Pipeline Visionaries

Priya Gill, VP of Product Marketing, shares how Momentive.ai utilizes data-driven insights to captivate its target audience amidst a sea of competitors. Plus, Priya dives deep into her relationship-building strategies with cross-functional teams in order to ensure ongoing success for product marketing. Key Takeaways:For any product marketer, market insights, customer insights, and competitive insights are indispensable tactics that cannot be overlooked.In order to achieve product marketing success, it is imperative to build robust strategic relationships with a diverse range of teams, including sales, customer service, demand generation, and paid marketing.Effectively communicating differentiation on a company's website and during sales discussions is an essential component for distinguishing oneself in an oversaturated market.Quote: “If you are not in tune with what's happening in the market, why your target buyers care, what they care about, and what their pain points are—then you have no idea how to effectively speak to them in such a way that resonates. That’s what really helps you differentiate yourselves in a crowded market.”Episode Timestamps:* (03:53) - The Trust Tree: Momentive’s utilization of data-driven insights* (16:15) - The Playbook: Priya’s insights into cross-functional team building* (26:28) - The Dust-Up: Finding Alignment between Management and Marketing* (29:06) - Quick HitsSponsor:Demand Gen Visionaries is brought to you by Qualified.com, the #1 Conversational Marketing platform for companies that use Salesforce and the secret weapon for Demand Gen pros. The world's leading enterprise brands trust Qualified to instantly meet with buyers, right on their website, and maximize sales pipeline. Visit Qualified.com to learn more.LinksConnect with Ian on LinkedInConnect with Priya on LinkedInLearn more about Momentive.aiLearn more about Caspian Studios

In this episode, Jessica Gilmartin, the CMO of Calendly, talks about the company's shift in marketing strategy from PLG approaches to partnering with large enterprises and shares her thoughts on CMOs who successfully implement a hybrid approach of both PLG and SLG strategies. She also provides valuable tips on how to approach large enterprise accounts, communicate value propositions, and strengthen the relationship between sales and marketing teams.Key TakeawaysAdvice for prioritizing tensions between PLG and SLG teams with a customer-centric approach.Tips for approaching large enterprise accounts with different personas by telling a value story with examples highlighting how using Calendly benefits the entire organization.Calendly's latest product launch designed to enhance the relationship between sales and marketing teams.Quotes: “The only way that you can help your sales team prioritize is to give them really good data about who are the teams that are using [your product].”“Two of the most important things you need to be a successful PLG + SLG hybrid is data… Once you understand those customers that are most right for expansion, how do you provide that value story?”Episode Timestamps:* (00:00) - Meet Jessica Gilmartin, CMO of Calendly* (03:00) - Jessica’s experience with PLG + SLG hybrid approaches* (05:30) - Transitioning from a PLG-focused company to partnering with enterprises* (10:30) - What CMOs need to be a successful PLG + SLG hybrid* (10:30) - Jessica’s uncuttable budget items* (24:00) - How to approach large accounts with different personas* (26:00) - Defining success for each channel * (31:00) - Calendly’s new product announcement* (37:30) - Quick HitsSponsor:Demand Gen Visionaries is brought to you by Qualified.com, the #1 Conversational Marketing platform for companies that use Salesforce and the secret weapon for Demand Gen pros. The world's leading enterprise brands trust Qualified to instantly meet with buyers, right on their website, and maximize sales pipeline. Visit Qualified.com to learn more.

In this episode, Grant Johnson, CMO at Billtrust, shares insights on prioritizing ROI and tailoring your marketing mix. Additionally, the episode explores Grant's marketing strategy and how he incorporates investing in new and untested tools and strategies into his overall approach. It is a valuable listen for anyone looking to improve their marketing strategy and gain insight into how to maximize ROI.Key TakeawaysModel out your marketing investments by considering factors such as audience demographics, personas, and methodology. It is critical to have a projected ROI of at least 3 to 1, and ideally, 10 to 1, to ensure the success of any marketing effort. It's essential to regularly evaluate your marketing tech stack and tools to ensure that they remain effective and relevant in the constantly evolving marketing landscape.Quote: “You have to commit. You can't declare [a tool or strategy] unsuccessful if you haven't given it a chance and tried a few tweaks and after a certain period of time, you don't hit your head against the wall – you let it go.”Episode Timestamps:* (02:00) - Meet Grant Johnson, CMO of Billtrust* (014:00) - The Playbook: Grant’s marketing strategies* (21:00) - Why your website is essential * (32:00) - Quick HitsSponsor:Demand Gen Visionaries is brought to you by Qualified.com, the #1 Conversational Marketing platform for companies that use Salesforce and the secret weapon for Demand Gen pros. The world's leading enterprise brands trust Qualified to instantly meet with buyers, right on their website, and maximize sales pipeline. Visit Qualified.com to learn more.LinksConnect with Ian on LinkedInConnect with Grant on LinkedInLearn more about BilltrustLearn more about Caspian Studios

