In today’s economic climate, change is not just constant—it’s accelerating.
Pavilion’s most recent Pulse Survey of go-to-market (GTM) executives reveals a striking shift in sentiment and strategy across the B2B tech landscape. Within just the last two weeks, confidence in revenue attainment has dropped precipitously, customer demand has become more erratic, and companies are increasingly turning to cost control and strategic pivots to weather growing uncertainty.
This week-over-week shift underscores a critical truth: In the face of mounting global, monetary, and trade policy instability, GTM leaders must operate with agility, precision, and speed.
Standing still is no longer a viable option.
Confidence Is Eroding—and Concern Is Deepening
Confidence levels among Pavilion members have decreased by 10.3%, with the share of respondents who report being very concerned about hitting growth targets rising to 27.8%—a 12.2% increase from just two weeks prior.
This growing sense of apprehension is not driven by a single cause, but rather by a confluence of global forces: increased volatility in trade and tariff policies, mixed signals from central banks on inflation and interest rates, and geopolitical instability. For GTM leaders, the implications are clear: historical playbooks are increasingly inadequate for today’s conditions.
The Demand Curve Has Fractured
Perhaps the most telling insight from the survey is this: stable demand is vanishing.
In our April 6 survey, 38.1% of respondents reported customer demand was stable. Two weeks later, that number has fallen to 22.2%—a 15.9% decline. But it’s not a uniform downturn: more companies are now seeing either growth in demand (+7.4%) or decline (+5.3%), signaling a fragmentation of the market.
Rather than moving in lockstep, different industries, verticals, and geographies are experiencing highly divergent outcomes. For GTM executives, this means broad-based strategies and “industry playbooks” must give way to hyper-targeted segmentation, creative campaigns, and localized forecasting.
Strategy Is No Longer Static
The proportion of companies reporting that they are “staying the course” with their strategy has declined by 14.3%, while more leaders are shifting toward cost control (+8%) and innovation/pivot strategies (+6.1%).
This signals a broader realization: in times of uncertainty, rigid adherence to annual plans can be detrimental.
Instead, leading organizations are adopting dynamic planning models that allow for rapid recalibration based on shifting conditions. They're empowering revenue teams to reallocate resources in real time, based on updated ICP definitions and near-term opportunity signals.
Hiring Freezes Are Spreading
Hiring sentiment is also softening. While the share of companies maintaining current headcount remained stable (41.7%), those implementing selective hiring fell by 13.8%, and those implementing hiring freezes increased by 12.1%.
This represents a pivot from cautious expansion to defensive posture—an acknowledgment that growth will be driven less by new headcount and more by doing more with existing teams.
What GTM Leaders Must Do Now
In this environment, the strongest GTM leaders will not only weather volatility—they will use it to gain competitive advantage. The following actions can help guide that transition:
- Re-Segment and Re-Prioritize ICPs
With demand polarizing, the top-performing vertical from Q1 may not be viable in Q2. Leaders should conduct rapid re-segmentation exercises to identify ICPs with both resilience and urgency. Reallocate marketing, SDR, and AE focus accordingly.
- Double Down on Velocity Metrics
Stable demand is disappearing—but it’s not vanishing. Deals are still being signed, but cycles are elongating. Teams must monitor pipeline velocity, win rates, and deal movement weekly, not quarterly. These are the earliest indicators of market shifts.
- Focus on Strategic Enablement, Not Headcount Expansion
In a flat or frozen hiring environment, productivity matters more than ever. Invest in scalable enablement through playbooks, AI-driven coaching, and real-time intelligence. Create consistency across your GTM motion without adding long-term OPEX.
- Align Pricing with Present-Day Value
Inflation, perceived ROI, and budget scrutiny are reshaping willingness to pay. GTM leaders should revisit pricing and packaging with urgency—using buyer persona data and current use cases to recalibrate offers for today’s economic reality.
- Advocate for Strategic Agility with Finance and the Board
GTM leaders must be fluent in both growth storytelling and capital efficiency. Use defensible metrics—like trailing 12-month bookings versus sales and marketing investment—to demonstrate where continued investment will yield returns.
Leading Through the Noise
These aren’t normal conditions—but they may become the new normal. B2B GTM leaders must let go of the expectation that markets will “return” to a predictable state anytime soon. Instead, those who win will be those who build go-to-market systems capable of thriving in ambiguity.
Volatility is not a pause in the action. It is the action.
This article is based on Pavilion’s weekly Pulse Survey data and ongoing conversations with GTM executives across our global member base through our weekly “Leading Through Uncertainty” roundtable series. To participate in our weekly surveys or join future “Leading Through Uncertainty” roundtables, visit www.joinpavilion.com.
