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

🧠 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:

• Winning Moves & Intelligent Equity by Dan Kremins
• The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins
• ChatGPT and AI tools for sales enablement and productivity

📨 Connect with Brian Reavell:
Email: [e-mail]
Company: R-Squared Advisors (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: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrawlings/
🌐 Visit Raw Selection: www.raw-selection.com