Be a B2B Leader - Your B2B knowledge base

Marketers have a tough job. There are lots of tactics, strategies, and tools that work and most of us suffer from the shiny-object syndrome. So how do you find balance in this role? In this episode, Jakub Grajcar explains what a marketer's mindset is and why you should adapt it to be better and happier in your role.Timestamps:(00:55) - What is a marketer's mindset(05:10) - You need introspection(06:30) - how to find motivation - practical advice - how to identify highlights that affect your life(12:00) - The change in values(13:00) - Start thinking about your ideal future(19:50) - Several identities depending on the situation to navigate your role(25:00) - How do you stay consistent in your actions(29:00) - The biggest takeaway(31:10) - Where you can find JakubContent mentioned:Vivid vision - Ted talkA liberated mind - Steven HayesTodd Herman - Alter-ego effectZenPilot.comJakub on LinkedIn

Video is the content format that every business owner looks into. Everyone is aware of its power but many people who start investing quickly cut the budget because they don't see a clear ROI. By listening to this episode you will learn how to leverage video in B2B and what metrics you have to pay attention to to make it work. You will also learn where video fits in your overall marketing strategy.Timestamps:(00:35) - Where does video fit in the overall marketing strategy of B2B companies(02:20) - Where to start investing(04:40) - Start internally or outsource the production(08:30) - What types of video should B2B companies leverage?(12:00) - You don't need thousands of views(14:20) - Practical advice to start(19:00) - Don't freestyle, have a script(21:10) - Remote production of video(25:00) - Will more companies employ creators?(28:20) - The biggest takeaway from this conversation(29:40) - Where you can find JosephJosef on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/josef-newton/UseSway.co

Understanding your context and the impact of the fundamental attribution bias is key to being a good leader. The context you are in is changing and the awareness can help you make better decisions. By listening to this episode you will learn how fundamentals enable us to achieve more. Our guest shares what you can do to have better context comprehension and a holistic perspective on running your business.Timestamps:(00:45) - What's the advice you'd give someone who wants to become a business leader?- You have to understand your context(1:55) - Why is it hard to understand our context?(5:30) - Fundamentals allow you to make the right selection(6:20) - What can people do to better understand their context?(11:30) - What to include in the checklist(14:00) - Why is it important to look at the business holistically?(20:30) - Importance of communication across the company and values(24:10) - What's the biggest takeaway from this conversation? - context is key(25:00) - Where can people find you and how can you help them?Tomasz on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomaszogrodzinski/

Everyone has heard about Web3, but we still don't know how it will change the B2B landscape. That's why we asked Armin ZadakBar about this.We kick off the discussion by unraveling the concept of Web3, Armin explains how it represents the next evolution of the internet, characterized by decentralized networks, blockchain technology, and user empowerment.As the conversation progresses, Armin sheds light on why it is crucial for businesses and business leaders to embrace Web3 and explores the possibilities it offers for customer interaction.We delve deeper into the practical applications of Web3, particularly for service-oriented businesses. Armin shares tactics that you can employ to leverage Web3 technology and discusses how more traditional companies can adapt to it.Ultimately, Armin emphasizes the critical takeaway: Web3 is a reality that is here to stay, and it should be perceived as an infrastructure for businesses to build new solutions.Listen to this episode to learn how Web3 can be applied to your business!Timestamps:(00:43) - What is web3?(05:30) - Why is it important for businesses and business leaders to look into it?(07:15) - How you can interact with customers in web3(12:00) - Service businesses in web3(12:50) - What are the tactics people can use to leverage web3 in their business?(20:40) - How will more traditional businesses adapt to web3?(24:20) - Waiting for the breakthrough in web3(26:05) - Web3 is a fact and it's not gonna go away, look at it as an infrastructure(27:20) - OutroYou can find Armin at:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/arminzadakbar/ArminBar - https://thearminbar.com/Glamblocks - https://www.glamblocks.com/European Web3 Organization - https://europeanweb3.org/Visit "resources" to download a Web3 Business Design Canvas

