More
Template is not defined.

Ready, Set, Hike: Who Will Win Revenue’s Big Game? 

5 min
Share
ABM-Super-Bowl-6

Welcome to the most anticipated matchup in revenue generation history. Today’s championship game pits the Spray-and-Pray Sharks against the Precision Predators in a battle that will define the future of pipeline building and deal closing. 

The Sharks are champions of the old school — masters of high-volume outreach, batch-and-blast marketing, and the “throw enough at the wall” strategy that’s been their hallmark for decades. Their fans swear by the traditional playbook: more calls equal more opportunities. 

Facing them, the Predators bring a revolutionary approach powered by 6sense’s AI and intent data. Their game plan? A coordinated attack, where every player moves with purpose, guided by predictive intelligence.  

The stakes couldn’t be higher. As B2B buying journeys grow more complex and buying teams expand, revenue teams everywhere are watching to see which approach will triumph: brute force volume or AI-powered moneyball.  

Let’s meet our players. 

Team Rosters & Positions 

The Sharks

The Spray-and-Pray Sharks believe if you throw enough hail marys and grind through enough bruises, something’s bound to stick. Their roster reads like a playbook from the pre-digital era: 

Quarterback (Account Executive): The classic pocket passer who works through leads alphabetically and hopes for the best. Possesses a powerful but imprecise arm for cold calling and generic pitches. 

Wide Receivers (BDRs): Running the same routes every day, these players sprint through 100+ cold calls hoping to catch anything that comes their way. Famous for their “spray and pray” end zone celebration. 

Offensive Line (Marketing): Masters of the broad-based protection scheme, throwing content everywhere to shield their QB. Specializes in “batch and blast” blocking techniques. 

Defense (Customer Success): Plays a reactive game, only jumping into action when accounts are already at risk of churning. Their motto: “We’ll cross that bridge when a customer complains.” 

The Predators

The Sharks face stiff competition from our home team, the Precision Predators — equipped with their secret weapon: 6sense’s suite of revenue intelligence tools. 

Quarterback (AI-Assisted Account Executive): Armed with predictive analytics, this signal-caller knows exactly which accounts are ready to engage and can read the defense (buying signals) before the snap.   

Wide Receivers (Intent-Driven BDRs): These precision route runners only sprint toward accounts showing high intent. Their signature move? The “Dark Funnel Deep Route,” catching prospects before competitors know they’re in-market. 

Offensive Line (ABM Marketing): Uses AI-powered insights to create targeted protection schemes. Known for their “Account-Based Blitz” where they surround high-value targets with personalized content. 

Defense (Proactive Customer Success): Anticipates customer needs using predictive health scores. They specialize in “Renewal Interception,” catching at-risk accounts before they even think about leaving. 

It’s time for kickoff! Let the competition begin. 

First Half: Prospecting & Pipeline 

The first quarter opens with a stark contrast in strategy and execution between our two teams. The Spray-and-Pray Sharks operate as if each player is working from a different playbook: 

  • BDRs pound the phones with cold calls ↗
  • Marketing broadcasts generic emails ↝
  • AEs chase their own leads ↬

None of them are working from a shared view of target accounts. A Sharks BDR spends three hours researching a promising lead, only to discover their marketing team has already burned through five touches with no response. Meanwhile, an AE is pitching to a company that just signed with a competitor last week. The analytics team scrambles to make sense of disconnected data from their CRM, marketing automation, and sales engagement platforms. It’s a testament to hard work that they ever manage to score. The playbook is a mess. 

Across the field, the Predators demonstrate the power of a unified offense. Their entire revenue team operates from a single source of truth, powered by 6sense’s AI-driven insights. When their systems detect a surge in research activity from a major healthcare account, the response is synchronized: 

  • Marketing immediately activates targeted advertising to the buying committee ↩
  • BDRs receive real-time alerts about which prospects are most likely to engage ↩
  • AEs monitor the entire activity stream, timing their outreach to coincide with peaks in interest ↩

The scoreboard reflects this tale of two strategies: 

SHARKS 

  • Pipeline: $2M 
  • Touches: 1,000 
  • Average prospect response time: 22 days 

PREDATORS 

  • Pipeline: $6M 
  • Touches: 300 
  • Average prospect response time: 3 days 

As we approach halftime, it’s clear that the Predators’ ability to spot and act on buying signals as a unified team is leaving the Sharks’ scattered efforts in the dust.  

