The B2B Playbook

Closed Circuit Selling: Why the Funnel Is Breaking Your GTMMost go-to-market teams aren’t failing on effort. They’re failing on architecture.In this episode, we sit down with Charles Needham (co-author of Cold Call Algo) alongside Adem Manderovic (CRO School) to break down why the linear funnel is the biggest sacred cow in sales, and why Closed Circuit Selling is the better model for modern outbound.We unpack incentives, silos, CAC payback insanity, and why “meetings booked” became a broken religion. Then we get practical. How to run outbound as market learning. How to capture timing signals. And how to build feedback loops that actually make marketing, sales, and customer success stronger together.Tune in and learn:+ Why buyer journeys are non-linear, and funnels create blind spots+ How to shift from meetings quotas to conversation-driven market validation+ Why intent data can’t replace first-party conversationsIf you’re a B2B marketer or revenue leader, this is the blueprint for building a GTM system that compounds instead of churns.-----------------------------------------------------🔗 Links + CTAs-----------------------------------------------------🧠 Learn how to drive revenue across your organisation with CRO School: https://theb2bplaybook.com/cro-school🎓 Join our Demand Generation Program: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-course💼 Need help running your own LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads? https://theb2bplaybook.com/linkedin-ads-agency-----------------------------------------------------🧑‍🎓ACCESS our B2B COURSES: https://theb2bplaybook.com/courses📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theb2bplaybook📩 Newsletter: https://theb2bplaybook.com/newsletter/📚 Latest content: https://theb2bplaybook.com/-----------------------------------------------------00:00 The “Sacred Cow”: Why the Linear Funnel Breaks Reality01:00 Who’s Charles Needham (And Why He Thinks Like a Quant)04:30 From Mortgage Bonds to CRMs: Seeing Sales as a Database07:00 The Moment He Realised “Meetings Booked” Is a Trap09:10 Closed Loop Continuity vs Funnel Checklists11:40 What Silos Destroy: Feedback Loops That Never Make It Back14:10 CAC Payback Madness: When “Growth” Becomes Insanity17:10 The Conversations Model: Comp People for Learning, Not Meetings20:05 Predictable Revenue Misread: “Market Development” Got Lost21:00 VC Algebra vs Real Buyers: “The Customer Doesn’t Exist”28:10 The 2008 Analogy: Incentives Create Fragile Systems32:20 Intent Data Hot Take: “Or You Could Call Them”36:00 The Guitar Demo: What “Cataloguing” Really Means39:00 “Talk to Everybody”: The Outbound Belief Most CROs Don’t Hold41:45 Fixing the Root: Change Comp, or Nothing Changes48:10 Market Validation vs Cataloguing: The Language Problem56:35 AI Didn’t Fix Outbound. It Scaled the Spam Cannon59:30 What Works Next: Follow the Underpriced Channel (Then Move)1:06:00 Cold Call Algo: The “Unplanned Communication” Thesis-----------------------------------------------------👥 Are you a B2B marketer in a small team??💰 Need to bring in more revenue for your company (so sales and your boss love you??)Get the:🔹 strategy🔹 templates🔹 toolsSo you have everything you need to drive more revenue for your brand.See why other B2B marketers like you love The B2B Incubatorhttps://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-courseS07 E213 - The B2B Playbook#b2b #b2bmarketing #digitalmarketing #demandgeneration #outboundsales

