AI is about to massively change marketing and GTM strategies. It’s exposing weak spots and demanding proof for every claim. Empty promises and vague metrics are no longer enough. To succeed, marketers must use AI tools to find real insights, earn trust, and show measurable results. This isn’t a threat—it’s a chance to raise the bar and be better.
Last week, I sat down again with Mark Stouse, CEO at Proof Analytics, to talk about The Accountability Era in GTM and how AI going to massively change the way GTM teams handle accountability and risk.
B2B marketing is at a crossroads, especially in tech. The SaaS industry has muddied the waters by overpromising and underdelivering. Sure, the marketing might look great, but what good is it if the product doesn’t actually do what marketing claims?
In the next two to three years, AI will change the way we think about GTM accountability and risk. The days of operating in the “grey space” of aspiration and fuzzy metrics are rapidly coming to an end. Products that fail to deliver will be exposed in minutes.
“This is not about suppression of free speech. It’s more about suppressing bullshit.”
Mark Stouse, Proof Analytics
This shift is raising the bar for everyone—and that’s a good thing. The C-Suite is tired of guesswork, and customers want proof. If marketing and sales teams can’t back up their claims, they’ll face the consequences.
And while it might feel like a reckoning, it’s really an opportunity to level up. The tools to prove what’s possible and earn trust are already here.
If there’s one thing marketers and GTM teams should focus on right now, it’s this: embrace every aspect of AI—not just to work faster, but to think smarter and ask better questions.
AI can uncover patterns, reveal truths, and challenge assumptions. This goes beyond generative AI. Tools like analytical and causal AI can help figure out what’s working, what’s not, and why.
“AI is revealing connections we’ve taken for granted and holding us to higher standards.”
Mark Stouse, Proof Analytics
Start using these AI tools to explore new ideas and validate strategies. The sooner you get comfortable with them, the sooner you’ll add real value to your team and your business. You’ll also empower yourself and your organization to operate at a higher level.
AI is going to shake things up fast. Here are five things you need to know to get ready and stay ahead according to Mark Stouse.
Exaggerations and embellishments won’t work anymore. AI will expose the truth. If your product doesn’t deliver, people will find out faster than ever.
“By 2027, we are all going to be substantially more accountable than we probably ever have been in our lives. That grey space that we play in is historically shrinking.”
Lofty claims won’t cut it. Customers and executives will want to see hard proof. You’ll need real data to back up what you’re saying.
“We will need to be more thoughtful, less speculative and more oriented towards what is provably true or factually accurate versus our opinion or our aspiration.”
AI will push us to listen more and care more. Brands that genuinely understand and act upon customer needs will stand above the rest.
“Under the rubric of risk and accountability, one of the positives here is that AI might actually foster empathy.”
Being great at one thing won’t be enough. You need to understand the other areas of the business—like finance, data, and operations—to make smarter decisions.
“Marketers need to become T-shaped—experts in their field but also knowledgeable about the rest of the business to properly contextualize their decisions.”
AI gives you the tools to show real results. Use them to connect with executives. Speak their language, focus on risk and growth, and they’ll pay attention.
“The C-Suite is fed up, customers want proof, and AI will make sure they get it.”
Adapting to these changes won’t be easy. Here are five truths every GTM team needs to accept according to Mark Stouse.
Every promise you make will be put under a microscope. Whether it’s product claims or marketing messaging, AI will connect the dots. If you can’t back it up, it won’t fly.
“We’re going to really discover what is real and what is not in ways that haven’t been possible before.”
Executives are done with spending money on uncertain outcomes. They want clarity. Show them how you reduce risk and drive results, or they’ll question your value.
“CEOs and CFOs are done. I mean, they are done in terms of continuing with the status quo on go-to-market and not knowing if it’s working.”
Your actions influence your brand, but customers control how they see it. AI is making it easier for people to call out any gap between what you promise and what you deliver.
“We control what we say and do, but we don’t control how the market decides to believe it.”
Automation and spray-and-pray tactics have eroded trust. Buyers are skeptical, and AI-driven tools will only make them more cautious. It’s time to rethink how we activate sales.
“Marketing automation and demand generation have poisoned the well. Trust is gone.”
AI can call out bad data, false promises, and misleading claims in seconds. There’s no hiding. Don’t exaggerate. Stick to the facts.
“The time of being rewarded for bullshitting customers just to make a quick buck is coming to a close.”
For B2B tech companies and marketers who are ready to adapt, there’s a lot to look forward to.
AI won’t take your job if you make it part of your job. It will help you work smarter and make better decisions by helping you find patterns, solve problems, and prove what’s working and why. Use it well and you will become a stand out.
Here’s how to thrive in the coming years:
This might feel like a big change, but it’s also a huge opportunity. Marketing that’s honest and backed by data will win. The sooner you adapt, the stronger you’ll be.
“You are not a victim. No generation in the history of the world has had the tools and the power that are being handed to each of us. If you lose your job to anybody, it's going to be to somebody else with a better understanding and a better ability to use the tools than you.”
Mark Stouse, Proof Analytics
The Accountability Era isn’t here to punish us—it’s here to help us do better work.
AI is changing everything, especially in B2B tech. It’s raising the bar, closing the grey areas, and exposing gaps. But it’s also giving us tools to earn trust, prove value, and deliver real results.
It might feel like a reckoning, but it’s really a chance to get better and be better for the people we seek to serve.
The tools we need to succeed are already here.
This is our chance to level up, lead, and make marketing better.
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Cheers!
This article is AC-A and also published and discussed on LinkedIn. Join the conversation!
