The Quiet GTM Winners of 2025

December 2025

Author

Joey Brodsky
December 29, 2025

Hello and welcome to The Modern GTM Executive by Lunar Executive Search - read by 2,000+ leading Sales, Marketing, and Executive Leaders within Growth-Stage Technology businesses. We’re here to help people redefine their perspective on modern revenue acquisition models, understand what talent & skills are necessary to do so, and how to find the to 10% of GTM Leaders to execute.

Sales Hiring Market – Current LinkedIn Job Postings
Within Software Industry – Posted Last 7 Days
VP of Sales Jobs251-45%
Enterprise AE Jobs440-16%
BDR Jobs185-27%

To help readers stay grounded in the reality of today’s GTM hiring landscape, I’ll be sharing a weekly snapshot of active sales roles on LinkedIn. These metrics offer a simple but powerful pulse check: where demand is rising, where it’s cooling, and how the broader software market is shifting beneath the surface.

This Week's Signal
The Top 3 News Stories for Your GTM Career
End-of-year signals that matter as GTM leaders plan for 2026.
1 · GTM Hiring & Productivity
Fewer Reps, Higher Bars: 2025 Cemented the Productivity Reset
As 2025 wraps, most growth-stage SaaS companies are entering 2026 with smaller GTM teams but materially higher performance expectations. Headcount growth has been replaced by rep-level efficiency, tighter territories, and stricter performance management — a trend that’s reshaping how sales orgs hire, onboard, and retain talent.
2 · Enterprise Buying Behavior
Longer Sales Cycles, Fewer Vendors — but Larger Winners
Enterprise buyers ended 2025 consolidating vendors and demanding clearer ROI, longer-term commitments, and proof of execution. While deal cycles stretched, companies that survived procurement scrutiny often landed larger, stickier contracts — reinforcing the value of experienced enterprise sellers who can navigate complex, multi-threaded deals.
3 · Compensation & Career Strategy
Pay Bands Matter Less — Attainment History Matters More
Entering 2026, compensation ranges remain wide, but hiring decisions are increasingly driven by verified quota attainment, deal complexity, and performance consistency — not title inflation or OTE promises. For GTM leaders and sellers alike, proof of performance has become the strongest currency in a tighter, more disciplined market.

To help you stay sharper and more informed, I’m adding this new weekly snapshot of the three GTM stories that matter most. No fluff - just the signals every sales leader should track.

The Quiet GTM Winners of 2025

And what they all did differently.

2025 didn’t produce many flashy GTM success stories.

But it did produce quiet winners; companies that hit plan, retained top reps, and entered 2026 with real momentum while others spun their wheels.

What’s interesting is that these teams didn’t win by doing more.

They won by doing less, better.

Here’s what showed up consistently behind the scenes.

Fewer Reps. Higher Output.

The strongest GTM orgs in 2025 weren’t overstaffed.

They ran:

  • Smaller teams

  • Higher individual quotas

  • Less tolerance for underperformance

Instead of chasing coverage, they doubled down on rep productivity. The result: fewer seats, more accountability, better forecasting.

Narrower ICPs — on Purpose

The quiet winners didn’t “go enterprise” or “expand mid-market” because the board deck said so.

They:

  • Tightened ICPs

  • Walked away from bad-fit revenue

  • Built real expertise in a defined buyer profile

Pipeline was smaller. Close rates were higher. Churn was lower.

Strong Frontline Managers Beat New Tools

While others added more RevOps layers and sales tech, these teams focused on:

  • Better 1:1s

  • Real deal inspection

  • Clear standards for pipeline quality

The pattern was consistent: great managers beat great tooling.

Discipline Replaced Optimism

No hero forecasting. No “we’ll make it up next quarter.”

Quiet winners ran tighter:

  • Clear exit criteria

  • Conservative commit

  • Faster performance decisions

Not exciting — but incredibly effective.

The 2026 Setup

The companies that quietly won in 2025 aren’t rushing to scale in 2026.

They’re:

  • Raising the hiring bar

  • Paying for proven performance

  • Scaling only what already works

That’s the real GTM reset — and it’s already underway.

If you want the full breakdown — including team design, enablement impact, and what “great” actually looks like in 2025 — the data is in the report.

We've got a number of active opportunities across our portfolio of software clients at Lunar Executive Search currently.

A few select openings: 

  • VP of Sales – VC Backed – Enterprise SaaS (US Remote)

  • Enterprise Account Executive - VC Backed - Enterprise SaaS (Remote - Central Territory)

  • Enterprise Account Executive - VC Backed - Cyber (US Remote)

  • (New) Enterprise Account Executive - VC Backed - InsureTech (NYC Hybrid)

  • (New) Enterprise Account Executive - VC Backed - Media Tech (NYC OR LA Remote)

  • Account Executive - PE Backed - HealthTech (US Remote)

I'm also always look to great candidates for future roles:

  • Chief Revenue Officer - Venture/PE-Backed - SaaS/Cyber/AI

  • Chief Marketing Officer - Venture/PE-Backed - SaaS/Cyber/AI

  • VP of Product Marketing - Venture/PE-Backed - SaaS/Cyber/AI

  • VP of Partnerships - Venture/PE-Backed - SaaS/Cyber/AI

Highlights from The GTM Kickback! Podcast

We've had a number of excellent interviews recently on The GTM Kickback!, with many more already booked and recorded on the way. 

Want to be a guest? Ping me on LinkedIn! 😎

We're looking for: High-performance GTM Operators, VC/PE Investors in SaaS, and Leading GTM Consultants for early stage technology businesses

New to "The GTM Kickback!"? Subscribe to the podcast!

This newsletter is powered by Lunar Executive Search - Finding Premier GTM Talent for Growth Stage Tech Businesses. 

We help disruptive technology companies grow. For venture-funded start-ups and PE-backed enterprise software firms, we have a track record in finding the Top 10% of Sales and Marketing Leadership Talent, and doing so swiftly. 

Reach out to me here: [email protected] 

---------------- 

Till next time, 

Joey