This episode features a conversation with Kevin Tate, the CMO at Clearbit. With extensive experience in enterprise SaaS, eCommerce, digital marketing, and social media, Kevin offers valuable insights on the shifting economics of demand generation driven by changes in the market. He also emphasizes the significance of timing in brand awareness building, highlighting its pivotal role in today's business landscape.Key Takeaways:Optimizing inbound motion has become a big focus area in the new economy for CMOs.The economics of demand generation is changing, with more tire kicking and fewer direct leads due to the market shift, but building awareness is still important.Mid-funnel content–content designed to nurture potential customers who may have interest but not the budget–is an uncuttable budget item for Kevin.Quote: “When things were really frothy, you could be more sure that someone who came across your content ad on Facebook or Instagram might be in the market. Now, it's less likely that they're ready to buy but it's just as important as a brand to be building awareness so that you're top of mind when the time is right.”Episode Timestamps:* (01:30) - Meet Kevin Tate, CMO of Clearbit* (04:00) - Navigating changes in shifting markets* (15:00) - Kevin’s uncuttable budget items* (33:00) - How do you show ROI from mid-funnel content?Sponsor:Demand Gen Visionaries is brought to you by Qualified.com, the #1 Conversational Marketing platform for companies that use Salesforce and the secret weapon for Demand Gen pros. The world's leading enterprise brands trust Qualified to instantly meet with buyers, right on their website, and maximize sales pipeline. Visit Qualified.com to learn more.LinksConnect with Ian on LinkedInConnect with Kevin on LinkedInLearn more about ClearbitLearn more about Caspian Studios

In this episode, Gina Hortatsos, the CMO of LogicGate, discusses the importance of risk management as a strategic necessity and shares valuable insights into governance, risk, and compliance. She also offers expert advice on creating effective campaign maps that meet the needs and buying jobs of customers and prospects. Tune in to learn how to enhance your marketing strategy and navigate the ever-changing landscape of risk management.Key TakeawaysAlthough governance, risk, and compliance is not a new concept, there is a need for disruptive and cost-effective solutions for old problems.To compete with bigger and more established companies in the market, companies’ efforts need to be focused on creating integrated campaigns that provide prospects with content that serves their buying job.Companies need a platform that can help them automate, enhance and manage risk efficiently. Quote: "Category creation has been a very popular trend, but the reality is governance risk and compliance has been around for decades and it will continue in perpetuity because everybody needs to strategically manage risk.”Episode Timestamps:* (01:30) - Meet Gina Hortasos, CMO of LogicGate* (08:15) - The Trust Tree: Gina’s demand gen secrets* (26:50) - Gina’s uncuttable budget items* (34:45) - Gina’s cuttable budget items* (37:00) - The Dust-Up: How Gina handles healthy tension* (40:00) - Quick HitsSponsorDemand Gen Visionaries is brought to you by Qualified.com, the #1 Conversational Marketing platform for companies that use Salesforce and the secret weapon for Demand Gen pros. The world's leading enterprise brands trust Qualified to instantly meet with buyers, right on their website, and maximize sales pipeline. Visit Qualified.com to learn more.LinksConnect with Ian on LinkedInConnect with Gina on LinkedInLearn more about LogicGateLearn more about Caspian Studios

