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GTM Diagnostic - Playbook

1. Definition​

What it is: A comprehensive, one-week inspection of a B2B SaaS company's entire Go-to-Market engine that evaluates systems, funnel processes, reporting, and performance against 80+ checkpoints benchmarked to the fastest-growing companies. Delivers three execution-ready artifacts: Power10 Scorecard, color-coded Inspection Report, and prioritized Roadmap.

What it is NOT: Not a CRM implementation project (systems already exist). Not a strategy development engagement (diagnostic informs strategy, doesn't create it). Not a RevOps staff augmentation (one-week bounded scope). Not a sales training or enablement project.

2. ICP Value Proposition​

Pain it solves: Leadership lacks visibility into GTM performance gaps—they know something is broken but can't pinpoint whether it's systems, process, data, or people. They're making decisions based on incomplete or unreliable data, with no external benchmark to know if their metrics are good or bad.

Outcome delivered: Complete clarity on current GTM state with 80+ inspection points scored, a Power10 Scorecard showing the most critical metrics benchmarked against industry standards, and a prioritized roadmap showing exactly what to fix and in what order to accelerate growth.

Who owns it: VP of Sales, VP of Marketing, RevOps Leader, or CEO/CRO at companies $5M-$100M ARR seeking to diagnose GTM bottlenecks.

3. Implementation Procedure​

Part 1: Intake & Discovery​

Step 1: Complete Intake Questionnaire and NDA​

Step Overview: Collect initial company information and establish legal framework for access. End state: Signed NDA and completed intake form with company context, current challenges, and key stakeholders identified.

  • Send intake questionnaire covering company overview, current GTM structure, and known pain points
  • Request client to sign NDA (or counter-sign their NDA if preferred)
  • Identify primary stakeholder and key contacts across Sales, Marketing, and RevOps
  • Confirm company stage (ARR range), team size, and growth targets
  • Schedule reverse demo and results walkthrough sessions in advance

Step 2: Request and Validate Systems Access​

Step Overview: Obtain limited, read-only access to all GTM systems required for benchmarking. End state: Access confirmed and validated for CRM, marketing automation, sales engagement, and reporting tools.

  • Request read-only access to CRM (Salesforce or HubSpot)
  • Request access to marketing automation platform (HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot)
  • Request access to sales engagement tools (Outreach, Salesloft, Gong)
  • Request access to reporting/BI tools if separate from CRM
  • Validate each access works and document login credentials securely
  • Confirm data retention period available for analysis (minimum 90 days recommended)

Part 2: Current State Assessment​

Step 1: Conduct Reverse Demo Session​

Step Overview: Have client walk through their current GTM processes, systems, and setup to understand context beyond what data shows. End state: Documented understanding of how the client's GTM actually operates day-to-day.

  • Schedule 60-90 minute live session with key stakeholders
  • Have client demonstrate their lead flow from first touch to closed-won
  • Document how handoffs work between Marketing → SDR → AE → CS
  • Capture current reporting cadence and which metrics leadership reviews
  • Note any known pain points, workarounds, or tribal knowledge
  • Record session for reference during analysis phase

Step 2: Extract and Organize Raw Data​

Step Overview: Pull relevant data exports from all connected systems for offline analysis. End state: Consolidated dataset ready for 80+ checkpoint inspection.

  • Export lead/contact records with source, status, and conversion dates
  • Export opportunity data with stage history, close dates, and amounts
  • Export activity data (emails, calls, meetings) from CRM and engagement tools
  • Pull marketing campaign performance data (spend, leads, conversions)
  • Extract current report/dashboard configurations
  • Organize data into standardized analysis format

Part 3: Analysis & Benchmarking​

Step 1: Run Systems Inspection Checklist​

Step Overview: Evaluate GTM technology stack against best practices for configuration, integration, and utilization. End state: Systems section of Inspection Report complete with red/yellow/green ratings.

  • Assess CRM data hygiene (required fields, picklist values, duplicate rate)
  • Evaluate lead routing rules and assignment logic
  • Check integration health between CRM and marketing automation
  • Review activity capture settings and sync configurations
  • Assess user adoption metrics (login frequency, data entry compliance)
  • Document integration gaps and data silos between tools

Step 2: Analyze Funnel Process and Conversion Metrics​

Step Overview: Map the full customer journey and calculate conversion rates at each stage against benchmarks. End state: Funnel section of Inspection Report complete with stage-by-stage analysis.

  • Map current funnel stages and definitions (MQL, SQL, SAL, Opportunity stages)
  • Calculate conversion rates between each stage
  • Benchmark against industry standards for B2B SaaS
  • Identify stage(s) with largest drop-off or variance from benchmark
  • Assess lead velocity and time-in-stage metrics
  • Document handoff SLAs and whether they're being met

Step 3: Evaluate Reporting and Metrics Infrastructure​

Step Overview: Assess what the client is measuring, how they're measuring it, and whether metrics are reliable. End state: Reporting section of Inspection Report complete with data quality assessment.

