About the research

To expose the disconnect between strategy and execution, and understand what high-performing teams are doing differently, we partnered with Dynata to survey 463 senior leaders across sales, marketing, enablement, and operations. The research was conducted in Summer 2025 across the USA, EMEA, and Australia, exploring AI maturity, execution challenges, and where leaders are focusing investment to drive future performance.

senior GTM leaders surveyed

countries

industries

The disconnect between strategy and execution

98% of leaders say their go-to-market strategy is being executed.

Only 10% report being very effective at driving successful initiatives.

Revealing a major gap between confidence and capability.

AI adoption is up, but impact is lagging

AI is a top GTM investment, but most teams aren't seeing returns. Why? Strategy is outpacing systems. Without the right foundation, even the best tech can't drive results.

AI is the top priority

Nearly half of GTM leaders are investing in AI, but without structure or readiness, progress stalls fast.

What's blocking progress?

From trust issues to data gaps and disconnected tools, foundational cracks are holding AI back before it even starts.

AI maturity remains low

Fewer than a third say AI is powering performance. For many, it remains a pilot, not a proven driver of GTM impact.

Key findings for go-to-market leaders

Confidence is high, but execution is strained. AI maturity is low, burnout is rising, and systems aren't keeping up. The strategy-execution gap is global, and growing.

Finding #1

Strategy isn't broken—the execution is.

You need a unified platform, like Highspot, to execute.

Strategy isn’t failing because of bad ideas, it’s failing because teams are burnt out, overextended, and stuck navigating disconnected tools. 80% of leaders report signs of burnout or regretted attrition, but fewer than 1 in 4 are investing in the enablement systems that make execution scalable, repeatable, and human-first.

Finding #2

Different regions, one global execution challenge

Across the world, GTM leaders are facing the same hard truth: strategy may be in motion, but execution is stalling. The causes vary, from burnout to misalignment to low AI maturity, but the root challenge is consistent. Teams have the insights. Few have the systems to act on them.

United States

Insight is high. Impact is low.

United States

26%

US GTM leaders plan to invest in GTM alignment

EMEA (UK, France, Germany)

Confidence is shaky. Burnout is rising.

EMEA (UK, France, Germany)

42%

UK leaders report confidence in execution is low

Australia and New Zealand

High AI maturity. Highest strain.

Australia and New Zealand

62%

ANZ leaders say AI is a strategic enabler

Wherever you look, the pattern holds: ambition is high, but execution systems are missing. The US underinvests in alignment, the UK struggles with confidence, France sees buyer impact, Germany leads on clarity, and ANZ, despite top AI maturity—shows the steepest signs of strain.

Finding #3

The gap is widening, but some teams are pulling ahead

What sets them apart isn't just AI adoption or more tools. It's how they've unified their systems, connected their teams, and operationalized execution.

High-performing organizations are:

42% more likely to use well-integrated enablement platforms
35% more likely to increase deal size when using AI for training
36% more likely to improve win rates through AI-enhanced coaching

They're not working harder, they're working smarter, with visibility, consistency, and scale built into the way they go to market.

36%

more likely to improve win rates through AI-enhanced coaching

ROI Calculator

Calculate your potential GTM impact

Most revenue teams have a strategy, but few see it executed at scale. Use our GTM Gap ROI Calculator to quantify the cost of misalignment and uncover how Highspot can help you turn strategy into measurable growth.

The go-to-market performance gap

About the research

The disconnect between strategy and execution