Why Sales & Marketing Broke (And How to Rebuild a Modern Revenue System) ft. Tony J HughesMost teams feel the symptoms — pipeline gaps, misaligned targets, MQL chaos, sellers chasing “now or never” deals.But those are signals of a deeper problem: the revenue system itself is broken.In this episode, we sit down with Tony J Hughes and Adem Manderovic to unpack why sales and marketing drifted apart… and how to rebuild a modern revenue system that actually matches how buyers make decisions today.We get into:Why predictable revenue models collapsedHow sales stopped validating the marketHow marketing lost strategic direction to MQL targetsAnd how to replace the old funnel with a closed-circuit GTM system that creates control and credibility again.We also talk ICP, cataloguing, air cover, performance gaps, and Tony’s new book Sentient — plus what AI means for the future of selling.Tune in and learn:Why the old sales & marketing playbooks brokeHow to build a shared ICP that actually aligns both teamsWhy cataloguing is the foundation for a modern GTM systemHow to create air cover that supports real sales cyclesThe future of selling in a world of advanced AIIf you’re a B2B marketer or sales leader stuck in the old predictable-revenue logic, this episode is your blueprint for rebuilding alignment and revenue performance from the ground up.-----------------------------------------------------🔗 Links + CTAs-----------------------------------------------------🧠 Learn how to drive revenue across your organisation with CRO School: https://theb2bplaybook.com/cro-school🎓 Join our Demand Generation Program: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-gen...💼 Need help running your own LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads? https://theb2bplaybook.com/linkedin-a...-----------------------------------------------------🧑‍🎓ACCESS our B2B COURSES: https://theb2bplaybook.com/courses📺 YouTube:    / @theb2bplaybook  📩 Newsletter: https://theb2bplaybook.com/newsletter/📚 Latest content: https://theb2bplaybook.com/-----------------------------------------------------00:00 Why sales & marketing broke01:02 Where misalignment actually began03:10 Why inbound intent pushes sellers into a red ocean06:20 How sales used to validate the market (and why it matters)08:45 The ICP framework sales & marketing should share11:15 Turning sales discovery into marketing air cover13:55 How MQL targets fractured GTM17:20 Cataloguing: foundation of a modern revenue system20:05 Why frontline sales leadership is the weakest link23:40 When sales & marketing target different lists27:05 When to run a sales-led vs marketing-led motion31:40 Talk to more of the market (not just in-market buyers)34:05 Why feature-selling kills deals38:35 RSVP vs BANT: a smarter way to qualify42:10 What CMOs actually respond to in outreach46:15 Adem’s journey to Closed Circuit Selling50:05 Tony’s research: AI, AGI & the future of selling53:40 Why every seller becomes a cyborg55:05 Where to find Tony J Hughes-----------------------------------------------------👥 Are you a B2B marketer in a small team??💰 Need to bring in more revenue for your company (so sales and your boss love you??)Get the:🔹 strategy🔹 templates🔹 toolsSo you have everything you need to drive more revenue for your brand.See why other B2B marketers like you love The B2B Incubatorhttps://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-gen...S07 E212 - The B2B Playbook#b2bgrowth #b2bmarketing #sales #salesleadership #revenuearchitecture #demandgeneration #cataloguing #salesandmarketingalignment #tonyjhughes

