B2B Agility with Greg Kihlström™: MarTech, E-Commerce, & Customer Success

In a world where sales cycles are getting longer, what's holding your business back from reaching the right person at the right time? Today, we're joined by Joshua Garrison, Vice President of Content Marketing and Product Education at Apollo.io, a leading go-to-market platform used by millions of sales professionals and SMBs globally. Josh is not only a sales leader but also the author of the Amazon bestseller Outbound Sales, which shares the exact strategies, templates, and frameworks that helped Apollo.io achieve unicorn status and $100M ARR. With over 2.5K purchases in its first month, Josh's book has become a must-read in the B2B sales community. About Joshua Garrison Joshua Garrison leads the content marketing and customer education teams at Apollo, the leading go-to-market (GTM) solution for sales and marketing teams. A two-time founder, he has built and sold one company. He has led sales and marketing teams everywhere from tiny businesses to multi-billion dollar publicly traded companies. From that experience, Josh developed his "full-cycle selling" framework, a data-backed perspective on what works and what doesn't. As a third generation entrepreneur and career salesperson, he is passionate about helping people achieve their goals and master the art of sales. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, baby, and cats. Resources Apollo website: https://www.apollo.io The B2B Agility podcast website: https://www.b2bagility.com Sign up for The Agile Brand newsletter here: https://www.gregkihlstrom.com Get the latest news and updates on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/b2b-agility/ Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

How aligned is your organization when it comes to driving growth—are internal silos or misaligned goals or expectations holding you back from reaching your full potential? Today, we're joined by Robert Chatwani, President and General Manager of Growth at Docusign. Before joining DocuSign in 2023, Robert was the Chief Marketing Officer at Atlassian, where he helped scale the business to nearly $3 billion in revenue. He also held leadership roles at eBay, where his teams supported $35 billion in annual trading volume. About Robert Chatwani Robert Chatwani leads Docusign's Marketing & Growth organization to scale its digital strategy across marketing, product, technology and sales and is responsible for Docusign's product-led growth and execution. He also leads all CMO functions, including product marketing, field marketing, communications and public relations, content, creative and brand strategy. Before joining Docusign in 2023, Robert served as Chief Marketing Officer at Atlassian, where he oversaw teams across marketing, brand, communications and data science, and worked with the product organization to help scale Atlassian's business to nearly $3B in revenue. Prior to Atlassian, Robert served as Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer for social e-commerce platform Spring. He also spent more than a decade at eBay, ending his tenure as CMO of North America where his teams supported $35 billion in annual trading volume. Resources Docusign website: https://www.docusign.com The B2B Agility podcast website: https://www.b2bagility.com Sign up for The Agile Brand newsletter here: https://www.gregkihlstrom.com Get the latest news and updates on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/b2b-agility/ Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

Are your landing pages truly working for you, or are you caught in a cycle of driving traffic to pages that fail to convert effectively? Today, we're excited to welcome Sahil Patel, CEO of Spiralyze. Sahil leads a company that has optimized over 34,000 landing pages for SaaS leaders using insights from more than 130,000 A/B tests. With his deep expertise, he's here to share actionable strategies for improving conversion rates, debunking common testing myths, and escaping the trap of underperforming landing pages. About Sahil Patel Sahil Patel is the CEO of Spiralyze, a leading company specializing in predictive CRO and data-driven landing page optimization. Prior to Spiralyze, Sahil was the CEO and founder of ER Express, a successful SaaS company, which he led for 11 years before its sale in 2021. With over 23 years of experience in sales, operations, software development, and finance, Sahil also holds an undergraduate degree from Emory University and an MBA from Harvard. Throughout his career, Sahil has worked with renowned organizations such as Netflix, Podium, NBA, Lowe's, Harvard University, and Gusto. He specializes in landing page conversion optimization, running over 130,000 A/B tests for clients, and offers unique insights into best practices for efficient A/B testing. Sahil is based in Atlanta, where he lives with his wife and two daughters, and pursues his passion for music through his Rush cover band. Resources Spiralyze website: https://www.spiralyze.com The B2B Agility podcast website: https://www.b2bagility.com Sign up for The Agile Brand newsletter here: https://www.gregkihlstrom.com Get the latest news and updates on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/b2b-agility/ Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

Is your B2B e-commerce content working as hard as it should be? In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, strong content creation and management could be the key to unlocking both customer engagement and business growth. This was recorded live at Opticon 2024 in San Antonio, TX. Today we're diving into the role of strong content creation and optimization in e-commerce with Ashlyn Fulton, Senior Digital Content Manager at D'Addario & Company, which has both B2B and D2C customers and operates in over 130 countries and has over 5,000 SKUs available online. We'll discuss the unique challenges of content for both D2C and B2B e-commerce, the impact of generative AI, and how platforms like Optimizely are shaping the future of e-commerce content management. Resources D'Addario website: https://www.daddario.com Optimizely website: https://www.optimizely.com The B2B Agility podcast website: https://www.b2bagility.com Sign up for The Agile Brand newsletter here: https://www.gregkihlstrom.com Get the latest news and updates on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/b2b-agility/ Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

