth.

Scaling isn’t about luck. It’s about building the right systems.

What’s blocking your revenue growth today? Let’s fix it.

DM me and let’s chat.

Koen Stam

You don’t stay for the tech. You stay for the person who believes in you.

Yesterday our CRO, Philip, was on stage at SaaStr.ai.
He talked about what 2025 and 2026 will look like for SaaS companies, a period defined by transformation.

Every B2B tech company needs to evolve.
To become AI-native.
To keep delivering real value to customers.

Some leaders lag behind.
Others lead the pack.

A year ago, Personio wasn’t leading that pack yet.
But something shifted.

Our CEO set a vision.
Our leadership team rallied behind it.
And Philip, our CRO, turned that vision into momentum.

We didn’t talk about AI as a replacement for people.
We talked about AI as an enabler.
A way for our people to serve customers better.

That’s what true leadership does.
It doesn’t just talk about transformation.
It creates it.
From the top, with clarity of vision.
And from the bottom, with collaboration and belief.

The last year has been a masterclass in what happens when leadership drives transformation the right way.
With trust, vision, and empathy.

Because leadership isn’t a job title.
It’s the reason people join.
It’s the reason people stay.
And it’s the reason teams believe they can do more than they thought possible.

Thanks for leading from the front, Philip, and for reminding us what leadership should look like.

Question for you:
What’s the kind of leader that would make you stay?

Leading International @Personio | Building community @Pavilion | Architecting Growth @Winning By Design | Showing revenue teams what’s next @GTM OS

Last night, our Amsterdam office turned into a small think tank.

50+ HR leaders came together for the HR Tech On Tour to unpack one simple question:

→ What’s most exciting or challenging for you in HR tech right now?

The word cloud said it all: integrations. compliance. readiness.
But the real story was behind the words.

Across every breakout, three truths kept surfacing:

1/ AI excitement is real, but readiness isn’t.
Everyone sees potential, but few feel prepared. Most are still learning what “good” AI adoption even looks like.

2/ Integration and compliance are the bottlenecks.
It’s not about lack of tools. It’s about connecting them responsibly, ethically, and meaningfully.

3/ Leadership must lead the pack.
Teams are ready to explore, but they need direction. AI adoption cannot be an isolated project; it must be cross-functional with leadership setting the tone.

That’s what stayed with me most.
AI won’t change your company. Leaders will.

Because this isn’t about building another AI initiative.
It’s about how leaders themselves learn, experiment, and model what’s possible.

If you’re a senior leader, here’s where to start:

1/ Make it personal. 
↳ Spend 20–30 minutes daily using AI yourself. Learn before you lead.

2/ Create one shared use case. 
↳ Start cross-functionally on a problem that connects sales, marketing, HR, or ops.

3/ Enable curiosity. 
↳ Incentivize teams to test, share, and teach each other what works.

4/ Build rituals, not rules. 
↳ Weekly syncs, learnings, and show-and-tells beat policies every time.

5/ Model vulnerability. 
↳ Admit what you don’t know. Curiosity from the top drives courage in the org.

That’s how leadership sets the tone, not by commanding change, but by embodying it.

The energy in the room last night reminded me:
AI is not a tech story. It’s a people story.
And the best leaders are the ones who turn uncertainty into momentum.

How are you leading your team through this AI shift?

You don’t need 10 GTM plays in 2026. You need 3, and an operating system ↓

Most teams treat GTM like a checklist. Add more plays, hope something compounds.
But growth only compounds when your plays have owners, rhythms, and rules.

Here’s how to decide what to run in 2026.

1/ Map your GTM reality

Start with your constraints, not your ambition.
Be honest about your motion, ACV, and resources.
Stage, ARR, and time-to-impact decide more than ideas ever will.

2/ Match your reality to the right plays

Choose one for pipeline now, one for demand and trust, one for efficiency or expansion.
From AI discovery to dark social, the best play is the one your team can actually execute weekly.
Plays compound only when they match your context.

3/ Turn plays into an operating system

Assign a clear owner.
Set a weekly rhythm.
Pick one core KPI.
Define a kill or double rule before you start.
This is how momentum becomes a system, not a streak.

Most founders ask, “Which GTM play should we bet on?”
The better question is, “Which 3 can we run with discipline for 90 days?”

