In this episode of OnBase, host Paul Gibson sits down with Carolina Bräuninger from doinstruct to explore the intricacies of building a winning go-to-market (GTM) strategy. Drawing from her journey in B2B software sales and her leadership in the construction vertical, Carolina shares lessons on industry-focused pods, balancing short-term execution with long-term growth, and how to truly understand customer pain points when scaling into new markets.

The conversation covers practical strategies for entering verticals, aligning sales and marketing, and leveraging AI as a productivity booster — while avoiding blind reliance on it. Carolina also sheds light on the unique challenges and opportunities in the construction industry, the value of industry expert interviews, and the importance of authenticity in sales conversations.

Key Takeaways

• Industry Context Matters: GTM strategies must be tailored to verticals. Language, lingo, and stakeholder priorities vary drastically across industries.
  
• Pods Drive Relevance: Organizing teams into industry pods ensures consistent market knowledge, relevant messaging, and better marketing alignment.
  
• Mini-Milestones Over Quick Wins: Interviews with industry experts, successful demos, and early inbound signals are often more valuable than chasing premature closed deals.
  
• Sales–Marketing Alignment is Non-Negotiable: Misalignment wastes pipeline. Both teams must see themselves as service providers for one another.
  
• AI is a Time Saver, Not a Silver Bullet: When trained correctly, AI can reduce prep time by up to 70%, but human oversight and contextual understanding are essential.
  
• Authenticity Wins in Construction: Avoid jargon and buzzwords — being real and informed is critical when selling to down-to-earth industry leaders.

Quotes

“Marketing and sales aren’t silos. They’re service providers for each other.”

Best Moments 

(00:50 ) – Carolina shares her journey from SDR to construction pod lead.

(06:40 ) – The role of vertical-focused pods in shaping GTM.

(11:30 ) – Unique challenges in the construction industry and the importance of authenticity.

(17:40 ) – Mini milestones and industry expert interviews as success markers.

(26:00 ) – Rethinking sales and marketing alignment as mutual service.

(44:50 ) – The role of AI in GTM strategies and the need for human oversight.

Resource Recommendations

Podcasts

• Business Movers (Wondery) – A podcast exploring the origins of iconic companies.

About the Guest

Carolina Bräuninger is a Senior Enterprise Account Executive at doinstruct, where she helps B2B customers across industries achieve their business goals. With nearly seven years of sales experience, she has built a track record of consistently exceeding targets and driving results.

Carolina has also developed strong expertise in sales processes and social media communication, drawing on projects such as her podcast Girl in Sales. Beyond her role, she is passionate about mentoring sales newcomers, sharing knowledge, and empowering the next generation of professionals to succeed.

⁠Connect with Carolina⁠.