In this episode, Paris answers some key questions about Google Ads that B2B Leaders might have. He explains where Google Ads fits into the overall B2B marketing strategy and when to run performance max campaigns.By listening to this episode you will learn more about value-based bidding and why it's important, particularly in the context of SaaS vs. enterprise deals. Paris shares with us how intent data can be used in conjunction with Google Ads and explains why we have to focus on marketing fundamentals instead of hacks!Listen to this episode to explore the world of Google Ads with Paris Childress and Felicjan Rybka.Timestamps:(00:40) - What do you wish every B2B Leader would know about Google Ads?(02:20) - Is it easier to become a Google Ads specialist?(03:00) - Where do Google ads fit in the overall b2b marketing strategy?(04:30) - When to run performance max campaigns(05:30) - When do you reach the maximum efficiency of paid search?(09:30) - What is value-based bidding and why is it important?(14:00) - SaaS vs enterprise deals and value-based bidding(17:30) - Where do Google ads fit into dark social?(21:00) - Using intent data and Google ads(24:30) - Downloading data to put it into Google ads(26:00) - The biggest takeaway - we've gone full circle(31:50) - Where you can find ParisLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/parischildress/Hop Online - https://hop.online/Paris talks Marketing - https://podcasts.apple.com/bg/podcast/paris-talks-marketing/id1535338813

Meaghan Ziemba, owner of Z-Ink Solutions and host of Mavens of Manufacturing, shares her insights on empowerment and how we can help women break into male-dominated sectors. Meaghan talks about how giving someone the authority to make decisions or take action can build trust and what impact it can have on your business. She also emphasizes the importance of showing up as yourself and being honest in the professional world.Meaghan explains how making mistakes and sharing them with others can be a catalyst for change. We discuss how women can thrive in environments where relationships matter and offer practical tips on how to encourage people to join "scary" sectors.By the end of this conversation, you will gain a deeper understanding of how empowerment can be a powerful tool for change, and how you can support women and children in entering male-dominated fields. Tune in to learn from Meaghan's experience and insights.Timestamps:(00:00) - Intro(01:05) - What should B2B leaders know about empowerment?(05:20) - Why is it important to show up as yourself? - you can't hide behind a curtain(09:05) - Honesty in business makes a world of a difference crucial for(11:40) - Why do you have to make mistakes and share them with others(13:30) - How honesty is changing men-dominated sectors? - What is the role of men in the change(20:15) - Women can thrive in environments where relationships matter.(24:30) - How to encourage people to join "scary" sectors?(28:30) - what's the biggest takeaway from this conversation?(31:08) - Where can people find you and how can you help them?"Meaghan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/meaghan-ziemba/Mavens of manufacturing - https://mavensofmanufacturing.com/Mavens on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNazsugt6JtABAtfXqQUL9Q

In today's episode, we have a very special guest: Shama Hyder, CEO of Zen Media, a digital marketing and PR firm that helps tech-driven B2B brands become leaders in their industry.During our interview, Shama shares valuable insights about PR and Earned Media, and how B2B leaders can leverage these strategies to increase their market share and become front runners in their industry. We cover a range of topics, including the difference between PR and Earned Media, the best strategies for leveraging Earned Media, and the role of thought leadership in this space.If you're a B2B leader looking to take your marketing and PR efforts to the next level, then this episode is a must-listen. Tune in and learn from one of the best in the business. And if you enjoy this episode, be sure to check out our other episodes, where we explore a wide range of topics related to B2B.Timestamps:(00:55) - What should every B2B Leader know about Earned Media and PR?(02:30) - How do you start leveraging Earned Media (content types)?(07:30) - Avoiding blame in B2B(13:10) - PR vs Earned Media vs News(19:36) - What you should avoid and what you should do when starting with PR?(29:30) - What is the role of thought leadership in earned media?(35:20) - What's the biggest takeaway from this conversation? Learn how buyers buy(37:00) - Where you can find ShamaShama on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shamahyder/ZenMedia.com

