Fixing the Funnel: AI-Powered GTM Actions for Founders & Investors

By Ian Jarvis, Founder of Composability

In Part 1, I explored how traditional go-to-market (GTM) funnels are misaligned with modern buyer behavior. Now in Part 2, let’s break down how to fix it using today’s AI-powered GTM tools and frameworks.

Step 1: Diagnose Stall Points with AI-Driven Funnel Intelligence

Traditional CRMs only tell you what happened. AI tools like Clari, Gong, and People.ai tell you why deals stalled and where they’re at risk—before it’s too late.

• Use AI to surface hidden drop-off signals across the buyer journey
• Predict deal slippage based on sentiment, timing, and engagement data
• Flag champions who’ve gone quiet or stakeholder shifts in real-time

Step 2: Map Funnel Stages to Buying Intent Using Behavioral AI

Buyers don’t follow your funnel. AI-enabled platforms like 6sense and Mutiny adjust experiences dynamically based on real-time signals like page visits, ad clicks, and email opens.

• Trigger personalized messaging when intent spikes
• Orchestrate nurture flows based on buying signals, not lead score
• Segment messaging by funnel stage automatically

Step 3: Measure “Time to Conviction,” Not Just Conversions

AI helps teams shift from vanity metrics to value-based KPIs. Start tracking:

• Time to Value (TTV): How quickly buyers experience their “aha” moment
• Time to Share: How fast they start forwarding content internally
• Time to Consensus: How long to get full stakeholder buy-in

These are the true accelerators of sales velocity. AI-powered dashboards can make this visible across deals and teams.

Step 4: Scale Enablement with AI-Personalized Buyer Content

The new buyer journey demands personalization. AI tools like Navattic, Accord, or Notion AI help build modular, shareable spaces for each buyer cohort.

• Auto-generate proposal summaries or leave-behinds post-demo
• Create AI-personalized landing pages or demo flows
• Bundle collateral into interactive buyer workspaces

Step 5: Align Teams Around Buyer Signals, Not Sales Scripts

With AI surfacing consistent buyer data across touchpoints, sales, product, and marketing can align faster and smarter.

• Marketing: Tailor nurture campaigns based on engagement clusters
• Sales: Use real-time alerts to shift strategy mid-deal
• Product: Feed win/loss data and voice-of-customer into roadmap decisions

The best GTM teams today aren’t just digitized — they’re adaptive. AI is the multiplier that closes gaps between buyer intent and seller action.

Founders: build your GTM engine with AI-native thinking from Day 1.
Investors: assess whether a startup’s GTM is built for scale or just scrappiness.

Ian Jarvis is the Founder of Composability, an AI-powered venture intelligence platform helping founders close smarter and investors deploy capital with greater conviction.