Which 3 will you run in 2026?

“I don’t know which GTM plays to bet on in 2026.”

Over the past 2.5 years, our Amsterdam office has co-hosted 10 unique event concepts and next Tuesday we will add a new one.

We never set out to build just an office.
We set out to build a Stam Café.

In Dutch, a Stam Café is your favorite café.
The one you always come back to.
The place where you meet friends and relatives.

That’s what we wanted our office to become.

Here are 10 of the experiences that brought that vision to life:

 1/ HR breakfasts where small groups of customers shared challenges and solutions over coffee
 
2/ Quarterly meetups, with partners or internal teams, that turned strategy into shared ownership

3/ People & Culture Impact Sessions where we unpacked lessons directly from the Impact Awards show with our partner 7people ✨ 
 
4/ Fireside chats where customers opened up about real-world struggles and wins, helping our teams truly understand their world
 
5/ Workshops with up to 60 people, where our office became a buzzing classroom for sr. HR leaders, like with the BEYOND program by People masterminds.
 
6/ HR Talk Show Live, with guests on stage, questions from the room, and hundreds joining online. We already have hosted 2 very successul editions
 
7/ SaaS and GTM community events, from Pavilion to SaaStock, from the D2 collective to WeLoveSaaS , making our Stam Café feel like their home
 
8/ A pop-up restaurant HR dinner where our executive team sat shoulder-to-shoulder with customers
 
9/ A live podcast with an audience, where people could ask real-time questions.
Another unique concept, co-created with our partners at People masterminds, showing once again that the Stam Café is never finished, always evolving.
 
10/ Our own annual largest HR conference, HUG, hosted inside our office to bring customers into our living room. 

And next week Tuesday, we will have 70+ HR leaders and enthusiast joining our Personio office.

In collaboration with HR Tech Europe, we’re co-hosting the ‘HR Tech Europe Meetup: Amsterdam Edition’. It’s bound to be an evening to remember.

It turns out an office doesn’t have to be just an office.
It can be your most underutilized growth channel.
A community hub.
A trust engine.
A Stam Café.

What’s the most unique experience you’ve ever had in an office?

3 years ago, we started running every deal with a digital sales room, and it changed everything about how buyers engaged, decided, and ultimately bought.

At first, it felt like a tactical experiment. Today, it feels like the only way to compete.

Because here’s the reality:

• 85% of buyers already have a shortlist before they speak to sales
• Buying groups now involve 10+ stakeholders, and in many cases the CFO or CEO hold final approval
• 73% expect a tailored, consumer-grade experience from the first touch
• 71% of buyers are Millennials and Gen Z, and most would rather self-serve than jump on another call
• 80% of buying decisions stall, not because of product, but because the process is too complex

That’s why “more calls” doesn’t solve the problem. In fact, it makes it worse.

When we shifted to trumpet 🎺, everything changed:

• Buyers engaged on their own terms, at their own pace
• Champions finally had the tools to sell internally with confidence
• Our team could see signals of internal traction we had never spotted before

The difference was not small. Trumpet’s data shows deals that include mutual action plans inside DSRs can reach up to a 92% win rate.

For us, it’s no longer optional. Every deal, no matter the size, gets a digital sales room. Not to make us better sellers, but to make it easier for buyers to buy.

What is your take on digital sales rooms?

More revenue leaders need to say it out loud: customer success generates more revenue than new logos ever will.

We’ve spent years glorifying acquisition, chasing the next logo and the next pipeline win. But the real test of leadership in 2026 isn’t how fast you can add customers. It’s how deeply you can serve the ones who already chose you.

When the tide of easy growth goes out, retention is the foundation that keeps you standing.

New revenue is only a fraction of what sustains a company. The real engine is the customers who stay, and the people who show up every day to help them succeed.

If you want recurring revenue, create recurring impact. That impact doesn’t come from product alone. With so many alternatives on the market, it’s your people, your customer success teams, who turn commitment into loyalty.

The best companies already know this.
Retention isn’t a metric. It’s a mindset.
Customer success isn’t a cost center. It’s a growth engine.

When you invest in your customers, they invest back.