The Simple 3-Step B2B Demand Generation Strategy for 2026🎓 Join our Demand Generation Program: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-courseMost B2B teams will roll the same demand gen plan into 2026… and wonder why pipeline is flat.In this episode, we walk through a B2B demand generation strategy for 2026 that small teams can actually run – and that’s proven to drive up to 70% of pipeline.We break down our 3-step framework – Be Ready, Be Helpful, Be Seen – and show how it ties into the 95-5 rule, the 5 stages of awareness, and a simple cataloguing process that finally connects marketing and sales. If you’re a small in-house team under pressure to bring in revenue, this is for you.We also show you exactly how we run this B2B demand generation strategy ourselves at The B2B Playbook – from 80/20 analysis and ICP documentation, to a weekly content engine and a realistic distribution mix that fits into 4–5 hours per week.Tune in and learn:+ How to design a B2B demand generation strategy for 2026 using the 95-5 rule+ How to run 80/20 analysis, customer interviews, and cataloguing to define a sharp ICP+ How to build a helpful content engine and distribution plan that your small team can maintainThis episode is a must-watch if you’re a B2B marketer in a small team who’s tired of chasing MQLs, arguing over lead quality, and getting stuck in “support” mode. You’ll walk away with a clear, 3-step demand gen strategy for 2026 that aligns marketing, sales, and customer success around how buyers actually make decisions.-----------------------------------------------------🔗 Links + CTAs-----------------------------------------------------🎓 Join our Demand Generation Program: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-course🧠 Learn how to drive revenue across your organisation with CRO School: https://theb2bplaybook.com/cro-school💼 Need help running your own LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads? https://theb2bplaybook.com/linkedin-ads-agency-----------------------------------------------------SUBSCRIBE to our channel: / @theb2bplaybook SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter: https://theb2bplaybook.com/newsletterGET the latest CONTENT: https://theb2bplaybook.com/-----------------------------------------------------00:00 The Simple 3-Step B2B Demand Generation Strategy for 202600:34 Our 5 BEs Framework – The Flywheel Behind Demand Gen02:05 Updated: What Demand Generation Really Is in 202603:40 Why You Can’t “Force” B2B Buyers to Buy (Unlike B2C)05:55 The Messy, Non-Linear B2B Buying Journey (Squiggly Line Moment)09:00 The 95-5 Rule: Future Demand vs In-Market Buyers11:05 Shaping Future Demand vs Capturing In-Market Demand11:50 Using the 5 Stages of Awareness to Plan Demand Gen Content14:05 Why Early-Stage Content Makes Capture More Efficient16:05 TAM vs ICP vs “Day One Shortlist” – The Brutal Reality18:05 Modern Demand Gen Objectives for 2026 (Quality to Quantity)18:50 Step 1 – Be Ready: Your 80/20 ICP & Segmentation Process22:00 Customer Interviews, Positioning & Documented ICPs25:45 Mapping the Buying Journey Questions (5 Stages Applied)26:55 The Big Upgrade: Cataloguing Your Market One Account at a Time29:20 Step 2 – Be Helpful: Building a Helpful Content Engine30:45 Case Study: Rivet’s “Construction Is Hard” Show31:55 Content Repurposing System for Small B2B Teams33:10 Capturing Subject Matter Experts Without Burning Them Out33:55 Step 3 – Be Seen: Smart Distribution (1:Many, 1:Few, 1:1)35:20 Capturing In-Market Demand: ABM, Review Sites, and Google Ads36:20 What Changed From 2025? Why Cataloguing Is the Missing Piece36:55 How We Use Be Ready + Cataloguing at The B2B Playbook39:00 Our Repurposing Engine: From One Episode to a Full Content System40:10 Our Distribution Mix: LinkedIn Ads, YouTube, Newsletter & Full Circle41:10 Key Takeaways: Your 2026 B2B Demand Gen Plan in 3 Steps42:05 Join The B2B Incubator & Share the Show-----------------------------------------------------👥 Are you a B2B marketer in a small team??💰 Need to bring in more revenue for your company (so sales and your boss love you??)Get the:🔹 strategy🔹 templates🔹 toolsSo you have everything you need to drive more revenue for your brand.See why other B2B marketers like you love The B2B IncubatorCheck out: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-courseS07 E211 - The B2B Playbook#demandgeneration #demandgen#b2bmarketing

This is your last chance to join our Demand Gen Course – The B2B Incubator – before doors close on Friday, 28 November. https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-course-decemberInside the program, you’ll get:On-demand materials you can work through in your own time3x live Q&A sessions with George to get your questions answered and stay accountableA proven framework trusted by marketers in both SaaS and servicesAlison at RIVET used it to build a demand engine that now sources 70% of pipeline from marketing.Allister Hamilton used it to triple his pipeline in services.If you’re a small marketing team and want to stop chasing bad leads and start building a system that drives real revenue — this is your shot.👉 Register now before doors close Friday, 28 November: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-course-december

In this engaging conversation, Matt Maynard, VP of Global Brand at Asana, shares insights from his extensive marketing experience. He emphasizes the importance of building memory with future buyers and leveraging Category Entry Points (CEPs) to enhance brand recognition. Matt discusses the balance between distinctiveness and differentiation, and how brands can utilize frameworks like ABLE to measure impact effectively. He also tackles common pitfalls in brand strategy and offers practical advice for B2B marketers aiming to make brand a key growth driver.