Second Half: Deal Execution 

The second half opens with mounting frustration in the Sharks’ huddle. Their sales playbook, unchanged since 2020, dictates rigid progression through predetermined stages. Each sales rep works in isolation, running the same plays regardless of account positioning. Their marketing team broadcasts case studies into the void, while AEs pitch generic demos that fail to address specific needs and pain points.  

A critical enterprise deal highlights their fragmented approach. A Sharks AE discovers late in the game that IT security approval is required — something their marketing team knew but never communicated. Meanwhile, three different BDRs have reached out to the same technical buyer, each unaware of the others’ efforts. The deal drags into its eighth month as the Sharks’ players trip over each other, eventually fumbling the deal to a competitor who’d been quietly engaging the entire buying committee for months. 

By contrast, the Predators orchestrate a masterclass in synchronized selling. When their AI flags increasing intent signals from a target account, every player knows their role. Marketing adjusts advertising content based on the prospect’s latest research topics. The AE receives real-time intelligence about research activities happening within the account, allowing them to proactively address concerns before they become objections. 

The Predators’ drive showcases their coordination: 

  • As six different buying team members research pricing and security documentation, their AI email assistant crafts personalized outreach incorporating insights from every previous interaction. ⇉
  • BDRs prioritize outreach based on predicted buying stage while marketing automatically promotes customer testimonials addressing the specific concerns being researched. ⇉
  • When legal and security requirements arise, the entire revenue team already has the necessary documentation ready, having anticipated these needs through predictive analytics. ⇉ 

Once again, we turn to the scoreboard to check out key stats: 

SHARKS 

  • Close rate: 30% 
  • Average sales cycle length: 180 days 
  • Deal slippage: 45% 

PREDATORS 

  • Close rate: 62% 
  • Average sales cycle length: 90 days 
  • Deal slippage: 12% 

We’re approaching the fourth quarter, where we’ll see which revenue playbook brings home the championship trophy. 

Fourth Quarter Game-Winning Drive 

With minutes left on the clock, the difference between old-school and AI-powered revenue generation becomes starkly clear. 

The Sharks continue running their traditional plays, working in silos, missing critical buying signals and failing to coordinate their response to stakeholder concerns. Meanwhile, the Predators’ entire revenue team mobilizes around account intelligence — deploying laser-targeted content to buying committee members, sending automated follow-ups through their AI email assistant, and executing perfectly timed touches. 

The game clock hits zero. The Predators close their enterprise deal in 70 days versus the Sharks’ industry average of 180. The deal size? 40% larger than forecast, thanks to the team’s ability to identify and engage every potential buyer early in the cycle.  

Post-Game Analysis 

Beyond the numbers, this Revenue Big Game revealed a fundamental truth: Revenue generation isn’t about individual heroics anymore. No star player can win a game alone. The Predators’ synchronized offense, powered by AI and intent data, transforms every aspect of the game. While the Sharks’ players competed with their own teammates for opportunities, the Predators executed precision plays based on unified insights and intelligence. 

The MVP trophy goes to predictive analytics, but the real winner is efficiency. The Precision Predators didn’t work harder — they eliminated wasted motions and focused energy where it mattered most. 

As all teams in the league head into next season, one thing is clear: The future belongs to revenue teams who can harness AI, intent data, and predictive analytics to play as an unstoppable force.  

Ready to become a championship contender? Draft 6sense for your revenue team this season. Click here and we’ll introduce you to the new playbook. 

The 6sense Team

6sense helps B2B organizations achieve predictable revenue growth by putting the power of AI, big data, and machine learning behind every member of the revenue team.

Related Content