Why Your AI Strategy Fails Without a Data Strategy

Most companies don’t have an AI problem. They have a data problem, and it’s quietly weakening their revenue decisions. The real cost of building in-house isn’t the prototype. It’s the ongoing burden of integrations, governance, maintenance, adoption, and support. In this episode, Janice B Gordon speaks with Martin Garvey about building an enterprise sales function from scratch and scaling the team threefold in three years. They explore how better data, outcome-led selling, cross-functional alignment, and early implementation support can improve sales execution. What you’ll learn: a) Why AI strategy must start with a reliable data strategy b) How to identify builders and hunters during the hiring process c) Why implementation teams should enter complex deals before the contract is signed Martin Garvey built Gong’s enterprise sales function in EMEA from nothing, growing the team threefold in three years. He also helped the team beat its targets in its first and second years. Timestamps: 00:00 Building a Strong Team Connection 06:11 Company growth and adapting to AI 08:07 Assessing and Building Successful Teams 11:29 Importance of Data for AI Strategy 17:05 Understanding Customer Needs and Outcomes 18:47 Co-creating sales strategies 24:24 Timing for involving post-sales team 26:37 Considering total costs for buy vs. build 29:09 Improving team productivity and AI strategy Connect with Martin Garvey LinkedIn:   / martin-garvey-9375b415   Connect with Janice Book Janice to speak at your next sales or leadership event: https://janicebgordon.com LinkedIn:   / janice-b-gordon   Instagram:   / janicebgordon   Scale Your Sales Podcast: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast Enjoy the episode? Share your takeaway in the comments and leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help more leaders discover the show.