At Personio, I have the privilege of working with an incredible customer success and account management team led by Alba, together with regional leaders Felipe, Alvaro, and Julia. Their teams build trust with customers every day, across regions and industries. And we’re looking for the next CSM to join our international team. Someone ready to help us deepen those relationships even further.

If that sounds like you, or someone you know, let’s talk.

(Senior) Customer Success Manager Benelux (d/f/m)  

Last week I wrapped up my 10 GTM plays for 2026.
Today I want to start with a simple reflection that has shaped how I think about next year.

2025 was the year I stopped thinking about growth channels
and started thinking about trust systems.

Because you can’t outspend noise.
You can only out-trust it.

Over the past two years, we turned our Amsterdam office into something entirely different.
Not just an office.
A Stam Café.

In Dutch, that’s your favorite café, the one you always come back to.
The place where you meet friends, exchange stories, and feel at home.

We have co-hosted more than 10 unique event concepts with partners, communities, and customers.

From HR breakfasts and talk shows to live workshops and leadership dinners.
Each designed to create connection, learning, and shared ownership.

And this week we are putting that into action again.

1/ On Tuesday we are hosting HR Tech on Tour Amsterdam with more than 70 HR leaders discussing the impact of AI in HR.

2/ On Wednesday one of our alumni from the BEYOND program is bringing their full HR team for an off-site in our office.

3/ And on Thursday we will close the year together with our own Personio colleagues for our end-of-year Christmas dinner in the office.

Three examples in a single week that show what happens when an office becomes more than a workplace.
It becomes a community hub.
A trust engine.

It taught me that community and events are not brand activities.
They are one of the most efficient GTM systems we have.
Because when you combine real experiences with authentic storytelling, whether from a founder or operator, you start compounding trust at scale.

That is what this week’s GTM OS Weekly edition is all about:
how founder brands, community, and events are driving the next wave of efficient growth in 2026.

The best teams are not chasing new tactics.
They are doubling down on what compounds.
Trust.
Credibility.
Consistency.

And in 2026, that is where the real leverage lives.

(Full playbook and examples inside GTM OS Weekly Week 49, link in first comment)

I didn’t become a leader because I wanted power.  
I became one because I wanted to help others find theirs.
 
9 years ago, I became a leader because nothing fulfills me more than helping young professionals grow.

As the year winds down, many people, inside or outside leadership, start asking themselves the same question:

“Is leadership really for me?”

Here are 12 questions to help you find out.
They’re not a checklist. They’re a mirror.

1/ Motivation & Passion

Why do you want to lead? Is it for growth, impact, or recognition?
Do you feel more fulfilled helping others win than chasing your own success?

2/ Influence & Trust

Do people naturally come to you for guidance, and act on it?
When you speak, do others listen or just hear you?

3/ Team Dynamics

Do you build bridges across teams or walls?
Can you mediate conflict without losing respect from either side?

4/ Delegation & Empowerment

Can you hand off ownership without taking it back?
Do you trust your team to solve problems their way, not yours?

5/ Feedback Culture

Can you give feedback that motivates instead of discourages?
Can you take hard feedback without becoming defensive?

6/ Organizational Alignment

Do you clearly understand how your team’s work drives company goals?
Are you ready to connect your team’s purpose to the bigger picture?

7/ Time & Priorities

Can you balance coaching, strategy, and admin without burning out?
Do you spend more time enabling others or proving yourself?

8/ Learning & Development

Do you invest in learning how to lead, not just learning on the job?
Do you seek out mentors who challenge your blind spots?

9/ Adaptability & Resilience

Do you stay calm when things fall apart or add to the chaos?
Can you help your team regain confidence after a setback?

10/ Vision & Identity

What kind of leader do you want to be known as?
How do you want people to describe your leadership when you’re not in the room?

11/ Results & Accountability

Do you set clear goals and hold everyone, including yourself, accountable?
When performance slips, do you address it early or hope it improves?

12/ Cross-Functional Readiness

Can you align with other departments without losing sight of your own team’s needs?
Do you understand the language of finance, product, and operations well enough to earn their trust?

Not everyone should be a leader.
Especially not if the motivation is title, power, or status.

Leadership is a privilege, earned through service, not ambition.

Make sure you’re ready before you take the leap.