  • Inventory existing reports and dashboards
  • Verify metric definitions are consistent across tools (e.g., MQL definition matches in MAP and CRM)
  • Check for conflicting data between systems (attribution models, source tracking)
  • Assess whether leadership has real-time visibility into pipeline and performance
  • Identify gaps in reporting (metrics they should track but don't)
  • Rate data trustworthiness on key metrics

Step 4: Calculate Power10 Scorecard Metrics​

Step Overview: Compute the ten most critical GTM metrics and score against benchmarks. End state: Power10 Scorecard complete with current values, benchmarks, and gap analysis.

  • Calculate CAC and CAC payback period
  • Compute LTV and LTV:CAC ratio
  • Measure win rate and average deal size
  • Calculate pipeline coverage and velocity
  • Assess net revenue retention (NRR) and churn rate
  • Benchmark each metric against industry standards for company stage
  • Assign red/yellow/green rating to each of the 10 metrics

Part 4: Deliverables & Handoff​

Step 1: Compile Inspection Report​

Step Overview: Synthesize all findings into the color-coded Inspection Report with 80+ checkpoints. End state: Complete Inspection Report document ready for client presentation.

  • Organize findings into four sections: Systems, Funnel, Reporting, Performance
  • Apply red/yellow/green ratings to each of 80+ checkpoints
  • Write executive summary highlighting top 3-5 critical findings
  • Include supporting data/screenshots for each finding
  • Document quick wins (low effort, high impact fixes)
  • Format document using LeanScale brand template

Step 2: Build Prioritized Roadmap​

Step Overview: Translate findings into a sequenced action plan with recommended projects. End state: Roadmap document showing what to fix, in what order, with estimated effort.

  • Group related findings into logical project clusters
  • Prioritize based on impact (revenue potential) and effort (hours/complexity)
  • Sequence projects considering dependencies (e.g., data quality before advanced reporting)
  • Estimate hours for each recommended project
  • Map projects to LeanScale service offerings where applicable
  • Create visual roadmap (quarters or 30/60/90 day view)

Step 3: Conduct Results Walkthrough​

Step Overview: Present findings, scorecard, and roadmap to client stakeholders in live session. End state: Client understands current state, gaps, and recommended next steps.

  • Schedule 60-minute live presentation with key stakeholders
  • Walk through Power10 Scorecard with benchmark comparisons
  • Present Inspection Report highlights (focus on critical findings)
  • Review prioritized Roadmap and discuss sequencing rationale
  • Answer questions and gather client feedback
  • Deliver all three artifacts (Scorecard, Report, Roadmap) as final deliverables

Step 4: Close Out and Transition to Engagement​

Step Overview: Formally close the diagnostic and transition to paid engagement if client proceeds. End state: Diagnostic complete, next steps clear, SOW ready if client wants to proceed.

  • Send follow-up email with all deliverables attached
  • Revoke temporary system access (or transition to engagement access)
  • Document any follow-up items or open questions
  • If client wants to proceed: generate SOW for recommended projects
  • Schedule kickoff for engagement if proceeding
  • Log diagnostic completion in internal tracking

4. Dependencies & Inputs​

What must exist before starting:

  • Client has active CRM (Salesforce or HubSpot) with minimum 90 days of data
  • Client has defined funnel stages (even if not consistently used)
  • Client has at least basic marketing automation in place
  • Stakeholder availability for reverse demo and results walkthrough

What client must provide:

  • Completed intake questionnaire
  • Signed NDA
  • Read-only access to CRM, marketing automation, and sales engagement tools
  • Access to reporting/BI tools if separate
  • 60-90 minutes for reverse demo session
  • 60 minutes for results walkthrough session
  • Key contact for access troubleshooting

5. Common Pitfalls​

  • Pitfall 1: Data quality is too poor to produce reliable metrics → Mitigation: Set expectations early that data quality itself will be a finding; use directional analysis where exact numbers aren't possible; document data hygiene as priority 1 in roadmap.

  • Pitfall 2: Systems access takes too long, compressing analysis time → Mitigation: Send access requests immediately after NDA; have IT contact identified upfront; build buffer into timeline; escalate early if access delayed.

  • Pitfall 3: Stakeholders expect strategy recommendations, not just diagnostic → Mitigation: Set clear scope in intake call—diagnostic identifies WHAT to fix, not HOW; position roadmap as sequenced projects, not detailed playbooks; use diagnostic as gateway to paid engagement.

  • Pitfall 4: Definitions vary across teams (e.g., "What is an MQL?") causing confusion in findings → Mitigation: Document definitions found in each system during analysis; call out inconsistencies as a finding; recommend definition alignment as early roadmap item.

6. Success Metrics​

  • Leading Indicator: Client expresses "aha moments" during reverse demo and results walkthrough; findings resonate with known pain points.
  • Lagging Indicator: Client converts to paid engagement within 30 days; recommended roadmap projects get prioritized and funded.