The rise of GTM Engineers: Why every marketing agency needs AI sales expertise

I've lost track of the number of people who've told me over the past two and a half years that AI is just a fad or a gimmick. "It's interesting, but it won't really change how we do business," they say with unwavering confidence. 
Many of those same skeptics are now frantically trying to catch up as their competitors leverage AI to win clients they've been pursuing for years.

The competitive edge? A GTM Engineer with AI expertise.

The Third Pillar of Modern Marketing

Today's Asian marketing agencies all recognize two essential specialist roles: the SEO expert who drives organic traffic and the Google Ads manager who optimizes paid campaigns. 

But there's now an equally crucial third position emerging—the GTM (Go-To-Market) Engineer who transforms client acquisition through AI-powered, hyper-personalized outreach.
This isn't merely a new job title; it's a complete reimagining of how business relationships are initiated and nurtured. And in markets like Singapore, where business culture places tremendous value on personalization and relationship nuance, the impact is particularly profound.

The Numbers Don't Lie

The metrics are staggering. One GTM Engineer leveraging AI sales tools can now achieve what would take a Google Ads team months or previously required a team of 5-7 Sales Development Representatives. 
While traditional SDRs might collectively research and contact 50-75 prospects a day on a good day, an AI-empowered GTM Engineer can meaningfully engage with over 1,000 a day and more.

For mid-sized agencies, this translates to potential annual savings of $300,000-$500,000 in salaries alone, while simultaneously generating higher quality leads and improved conversion rates. 

Deep Research, Deeper Connections

What makes this possible is the advent of deep research models like OpenAI's O3 and Perplexity's DeepSearch.
These systems can analyze dozens of articles about a single prospect to extract meaningful insights about their business challenges, ideal customers, corporate history, and recent initiatives.

The result? Outreach that feels as if it came from someone who's spent weeks studying the prospect, when in reality, the AI-assisted process takes minutes.
When a CEO in Jakarta receives a message that thoughtfully references their recent expansion challenges and offers genuinely relevant solutions, they don't see it as sales outreach—they see it as valuable insight from a knowledgeable partner.

Beyond the Spam Objection

"But isn't this just more sophisticated spam?" CMOs often ask me. The answer lies in quality, not technology.

Generic messages sent to thousands will always feel like spam, regardless of how advanced the tool that dispatched them. But deeply researched, contextually relevant communications that address specific business challenges are the antithesis of spam—they're the personalized service that executives actually want.

The Tool That Makes the Difference

For crafting these messages, I've found Claude 3.7 Sonnet to be notably superior. Its ability to generate natural-sounding, contextually appropriate copy consistently outperforms other models in creating communications that feel genuinely human and thoughtful.

Since first adopting AI tools in summer 2022, before ChatGPT entered the mainstream, I've tested virtually every platform. Working with developers from OpenAI and Visa through my consultancy, AI To The World, I've witnessed how the competitive landscape continues to evolve with new entrants like DeepSeek challenging established players.

The Personalization Paradox

The most fascinating aspect of AI-driven GTM engineering is what I call the "personalization paradox"—as our tools become more technological, our communications must become more human.

A LinkedIn request referencing a prospect's recent article on fintech innovation in Singapore will always outperform a generic connection message. The former demonstrates genuine interest; the latter signals nothing but self-interest.

The Future Is Already Here

For marketing leaders across Asia, the question isn't whether to incorporate AI into their GTM strategies, but how quickly they can do so before competitors gain an insurmountable advantage.
Those who hesitate, who view AI as merely a way to scale existing processes rather than reimagine them, will find themselves increasingly isolated in a market that rewards innovation and personalization.

The agencies that thrive will be those that recognize that AI isn't replacing human connection—it's enhancing our ability to create meaningful ones at scale.