The Exit Five CMO Podcast (Hosted by Dave Gerhardt)

#211: Growth | The Future of GTM and Sustainable Growth with Chris Walker, CEO at Passetto

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Jan 16, 2025

Chris Walker, CEO of Passetto and a LinkedIn thought leader on B2B marketing, dives into the future of go-to-market strategies. He discusses the essential shift from growth at all costs to sustainable growth, emphasizing the role of CMOs and the transformative power of AI in marketing. Chris shares insights on the value of real-time feedback loops and effective social media engagement. He also highlights the complexities of marketing measurement and how to align marketing with financial strategies for long-term success.

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INSIGHT

Early Insights

Chris Walker's broad perspective comes from working with many companies, seeing patterns, and problems.
This allows him to identify trends 3-5 years before those inside a company might see them.

ADVICE

Handling Criticism

Understand that criticism often comes from a lack of perspective or differing interests.
Focus on data-backed facts rather than opinions, recognizing others may have invested interests.

INSIGHT

Feedback Loops

Podcasts and social media offer valuable real-time feedback loops for business strategy.
These platforms provide quicker insights compared to traditional methods like surveys.

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In this episode, Dave is joined by Chris Walker, CEO of Passetto, and a prominent voice on LinkedIn, where he has been pushing the boundaries of B2B marketing for years. Chris shares actionable insights and tactics on social media strategy, what has changed in marketing over the last five years, and how to build effective feedback loops and flywheels.

Dave and Chris also cover:

The future of GTM and the evolving role of the CMO
Why sustainable growth is the only path forward
The transformative role AI will play in B2B marketing

Timestamps

(00:53) - - Intro to Chris Walker
(04:14) - - Managing different perspectives on social media
(08:46) - - The ROI of podcasts and social media engagement
(14:09) - - Why real-time feedback loops are valuable
(19:44) - - Shifting from "growth at all costs" to sustainable growth
(25:34) - - Rethinking marketing measurement and ROI
(34:00) - - Splitting marketing teams: strategy vs. pipeline creation
(41:05) - - How AI is reshaping B2B marketing teams
(49:10) - - Chris’s approach to creativity and focus
(53:55) - - Predictions for the future of B2B marketing
(55:33) - - Outro

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