Every week on Demand Gen Visionaries we sit down with marketing leaders from some of the world’s largest and fastest-growing companies to uncover the demand gen strategies that have been fundamental to their skyrocketing success. In each episode, we ask our marketing-leader guests which three areas of investment are most important to their demand gen initiatives. Tune into this special mini-series to hear the budget items our CMO guests can’t live without!Find parts one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, & eightEpisode Timestamps: *(02:00) Kevin Sellers, CMO, Ping Identity*(04:00) Melissa Sargeant, CMO, AlphaSense*(04:30) Esther Flammer, CMO, Wrike*(06:30) Liam Barnes, Head of Demand Gen, Bionic*(08:00) Eric Quanstrom, CMO, CIENCE Technologies*(11:50) Don Schuerman, CTO & VP of Product Marketing, Pegasystems*(14:00) Michelle Huff, CMO, UserTesting*(16:00) Mandy McEwen, Founder, Mod Girl Marketing*(17:50) Madhukar Kumar, CMO, SingleStoreKey TakeawaysSimplification and focus on a single message or platform is a priority for many CMOs in 2023.Several CMOs say they believe in-person events can be a valuable way to connect clients and a crucial element of their marketing strategy. CMOs cited the web channel as a significant contributor to the pipeline over the years.Quotes“Rather than having multiple go-to-market kinds of motions, we're going to be singular-focused which will give us the ability to invest at the level we need to, but also keeps us simplified and focused on a single message or single platform.” - Kevin Sellers, CMO, Ping Identity“The website, the content team, and paid… those three key areas are what we're developing and focusing in on 2023 to bring new people into the pipeline.” - Melissa Sargeant, CMO, AlphaSense“Our constant need to optimize channels and to look at every single message and keyword—optimizations that we can potentially do within those inbound digital channels is a huge focus for us." - Esther Flammer, CMO, Wrike"Our field budget which is working with vendors… are the lowest volume but the highest converting for us because it's basically just ABM and sales." - Liam Barnes, Head of Demand Gen, Bionic“Some uncuttables are a lot of the positions that we've achieved on directories where our own clients are reviewing us and relating their firsthand experience of doing business with us to the rest of the world." - Eric Quanstrom, CMO, CIENCE Technologies“I think one of the best things I can do as a marketer is connecting one client with another client so that they can inform each other… some of that can only happen at a big in-person event where we can sit down in a tech pavilion or an expo and see the technology, but also talk to each other about how it can be used." - Don Schuerman, CTO & VP of Product Marketing, Pegasystems“​​Our web channel is definitely a huge contributor to pipeline over the years." - Michelle Huff, CMO, UserTesting“If you are in B2B, your target market is on LinkedIn and it's only getting bigger and bigger...if you're not on LinkedIn and you're in B2B, you're missing out on a massive opportunity." - Mandy McEwen, Founder, Mod Girl Marketing“Our first unctuabble item is events and hybrid events too–webinars and such. There are ways to do that in a very economic fashion." - Madhukar Kumar, CMO, SingleStoreSponsorDemand Gen Visionaries is brought to you by Qualified.com, the #1 Conversational Marketing platform for companies that use Salesforce and the secret weapon for Demand Gen pros. The world's leading enterprise brands trust Qualified to instantly meet with buyers, right on their website, and maximize sales pipeline. Visit Qualified.com to learn more.LinksFollow Ian on TwitterConnect with Ian on LinkedInCaspian Studios

Madhukar Kumar, the CMO of Singlestore and a PLG expert, shares his insights on the world of product led growth in this episode. With over 15 years of experience leading global product marketing and product management teams, Madhukar explains how PLG can transform businesses, dispels common misconceptions, and highlights upcoming trends in the field.Key Takeaways:To implement a successful PLG strategy, companies should focus on creating a product that is easy to try, adopt, and use. They should also measure product usage and customer behavior to identify areas for improvement and opportunities for growth.Common misconceptions about PLG include thinking that it only works for certain types of products or industries, or that it requires a freemium pricing model.In the future, PLG is likely to become even more important as companies continue to move to the cloud and as customers demand products that are easy to use and deliver value quickly. Quote:“It’s not as if you either do PLG or you do PLS, it's a combination of both. You talk to your users through the premium product and the trial, but at the same time, there has to be a gradation of experience.”Episode Timestamps:*(1:47) - Madhukar’s journey to CMO of Singlestore*(10:11) - The Trust Tree: Madhukar’s best marketing secrets.*(29:05) - The Playbook: Singlestore’s marketing strategies *(39:15) - The Dust Up: How Madhukar’s handled tension *(40:44) - Quick HitsSponsor:Demand Gen Visionaries is brought to you by Qualified.com, the #1 Conversational Marketing platform for companies that use Salesforce and the secret weapon for Demand Gen pros. The world's leading enterprise brands trust Qualified to instantly meet with buyers, right on their website, and maximize sales pipeline. Visit Qualified.com to learn more.LinksConnect with Ian on LinkedInConnect with Madhukar on LinkedInLearn more about SingleStoreLearn more about Caspian Studios

