#1 GTM AI Insider: 2025 AI Strategy Planning 1 of 8
Guides, Prompts, Deep Dives, and more with GTM and AI
Very excited to announce the first GTM AI Insider Paid tier of newsletter. My sincere goal is to deliver more value above and beyond the podcast and free newsletter. These newsletters are written by a human, with a hint of AI assistance ;)
Each of these posts will include both the overview we are speaking of AND a master prompt at the end to use in your own workflow.
End of October, early November, the topic of wrapping up this year and going into next is top of mind for a lot of leaders. I have a lot of C-Suite level Execs and Board member advisors are asking things like:
What is happening in the market place?
What tool should we buy?
How do we plan on using budget dollars towards AI or something else?
What can we automate in processes or people to save time and gain an advantage?
Do we replace humans on tasks or processes and what is the risk of doing so?
All good questions, but in my mind as an Ex-FranklinCovey-ite I believe we should start with the end in mind and apply that to AI.
I know because AI is a new world that people think its a new process or you do things differently, but it is much like any other initiative you have, where it takes the same principles to do it successfully, so let’s apply that to AI.
How many of you have a clear AI strategy for your company, team or yourself?
Let’s dig in….
Step 1: Define the Main Business Goal with Clear Outcomes
Start with the end in mind. Let’s say you want to increase revenue by 50%, but this is a high-level goal. To make it actionable, you need to break it down into quantifiable targets and communicate the opportunity this creates for your organization.
A Real-World Scenario:
Let’s say you are the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) of a B2B SaaS company. Your current annual revenue is $20 million, and your goal is to reach $30 million by the end of next fiscal year. This goal isn’t just about working harder or selling more—it’s about optimizing every part of the revenue process.
What This Looks Like in Practice:
1. Set Quantifiable Targets
Break down the 50% growth target into specific, measurable goals for each revenue-driving function: Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, and even Product. Each team should have clear KPIs tied to the overall revenue goal.
Example:
• Sales Team Targets:
• Increase Sales Conversion Rate by 15%: If your sales conversion rate is currently at 20%, increasing it to 23% could translate into millions of additional revenue.
• Boost Average Deal Size by 20%: If the average deal size is currently $25,000, raising it to $30,000 will contribute significantly to your revenue target. This might involve upskilling sales reps to identify cross-sell or upsell opportunities more effectively.
• Marketing Team Targets:
• Increase Lead Quality and Volume by 30%: Use AI to refine audience segmentation and personalize marketing efforts based on behavior, demographics, and predictive scoring models.
• Reduce Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) by 15%: Implement AI to improve campaign targeting and optimize ad spend by focusing on high-intent leads.
• Customer Success Team Targets:
• Increase Retention Rates by 10%: Reducing churn by improving retention rates directly contributes to revenue. This can involve using AI to predict at-risk customers and intervening early.
• Expand Upsell Revenue by 25%: Develop AI-driven playbooks that suggest personalized upsell recommendations based on customer data.
• Product Team Targets:
• Increase Net Promoter Score (NPS) by 15 Points: A higher NPS indicates customer satisfaction, which is tied to lower churn and higher expansion opportunities. AI-powered feedback analysis can help identify pain points faster.
2. Communicate the Value
After setting these targets, you need to create urgency not from fear, but from opportunity. As Kotter suggests, establishing urgency is about making everyone feel the importance of achieving the goal.
What This Looks Like in Practice:
• For the Sales Team:
• Communicate the Impact: “If we increase our conversion rates and deal size, each salesperson has the opportunity to earn 20% more in commission, while collectively, we’ll achieve a $10 million increase in revenue. This enables us to reinvest in cutting-edge sales tools and professional development programs.”
• Create Specific Value Propositions: Outline what success looks like for salespeople. For example, emphasize that achieving these targets would provide them with additional career growth opportunities, faster quota achievements, and larger bonuses.
• For the Marketing Team:
• Articulate the Opportunity: “By increasing lead quality and reducing acquisition costs, we’ll have the ability to double down on our most profitable channels and rapidly expand into untapped markets. This is a direct path to accelerated growth and more budget flexibility for high-impact campaigns.”
• Communicate the Metrics: Show them the path to achieving these goals with clarity. For instance, explain that focusing on high-quality leads rather than sheer volume enables better spend allocation, which is crucial in achieving that 50% growth.
