OnBase: Smashing Sales and Marketing Misalignments

Episode Summary In today’s episode, Erik Charles emphasises the importance of understanding the difference between incentives and rewards in the workplace. His extensive experience across various companies, including his current role at Xactly Corp, has given him profound insights into effective revenue and incentive management. Erik's career journey demonstrates the value of adaptability, a keen understanding of market dynamics, and the significance of integrating sales, marketing, and engineering to drive business success. His insights are a valuable guide for professionals seeking to enhance their approach to revenue generation and employee motivation. About the Guest With over 30 years of experience in marketing, consulting, and solution evangelization, Erik has cultivated a deep passion for bridging the realms of sales, marketing, and engineering to propel the advancement of revenue and incentive management. As the Chief Evangelist at Xactly Corp, his role involves collaborating with partners, analysts, and academics to deliver seamlessly integrated solutions across the spectrum of revenue intelligence, sales performance management, and employee motivation.  In addition to Erik’s substantial consulting and research background, he has honed his focus on crucial metrics for sales and marketing roles, customer acquisition and retention, and the design and communication of incentive plans. Holding certifications as a Quote-to-Cash professional, Erik is recognized as a subject-matter expert in the interconnected realms of revenue intelligence, performance, and optimization. Connect with Erik Charles Key Takeaways - Understand that incentives drive behaviour changes, while rewards acknowledge contributions. - Embrace new opportunities and challenges. - Integrating sales, marketing, and engineering is critical to advancing revenue and incentive management.  - Balance hands-on experience with academic research and insights. - Deep knowledge of market trends, customer needs, and competitive landscapes is vital for developing effective marketing and sales strategies. - Stay abreast of and utilise emerging technologies, like AI, to enhance business operations and decision-making. - Develop the ability to convey complex ideas clearly and persuasively, both in writing and verbally, as these skills are crucial in marketing and leadership roles. Quote "Nobody changes their behaviour at the office because they're on a profit-sharing plan." - Erik Charles ⁠Connect with Erik Charles⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode Summary On today's episode, Ashley and Kyle demonstrate a deep understanding of the intersection between client needs, healthcare billing complexities, and digital solutions. She focuses on deriving product ideas from client pain points and the importance of aligning marketing strategies with these insights. She also shares how her experience at SoftTech, especially in developing and implementing comprehensive marketing strategies, is relevant as she discusses the challenges in healthcare billing and the role of technology. About the Guests Kyle Crow is the Regional Vice President of Sales at Softek. In his current role, Kyle works with clients to understand their challenges with Oracle Cerner Millennium and provide solutions to optimize their system and ultimately, help their bottom line. Prior to Softek, Kyle spent seven years at Oracle Cerner as an Integration Architect, managing dozens of Oracle Cerner implementations. Kyle knows first-hand the issues clients are facing and harnesses those experiences to drive client success in their system performance and revenue cycle initiatives. Ashley Mitts is the Director of Marketing at Softek. In her current role, she is in charge of developing and implementing the company's overarching marketing strategy to improve brand awareness and support product offerings. She also leads Softek's integrated digital and social presence, including social strategy, content creation, and digital promotions to drive lead generation and sales. Prior to Softek, Ashley spent seven years at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City as Marketing Manager, developing and executing marketing and communications campaigns and strategies. Connect with Kyle Crow & Ashley Mitts Key Takeaways - Success in technology solutions, especially in healthcare, hinges on understanding and addressing client pain points. - Data plays a pivotal role in streamlining processes between healthcare providers and payers, emphasising the need for efficient data management systems. - Building strong partnerships and gaining referrals from satisfied clients can be more impactful than traditional marketing strategies in healthcare technology. - Embracing ongoing learning through industry-specific resources or broad skill-enhancing literature is essential for growth and success. Quote "Our vision is really to deliver innovative solutions to help solve complex problems within the electronic medical record space." - Kyle Crow "All of our ideas for products come from our clients and the pain points that they're having with their systems." - Ashley Mitts Recommended Resource How to Win Friends and Influence People KLAS Research Becker's Hospital Review HubSpot LinkedIn Connect with ⁠Kyle Crow⁠ & ⁠Ashley Mitts⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Tara Quehl interviews Harsha Chachadi on all things ABM. Harsha emphasises the role of strategy over technology in ABM, introduces the 5 “W” Framework, and shares insights from his journey with FM Global. He discusses the importance of understanding your audience, tailoring content, choosing the proper communication channels, and timing. Addressing the challenges of recent market volatility, Harsha champions a customer-centric approach in our current information-saturated era, suggesting that businesses must pivot from product promotion to genuinely addressing customer needs. About the Guest Harsha leads Global Marketing Campaigns and ABM at FM Global, to support retention, renewal, growth, and profitability goals. With close to 20 years of experience across ABM, large deals, digital, social, industry and product marketing, demand generation, business analysis, presales, and account management he rolls with ‘Customer is the center of our universe’, ‘focus on audience journeys and integrated experiences’ and ‘here is your cherry on the top’.  