OnBase: Smashing Sales and Marketing Misalignments Ep. 555 | Driving growth with smarter AI and stronger CX strategies
In this episode of OnBase, host Chris Moody sits down with Phil Hernandez and Tina Katic-Michalos to explore how organizations can rethink their go-to-market strategies in the era of AI. They discuss the misconceptions surrounding AI adoption, the critical role of clean data, and how to maintain human connection while embracing automation.
Phil and Tina share real-world insights from leading transformations across industries—covering everything from AI-native sales teams to alignment across marketing, sales, and customer success. They also highlight the importance of building customer journeys, experimenting with AI tools, and setting KPIs that truly drive impact.
Whether you’re navigating sales enablement, operational alignment, or the chaos of AI-driven change, this episode offers actionable steps to stay ahead.
Key Takeaways
- AI isn’t a silver bullet: Without clean, structured data, AI only amplifies dysfunction. Human oversight is essential to make it effective.
- Customer journeys drive alignment: Mapping end-to-end journeys helps unify marketing, sales, and customer success around shared KPIs.
- AI must enhance—not replace—human touch: Leaders must balance automation with authentic connections to maintain trust.
- Becoming AI-native is critical: Teams need exposure, training, and comfort with AI before embedding it into processes.
- Focus on the right metrics: Identify true north-star KPIs and align the entire go-to-market team, avoiding vanity metrics.
- Experiment and iterate: With AI capabilities evolving rapidly, leaders should embrace experimentation and test new use cases.
Quotes
“If you haven’t built out your customer journey, you don’t know where AI fits. Start there, then enhance.” – Phil Hernandez
“This is the perfect time to rethink GTM strategies—AI is still new, and the room for trial and error is huge.” – Tina Katic-Michalos
Best Moments
(02:26) – Why leaders must rethink go-to-market strategies now.
(05:08) – Tina breaks down misconceptions: clean data and humans-in-the-loop.
(09:20) – Phil explains balancing AI adoption with authentic human connection.
(11:40) – Tina outlines how shared KPIs and customer journeys unite sales and marketing.
(15:36) – Real-world example: AI-driven lead scoring boosts conversion by 30%.
(19:12) – Phil on getting teams “AI-native” and overcoming resistance.
(22:22) – Actionable steps: demos, data hygiene, experimentation.
(26:29) – Phil’s advice: focus on KPIs that truly matter, cut the noise.
Resource recommendations
Books
- Atomic Habits by James Clear – plus his insightful newsletter.
- Influence: Science and Practice by Robert Cialdini – a classic on understanding customer psychology.
Podcasts
Shout-Outs
- Stephan Spencer, SEO Expert, Author, and Speaker.
- Sara McNamara, Founding Revenue Operations & GTM Strategy Lead.
- Jason Lemkin, Sasstr founder
- Brian LaManna, Enterprise Account Executive, Gong.
- Kyle Coleman, Global VP Marketing, ClickUp
About the Guests
Tina Katic-Michalos
Tina Katic-Michalos is Sr. Director of Demand Generation at TaskUs, where she drives measurable growth by transforming complex revenue operations into streamlined, scalable systems. With more than a decade in B2B marketing, she has deep expertise in pipeline management and process optimization, consistently delivering outcomes that accelerate revenue performance.
Phil Hernandez
Phil Hernandez is Vice President of Sales Services at TaskUs, bringing nearly 20 years of experience in shaping go-to-market strategy, designing organizational structures, and leading revenue growth. His background spans P&L ownership, forecasting, customer operations, and M&A integration, with a proven track record of building scalable organizations and driving long-term growth.
Connect with Phil.