In this episode of Be a B2B Leader we explore the world of inbound marketing and how it can help businesses succeed. Our guest is James Metzger, the Founder of Aspire Marketing, where they help companies make the right decisions to attract the best customers.During the interview, James provides insight into the value of both inbound and outbound marketing and how businesses often fail to understand the relationship between the two. He shares his expertise on the benefits of inbound marketing, nurturing relationships, and diversifying your marketing portfolio.James also discusses the key factors that business leaders should consider when choosing their marketing strategy, including the data they should be looking at and who should be making the decisions. He also provides a detailed process and mix of tactics for businesses to start leveraging inbound marketing to attract and retain customers.By listening to this episode you will gain an understanding of the relationship between inbound and outbound, the benefits of social selling, and the importance of diversifying marketing strategies.Timestamps:00:58 - What should every b2b leader know about inbound and outbound?05:10 - The biggest value of inbound07:00 - You have to diversify your marketing portfolio07:50 - How do you learn which approach will work best for you?11:10 - Who should pick the strategy mix and what data you should look at19:40 - Social selling to nurture relationships23:30 - Helping others and removing obstacles25:50 - A detailed process and mix of tactics to start leveraging inbound33:35 - What's the biggest takeaway?35:50 - Where you can find James?Aspire Marketing - https://aspiremarketing.io/James on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-metzger/

We have to start using data to make informed decisions on our marketing investments. Everyone can agree with that, but how do you start?Our guest is Lily Ubaja, a Content Strategist for B2B SaaS Companies who helps them reach their audience with content that's valuable, right where they are.Lily shares with us how we can make informed decisions to reach our dream customers. She explains what are the things we should be looking at when evaluating our past clients and how we can use leverage this data to drive revenue. Lily explains that sometimes we have to look at our target audience as “several audiences of one”, to learn what this means listen to this episode.For more B2B tips subscribe to Be a B2B Leader in your favorite app.Timestamps:00:45 - What should every B2B Leader know about marketing and data05:07 - How can you use data to better serve your customers07:00 - The Canva example08:40 - How to profile your best customers11:15 - Approaching customer research with an open mind12:15 - Going to events to learn about your dream customers16:30 - How do you learn where your customers hang out online?18:40 - how to start building your reputation?21:45 - What are zero-volume keywords and their role?26:30 - Where you can find LilyLily on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/lilyugbaja/Lily's website - https://lilyugbaja.com/

Career paths are rarely linear, we don't know what will happen in our lives and we have to adapt to constant change. But you can be future-proof if you start taking on new challenges.Our guest is Nancy O'Leary, the Vice President of Custom Direct where they help small to medium-sized manufacturers with innovative, brand-building strategies and solutions.Nancy shares with us her career path, she explains how a positive attitude and testing the unknown has helped her over the years. You will learn why you always have to be honest in order to grow. But we'll also talk about the role of luck in our careers.Later we jump on the topic of marketing in the manufacturing industry. Nancy shares with us what is changing in this space and how manufacturers have to adapt. She will also explain why a good website is a must-have for every person who is serious about growth.For more B2B tips subscribe to Be a B2B Leader in your favorite app.Timestamps:(00:40) - What should every B2B Leader know about career development?(03:20) - Why you have to believe in your success(07:08) - What approach should we take to our careers?(17:15) - The role of luck in our careers(21:05) - Why do we sometimes have to show vulnerability(24:10) - The state of marketing in manufacturing(29:20) - Why you have to have a good website (31:00) - What's the biggest takeaway - don't be afraid to say yes(33:00) - Where you can find NancyLinks:Custom Direct - https://www.customdirect.com/Nancy on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/olearynancy/Email oleary@customdirect.comBooks mentioned:Atomic Habits - James Clear