Harsha along with his telecom engineer wife and two fast-growing kids, is based in Northern Virginia. He holds a master’s degree in management, and a bachelor’s degree in engineering. Connect with Harsha Chachadi Key Takeaways - Experience in various marketing aspects can provide a holistic view and better preparedness for specialised fields like ABM. - While technology plays a role in ABM, it should include the strategy and execution components. - Before scaling any strategy, demonstrate its efficacy with a few significant changes to ensure it's effective. - Applying ABM principles should evolve based on experience and market trends. - Choosing the right company environment is pivotal for successful ABM implementation. - The 5 “W” Framework focuses on the questions: Why, Who, What, Where, and When. - Always prioritise the customer's perspective, ensuring your strategies are relevant and timely to their needs. - Continuously question the purpose behind your actions, ensuring alignment with company and customer goals. - Clearly define and understand your target audience, stakeholders, and decision-makers. - Establish a strong value proposition and ensure your message aligns with it. - Identify the best platforms and touchpoints to communicate your message and reach your audience effectively. - Engage and educate the sales team to ensure a consistent approach towards customer-centricity. - Traditional marketing methods might need to be unlearned when adopting ABM, which focuses on customer-first approaches. Quote “When you start with the customer's challenges; their wants, their needs and what they are trying to solve for, it becomes so much more meaningful to them." – Harsha Chachadi Connect with Harsha Chachadi⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Alex Pavia interviews Ellina Shinnick to discuss key strategies to navigate the challenges of modern marketing and leadership. Ellina shares her extensive experience in managing complex roles, emphasising the need for focus, curiosity, and discipline in today's marketing environment. She delves into her approach to omnichannel strategies, team building, customer understanding, and leveraging generative AI while maintaining a crucial human touch in content development. Ellina's insights extend across various aspects of marketing, from digital transformation in traditional industries to the nuances of content creation in complex sales environments. Her perspective offers invaluable advice for both seasoned and emerging marketers in the SaaS and B2C sectors. About the Guest Ellina Shinnick is the Chief Marketing Officer for HUB International. She is based in Chicago and oversees a global marketing organisation. Ellina leads the strategy for both the HUB and VIU by HUB brands that span B2C and B2B customer segments. During her tenure with HUB, Ellina built the Marketing Center of Excellence, growing the organisation from 12 employees to more than 100 contributors. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ellina led the charge to position HUB as a partner for its clients and prospects, developing a marketing strategy that provided pertinent content and virtual events to help them navigate the pandemic. She has also been instrumental in helping to advance HUB along its digital journey, investing in the latest marketing technology and skillsets that enable HUB to connect with and serve its ever-changing client base. Additionally, Ellina oversaw the design and launch of multiple HUB brand refreshes and the launch of HUB’s newest brand - VIU by HUB. Connect with Ellina Shinnick Key Takeaways - Success in higher roles often hinges on the ability to strategise effectively and build strong, capable teams. - Understand and implement an omnichannel approach to meet evolving customer expectations in a digital world. - Develop tactics to engage new and existing customers through digital and hybrid channels. - Embrace an omni-channel approach to meet customer expectations for seamless interactions across different platforms. - Go beyond the surface to fully understand the customer's business and the macro dynamics impacting them. - Focus on storytelling that is driven by performance metrics and market insights. - Blend creativity with a solid understanding of business metrics and KPIs. - Approach marketing strategies with empathy and curiosity about the customer as an individual. - Utilise generative AI for content creation, but always keep human expertise in the loop, especially in regulated industries. - Identify areas where AI can be appropriately used without compromising the depth of advice and industry-specific requirements. - Focus equally on understanding both end consumers and internal stakeholders. - Actively work on building culture and high performance, especially in remote settings. - Apply the same discipline, focus, and strategic thinking to all aspects of your role, from talent strategy to technology implementation. Quote “Pause, listen, and be curious about your buyer as a whole individual.” – Ellina Shinnick Recommended Resource - Dare to Lead by Brené Brown - Radical Candor by Kim Scott  - Think Again by Adam Grant - Marketing Brew - Morning Brew - Finance Brew Connect with Ellina Shinnick⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Katharine Noonan interviews Erik Kostelnik on thriving in the MarTech space. Erik underscores the critical need to build customer-centric brands, carefully balance marketing investments, and prioritise hiring skilled marketers for storytelling and brand development. He highlights the importance of creating a human-first brand strategy that values customer engagement and relationships. He advises marketers to cut through the noise of the marketplace. He underscores the value of hiring skilled marketers who craft compelling stories and develop brands that listen and respond to customer needs. About the Guest Erik Kostelnik is a serial entrepreneur, professor, and investor with over 15 years of experience building and scaling technology companies in the B2B space. He is the founder and CEO of Postal, an offline marketing automation platform and marketplace that helps personalise, automate, and scale direct mail, internal and external events, branded company swag, and personalised gifts.  