GTM 142: Why Most B2B Marketing Fails (And How to Fix It) with Udi Ledergor

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Apr 15, 2025

Udi Ledergor, former CMO of Gong and author of 'Courageous Marketing,' discusses the art of human-centric brand building. He dives into why traditional B2B marketing often fails and emphasizes the importance of bold strategies over playing it safe. He shares insights on hiring for potential, building a culture of healthy risk-taking, and the often-overlooked 95/5 rule. Udi also explains how to create memorable campaigns that resonate with both a core audience and the wider market, ultimately transforming buyers into loyal fans.

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ADVICE

Product-Market Fit Due Diligence

Look for product-market fit before joining a company, especially in early-stage startups.
Check customer reviews, employee feedback, and the clarity of the product's value proposition.

INSIGHT

Different is Better than Better

In B2B marketing, being different is better than being slightly better than the competition.
True differentiation creates a unique category, allowing you to stand out in a sea of sameness.

ANECDOTE

Privacy Policy Email Success

Udi Ledergor transformed a boring privacy policy email into a viral hit.
By using a playful subject line, "Our lawyers made us send this," he achieved a 40% open rate.

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Udi Ledergor served as CMO during Gong’s rise from new SaaS startup to industry dominance. By building a playful, human-centric brand with a lighthearted tone, he captured buyers’ attention and dollars and turned them into raving fans. He helped Gong go from zero to hundreds of millions in revenue, while achieving a multi-billion-dollar valuation. His book Courageous Marketing is officially out and you can buy it below in the show notes.

Discussed in this Episode:

Why Marketing 'Best Practices' are broken for Brands that want to stand out.
Marketers need to consider the long game and remember the 95/5 rule.
When you should hire for experience versus potential.
How to foster a culture of healthy risk-taking with your team.

Highlights:

04:09 Udi's inspiration for writing his new book, Courageous Marketing.

06:02 The four most common reasons why marketing fails.

09:22 What marketers should be looking for when selecting a company to join.

13:55 The Problem with 'playing it safe' in B2B marketing.

23:07 How to market to both the 5% and the 95% of your buyers.

38:13 The Three Team Operating Principles for leading a bold and effective marketing team.

Guest Speaker Links (Udi Ledergor):

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/udiledergor/
Gong: https://www.gong.io/
Udi's Book, Courageous Marketing: https://mybook.to/courageousmarketing

Host Speaker Links (Sophie Buonassisi):

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiebuonassisi/
Newsletter: https://gtmnow.com/tag/newsletter/

Where to find GTMnow (GTMfund’s media brand):

Website: https://gtmnow.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gtmnow/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/GTMnow_
YouTube: / @gtm_now
The GTM Podcast (on all major directories): https://gtmnow.com/tag/podcast/

Sponsor: ZoomInfo’s GTM25 Virtual Conference—a free, half-day even

The GTMnow Podcast
The GTMnow Podcast is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with the top 1% GTM executives, VCs, and founders. Conversations reveal the unshared details behind how they have grown companies, and the go-to-market strategies responsible for shaping that growth.

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