B2B is much easier if your teams are aligned. The thing is that alignment isn't easy. More often than not you'll have problems and in the end, you will have to follow a process to reach it. In this episode, you will learn how to do it!Our guest is Steffen Hedebrandt - the Chief Marketing Officer & Co-Founder of Dreamdata which helps companies solve one of the biggest problems in B2B - Revenue Attribution.Steffen will tell us how we can facilitate the alignment of sales and marketing teams. He shares the 3 necessary steps to do it and explains why we have to look at data to repeat successful tactics. Steffen also shares what is self-reported attribution and what role it plays in your analytics. But most importantly, he shares how you can use it to improve the customer experience!For more B2B tips subscribe to Be a B2B Leader in your favorite app.Timestamps:(00:50) - What should every B2B Leader know about sales and marketing - sales and marketing need each other(03:20) - What is the key step for growth? - figuring out your ICP(06:15) - The second step - understanding where your ICP expresses intent(07:40) - How do you find out where your ICP hangs out(10:00) - Empowering employees to build their personal brands(11:40) - The third step - stacking ideas(13:15) - Should content be the main revenue driver in today's organizations?(15:20) - How to identify which content works?(17:55) - Should you use self-reported attribution?(20:30) - How can companies improve the customer experience with data?(22:30) - How to start tracking offline actions?(24:50) - How often should sales and marketing talk with each other?(27:20) - What is the biggest takeaway from this conversation?(28:20) - Where you can find Steffen and what does DreamData doLinkedIn - Steffen -https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffenhedebrandt/Dreamdata.io - https://dreamdata.io/Books mentioned: Tribes - Seth Godin

To be an effective leader you have to be a great communicator and realize that communication is always a two-way street.Our guest is Gina Balarin, the Founder and Director of Verballistics where they help companies do B2B communication better.In this episode, Gina will tell us how we can practice two-way communication and how work has changed over the last few years. She tells us why marketing teams have to first listen to their audience before they start sending messages and why we should look beyond our customers.We also talk about relationships in business and why people like to work with people they like. On top of that, Gina shares how intrapreneurs can change organizations and why businesses have to be more people-centric than they used to be in the past.For more B2B tips subscribe to Be a B2B Leader in your favorite app.Timestamps:(01:06) - What should every B2B Leader know about communication?(03:30) - People-centric mindset(06:25) - How to practice 2-way communication(13:55) - Do we always need processes to facilitate work?(17:20) - How intrapreneurs change organizations(19:15) - Work is not anymore transactional - it's more about relationships(24:30) - Is marketing about our customers or should we look into our customers customers?(30:30) - Who should I interview next?(31:30) - Where you can find GinaLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginabalarin/Verballistics - https://www.verballistics.com.au/The Secret Army: Leadership, Marketing and the Power of People - https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Army-Leadership-Marketing-People/dp/1544836341

To break into a new industry you have to have a good strategy. In this episode, you will learn how to prepare for the expansion.Our guest is Dave Poulos a Marketing executive that creates and executes strategies for diverse companies across nearly all industriesDavid will tell us what every entrepreneur should focus on to be successful in this journey. He shares how you can determine the size of the market, how you can learn what people care about and how you can do it on a limited budget. Dave explains why every purchase ever made is an emotional decision and the role of trust when selling in B2B.For more B2B tips subscribe to Be a B2B Leader in your favorite app.Timestamps:(00:05) - Intro(00:45) - What should every B2B leader know if they want to break into a new market segment?(03:45) - How to determine the size of a market(05:30) - What questions should you ask during customer research(08:20) - Learning what people care about when exploring a new segment. structure the buying committee in a new segment(10:10) - Role of trust(11:30) - How to explain the need for a budget for research.(13:45) - Expanding on a limited budget - PR(16:10) - Is PR still effective(17:50) - Sharing expertise without giving out the secret sauce and the role of consultants(21:40) - Hiring experts from industries you want to break into(23:50) - Experts aren't always experts(29:20) - What's the biggest takeaway - you can not know your customer well enough, you have to understand them emotionally(33:30) - Where can you find Dave and how he can help youhttps://davidpoulos.com/ - websitedavidpoulos.com/blog - whitepaper - getting inside your customer's headDavid on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dgpoulos/