Is your B2B buying experience stuck in the past? If you're making your customers email for a quote while competitors offer seamless online purchasing, you could be losing the next generation of buyers. Today we're discussing the Amazonification of B2B commerce with Alex Sayyah, CEO of Aleran Software. We'll dive into how B2B companies are adopting B2C principles in e-commerce and why Gen Z and Millennial buyers are pushing for a shift to seamless, online purchasing—even for complex products. About Alex Sayyah Alex Sayyah brings over 20 years of experience leading eCommerce, digital innovation, and revenue teams for global B2B and B2C brands. As a strategic, data-driven and growth-focused executive, Alex lives by the mantra: push harder. With proven success creating strategic roadmaps that drive market development and expansion, He has managed teams and revenue goals across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, and is exceptional at growing omni-channel marketing programs for online/offline businesses. Alex has helped generate $130+ million dollars worth of digital revenue by correctly identifying the opportunity in direct download software industry trends, structuring a compelling suite of products for Consumers and Businesses, and building a marketing machine to capture the benefits. Resources Aleran website: https://www.aleran.com The B2B Agility podcast website: https://www.b2bagility.com Sign up for The Agile Brand newsletter here: https://www.gregkihlstrom.com Get the latest news and updates on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/b2b-agility/ Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

Emily He, Chief Marketing Officer at Gong, shares her extensive insights on effectively leveraging AI for business. She emphasizes that simply gathering data isn't enough; contextual understanding is crucial for real ROI. The conversation debunks common AI myths, urging realistic expectations and highlighting the importance of quality data. Emily discusses the transformative role of Gong in revenue management through collaboration and actionable insights, showcasing how AI tools, when used strategically, can revolutionize traditional business practices.

Are you missing out on one of the simplest yet most powerful tools for building business relationships? What if a small, personalized gesture could mean more to your clients and colleagues than a raise or promotion? Today we're exploring the power of gratitude in business with Brendan Kamm, Co-Founder and CEO of Thnks. We'll discuss how small, meaningful acts of gratitude can strengthen business relationships, boost morale, and drive long-term success. About Brendan Kamm Brendan is the Co-Founder and CEO of Thnks, where he is responsible for all day-to-day operations including Thnks' strategic vision while advancing the platform's tech capabilities and partner integrations. A media and technology veteran who spent more than 17 years focused on sales, product, and client development, Brendan is recognized for his ability to leverage innovation to drive revenue. Resources THNKS website: https://www.thnks.com The B2B Agility podcast website: https://www.b2bagility.com Sign up for The Agile Brand newsletter here: https://www.gregkihlstrom.com Get the latest news and updates on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/b2b-agility/ Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

What if AI could be your invaluable sidekick? Imagine freeing up hours of your day by letting AI handle the repetitive tasks, so you can focus on the big picture. Is your team ready to make that shift - and how can you as a leader help enable that? Today we're going to explore how AI can accelerate marketing velocity with Shannon Duffy, Chief Marketing Officer at Asana. We'll dive into how AI can be a powerful collaborator, how marketing leaders can start using AI themselves, and how to encourage teams to integrate AI into their daily workflows. About Shannon Duffy Shannon Duffy is the Chief Marketing Officer at Asana, leading global marketing efforts, including corporate, product, growth, revenue, and engagement. Prior to Asana, Shannon held the role of Executive Vice President Cloud & Industry Marketing at Salesforce. In this role she guided messaging, experiences, and go-to-market strategy for their flagship products. A technology marketing veteran, Shannon has held leadership positions in the industry since 2003. Shannon graduated from Boston College with a B.A. in Communications. Resources Asana website: https://www.asana.com The B2B Agility podcast website: https://www.b2bagility.com Sign up for The Agile Brand newsletter here: https://www.gregkihlstrom.com Get the latest news and updates on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/b2b-agility/ Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com B2B Agility with Greg Kihlström is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company"

In this special episode, brought to you by Landrum Talent Solutions, a national recruiting firm specializing in marketing and HR positions, we're going to talk about a few things today, including the state of the job market and how elections, the economy, and AI are affecting the plans that hiring managers and job seekers are making for 2025. Joining host Greg Kihlstrom to discuss this topic is Sue Keith, Corporate Vice President at Landrum Talent Solutions. About Sue Keith Sue is Corporate Vice President at Landrum Talent Solutions. After many years as a marketing leader and consultant in the telecom, technology, satellite and association sectors, Sue joined Landrum Talent Solutions (formerly Ceres Talent) to marry her passion for helping organizations build effective marketing strategies with her love of connecting great people. Sue started her career as an auditor for Deloitte & Touche and then made the leap to marketing when she joined MCI, followed by a succession of senior marketing positions at various telecom companies. She serves on the Board of Aspire! Afterschool Learning and the Marketing and Communications Committee for Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS). She earned a dual major in Accounting and French from James Madison University and is a recovering CPA. Resources Landrum Talent Solutions: https://www.landrumtalentsolutions.com The Agile Brand podcast website: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology - https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more at https://www.teksystems.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Welcome to today's episode where we're going to talk about event data and personalized marketing with Brian Gates, SVP of Industry Strategy at RainFocus. We'll explore how great data can drive marketing strategies, the balance between personalization and privacy, and strategies for overcoming data silos within organizations. About Brian Gates Brian Gates is the SVP of industry strategy at RainFocus, leading industry change through key partnerships, alignment with our client's sales and marketing goals, and overall market evolution. During his tenure at RainFocus, Brian has architected the organization's go-to-market strategy, created an award-winning account-based marketing program, and advanced the usage of data within event marketing. Prior to joining RainFocus in 2016, Brian built his own tech companies before leading innovations at other high-growth B2B SaaS CRM, MAP, and LMS providers. With over 20 years of marketing, product, and design leadership, Brian has gained expertise in elevating teams to do the seemingly impossible by aligning business outcomes to unimaginable client value. Resources The B2B Agility podcast website: https://www.b2bagility.com Sign up for The Agile Brand newsletter here: https://www.gregkihlstrom.com Get the latest news and updates on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/b2b-agility/ Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com B2B Agility with Greg Kihlström is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company"