Connect with Erik Kostelnik Key Takeaways - Cultivate a brand that resonates with and delights customers, encourages sharing, and integrates seamlessly with users' systems to foster organic growth and customer loyalty. - Allocate marketing spending strategically between digital and physical outreach for balanced engagement. - Focus on increasing conversion rates by innovating within typically underutilised channels. - Prioritise hiring talented marketers to build a strong brand and tell compelling stories. - Listen to customers and partners to become adept problem solvers and improve your offerings. - Integrate customer interactions with brand-building efforts to showcase real value and foster loyalty. - Aim to transform every product experience into a potential user acquisition channel. - Focus on problem-solving and adding genuine customer value, which builds brand loyalty. - In challenging economic times, selectively target a customer base with transparent, addressable needs. - View human capital as the bedrock of your business and prioritise hiring individuals who align with your brand’s mission and values. - Develop a human-first brand strategy that prioritises customer relationships and personal engagement. - Prioritise direct feedback from customers to tailor the technology to their journey. Quotes “You’ve got to hire great marketers. We believe in brands, great marketers, and in telling good stories. Part of our development of Postal has always been to be the best storytellers out there and listen to our customers.” – Erik Kostelnik Recommended Resource Podcast – Taking Flight: GTM Experiments From Today's Top Leaders Benjamin Franklin: An American Life Paperback by Walter Isaacson Shout-Outs Manny Medina – CEO of Outreach Henry Schuck – CEO & Founder of ZoomInfo ⁠Connect with Erik Kostelnik⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Corrine Kasman interviews Daniella Latham on the evolving landscape of product marketing. Daniella emphasises the importance of voicing customer needs from the outset of product development, advocating for oneself, and crafting compelling, data-backed narratives. Her approach to building strong, genuine relationships across departments, particularly between product marketing and sales, underscores the necessity of understanding and aligning with sales goals for mutual success. She also shares insights into the role of AI in product marketing and how marketers can utilise AI as a tool to augment human capabilities to focus on solving customer problems. About the Guest Daniella Latham is a curious product marketer with experience leading marketing and growth strategies at some of the fastest-growing and innovative SaaS companies in the world She is passionate about product marketing craft, product-led growth, crafting rich narratives, and AI for business. Daniella has twice been named a top 100 product marketing influencer by the Product Marketing Alliance. Daniella is currently working at Atlassian on AI features across their product portfolio. Connect with Daniella Latham Key Takeaways - Voice customer needs and opinions from the beginning of the product development process. - You need to advocate for yourself. Promote your work and achievements, ensuring visibility and recognition within your organisation. - Develop the ability to craft compelling narratives backed by data to communicate with target audiences effectively. - Proactively contact sales teams to offer feedback and insights, fostering solid interdepartmental relationships. - Recognise the sales team's objectives, such as closing deals and customer satisfaction, to align marketing strategies accordingly. - Build genuine relationships rather than viewing interactions as mere transactions. - AI should be used to augment, not replace, human capabilities. - Focus on how AI solves customer problems rather than just listing features. - Listen to sales calls to identify knowledge gaps and customer concerns. - Embrace AI for automating tasks and mining insights from various data sources. - Shift towards more targeted, specific marketing that addresses core customer segments. - Recognise the growing importance of community in establishing brand trust and authenticity. - Prioritise genuine, human-centric approaches in an increasingly AI-driven world. Quote "Understand what the sales team’s goals are and then frame how you build relationships around that." Recommended Resource Wes Kao’s Newsletter Lenny’s Newsletter  Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career with Lenny Rachitsky Product Marketing Alliance Shout-Outs Matt Hodges – Head of Product Marketing at Equals Andrew Capland – Founder of Delivering Value Mary Sheehan – Head of Lightroom Product Marketing at Adobe ⁠Connect with Daniella Latham⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Chris Moody interviews Jana Eggers on explainability, trends, and tools in AI marketing. Jana emphasizes the need for transparency to identify and correct biases, urging the prioritization of user needs over technological capabilities. She argues that explainability should not be an afterthought but a fundamental aspect of AI. Chris and Jana discuss trends in AI-driven personalization in marketing, pointing out the need for more nuanced feedback mechanisms. The conversation then shifts to best practices for utilizing AI in marketing strategies. Jana advises a balanced approach, combining trust in AI with human expertise and scepticism.  