Many companies want to go global, but many fail because of wrong assumptions or strategies. In this episode, you'll learn what they should focus on and what every B2B Leader can do to set the company up for success. You'll learn why companies should go global and why cost optimization shouldn't be your primary reason.Our guest is Patrick Jamal the president of global operations at Maxima Consulting. Patrick explains how every country is different and what approach we should take to see the ROI in Going Global. Later in the interview, he tells us how your network can help expand your business and why relationships matter.Timestamps:(00:00) - Intro(01:04) - What should every B2B Leader know about operating globally(03:30) - Why are you going there? - what that place can offer you?(04:40) - What's the best reason to go abroad? - and why the price benefit is not what it was some time ago(07:10) - Each country is different and you are the guest(08:30) - Everyone has problems(12:00) - How to pick the best locations for IT operations(15:57) - Best advice, set the expectations(17:16) - How to get the first hire right(20:30) - Build your network and ask for help(23:45) - When can you see the ROI of an expansion?(27:20) - Do bigger investments destroy the market?(29:45) - Takeaway - be honest and nothing happens overnight(32:55) - Where you can find PatrickPatrick on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickjamal/Maxima Consulting - https://maximaconsulting.com/

By listening to this episode you'll learn why you should start creating content with input from Subject Matter Experts. Victor Ijidola the Founder of Premium Content Shop tells us about the idea of T-shaped content that has to provide value for your business and your audience.He shares how we can leverage thought leadership content in marketing and where it really makes sense. On top of that, he tells us about two distribution strategies to ensure our audience sees the content we produce. We talk about the role of SEO and why the approach to creating content in many businesses is broken.Timestamps:(01:00) - What is t-shaped content and how to leverage it in marketing?(02:30) - How to identify what's valuable for your audience(03:30) - When to involve subject matter experts in content creation(05:50) - Is such content more valuable(08:10) - SEO vs thought leadership(11:50) - how to ensure your ICP sees your content - 2 strategies(14:40) - how do you test if your content is interesting(17:50) - how to approach SEO - video(19:30) - creating content in a "difficult" niche(22:10) - how to structure "thought leadership" content(23:55) - Why you shouldn't fully outsource content(27:00) - What's the biggest takeaway: work with subject matter experts(30:10) - Where you can find VictorPremium Content Shop - https://premiumcontentshop.com/Victor on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/content-strategist-victor/

I had a problem with my microphone this time, so the quality isn't as good as it was before. However, I wanted to launch this episode because Nemanja shared a lot of great insights for all people who work in B2B.Buyer behaviors change, and so does the internet. In this episode, you will learn how to adapt to this situation. Nemanja Zivkovic the CEO of Funky Marketing tells us what the sales/marketing landscape looks like today.He shares how you can impact the buyer journey to ensure your Ideal Customers have a great experience from the first moment they interact with your brand. And he tells us the story of how he started Funky Marketing without previous experience in B2B.In this episode, you will also learn if you should pay attention to competitors. Nemanja has an interesting take on it. But he also shares why a unique Point of View is an unfair advantage in business.Timestamps:(00:45) - What should every B2B Leader know about buyers?(04:10) - Do all decision-makers change their behavior?(06:40) - How can we ensure a great buying experience?(10:30) - How do you learn how people buy in a situation where you are launching a new product/service?(13:30) - Is fostering relationships the key to success in B2B?(15:55) - Can you control the buyer journey?(19:30) - Creating and damming demand.(21:50) - How to start creating demand with a low budget?(28:00) - NICHE DOWN(29:30) - Biggest takeaway from Nemanja- have a unique POV(31:15) - Where you can find Nemanja and how can he help you?(32:20) - Who should I interview next?Nemanja on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zivkovicnemanja/Funky Marketing - https://www.funkymarketing.net/Funky Marketing Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/funkymarketing/Funky Marketing Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/funkymarketing.net/Funky Marketing Twitter - https://twitter.com/funkyymarketing

