CEOs: How to tear down silos to break through business stagnation
How this farm girl helps CEOs with their dirty little secrets
Silos are a critical lifeline for farmers, but a flatline for CEOs of mid-market tech companies.
It’s every company’s dirty little secret, but the walls are there and they single handedly can kill any hopes of your company running at the top of its game.
Growing up on a farm I helped my father with harvest every year starting at the age of eight. I learned that silos would play a role in my father’s business (at the end of the day, farmers are the ultimate businessmen) and in my clients’ businesses as I grew older.
For farmers silos store excess grain and provide a a buffer during lean times. For CEOs they are one of the #1 challenges to your reframing your growth equation and winning - at scale.
Because let’s face it: You don’t have a sales problem. It’s not a marketing problem. Customer Success can’t be blamed. It is a Go-to-Market problem nine times out of ten.
In leading 120 GTMs in 69 countries in 29 years, I have found this to be true: It’s critical to break down the silos and walls that exist between internal departments.
But how?
First, the most successful Go-To-Market motions with which I’ve been involved ALWAYS (in all caps, by the way) had the CEO leading that effort. It’s like the captain of the ship is in command of the journey, not the cook…not the cruise director (even though she’s cute), and it’s NOT the midnight buffet belly dancer.
It’s the C E O.
So, Mr. or Ms. CEO. Silos. You have to get rid of them. Here’s how.
Step 1: Align Your Revenue Teams with the GTM Operating System
Start by answering the eight critical questions of the GTM OS. This will immediately expose misalignment and highlight the fastest path to predictable revenue growth.
Step 2: Assess Your Business Stage with the 3P’s
Identify whether you’re at Problem Market Fit, Product Market Fit, or Platform Market Fit. Then, tailor your GTM approach accordingly to avoid costly missteps.
Step 3: Make ROI the Center of Every Customer Conversation
Your customers expect to see results fast. Define and communicate the ROI they will achieve—whether it’s Attributable, Transformational, Efficiency-driven, or a necessity.
Step 4: Optimize Your GTM Motions
Choose the right GTM motion(s) based on your business model, customer journey, and revenue goals. Reassess if growth stalls emerge.
Step 5: Implement Scorecards to Track Progress
What gets measured gets improved. Adopt GTM and CMO scorecards to ensure your team is focused on the right priorities.
Step 6: Validate and Refine Your ICP Using TRM Insights
Avoid wasted effort on unqualified prospects. Use data intelligence and scoring models to ensure you’re targeting the right customers.
Learn more:
Take our GTM Assessment to see where your company sits in the 3P’s
By following this roadmap, CEOs can break through growth stalls, align teams, and drive sustained success—all within 90 days.
Transformation doesn’t happen by chance; it happens by design.
Do you need a GTM fix?