• For Customer Success:
• Show the Opportunity for Engagement: “By reducing churn and focusing on upsell opportunities, each account manager will be directly responsible for driving 10% of our revenue growth this year. The closer you get to your retention and expansion targets, the more recognition and incentives you’ll receive.”
• Quantify the Impact: “Every 1% increase in retention equates to $200,000 in retained revenue. This keeps our customer success function lean, scalable, and ready to tackle new markets.”
Practical Takeaways for Step 1:
• Set Quantifiable Targets: Don’t just say “grow revenue”—be explicit. Increase sales conversion rates by 15%, deal size by 20%, lead quality by 30%, retention rates by 10%, and upsell revenue by 25%.
• Break Down Each Target by Team: Make sure each team’s targets align with the overall growth goal and define what success looks like in their day-to-day operations.
• Communicate the Value as an Opportunity: Don’t create urgency through pressure or fear. Show each team how achieving these goals not only drives the company’s success but also provides personal and professional growth opportunities for them.
By starting with the end in mind and defining specific, quantifiable outcomes, you create a clear path to success. This approach sets up every team with precise targets, aligns their work with the company’s overarching growth strategy, and provides a motivational framework for execution.
Stay tuned for next step in the process next…
PROMPT:
If you want to try a prompt with this stage, try this one and please note I will be giving prompts for each step and each prompt will use info created from the last step to build on top of each other.
THe prompt (copy and paste the entire thing into your chosen AI chatbot):
***ROLE***
You are a Strategic AI Business Consultant with 20+ years of experience helping Fortune 500 companies define and achieve clear business outcomes through AI implementation. You excel at breaking down high-level goals into quantifiable targets and communicating opportunities effectively across organizations.
***Instructions***
Help create a detailed business goal framework with clear, quantifiable outcomes for AI implementation. If you understand, respond with: "What is your organization's primary business objective for implementing AI?"
***Format***
The business goal framework will be structured with the following components:
- Primary Business Goal
- Quantifiable Targets by Department
- Value Proposition for Each Team
- Communication Strategy
- Success Metrics
***Depth Level***
Level_3: Detailed analysis with specific numbers and timelines
***Communication Styles***
- Strategic
- Results-oriented
- Data-driven
- Department-specific
***RULES***
YOU MUST:
1. Break down the main business goal into specific, measurable targets for each department
2. Include clear percentage or numerical targets for all goals
3. Define both short-term (6 months) and long-term (18 months) objectives
4. Specify how each target contributes to the overall business goal
5. Include a communication strategy for each department
6. Provide concrete KPIs for measuring success
7. Link each department's targets to revenue impact
8. Create urgency through opportunity, not fear
9. Include specific dollar amounts or percentages for all financial targets
10. Define success metrics for each quarter
***Sample Output Structure***
Primary Business Goal:
[Specific goal with numerical target and timeline]
Department Targets:
| Department | 6-Month Target | 18-Month Target | Revenue Impact |
|------------|---------------|-----------------|----------------|
| Sales | [Specific %] | [Specific %] | [$ Amount] |
| Marketing | [Specific %] | [Specific %] | [$ Amount] |
| CS | [Specific %] | [Specific %] | [$ Amount] |
Value Propositions:
[Department-specific value propositions with numerical benefits]
Communication Strategy:
[Specific messaging and channels for each department]
Success Metrics:
[Quarterly breakdown of KPIs and targets]
***Growth Profile***
Current State:
- Annual Revenue: [To be provided]
- Department Sizes: [To be provided]
- Current AI Implementation: [To be provided]
- Market Position: [To be provided]
Target State:
- Revenue Growth: [To be calculated]
- Efficiency Gains: [To be calculated]
- Market Position: [To be defined]
- ROI Targets: [To be set]
***Questions to Answer***
1. What is your organization's current annual revenue?
2. What are your current department sizes and structures?
3. What is your current market position?
4. What are your biggest operational inefficiencies?
5. What are your current AI capabilities?
6. What is your target revenue growth percentage?
7. Which departments will be most impacted by AI implementation?
8. What is your timeline for implementation?
9. What is your budget for AI initiatives?
10. What are your current performance metrics by department?