From MQLs to Buying Groups: How Reltio Transformed Its GTM Strategy
A conversation with Eric Cross, CRO at Reltio.
For years, revenue teams have leaned heavily on the MQL. It was the industry-standard metric for marketing success—and the lifeblood of pipeline generation for B2B companies.
But in today’s world of complex buying decisions, anonymous research, and multi-threaded stakeholder involvement, the MQL is failing. The old playbooks simply don’t map to how enterprise buyers actually operate today.
Eric Cross, Chief Revenue Officer at Reltio, saw this firsthand. And rather than trying to force-fit modern buyers into outdated systems, he and his team made a bold move: they rebuilt their entire go-to-market motion around buying groups.
This wasn’t a pilot. It wasn’t a small A/B test. It was a company-wide transformation executed in just 60 days. And the results were staggering:
60% reduction in pipeline attrition
22–23% improvement in average time to close
20% increase in average deal size
Best-in-class competitive win rates
In this blog, we’ll walk you through exactly how Reltio made this shift—from early warning signs to full implementation, change management, technology, and metrics. If you’re a RevOps, Marketing, or Sales leader evaluating your next GTM evolution, this is the playbook.
Spotting the Cracks: Why the MQL Model Wasn’t Enough
Eric joined Reltio in 2020 and began evaluating the revenue engine. The data told a troubling story.
“We had a legacy demand gen model: leads to MQLs, then into pipeline, and hopefully into opportunities. But once deals entered the pipeline, we were evaporating 35–40% of them in the first two stages. That was alarming.”
The consequence? The pipeline looked deceptively healthy on paper, but in reality, a significant chunk was never going to close.
“We were creating a false sense of security about how healthy our pipeline was. That was the catalyst for change.”
Realignment Begins: “Sales Owns Marketing, and Marketing Owns Sales”
The first step wasn’t tactical—it was cultural.
“Most companies operate in silos. Sales blames marketing. Marketing blames sales. I had to rewire that thinking completely. We stopped talking about ‘sales’ and ‘marketing.’ We became one GTM team. Sales owns marketing. Marketing owns sales.”
To build consensus, Eric organized a two-day offsite with cross-functional leaders from Sales, Marketing, Product, Customer Success, and Ops.
“It wasn’t just a marketing and sales decision. This had to be a company decision. We locked the team in a room and said, ‘We’re walking out of here aligned.’”
The team was instructed to prepare:
A brief problem statement
Recommended actions
A vision for a new GTM model
And they debated—openly and intensely.
“You get highs and lows during a session like that. But we made a rule: we don’t have to agree, but we do have to commit. We were either all in or not doing it at all.”
Burning the Boats: Why Reltio Didn’t Pilot the Buying Group Model
One of the boldest decisions Reltio made was to roll the new model out across the company—not as a pilot.
“Pilot programs signal you’re not committed. People think: ‘This is an exercise, I don’t have to change.’ I’ve never seen a pet project like that succeed. So we said: all in, or not at all.”
That decision came with high stakes.
“I told our CEO, ‘This will either be a game-changer—or you’ll be looking for a new CRO.’”
But conviction won out. The team moved forward with full executive and board-level awareness and support.
Why Buying Groups? Understanding the Strategic Shift
Eric’s rationale for abandoning MQLs in favor of buying groups was rooted in today’s B2B buying behavior.
“Enterprise buyers don’t raise their hand right away. They stay anonymous for 60–70% of the buying journey. By the time they engage, they’ve already formed a direction.”
This made traditional lead generation—like cold calls and webinar follow-ups—ineffective.
“We’re in the era of the great ignore. Buyers get 30 spammy emails a day. They can see automation a mile away. We needed to earn attention earlier, smarter.”
The solution?
Use intent data to identify surging accounts
Personalize outreach for each persona within a buying group
Focus on qualified engagement from multiple stakeholders, not just one lead
“It’s no longer about how many people we reach. It’s about reaching the right people—the ones who matter to the deal.”
The 60-Day GTM Overhaul: From Planning to Execution
Eric broke the transformation into three phases:
1. Design and Planning
Finalize buying group motion
Align teams on definitions, personas, and ICP
Redefine opportunity entry/exit criteria
Introduce Forrester to validate and refine the strategy
“We brought in Forrester to spend half a day with us. They stress-tested our approach and made some great suggestions we incorporated.”