Mandy McEwen, CEO and Founder of Mod Girl Marketing and Luminetics, shares valuable insights on how to optimize your LinkedIn profile and leverage the platform for generating new business leads. Her tips and strategies focus on creating a polished and professional profile, regularly engaging with your network, showcasing your expertise through content creation, and much more. Key TakeawaysThe biggest mistake 99% of LinkedIn users make is not optimizing their profile.Use Sales Navigator to find people who are actively using LinkedIn and engage with them.Cold outreach should be personalized and tailored to the exact type of person you're reaching out to.Quote“The number one mistake that 99% of LinkedIn users are making is their profile. Your profile needs to be optimized and amazing–it shouldn't be a glorified resume.” Episode Timestamps* (01:43) - Meet Mandy McEwen, CEO and Founder of Mod Girl Marketing & Luminetics* (04:26) - The Trust Tree: Structure at UserTesting* (08:07) - The Playbook: LinkedIn strategies for companies and individuals* (37:48) - The Dust Up: Healthy tension and how Michelle overcomes it* (38:50) - Quick Hits SponsorDemand Gen Visionaries is brought to you by Qualified.com, the #1 Conversational Marketing platform for companies that use Salesforce and the secret weapon for Demand Gen pros. The world's leading enterprise brands trust Qualified to instantly meet with buyers, right on their website, and maximize sales pipeline. Visit Qualified.com to learn more.LinksConnect with Ian on LinkedInConnect with Mandy on LinkedInLearn more about Mod Girl Marketing & Luminetics  Learn more about Caspian Studios

In this episode, find out how an organization fundamentally driven by enterprise sales, rather than product growth, is achieving sustained digital demand gen success. Michelle Huff, CMO of UserTesting, explains how she organizes her sales development and business development teams, how they capture data on their website, and much more so that you can land more qualified leads in your pipeline.Key TakeawaysThe success of demand generation and building pipelines requires close collaboration between the sales and marketing teams, especially in the SaaS industry.Relying on qualitative measures can lead to incorrect assumptions about data—however, as data becomes available and the market and solutions mature, a more accurate understanding of the situation can be gained.CMO is often perceived as one who needs to have all the answers, but the reality is that they are responsible for owning the decisions and driving the strategy, even if the ideas come from others. Quote“The website we call a digital-first demand center because I wanted to make sure that everything is being brought together—our demand gen function along with content, SEO, and our digital web experience teams.” - Michelle Huff, CMO, UserTestingEpisode Timestamps* (01:31) - Meet Michelle Huff, CMO at UserTesting* (04:36) - The Trust Tree: Structure at UserTesting* (12:49) - The Playbook: Demand gen strategies for a sales-driven company* (30:33) - The Dust Up: Healthy tension and how Michelle overcomes it* (31:43) - Quick Hits SponsorDemand Gen Visionaries is brought to you by Qualified.com, the #1 Conversational Marketing platform for companies that use Salesforce and the secret weapon for Demand Gen pros. The world's leading enterprise brands trust Qualified to instantly meet with buyers, right on their website, and maximize sales pipeline. Visit Qualified.com to learn more.LinksConnect with Ian on LinkedInConnect with Michelle on LinkedInLearn more about UserTestingCreate your own B2B podcast with Caspian Studios

In a competitive digital world where attention spans are short and businesses are looking to build relationships with their customers, high-touch strategies have been shown to increase loyalty and lifetime value. In this episode, we talk with Don Schuerman, the CTO & VP of Product Marketing at Pegasystems—an organization that has built relationships with the world’s leading brands—so that you can learn tips from the experts and apply it to your strategy too. Plus, you’ll hear insights into digital marketing strategies that activate vs. generate excess content, and much more.Key TakeawaysTrue customer intimacy is hugely important and can only be achieved through frequent interactions. Events are back but people are no longer focused on entertaining experiences. Instead, they’re looking for effective outcomes in the form of learning, training, or collaboration.Measuring engagement with a holistic lens reminds marketers that it's not about getting clicks on the website—it's getting converts.Quotes:“That [high] level of customer intimacy and understanding is essential, especially from marketers in technology and enterprise technology where it's not enough to have a strong message and vision. You also have to continuously make that relevant to your customer and audience.”“Measuring engagement across a holistic lens helps me as a marketer remind our broader team that it's not just our job to get a bunch of people clicking on the website—it's actually getting that website to convert.”“Most organizations generate plenty of content—probably too much content. Really, what you really have is an activation problem. Can you effectively activate the content?”Episode Timestamps:* (01:41) - Don’s unique role as CTO & VP of Product Marketing at Pegasystems * (06:50) - Segment: The Trust Tree* (12:09) - Looking at engagement holistically * (19:40) - Segment: The Playbook* (28:24) - Segment: The Dust Up* (31:23) - Segment: Quick HitsSponsor:Demand Gen Visionaries is brought to you by Qualified.com, the #1 Conversational Marketing platform for companies that use Salesforce and the secret weapon for Demand Gen pros. The world's leading enterprise brands trust Qualified to instantly meet with buyers, right on their website, and maximize sales pipeline. Visit Qualified.com to learn more.LinksConnect with Ian on LinkedInFollow Don on LinkedInLearn more about PegasystemsLearn more about Caspian Studios