About the Guest Jana Eggers is CEO of the neuroscience-inspired artificial intelligence platform company Nara Logics. She’s an experienced tech exec focused on inspiring teams to build great products. She’s started and grown companies and has also led large organizations at public companies. She is active in customer-inspired innovation, the artificial intelligence industry, as well as running and triathlons. She’s held technology and executive positions at Intuit, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Basis Technology, Lycos, American Airlines, Spreadshirt, and more.  Connect with Jana Eggers Key Takeaways - Understanding the reasoning behind AI's decisions is crucial for practical sales, marketing, and healthcare applications. - Transparency in AI helps identify and correct biases, ensuring fair and ethical use of technology. - Prioritise understanding user needs over purely focusing on technological capabilities. - Explainability in AI should be viewed not as an add-on but as a crucial element for effective and contextualised user interaction. - Challenge the 'better results' notion to include practical usability and relevance to users' contexts. - Engaging with LLMs helps develop a broader understanding and literacy of AI among users and organisations. - Popular items can sometimes skew AI recommendations, leading to less relevant suggestions. - The goal is to evolve AI systems to a point where users feel that recommendations are genuinely tailored for them. - Don't over-trust AI; use it as a tool while maintaining critical thinking and scepticism. - Employing AI when scaling beyond human capabilities, such as handling multiple data segments, is needed. Quote "Tuning these AI systems without having that explainability is really kind of like surgery with your eyes closed." – Jana Eggers Recommended Resource  Elements of AI: https://www.elementsofai.com ⁠Connect with Jana Eggers⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Chris Moody interviews Dora Boussias on the nuances of developing a robust data strategy and balancing immediate data requirements with a long-term vision. She underscores the need to align teams, particularly sales and marketing, around a unified set of goals and metrics and foster an environment encouraging transparency and teamwork. Dora also stresses the critical balance between data-driven storytelling and emotional intelligence, emphasising the need for professionals to build relationships and communicate effectively in the workplace. Throughout the conversation, they discuss the importance of adapting to change, investing in soft skills, and the mutual respect required for successful collaboration. About the Guest Dora Boussias is a business data and technology strategic thought leader and practitioner with deep domain expertise in data & analytics, enterprise architecture, and digital transformation; accustomed to walking the line between Business & IT, comfortable with driving change at global organizations.  Dora is a passionate frequent speaker on the topics of data, organizational culture, and transformational leadership. She advocates for ‘women in tech’ and was recognized on the ‘Global Data Power Women List 2023’. Dora is a sought-out mentor/coach by early to senior career professionals. She also serves on several advisory boards leveraging her domain expertise and exposure to Financial Services, Insurance, Retail, Education, and Healthcare/MedTech over her 29-year career. Connect with Dora Boussias  Key Takeaways - Coupling technical expertise with a firm grasp of business operations is essential. - Aim to rapidly access and trust your data, ensuring it meets operational needs and scalability. - Align your team with a shared language and common goals to prioritise data initiatives effectively. - Immediate solutions should consider potential future applications to avoid costly revisions later on. - Build what is necessary for the present while strategically advancing toward a well-defined target state methodically. - Design data systems that adapt to the macro economy, industry, and technology changes. - Clear, shared goals and understanding standard success metrics are foundational for effective teamwork. - Transparency and accountability in roles and expectations encourage a united effort towards organisational objectives. - Asking "What can I do to help you?" rather than "What can you do for me?" shifts the focus to mutual support and expected progress. - Change is inevitable, and resisting it is futile. Instead, embracing change and seeking collaboration leads to shared success. - Respecting what each person brings and approaching interactions with curiosity can drive better collaboration. - Recognise the importance of personal development in soft skills, often overlooked in traditional education, to improve workplace dynamics. Quote "When we work together, we are going further together." – Dora Boussias Recommended Resource https://dataverse.com  Some good people: Could you share the names of 3 inspirational people in the B2B space that you recommend we bring to the show? George Firican – Founder of LightsOnData Consulting & Training ⁠Connect with Dora Boussias⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Kelly Hopping interviews Jane Lee on her transition from B2C to B2B marketing. Jane discusses the significance of a strong brand as a sustainable competitive advantage, the necessity of aligning brand position with company vision, and the importance of building brand equity and customer connections. Jane emphasises adapting marketing strategies to support overall business goals, aligning them with sales objectives, and focusing on processes that lead to measurable outcomes. Jane also shares her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for rapidly adaptable marketing strategies in crises. Lastly, we discuss the shift from B2C to B2B marketing regarding data strategies, emphasising the value of direct customer data.  