This week’s focus is on creating content that genuinely assists customers in their immediate tasks. Discover how Rivet’s 'Construction Is Hard' transformed engagement by speaking directly to specialty contractors. Learn about the importance of making your product the natural conclusion of the story, enhancing customer understanding, and driving real trust through authentic storytelling. With helpful content leading to impressive pipeline results, listeners are encouraged to identify and address one pressing job their target audience faces.

What’s Next for Outbound Sales? Aaron Ross (Predictable Revenue) & Adem Manderovic (Closed Circuit Selling)Outbound sales is at a crossroads.Automation is everywhere. AI is flooding inboxes. Meetings are harder to book than ever.So we sat down with Aaron Ross, author of Predictable Revenue and From Impossible to Inevitable, to ask one question:What’s next for outbound sales?Alongside Aaron, Adem Manderovic (Closed Circuit Selling, CRO School) breaks down why GTM teams misread Predictable Revenue, how outbound drifted into “meetings at all costs,” and what a modern outbound system actually looks like. We dig into market validation, cataloguing timing signals, emotional intelligence, relationship systems, and why AI is forcing teams back to fundamentals.If you sell, market, or run a revenue team, this conversation will change how you think about outbound.Tune in and learn:+ Why Predictable Revenue was never meant to be a “meetings engine”+ How outbound broke – and how to rebuild it around market validation+ Why the future of outbound is more human, not more automatedIf you're trying to fix noisy outbound, align sales and marketing, or build a modern revenue system, this episode is a must-watch.-----------------------------------------------------🔗 Links + CTAs-----------------------------------------------------🧠 Learn how to drive revenue across your organisation with CRO School: https://theb2bplaybook.com/cro-school🎓 Join our Demand Generation Program: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-course💼 Need help running your own LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads? https://theb2bplaybook.com/linkedin-ads-agency-----------------------------------------------------🧑‍🎓ACCESS our B2B COURSES: https://theb2bplaybook.com/courses📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theb2bplaybook📩 Newsletter: https://theb2bplaybook.com/newsletter/📚 Latest content: https://theb2bplaybook.com/-----------------------------------------------------00:00 What’s Next for Outbound Sales?01:00 How Predictable Revenue Was Misinterpreted03:00 Why Meetings Became the Wrong Metric05:00 Outbound as a Market Validation Engine08:00 Inbound vs Outbound: Why the Debate Won’t Die11:00 The Anxiety Economy: Overreacting vs Fixing GTM14:00 When Leaders Do More of What Doesn’t Work17:00 Relationship Systems: The Missing Link in Outbound20:00 The Most Underrated Outbound Move: Talk to People23:00 When Sales Stopped Validating Markets26:00 Adem’s Closed Circuit Selling: Timing & Cataloguing29:00 Aligning Sales, Marketing & CS Under a CRO32:00 Why AI Makes EQ and Creativity More Valuable36:00 Sales as a Communication Channel40:00 Intent Data vs Real Customer Conversations45:00 Aaron Ross’ New Books: Income Systems & AI Selling50:00 Winners vs Losers in the AI Revenue Era53:00 Final Takeaways for Modern Outbound-----------------------------------------------------👥 Are you a B2B marketer in a small team??💰 Need to bring in more revenue for your company (so sales and your boss love you??)Get the:🔹 strategy🔹 templates🔹 toolsSo you have everything you need to drive more revenue for your brand.See why other B2B marketers like you love The B2B Incubatorhttps://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-courseS07 E208 - The B2B Playbook#b2b #b2bmarketing #outboundsales #predictablerevenue #salesstrategy #closedcircuitselling #demandgeneration

