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The GTM Agency Vetting Checklist

Use this essential checklist to vet Go-to-Market agencies based on their ability to integrate Sales Enablement and Demand Creation for guaranteed, predictable revenue growth.

Hiring a Go-to-Market (GTM) agency is a high-stakes decision. Many partners promise "more leads" but often fail to deliver the one thing executives truly need: new, predictable revenue.

The disconnect? Most agencies specialize in Demand Creation (Marketing) but ignore Sales Enablement and the crucial link to revenue reporting. A world-class GTM partner doesn't just fill the funnel; they optimize the entire sales-to-revenue machine.

Use this checklist to vet agencies based on their ability to integrate Demand Creation with Sales Enablement and guarantee predictable revenue growth.

Phase 1: The Core Strategy and Integration Check

The best agencies treat your GTM strategy as a single, unified system, not isolated tasks.

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Vetting Question	Metric of Success	Why It Matters
Do they integrate Demand Creation with Sales Enablement?	They have a unified strategy document addressing both marketing content and sales training/tools.	Predictable revenue requires deals to be closed efficiently after they are generated.
How do they prove they understand your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)?	They can articulate your ICP's pain points and the specific sales talk tracks required to address them.	Ensures marketing attracts the right leads, and sales knows exactly how to convert them.
What is their approach to Revenue Reporting (RevOps)?	They propose a reporting structure based on Pipeline Velocity (or similar unifying metric), not just MQLs.	A clear commitment to accountability that ties their work to your bottom line.
Can they demonstrate a reduction in Sales Cycle Length?	Case studies show not only lead volume growth but also a measurable decrease in the time-to-close for their clients.	A true GTM partner optimizes efficiency, not just activity.

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Phase 2: Sales Enablement Deep Dive

Most agencies stop at MQLs. Strategic partners go deeper, ensuring your sales team is ready to convert the demand being created. Ask for specific examples of their enablement deliverables. The difference between a "marketing agency" and a "GTM partner" is the level of investment in the bottom two stages of your funnel. A strategic GTM partner specifically addresses the "Enablement Gap" where useful materials drop off.

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Sales Enablement Deliverable	Agency Must Provide Examples Of…
Battle Cards	Competitive comparison summaries, feature differentiators, and scripts for common objections.
Value-Based Case Studies	Focused on quantifiable ROI and tailored to specific industries or personas.
Rep-Ready Messaging	Email templates, LinkedIn messaging, and call scripts that align with current campaigns.
Sales Training Materials	Guides or workshops on how to leverage the new marketing content effectively.

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Phase 3: The Revenue Reporting Guarantee

This phase separates partners focused on vanity metrics from those focused on predictable revenue. You need an agency committed to transparency and measurable outcomes that directly impact your financial forecasts. Ask the agency to provide a mock-up of the Revenue Reporting Dashboard they would deliver. Their primary report should look like a revenue snapshot, not a marketing activity log.

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Metric Type	Vetting Criteria	Strategic Agency Focus	Traditional Agency Focus
Efficiency	Pipeline Velocity (Value / Time)	High – Focus on optimizing the flow of revenue.	Low – Often not tracked or reported.
Volume	SQL to Opportunity Conversion Rate	High – Focus on lead quality and sales acceptance.	High – Focus on MQL volume regardless of quality.
Outcome	Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)	High – Focus on acquiring and enabling ideal customers.	Low – Focus on transactional leads.

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The Final Vetting Takeaway

When an agency can clearly define, measure, and optimize for Pipeline Velocity (the single KPI that unifies sales and marketing), you know you've found a strategic partner.

This level of reporting commitment—one that connects every campaign dollar spent to a tangible outcome on the sales side—is the only way to guarantee the new, predictable revenue you're seeking.

Don't settle for agencies that just send you leads. Choose the partner that empowers your sales team and owns the full revenue lifecycle, proving their worth with Sales Enablement and crystal-clear Revenue Reporting.