The old funnel is no longer fit for purpose
The funnel assumes:
- linear progression
- early sales interaction
- qualification → demo → proposal
- predictable percentages at each stage
But today’s buyers behave non-linearly, across channels you do not control, and engage only when they feel ready.
The funnel can no longer explain — nor drive — B2B revenue.
The new behavioural lifecycle
The modern GTM engine aligns with buyer behaviour, not organisational preference. The correct lifecycle is:
Visibility → Education → Engagement → Conversion → Revenue
Visibility
You make the market aware you exist — consistently, daily, at scale.
Education
You teach the market how to think correctly about the problem and category.
Engagement
You build familiarity, recognition, and credibility long before buyers outreach.
Conversion
You create pathways for buyers to self-qualify, self-progress, and request meaningful conversations.
Revenue
Predictability emerges because friction is reduced across the entire lifecycle.
Why this model works
Because it reflects how B2B buyers actually behave... today.
The new model is:
- buyer-aligned
- omnichannel
- asynchronous
- committee-driven
- self-led
- lifecycle-based
- continuous, not episodic
It turns the entire organisation into a single GTM engine rather than separate marketing and sales functions.
What this means for CEOs
When you rebuild GTM around this lifecycle:
- visibility increases without extra spend
- education happens continuously
- engagement happens before sales ever intervene
- conversion becomes predictable
- team alignment improves
- pipeline volatility decreases
- forecasting becomes accurate
- GTM cost-per-outcome drops significantly
This model defines the lifecycle. The GTM Operating System defines how that lifecycle is executed at scale.
“Visibility, education, engagement and conversion — that is the new revenue engine.”