🧠 Episode Summary: In this insightful episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by Brian Reavell, Founder of R-Squared Advisors and seasoned Private Equity Operating Partner, to dive deep into the world of go-to-market (GTM) strategies. Brian shares a comprehensive GTM playbook for PE-backed portfolio companies—spanning from due diligence and customer segmentation to talent evaluation and post-investment execution.With over two decades of commercial leadership and consulting experience, Brian explains why private equity firms often overestimate internal talent, underestimate customer orientation, and misalign incentives—leading to missed growth targets. Packed with case studies and actionable frameworks, this episode is a goldmine for anyone looking to drive scalable and sustainable sales growth within a PE-backed environment.⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Introduction to Brian Reavell and today's GTM focus  01:26 – Common mistakes PE firms make around organic growth assumptions  03:21 – The three critical GTM pillars: Ideal Client Profile, Talent, and Segmentation  05:38 – Why talent is the most overlooked area in due diligence  08:00 – Assessing sales talent beyond resumes and black books  09:28 – Quantitative vs. qualitative approaches to evaluating salespeople  11:20 – EQ, IQ, and AQ: The key characteristics to assess in talent  13:18 – Building a GTM strategy post-investment: Process & execution  14:45 – Case Study: GTM transformation in a $4B building products distributor  16:56 – Impact of role design and customer segmentation on profitability  18:50 – $500M top-line and $100M EBITDA opportunity unlocked  20:42 – Managing change in founder-led businesses  23:07 – Overcoming resistance at field and leadership levels  24:53 – Case Study: Cultural and GTM integration in a K-12 education platform  27:43 – Creating flexible but standardized playbooks  29:35 – Assessing and top-grading sales and marketing leadership  31:02 – Succession planning and commercial leadership turnover  32:54 – What creates board-level confidence in GTM leaders  33:52 – Brian’s top reading and learning resources  35:19 – The First 90 Days, AI, and making tech an enabler  36:17 – How to connect with Brian Revelle📚 Resources Mentioned:<ul><li>Winning Moves & Intelligent Equity by Dan Kremins</li><li>The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins</li><li>ChatGPT and AI tools for sales enablement and productivity</li></ul>📨 Connect with Brian Reavell: Email: <a href='mailto:brian@r-squaredadvisors.com'>brian@r-squaredadvisors.com</a> Company: <a href='https://r-squaredadvisors.com/'>R-Squared Advisors</a> (not linked in transcript, assumed domain)Raw Selection partners with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies to secure exceptional executive talent. We focus on de-risking executive recruitment through meticulous search and selection processes, ensuring top-tier performance and long-term success.🔗 Connect with Alex Rawlings on LinkedIn: <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrawlings/'>https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrawlings/</a> 🌐 Visit Raw Selection: <a href='https://www.raw-selection.com/'>www.raw-selection.com</a>

Podurama

Home

Trending

Personal

Your Podcasts

New Episodes

My Files

Favourite Episodes

Tags (Folders)

Recently Played

Bookmarks

Followed Playlists

Private Equity’s GTM Wake-Up Call: Talent, Segmentation & the $500M Mistake

The Private Equity Podcast, by Raw Selection

AI Chapters

AI Insights

Reviews