The Era of Ai and Buyer Led GTM | Santosh Sharan | S3:E12

In this episode of Force and Friction, we welcome Santosh Sharan, a pioneer in B2B data intelligence and former executive at ZoomInfo, Apollo, and RB2B. Santosh has spent the last 15 years helping sellers get smarter with data, automation, and insights, but now, he’s flipping the script.

His next mission? Empowering buyers with AI-driven insights to create a level playing field and fundamentally reshape the go-to-market (GTM) landscape.

From the oversaturation of sales outreach to the rise of AI-driven buyer research, Santosh breaks down how the future of GTM is shifting from seller-led motions to a buyer-first approach—and what businesses need to do to stay ahead.

Santosh Sharan

Santosh Sharan is a pioneer in B2B data-driven GTM strategies, known for his ability to scale revenue through insights, automation, and buyer intelligence. He has held key leadership roles at industry giants like ZoomInfo and Apollo.io, helping them refine data-driven sales enablement strategies.

His mission? His current mission is to level the playing field by championing a buyer-led GTM platform, aiming to empower buyers with the same data and insights traditionally reserved for sellers.

Follow Santosh

Watch the Episode:

Here are the core areas we discuss in today's episode:

The Evolution of GTM: From Relationship-Driven Sales to AI-Driven Intelligence:

Over the past 15 years, sales has evolved from a relationship-based model to a data-driven, automated approach. Santosh shares how he witnessed this transformation firsthand while working with ZoomInfo and Apollo, helping sales teams leverage real-time data and automation.

“We went from a world where data was scarce to a world where we have too much data. The challenge now is filtering through the noise.”

While automation initially helped sales teams become more efficient, it has now reached a breaking point—buyers are bombarded with outreach, and response rates are plummeting.

The Sales Saturation Problem: Why Traditional GTM is Breaking Down:

Sales teams today have more data and automation than ever before, yet 79% of reps are missing their quota (Epsta research, 2024). Why?

1: Too many sellers, not enough buyers – Thousands of companies are sending millions of outreach messages daily.
2: Buyers are overloaded – 20+ calls and 100+ emails a day have made outreach ineffective.
3: Trust is declining – With so much noise, buyers no longer believe in vendor-driven messaging.

“We’ve reached a saturation point where the traditional GTM model no longer works. More outreach doesn’t mean more results.”

This shift has opened the door for buyer-led GTM—a strategy where buyers drive the process and sellers must earn trust to gain engagement.

The Rise of Buyer-Led GTM: Flipping the Traditional Sales Model:

So, what is buyer-led GTM, and how does it differ from the seller-led model we’ve relied on for decades?

Traditional Seller-Led GTM:

• Sales reps blast emails, calls, and LinkedIn messages
• Buyers get flooded with unsolicited outreach
• 95% of buyers aren’t ready to purchase—but they’re still getting pitched

The New Buyer-Led GTM:

• Buyers raise their hand when they are actively looking
• They conduct their own research instead of relying on vendor messaging
• Sellers earn trust through valuable, unbiased content and partnerships

“The best GTM strategies will be led by buyers. Companies that help buyers research, evaluate, and make decisions confidently will win.”

Santosh explains how AI-powered buyer research tools will replace traditional lead-gen tactics, ensuring buyers get the insights they need without spammy outreach.

AI-Powered Agents: The Future of GTM is Automated & Intelligent:

As AI advances, agents will begin replacing manual outreach and traditional sales reps. Santosh predicts that:

• AI agents will replace SDR outreach – Instead of cold emails, AI will handle buyer engagement
• Buyers will use AI for vendor research – They’ll get real-time, unbiased insights before making decisions
• Seller & buyer agents will negotiate deals – AI-powered assistants will interact to simplify transactions

“In the future, buyers will have their own AI agents, and sellers will have their own AI agents. These agents will interact, eliminating the need for mass outreach.”

The implication? Sales teams must adapt now. Companies that don’t integrate AI-driven research into their GTM strategies will struggle to compete.

The Death of Traditional Blogging & The Rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO):

For years, content marketing revolved around SEO-optimized blogs designed to rank in Google search results. Santosh argues that this strategy is now outdated, as buyers increasingly rely on:

• AI-driven answers from ChatGPT and other LLMs
• Social-first content (LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube)
• Real-time research tools powered by AI

“Traditional blog strategies are dead. If AI doesn’t recognize your company, you don’t exist in the buyer’s journey.”

Instead of SEO, companies should focus on GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) - making sure their content is AI-friendly, discoverable by LLMs, and optimized for agent-based search.

Final Thoughts

Santosh Sharan’s insights reveal a seismic shift in GTM strategy, driven by:

• The decline of seller-led outreach & rise of buyer-led GTM
• AI-powered agents replacing traditional sales reps
• A new content era where AI-driven research defines buyer decisions

If you’re in sales, marketing, or RevOps, now is the time to rethink your GTM approach and embrace AI-driven, buyer-led growth strategies.

Ready to be Our Next Guest Contributor?

Your Host:

A little about Mike who hosts the show.  Please connect with us on LinkedIn we would love to have you as part of our professional networks.

Mike Midgley is the CEO at 6teen30 Digital, Inc. and a dynamic digital entrepreneur, nxd, strategist, public speaker and host of TheOpenMike Podcast show & Co-Host at The Force & Friction Podcast.

Mike has achieved successful six and seven-figure exits over a 30-year career, raised in excess of £1.6m [$2.5m] in Venture Capital and franchised his businesses 68 times.

Follow Mike