Effectively Managing and Scaling International GTM Teams with Alon Waks

The GTM Kickback! #43 – Alon Waks

Released: October 18, 2021

How do you build and scale a go-to-market engine when your teams, customers, and markets are spread across the globe?

On this episode of The GTM Kickback!, I sat down with Alon Waks—marketing executive, GTM advisor, technologist, and international team leader. Alon has spent much of his career leading demand generation, product marketing, and international GTM teams at both global enterprises and early-stage startups.

Our conversation covered the fundamentals of early-stage GTM strategy, how to align marketing, sales, and customer success, and the nuances of leading dispersed global teams.

Building Early-Stage GTM Strategy: Start with the “Who”

Alon’s number one rule: start with your ICP.

Too many startups jump into campaigns, tools, and creative ideas before nailing down who they’re actually targeting. Without a clear ICP, you might generate activity—but not meaningful revenue.

His methodology focuses on:

• Defining your ICP and prioritizing personas.

• Understanding whether your motion is one-to-few ABM, mid-market coverage, or enterprise strategic selling.

• Identifying whether you’ll be product-led, content-led, or education-led.

• Translating audience insights into value propositions that fuel demand and awareness.

  
  

As he puts it: “If you don’t start with ICP and the who, then I can do great campaigns, but if the wrong people come—what have we done?”

Aligning the Revenue Triangle

For Alon, marketing doesn’t work in isolation—it sits at the nexus of product, sales, and customer success. He describes the GTM “triangle” like this:

• Product Marketing / Voice of the Market – What you’re putting out.

• Sales & CS / Voice of the Customer – What prospects and customers are experiencing.

• Product – Building a roadmap that matches the market.

  
  

Alignment means constantly checking for perception gaps—what you think you’re delivering vs. what customers say you’re delivering—and feeding those insights back into product and positioning.

Scaling Beyond $10M ARR

GTM playbooks aren’t static—they evolve as companies climb revenue hills. Alon emphasizes adaptability:

• Early Stage: Engage the market and generate awareness.

• Next Hill: Convert engagement into pipeline.

• Later Stage: Optimize conversion and close efficiency.

  
  

The channels may be fixed, but how you use them—creativity, sequencing, and campaign design—becomes the differentiator.

Biggest pitfall? Jumping into tools and campaigns without data.

“Start with simple pilots, measure leading indicators, then invest in tooling and creative. Don’t overcommit six months to something before proving it works.”

Hiring the First Demand Leader

When advising founders on their first marketing hire, Alon looks for three traits:

1. Demand-first mindset. They must be accountable to revenue, not just brand or community.

2. Analytical rigor. A true demand leader shows numbers, not just campaign ideas.

3. Clear communication. Founders often don’t speak “marketing”—leaders must translate results and set realistic expectations.

   
   

As he notes: “If you come to an interview without numbers, you’re not a demand leader.”

Leading International Teams

Much of Alon’s career has involved leading globally distributed teams. His philosophy balances centralized strategy with localized execution:

• Centralize core messaging and programs.

• Decentralize field marketing and local engagement.

• Align tightly with sales and channel leaders by region.

  
  

The challenges? Cultural differences, communication gaps, and lack of informal interactions. His solutions:

• Document expectations and terminology clearly.

• Over-communicate across Slack, WhatsApp, and short syncs.

• Favor quick, informal conversations over bloated 30-minute meetings.

  
  

“If you need three minutes, don’t book 30. Ping me tomorrow morning, and let’s talk.”

Key Takeaways for Leaders

1. Anchor everything to ICP. Without it, even the best campaigns fail.

2. Revenue is the goal. Align marketing, sales, and product around customer truth.

3. Measure first, invest later. Pilot before tools and big campaigns.

4. Hire demand-driven marketers. Numbers speak louder than creative decks.

5. Manage global teams with clarity and communication. Document, over-communicate, and respect people’s time.

   
   

Final Thought

Alon Waks has built his career on bridging strategy, execution, and global team leadership. His advice is clear: GTM success isn’t about fancy campaigns or expensive tools—it’s about focus, adaptability, and alignment.

Whether you’re scaling from $1M to $100M ARR or leading your first dispersed team, the fundamentals remain the same: know your customer, measure everything, and communicate relentlessly.