The GTM Confidence Index 2026: Closing the Growth Gap
How B2B leaders really feel about their go-to-market capability and what separates the businesses closing the gap from those still stalling. Built from proprietary research across 100+ B2B leaders.
What the data shows.
The 2026 GTM Confidence Index reveals significant capability gaps across the B2B landscape and the specific levers that distinguish the fastest-growing businesses from the rest.
GTM confidence is failing most B2B leaders
47% of B2B commercial leaders rate their overall GTM confidence below 6 out of 10. The gap between ambition and commercial capability is widening - not closing.
High-confidence businesses hit targets far more often
Businesses where leaders rate GTM confidence above 7/10 are three times more likely to hit or exceed their revenue targets. The correlation is consistent across sector, stage, and geography.
ICP clarity is the most common gap
One in three B2B leaders admit they couldn't define their ideal customer profile with enough precision to change how they allocate sales and marketing resource. ICP drift is the most common root cause of GTM underperformance.
AI adoption in GTM is nascent - and misapplied
62% of leaders who report using AI in GTM say it is primarily used for content creation. Only 14% have deployed intelligence systems that change how they identify, prioritise, or convert pipeline. The gap between AI activity and AI impact is significant.
Sales and marketing misalignment is the most cited barrier
Sales and marketing misalignment is the single most-cited barrier to commercial performance for the third consecutive year. Businesses that resolved it report the fastest improvement in pipeline quality and NRR.
If your GTM confidence score is below 6, the gap is almost always in one of three places.
The diagnostic framework in the full report maps confidence gaps to commercial root causes. The three most common: ICP definition (who are we actually selling to), commercial operating model (how does the team actually work), and market prioritisation (where should we be focused).
ICP definition, market sizing, and where the biggest commercial opportunity actually lies.
GTM strategy design, commercial narrative, and the plan that makes the opportunity executable.
Operating model redesign and capability build - until the commercial function runs independently.
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