About the Guest Jane Gasparian Lee is the Managing Director of B2B Marketing at United Airlines. She leads the United for Business marketing strategy and B2B product development. Prior to joining United Airlines, Jane worked for 10+ years in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry at PepsiCo.  Most recently, she led the product innovation team at Quaker Foods, developing a robust innovation pipeline to drive category growth.  During her time at PepsiCo, she also launched a healthy snacks portfolio for the Chinese market. Connect with Jane Lee Key Takeaways - A robust and well-defined brand is a key sustainable competitive advantage in any market. - Clearly define your brand's position and ensure alignment with the company vision. - Prioritise building brand equity and customer connection, which is crucial for long-term success. - Shift focus from isolated marketing tasks to strategies that align with and support overall business goals. - Align marketing strategies with sales objectives for cohesive and effective business operations. - Prioritise strategies and tactics that lead to specific, measurable business outcomes. - Steer clear of metrics that do not contribute to actual revenue or business success. - B2C digital experiences shape customer expectations in B2B environments. - Develop self-service digital options for B2B customers, allowing for efficient and independent transactions. - Stay attuned to changing digital preferences and behaviours, especially post-pandemic shifts in online purchasing. - Quickly adapt marketing strategies in response to sudden industry changes or crises. - High data quality helps you use verified information for more accurate insights. - Prioritise hiring skilled data scientists to effectively manipulate and draw insights from the data. - Be transparent and proactive in identifying and addressing data collection and analysis gaps. Quote "The only sustainable competitive advantage is your brand." – Jane Lee Recommended Resource Podcast: The Daily Podcast Book: Getting More by Stuart Diamond ⁠Connect with Jane Lee⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Chris Moody interviews Meredith on B2B marketing. She discusses the need to understand buyers' functional and emotional needs and stresses the importance of authenticity and empathy in marketing. Meredith greatly advocates for realistic communication and tangible evidence to support product claims. Her key strategies include developing detailed customer personas, engaging with sales teams for direct feedback, and continuously testing marketing messages to ensure relevance. Meredith highlights the effectiveness of conversational marketing and the importance of comprehensive strategies that focus on customer retention and acquisition. This conversation offers valuable takeaways for anyone in the B2B space looking to enhance their marketing strategies and build stronger customer relationships. About the Guest Meredith has an extensive career in marketing and product management with leadership roles at high-growth and Fortune 500 companies in healthcare and financial services. Most recently, Meredith was Director of Enterprise and Collaborative Marketing at Walgreens, where she led B2B product and brand marketing for the company. A data-driven go-to-market strategist, Meredith is excited about identifying innovative solutions that address current and future customer needs. Connect with Meredith Hein Key Takeaways - Understand and cater to the functional and emotional requirements of your B2B buyers. - Make sure to communicate realistically about your products and services to build trust with your buyers. - Demonstrate, don't just claim. Use tangible evidence like data, demonstrations, and customer testimonials to substantiate your claims. - Foster genuine connections with customers by being authentic and empathetic in your marketing communications. - Understand the full scope of customer personas. Consider both the role of the customer within their organisation and their stage in the buying process. - Develop specific personas for important targets to tailor your approach effectively. - Engage with sales and account management teams for direct customer feedback and insights. - Focus on understanding what worries your customers, which can inform how to position your services to address their concerns. - Continuously test your marketing messages with essential target buyers to ensure relevance and engagement. - Foster genuine, conversational interactions with B2B buyers to create a more human and relatable marketing experience. - Employ a comprehensive marketing strategy surrounding your customers with positive messages about your product. - Focus on current and potential clients in your marketing efforts to build stronger relationships. - Aim not just for customer retention but also for turning customers into advocates for your brand. Quote “The B2B buyer is supporting an entire organization, even if it is a small business, and they have emotional needs as well. As a B2B marketer, you need to think about partnering with your account and sales team to help support those emotional needs.” – Meredith Hein Recommended Resource Range by David Epstein Shout-outs Adam Terenas – CEO & Founder of Health Launchpad Chris Rahill – Chief Strategy Officer at Yamamoto Dawn-Marie Kerper – Executive Consultant at Ogilvy ⁠Connect with Meredith Hein⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