What’s one question you’d add?

Async isn’t the future of selling. It’s the present of buying.

A few weeks ago, during a podcast with 🎺 Rory Sadler,
we talked about how B2B sales will look in 2026.

Halfway through, I realized something.
As a buyer, I already behave that way.

When I evaluate a vendor,
I don’t want to wait for the next available demo slot.
I don’t want to fill in a form or sit through a discovery call.

I want to visit a website that understands who I am,
where I am in my journey,
and what I need right now.

I want pricing.
Proof.
Context.

And if I really need a human conversation,
I want to have it immediately, not next Thursday.

That’s not a prediction for the future.
That’s how we all buy as consumers today.
And it’s exactly how B2B buyers will expect to buy tomorrow.

Deals don’t die because selling is hard.
They die because buying takes too long.

Async and AI are closing that gap.
They help you respond faster without syncing calendars.
Deliver value in shorter cycles.
And meet buyers where they are,
with flexibility and autonomy.

The digital sales room is no longer a nice-to-have.
It’s the natural extension of your website,
where buyers validate, explore,
and feel confident championing you internally.

I’ve seen this first-hand working with trumpet 🎺.
It’s one of the best digital sales room platforms I’ve used,
because it actually helps buyers move at their own pace
and helps teams deliver value asynchronously.

This isn’t about technology replacing sellers.
It’s about designing a buying experience that feels effortless.

Across teams, products, and markets,
I keep seeing the same pattern.

When you reduce friction for the buyer, win rates rise.
When you make it easy to buy, you earn the right to sell.

My reflection for every GTM leader planning 2026:
Are you already building async into your motion,
or are you still asking buyers to wait?

How do you see async changing the way we sell?

I upgraded my best performing GPT who was used over 5,000 times in the last 2 years. 

My best GTM mentors don’t know me. 
They write LinkedIn posts.
They host podcasts.

3+ years ago, I stopped consuming content randomly.

I started archiving LinkedIn posts and podcasts with structure, intent, and prompts.

Instead of scrolling endlessly or multitasking through episodes and posts, I built GTM Podcast & LinkedIn libraries:

• 25+ podcast shows
• 100+ GTM operators
• 1,250+ podcast episodes
• 1,000+ hours of GTM learnings
• 10,000+ tactical LinkedIn posts
• Analysed for GTM micro-learnings
• Connected to AI for direct GTM advice 

Why? Because GTM education isn’t something I leave to chance.

I learn from the best: founders, CROs, operators, investors while walking, traveling, or doing deep work.

And I don’t just listen. I study. I learn. 
And I apply those learnings in my day2day.

Here’s how I turn content into action:

• I tag each piece of content by topic, from strategic to operational.
• I summarize key takeaways and highlight playbook-worthy ideas.
• I prompt those insights into AI to speed up application.

Some of the podcasts I return to over and over:

 1. Topline – Asad Zaman,AJ Bruno & Sam Jacobs 
 2. The Revenue Leadership Podcast – Kyle Norton 
 3. The Revenue Formula – Toni Hohlbein 
 4. 30 Minutes to President's Club – Armand Farrokh, Nick Cegelski, Mark Kosoglow 
 5. Collin Cadmus Podcast – Collin Mitchell 
 6. Exit Five – Dave Gerhardt 
 7. Outbound Squad – Jason Bay 
 8. Make it happen - John Barrows 
 9. GTMnow - Sophie Buonassisi 
10. And many more GTM podcasts

The signal is out there. You just need to structure it.
We have been doing just that for the last 3+ years.

Every one of those posts and episodes on GTM topics have been:

1. Archived in a Notion database.
2. Analyzed with Notion AI in micro-learnings
3. Indexed with a Pinecone vector database
4. Connected to the OpenAI API
5. And turned into a GTM revenue assistant

You can now voice prompt your biggest revenue challenge and get solutions pulled from the best minds in the game.

If you're curious to test it, subscribe to koenstam [dot] substack [com] to gain direct access. 

(Voice) prompt your way to better GTM advice.

Yesterday I joined The Revenue Formula podcast to reflect on what it really takes to win in 2026.
It turns out, it’s not about doing more.
It’s about doing better.