2. Development and Testing
Align tech stack: Salesforce, 6sense, Salesloft, Outreach
Build ABX dashboards for AEs and BDRs
Re-architect sales stages and qualification frameworks (BANT, MedPIC)
“We created dashboards where reps could see all their accounts and intent signals. The lightbulb went off—they’d never had visibility like that before.”
3. Production Launch and Measurement
Rolled out company-wide in 60 days
Quietly tested with one regional team for early signals
Measured success using pipeline quality, velocity, and conversion benchmarks
Overcoming Resistance: How Reltio Won Buy-in from the Frontlines
The biggest challenge? Change management among AEs.
“The top objection? ‘Just get me meetings. I’ll take it from there.’ That mindset doesn’t work anymore.”
To drive adoption, Eric:
Ran listening pods with small AE groups
Invited feedback to poke holes in the strategy
Used individual performance data to show why change was needed
“We showed them their personal conversion rates. Some were below 20%. Even if they were hitting quota, it was clear the system was broken.”
While 80% of reps leaned in, 20% resisted. In a few cases, Eric made the hard call.
“If you can’t get on board, we’ll reassign your accounts. This isn’t optional.”
Redefining Metrics: What Success Looks Like in a Buying Group World
Reltio stopped measuring MQLs and switched to two key indicators:
1. Pipeline Quality
Entry criteria: 3+ engaged personas, BANT-aligned, clear problem definition
Focus on conversion rates from Qualification (Stage 1) to Discovery (Stage 2)
“With our new motion, we hit Forrester’s benchmark of 28% conversion from Stage 1 to 2—and we’ve held steady.”
2. Pipeline Velocity
Close times improved by over 20%
High-fidelity forecasting with just 2–2.5X pipeline coverage
“We don’t need 3–5X coverage anymore. If our pipeline is real, 2.5X is plenty. We’re not guessing anymore.”
Reltio also started forecasting pre-pipeline, tracking accounts from:
Interest → Engagement → Prioritization → Pipeline
“35–40% of accounts that hit ‘Prioritized’ convert into pipeline. That’s best-in-class.”
The Impact: What Reltio Gained from the Buying Group Model
Let’s recap the results:
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Pipeline Attrition (Stage 1–2) | 35–40% | Down by 60% |
| Average Time to Close | Baseline | 22–23% faster |
| Average Deal Size | Baseline | 20% increase |
| Late-Stage Win Rate | Unknown | 90%+ |
| Forecast Accuracy | Limited | 5–7% variance |
“If we get to mid-stage with a deal, we close 90% of them. That’s not luck—it’s process.”
Lessons Learned: What Eric Would Do Differently
While the transition was successful, Eric shared a few reflections:
Don’t overlook regional nuances:
“We underestimated the difference in buying behavior between North America and Europe. We had to tweak our motion post-launch.”
Be even more granular with data early on:
“I could’ve done a better job stitching together AE-level data stories to overcome objections faster.”
Keep iterating:
Reltio formed a GTM Council of AEs, marketers, and CS leaders to review results every six weeks and evolve the model.
Advice for Revenue Leaders: How to Start the Shift
Eric’s recommendations for others looking to abandon MQLs and adopt a buying group strategy:
1. Get everyone in the boat
“You can’t paddle alone. Bring the whole GTM org into a room and align on a shared problem statement.”
2. Set a high bar for pipeline
“Don’t just qualify in. Try to qualify out. Make buyers prove they’re worth your time.”
3. Avoid the trap of pilots
“Pilots communicate hesitation. Go all in. Get uncomfortable. And stay the course.”
4. Drop cookie crumbs with execs
“Don’t drop big ideas cold. Mention them in passing. Let them percolate. Let the idea become theirs.”
Final Word
This isn’t just a story about metrics. It’s a story about changing mindset, changing behavior, and building a revenue engine that reflects the reality of how B2B buying works today.
“You’re going to make mistakes. That’s okay. That means you’re solving the right problems.”
If your current model is built around outdated behaviors and vanity metrics, it’s time to ask yourself the hard question: Are we structured to sell the way our buyers want to buy?
If not—maybe it’s time to do what Reltio did.
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More Resources
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