Revenue teams aren't debating AI adoption anymore. They've moved on to harder, more practical questions about AI efficacy and what humans should actually own. RevGenius partnered with Boundless Markets to capture what 150+ revenue leaders believe will separate high performing GTM teams from the rest.
Featuring Senior Leaders From Companies Like
AI is compressing execution cycles, but speed without signal clarity just creates noise. Teams that treat AI as a productivity tool will get a productivity bump. The real advantage comes from knowing which signals actually matter.
Nearly 3/4 of revenue leaders expect AI to act as a co-pilot by end of 2026, not fully autonomous.
Leaders want signals based on buyer voice—their interests, challenges, and priorities in their own words.
Signal-based selling and automated buying-stage detection rated as the top AI capability for 2026.
Online events and webinars rated very or extremely important for engagement, defying digital fatigue.
The majority believe humans should maintain control over strategy, creativity, and relationship-building.
Over half use Claude alongside ChatGPT, signaling tool fragmentation as teams search for the right fit.
Explore the data behind these insights
Revenue leaders see AI as a co-pilot that amplifies human judgment, enabling critical and strategic thinking.
The functionality revenue leaders value most
AI has dramatically improved speed, volume, and execution. But it has not automatically improved judgment, prioritization, or deal strategy.
AI often amplifies broken processes instead of fixing them. Teams go "AI-first" without clarifying decision logic or ownership.
AI is accelerating GTM motion faster than organizations are evolving their thinking. The gap creates risk and missed opportunity.
Leaders agree that AI shouldn't determine workflows alone and humans will continue to drive creativity, relationships and decisions.
Data as foundation, intuition accelerates
AI provides context, humans decide
take a balanced, hybrid approach
let AI lead with data-first, with human overrides if needed
We're going to constantly look for those HIL, human-in-the-loop moments, where you need someone to be creative and you need someone to interpret context quickly.
Malcolm J. Smith
Head of Global Business Development, Centrical
Going forward, data will tell you what is happening and why it is happening, but intuition will decide what to do next. The best revenue leaders will treat data as the foundation and intuition as the accelerator.
D'Andre Crump
VP, Revenue Enablement & Client Strategy, revlogic
The most powerful signals are the actual problems and priorities buyers express themselves.
What types of signals would be most valuable if you could get reliable data?
Interests, Challenges & Priorities based on what people say in their own words
Technology used by your prospects' companies
Funding, hiring plans and/or company news
New in role - or recently joined company
Visits to your website
Despite heavy reliance on AI, live interactions with prospects and customers remain crucial. 62% say in-person and online events will be very or extremely important in 2026.
There is a major opportunity to gain insights directly from attendees so sales teams can prioritize and tailor their follow-up, without guessing what resonates or relying on generic personalization.
RevGenius Insights
Defined by how well systems and teams work together, not number of tools used.
Competitive advantage is shifting from heroics to infrastructure. Teams with mediocre reps + great systems may outperform teams with great reps + weak systems.
Functional tech stacks that reduce friction and accelerate clear decision-making.
% of respondents who mentioned each tool as a favorite
The most preferred AI tools provide clarity and reduce noise, not just increase productivity.
Leaders believe the explosion of AI tools will lead to consolidation and streamlining in 2026.
Traditional CRMs with rigid structures are becoming outdated, but switching costs remain high.
The tools I value most reduce friction across revenue, CX, and operations—making decisions clearer, not noisier.
Vivian Toledo Augusto
Emerging tools revenue leaders are watching closely
Prospect intelligence and data enrichment
Buyer signals and revenue insights
Outbound automation, workflows, and sequencing
Generative assets, creative, and personalized content
Direct perspectives and expert insights
When asked for one word to define their outlook for 2026, here's what we heard most.
The future is AI-augmented, with humans responsible for judgment, context, and relationships.
Advantage comes from knowing which signals actually matter and translating them into coordinated action.
Revenue performance is becoming a systems problem. Great infrastructure will outweigh individual talent.
Personalization requires understanding buyer priorities, problems, and timing, not just better copy.
The next phase of revenue performance will be defined less by tool adoption and more by how teams redesign their workflows and decision systems around AI.
RevGenius Insights