Everywhere I look, teams are planning next year around new channels, new plays, new tools.
But sometimes the biggest unlock isn’t something new.
It’s something we already built.

Our existing programs, channels, and systems often hold more potential than we realize.
The challenge is that we keep adding instead of improving.

I’ve seen it happen across markets and teams.
Inbound slows.
Outbound drags.
CAC rises.
And our instinct is to add more.
More people, more tools, more ideas.

But more doesn’t make things clearer.
Better does.

Yesterday, Toni and I talked about the five plays that consistently help teams improve what already works:

• Async selling – adding value between meetings, not just during them.
• Ecosystem-led growth – building with partners, communities, and events.
• Cross-functional GTM – one buyer journey, one team.
• Process over people – clarity before headcount.
• Retention and reward – growing around those who already deliver.

None of this is theory.
It’s what I’ve seen work again and again.

As we plan for 2026, maybe the question isn’t “what should we add?”
Maybe it’s “what could we do better?”

Because growth rarely comes from doing more.
It comes from doing better.

Earlier this week, I coached a rep stuck in two 40k deals.
Both stalled for the same reason: no compelling event, no mutual plan.

Both deals had smart buyers.
Solid discovery.
A clear problem.

But without a shared plan or a real deadline, everything just drifted.

Compelling events live on different layers:

• Business → revenue or strategy impact
• Department → team performance or process risk
• Personal → someone’s credibility, target, or promotion

If you don’t uncover all three, you’re not selling to urgency.
You’re selling to interest.
And that’s how deals go cold.

Here’s what I see too often: buyers are inexperienced.
They’re new in role, new to buying, or new to your category.

We, as sellers, have seen dozens of cycles.
We know what good looks like.

Our job isn’t just to sell.
It’s to guide the buyer.
To show them how to buy, not just why to buy.

That’s where a mutual action plan changes everything.

It’s not a spreadsheet or a close checklist.
It’s a shared roadmap where buyer and seller align on the same milestones, tied to the same compelling event.

Without it:
No accountability.
No internal selling.
No deal velocity.

With it:
Clarity.
Alignment.
And higher win rates because everyone knows exactly what happens next.

Most teams agree on the why behind MAPs.
The edge comes from how you operationalize them.

Here’s a simple way to start:

1/ Start small.
Run your first three MAPs on live deals above 20k.
Co-create them during calls and keep them under eight milestones.

2/ Coach and review.
MAPs don’t work if they sit in tools.
Review one in every forecast call. Reward clarity, not optimism.

3/ Systemize it.
Sync MAP status into your CRM.
Add a “MAP live” stage gate so every forecast reflects buyer-verified progress.

Digital salesrooms make this even easier (like trumpet 🎺).
They centralize timelines, assets, owners, and next steps so both sides stay in sync.

This is how the best sellers in 2026 win.
They don’t push harder.
They collaborate smarter.

If your team still runs deals without a mutual action plan, start there.
It will change how you sell.

I’ve also documented the full 7-step Mutual Action Plan System for leaders who want to operationalize this. It’s live now on my Substack.

Six months ago, our GTM team at Personio started experimenting with AI. Today, it shapes how we plan, sell, and serve customers. What began as a company-wide experiment became a step-by-step playbook for AI transformation in GTM.

When our CEO, Hanno, launched “AI Surge Week,” every team at Personio got access to LLMs to build and test ideas.
Adoption rose fast, but real transformation required more than enthusiasm.

We learned that becoming an AI-powered GTM requires structure, ownership, and habit.

Here are five lessons you can use to build your own AI-powered GTM.

1/ Make it a leadership motion

AI transformation succeeds when leaders create the space for it.
Free people’s time to redesign workflows, dedicate budget for experiments, and decide which tools to back.

Try this: pick one key workflow this quarter and give a small team full support to rebuild it with AI.

2/ Build a cross-functional GTM team

Our working group includes data and systems, RevOps, GTM engineers, and business leads.
This mix of technical skill and business context turns ideas into scalable workflows.

Try this: assign one person from each function to identify where AI can remove friction or improve decisions.

3/ Prioritize with clear frameworks

We use Jobs-to-Be-Done to find time drains across roles and Customer Journey Mapping to link those tasks to growth impact.

