Ep. 545 | How marketing-sales alignment and smart segmentation drive B2B growth

Episode Summary

In this episode of OnBase, host Chris Moody sits down with Bryan Bowles to discuss how marketers can drive sustainable customer growth through tighter alignment with commercial teams, smarter segmentation, and role clarity across go-to-market functions.

Bryan shares his unconventional career path and the insights he’s gained by working across technical, product, and sales roles. He explains why marketers must understand both the buyer and the seller journeys, and how misaligned activities can waste resources and erode trust.

From building campaigns that matter to structuring internal marketing roles with precision, Bryan offers a blueprint for modern B2B teams seeking to make a meaningful impact—especially when budgets are tight and expectations are high.

Key Takeaways

• Start with Seller Empathy:
   Great marketing doesn’t just mirror the buyer’s journey—it walks in the seller’s shoes. Understanding how commercial teams use marketing materials is crucial to building relevant, timely campaigns.
• Segmentation is the Game-Changer:
   Trying to market to all customers equally leads to diluted efforts. Instead, narrow focus, precise segmentation, and account intelligence lead to higher conversion and deeper engagement.
• Align on Roles, Not Just Goals:
   Marketing success hinges on clearly defined roles. Bryan emphasizes letting product marketers focus on the “what” and “why,” while campaign teams drive the “how” with discipline and expertise.
• Activity ≠ Outcomes:
   Webinars and flashy tactics might feel good, but without a cohesive playbook and long-term view, they won’t move the needle. Sustainable growth comes from planned, multi-touch, multi-channel programs.
• Operational Simplicity Drives Speed:
   Bringing content and campaign teams into one unit at GHX reduced handoffs and improved execution speed—creating what Bryan calls “one less handoff,” a powerful operational mantra.
• Outspend or Outsmart:
   When you can’t outspend competitors, get surgical. Tight focus, clear audience segmentation, and close collaboration with the commercial team allow you to win smarter—not louder.

Quotes

“You don’t need to spam the world. You need to be relevant to the right segment and convert.”

Best moments 

02:00 – Bryan’s journey from rural hospital analyst to marketing leader.

05:30 – Where companies fail in connecting commercial goals to marketing actions.

09:00 – The secret to scaling customer growth through tight segmentation.

13:00 – Turning field events into actionable intelligence for frontline teams.

16:00 – Role definition and the art of avoiding activity-based marketing.

20:00 – How merging content and campaign teams accelerated execution.

23:30 – Why winning market share requires precision, not volume.

Resource recommendations

Books:

• Smart Brevity – A guide to simplifying communication and getting to the point faster.

Podcasts:

• Outcomes Rocket – A healthcare-focused podcast Bryan recommends for insight into industry trends.

Shout-outs

• Kaycee Kalpin, CMO, Premier Inc.

About the guest

Bryan Bowles is a seasoned marketing executive with over two decades of experience leading growth and innovation across the healthcare industry. He currently serves as Vice President of Corporate Marketing at GHX, where he oversees global marketing strategy, brand development, and the alignment of marketing initiatives with enterprise-wide business goals.

Prior to GHX, Bryan held senior leadership roles at Everside Health and Premier Inc., where he was known for launching innovative healthcare solutions and driving measurable marketing impact. With a background spanning product management, sales, and marketing, Bryan brings a unique, cross-functional perspective that fuels customer-centric growth strategies.
Connect with Bryan.