Most teams blame Predictable Revenue for broken outbound. The truth? The model wasn’t wrong — the market’s interpretation was.In this 5-minute Mid-Week Musing, we unpack why Predictable Revenue went off track and show how small B2B teams can fix outbound in 2026 through market validation — not meetings.You’ll learn: + Why Predictable Revenue got misused as a meeting-engine, not a validation system+ How to catalogue your market to uncover real buying signals+ A simple way to align sales and marketing around timing and handoffsPerfect for small-team marketers and sales leaders ready to modernise outbound and build predictable revenue the right way.-----------------------------------------------------🔗 Links + CTAs-----------------------------------------------------🧠 Learn how to drive revenue across your organisation with CRO School: https://theb2bplaybook.com/cro-school🎓 Join our Demand Generation Program: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-course💼 Need help running your own LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads? https://theb2bplaybook.com/linkedin-ads-agency-----------------------------------------------------🧑‍🎓ACCESS our B2B COURSES: https://theb2bplaybook.com/courses📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theb2bplaybook📩 Newsletter: https://theb2bplaybook.com/newsletter/📚 Latest content: https://theb2bplaybook.com/-----------------------------------------------------00:00 Why Predictable Revenue Wasn’t Wrong01:14 Market Validation: The Fix for Outbound in 202603:12 How to Catalogue Accounts (Instead of Chasing Meetings)05:08 Why Timing Beats Pressure in Modern Outbound08:45 Systemising the Handoff: Turning Validation into Revenue-----------------------------------------------------👥 Are you a B2B marketer in a small team??💰 Need to bring in more revenue for your company (so sales and your boss love you??)Get the:🔹 strategy🔹 templates🔹 toolsSo you have everything you need to drive more revenue for your brand.See why other B2B marketers like you love The B2B Incubatorhttps://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-courseS07 E207 - The B2B Playbook#b2b #predictablerevenue #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #outboundsales #theb2bplaybook #revenuearchitecture #croschool #collinstewart

Collin Stewart, CEO of Predictable Revenue, and Adem Manderovic from Closed Circuit Selling dive into the evolving landscape of outbound sales. They discuss how outbound strategies are shifting from brute-force approaches to more intelligent, signal-led methods. Collin shares insights on the critical importance of market validation as a success metric. Adem highlights the need for effective communication in sales, while introducing their innovative four-funnel system to better align sales and marketing efforts. This conversation is essential for anyone looking to future-proof their sales strategy.

Too many marketers treat intent data like X-ray vision – but it can’t actually tell you who’s ready to buy.In this 5-minute Mid-Week Musing, we show how to replace guesswork with a practical signals framework that builds real sales timing intel through cataloguing.You’ll learn: + Why intent scores create false positives (and how to spot them)+ How sales cataloguing captures true buyer signals+ The Signals → Catalogue → Feedback loop that aligns marketing and salesPerfect for teams who want reliable signals – not synthetic data.-----------------------------------------------------🔗 Links + CTAs-----------------------------------------------------🎓 Join our Demand Generation Program: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-course🧠 Learn how to drive revenue across your organisation with CRO School: https://theb2bplaybook.com/cro-school💼 Need help running your own LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads? https://theb2bplaybook.com/linkedin-ads-agency-----------------------------------------------------🧑‍🎓ACCESS our B2B COURSES: https://theb2bplaybook.com/courses📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theb2bplaybook📩 Newsletter: https://theb2bplaybook.com/newsletter/📚 Latest content: https://theb2bplaybook.com/-----------------------------------------------------00:00 Intent Data Lies: Why You’re Chasing Ghost Signals00:40 The CRM “Hot Lead” That Wasn’t – False Positives Explained01:20 Real Buyer Signals Start with Sales Cataloguing02:15 Map Tools, Contracts & Decision Makers – Your Signal Checklist03:20 Turn Intent into Insight: Signals → Catalogue → Feedback-----------------------------------------------------👥 Are you a B2B marketer in a small team??💰 Need to bring in more revenue for your company (so sales and your boss love you??)Get the:🔹 strategy🔹 templates🔹 toolsSo you have everything you need to drive more revenue for your brand.See why other B2B marketers like you love The B2B Incubatorhttps://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-courseS07 E205 - The B2B Playbook#b2b #b2bmarketing #intentdata #buyersignals #demandgeneration #marketingtips #theb2bplaybook #midweekmusings