Try this: shadow one sales or success rep for a day and list every repetitive task that AI could automate or simplify.

4/ Build a culture of AI

Adoption happens when people are curious and safe to experiment.
We lead by example, showcase internal wins, and celebrate them company-wide.

Try this: share one small AI win each week in your team Slack or all-hands.

5/ Combine your stack with your context

Great AI depends on your data quality and internal knowledge.
We started with existing tools like Salesforce, Gong, and Snowflake, then trained models on Personio-specific content.

Try this: before adding new tools, clean your CRM and centralize your customer data.

AI transformation is not a tech project.
It is an operating shift that compounds over time.

Which part of your revenue engine is ready for AI transformation next quarter?

Every founder says they need more pipeline.
None of them realize they are the missing pipeline.

Most founders still think posting on LinkedIn is a distraction.
But look around: Adam Robinson, Yamini Rangan, Sam Jacobs, Irina Novoselsky, Gal Aga.
Their content doesn’t just build audience. It builds pipeline.

Last year during Pavilion GTM2024, Adam Robinson said:

“The ability to create world-class organic social content… then amplify it with ad spend… is the fastest, most efficient, and highest leverage way to grow a startup that has ever existed.”

He’s right.
I’ve archived and studied 15 CEO creators. Together, they’ve built audiences of over 1.1M followers.
Each post is a micro-learning in modern GTM: credibility, clarity, and demand creation in motion.

This year, I’ve published 300+ posts in 300+ days.
Not one written by me.
All co-created with my Content Architect, my AI partner in crime.

It listens to my voice notes, identifies the angle, chooses the tone, builds the hook, and we refine together.
It doesn’t replace my voice.
It amplifies it.

This is what Founder-Led GTM looks like in 2025:

• Authentic founder voice → credibility
• AI workflow → consistency
• Personal content → inbound demand

Ignore it, and you’re leaving money, talent, and influence on the table.

How to start your Founder-Led GTM motion tomorrow:

1. Capture, don’t craft. Record one 5-minute voice note about what you learned this week. Raw is perfect.
2. Turn thoughts into angles. Ask: what does this teach my ideal buyer? What pain does it solve?
3. Publish with purpose. Use AI to help with clarity, not personality. Keep your tone human, your insights sharp, and your cadence consistent.

Tomorrow’s newsletter breaks down the full Founder-Led GTM Operating System and how to turn your voice into pipeline.

Subscribe if you’re ready to lead with your voice.

As every GTM leader is closing out Q4, I’m already looking at how we’ll win in 2026.

2025 has been a year of experiments for me.
Dozens of GTM plays tested.
Hundreds of conversations with operators, founders, and RevOps leaders.
And a few motions that consistently delivered results.

When I look at what truly worked this year, five plays stand out.
They’re the ones I’ll triple down on in 2026.

1/ Founder Brand

Nothing drives credibility and trust faster.
When the founder shows up consistently, the market listens.
It compounds faster than any channel I’ve tested.

2/ LinkedIn (Organic + Paid)

Personal brands outperform company pages.
Pairing organic storytelling with smart paid amplification has driven our highest-quality inbound pipeline.

3/ Community-Led Growth

The strongest growth loops come from shared learning.
Building spaces where operators exchange insights creates belonging that converts into pipeline and retention.

4/ Intimate In-Person Events

Small, curated gatherings have outperformed large conferences.
Ten quality conversations over dinner often drive more revenue than a hundred booth visits.

5/ Partner Ecosystem GTM

Collaboration beats competition.
Co-selling and co-marketing with trusted partners opened doors that solo outbound never could.

These five are my 2025 learnings, and they’ll shape how we grow in 2026.

In my latest Substack, which I published this morning, I share these five and the other five GTM plays that will define 2026.
More importantly, I break down how you can practically embed them into your motion starting today.

Read the full GTM OS playbook: How to Leverage 10 Data-Backed Go-To-Market Plays to Drive ARR & NRR in 2026 here:

👉 koenstam [dot] substack [dot] com

taplio

The Battle

Brian LaManna

Koen Stam

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreBrian LaManna's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreKoen Stam's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Brian LaManna

Koen Stam

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Brian LaManna's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreKoen Stam's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreBrian LaManna's LinkedIn Performance