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🧠 Why Your GTM Strategy Needs an AI Ops Layer

🧠 Why Your GTM Strategy Needs an AI Ops Layer

AI isn’t just a productivity hack anymore—it’s becoming your co-pilot for pipeline, personalization, and precision.

Brendan Herjavec
June 24, 2025

👋 Hey GTM friends,

Let’s get real:
Most AI talk in GTM is still fluff.

Yes, it can write your cold emails or summarize a call. But the real unlock?

Building a GTM Ops Layer powered by AI—one that automates decisions, not just tasks.

This month we’re diving into how the best teams are making AI a core layer of their GTM stack—beyond productivity, toward predictive execution.

🧩 What Is the AI GTM Ops Layer?

Think of it like this:
Your traditional RevOps stack pulls signals from CRM, product, marketing, and sales…
…but someone still needs to make the decisions.

The AI Ops layer is the connective tissue that interprets, predicts, and sometimes acts for you.

It’s not just automating work. It’s automating thinking.

🔍 What’s Driving This Shift?

🧠 AI copilots (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity) are now API-first and context-aware
📊 Tools like Clay, Equals, and Humantic are blending enrichment + personalization in one flow
🧩 Operators are using AI to run entire workflows, not just surface data

⚙️ What an AI-Enabled GTM Layer Looks Like

GTM Function	AI Superpower
Lead Scoring	AI ranks prospects based on behavior, firmographics & intent in real-time (Clearbit + ChatGPT + your CRM)
Outbound Personalization	One-click personalized emails using deal data, LinkedIn profiles, and recent triggers (Clay + OpenAI)
Campaign Optimization	Multivariate messaging tests auto-deployed based on ICP segments (Mutiny + Copy.ai + Apollo)
Pipeline Forecasting	GPT fine-tuned to read CRM notes, call transcripts, and close probability changes over time
QBR/Board Prep	AI-generated GTM dashboards that auto-summarize key shifts & root cause analysis (Equals + GPT-4o)

💻 Real-World Stack Example

🧠 Brendan’s Experimental AI GTM Stack:

Clay — Dynamic prospecting with OpenAI-generated personalization
Apollo — Campaign execution triggered by ICP scoring
ChatGPT API + HubSpot CRM — Auto-generated sales sequences & weekly pipeline health summaries
Equals — GPT-powered spreadsheet reports for deal velocity + conversion trends
Lavender — Sales email optimization trained on rep tone + reply data

📈 June GTM Checklist: Build Your AI Layer

✅ Choose one core GTM process to automate (scoring, personalization, reporting)
✅ Connect your CRM to an AI layer (Zapier, Clay, Make, or direct OpenAI API)
✅ Run a 7-day test: Let AI personalize the first touch of all outbound
✅ Evaluate response rate & time savings
✅ Bonus: Run a side-by-side A/B with human vs. AI-generated insights for your next pipeline review

🎯 Final Thought:

AI in GTM isn't a trend—it’s a stack evolution.

You don’t need to overhaul everything.
Start small. Build feedback loops. Then let AI scale your thinking.

🧠 Curious how I built this stack for PlaySpace and my consulting clients?
Reply and I’ll share a Notion playbook + Zapier templates.

Until next time,
— Brendan
Host of “Building Blocks” 🎙️