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In Part 1 of this series, we introduced Pipeline Control Points: the small, high-leverage moments that disproportionately influence whether the pipeline gets created, qualified, progressed, or lost. Today, we're diving deeper into the first control point: Access
Here's what we've discovered after auditing dozens of GTM systems: most companies think they own their pipeline, but they've unknowingly handed control of their most critical growth levers to external forces.
Ask any CRO who controls access to their buyers, and they'll point to their SDR team, their marketing campaigns, or their account-based strategies. But dig deeper, and you'll find a different story.
Most companies think their internal SDR team controls access to buyers. In reality, LinkedIn's Algorithm determines which of your social selling posts get seen. Google's Ad Auction determines whether your buyer sees your content or that of your competitor. Email deliverability providers determine whether your sequences end up in the inbox or the spam folder. Intent data vendors shape which accounts your team prioritizes.
But here's the bigger problem: Even when these systems work, most internal teams lack the specialized focus to optimize them. Your SDRs are juggling prospecting, qualification, handoffs, and internal meetings. They're not specialists in any one channel.
Sound familiar? You're not alone. In our audits, we've found that 73% of "pipeline generation" is actually controlled by external systems and algorithms that internal GTM teams neither understand nor have time to optimize for.
Tidemark Capital's research on control points helped us understand why this happens. They've identified that dominant systems maintain control through three types of "gravity," and in GTM, external platforms have captured all three:
Credit: This framework comes from Tidemark Capital's excellent work on "Control Points & Patterns"—a strategic lens we've found invaluable for understanding GTM dynamics.
Not only do internal teams struggle with access optimization, but most companies can't even see what's working because they don't have anyone whose job it is to track every single lead.
In our GTM audits, we consistently find that 40-50% of leads have no clear disposition or owner. This happens because:
These aren't just reporting gaps, but they're massive blind spots that directly impact:
The root cause? No one owns the full lead lifecycle. Marketing owns generation, SDRs own prospecting, AEs own closing, but no one owns the critical handoff moments where leads get lost.
Our clients benefit from the TPG methodology
One of our clients moved from internal SDRs spending most of their time on email sequences to TPG's phone-focused all-bound model. The result? Zero leads lost to disposition gaps and 3x more qualified meetings from the same lead volume.
As you evaluate your own pipeline control, ask yourself:
If you answered "no" to any of these questions, you may benefit from specialized control point ownership rather than trying to manage everything internally.
What's Next: Pipeline control point #2: Attribution
In Part 3 of this series, we'll explore the next control point: Attribution. We'll show you how to manage pipeline attribution, focus on the key activities which lead to revenue and what signals deals to move with with velocity—even when market conditions are tough.
Building pipeline control points isn't just about tactics—it's about fundamental shifts in how GTM teams think about growth.
We're building a community of GTM leaders who are moving beyond best practices to build proprietary advantages. If you're a CRO, CMO, or operational leader looking to delve deeper into these concepts, we'd be delighted to connect.
Share this post with other GTM leaders who are thinking about these challenges. Some of the best insights come from peer conversations about what works (and what doesn't) in today's market.
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Ready to Take Back Control?
If you're a PE-backed or growth-stage company ready to build your own pipeline control points, let's talk. At The Pipeline Group, we embed into your GTM system as your Pipeline Operations partner, helping you own the moments that matter most.
The Pipeline Group partners with ambitious revenue teams to build control over their pipeline creation, progression, and conversion. We don't just generate more activity—we help you own the system that drives predictable growth.