Today's guest is Mark Evans - a fractional CMO who helps B2B companies improve their marketing.By listening to this episode you will learn about positioning in the market. What it is and why every company should do a positioning exercise. Mark shares how it influences your business, your employees, and your clients. He explains why most businesses do it once and then forget about it for a long time.We learn that positioning doesn't have to be something big like Nike's “Just do it”, it can be simple as long as it matters to your customers. Mark tells us how to do a positioning exercise and how often we should check if our message resonates. He also explains what you can do to appeal to different types of customers when your solution can be applied in various verticals.Timestamps:(00:49) - What should every B2B Leader know about positioning? - video(02:20) - How to do a positiong exercies(08:20) - Does it have to be fancy and broad? Or is a simple strategy enough?(10:55) - blue ocean and talking to customers(12:40) - A story about a polish company that didn't adapt and what Mark finds when doing positioning exercises(16:05) - Are customers more likely to share feedback with a consultant than a business owner(20:07) - How do you identify if your customers care about their positioning?(22:10) - umbrella positioning and why positioning is an internal exercise(26:00) - What's the biggest takeaway from our conversation?(27:40) - How often should you do the positioning exercises?(29:20) - Where you can find Mark and what he doesMark on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/markev/Mark's website - https://www.marketingspark.co/

Today's guest is Adam Knihtila - the CFO for Growth-Minded Digital Marketing Agency Owners.By listening to this episode you will learn the most essential thing every B2B Leader should know about finance. Adam tells us what metrics we should focus on. Why each company should have an ultimate goal and how our priorities change based on it. We also talk about what an entrepreneur should do if they just want to sustain a business.At a later point, Adam explains the role the finance team plays in the whole strategy of the company. Moreover, he explains why the finance team "holds the strings" and why we have to have conversations.Timestamps:00:50 - What should every B2B Leader know about finance? - everybody should understand how their work impacts the company's revenue 03:57 - What are the metrics we should focus on? - how to define what metrics even matter11:05 - Why is it important to have an ultimate goal in the business? and how your priorities change based on it14:30 - What should you focus on when you want to sustain a business16:20 - you don't always have to grow your business20:40 - What do most people get wrong when it comes to financing24:00 - the finance team is there to make sure the business is going in the right direction24:55 If someone wants to move into a leadership role, what's the best thing they can do from a financial perspective?28:50 - 2 sentences What's the biggest takeaway from our conversation29:25 - Where you can find Adam 30:44 - Who should I interview next? Adam Kae Group - https://www.adamkae.com/Adam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamknihtila/

In this episode, our guest is Nick Bennett the Director of Evangelism & Customer Marketing at Alyce and the creator of Rep Your Brand Podcast.We dive deep into personal branding. Nick shares with us how his brand impacted his career and Alyce, but he also explains how it can impact you once you start building your own. You will learn some practical tips and how you can get started today.In the second part of the conversation, we discuss if every business owner should start working on their personal brand. There are a number of ways to do it and it's worth it when executed right. Nick explains why you don't have to post on LinkedIn every day, but it's good to have a presence in your industry.Timestamps:00:44 - When did Nick start building his brand and how it looked like at the beginning03:20 - What is Field Marketing05:50 - What should every B2B leader know about personal branding?08:20 - should everyone in the company create their own brand10:30 - How has Nick's brand impacted his career and the company he works for14:10 - Does it also impact recruitment16:00 - What does evangelism mean12:30 - Why is it important and what areas of business does it impact?19:10 - How can people start building their brands? and how nick would start it21:15 - How do you identify what you have to say?24:40 - How to deal with criticism - his personal experiences28:20 - Should every business owner build a brand?29:50 - BUILDING IN PUBLIC31:30 - Mix of sales and marketing leader34:30 - Where you can find Nick and AlyceNick on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickbennett1/Alyce - https://www.alyce.com/

In this episode Ryan shares with us why we have to approach marketing with a business mindset. He tells us that we have less control than we think and that marketing leaders have to be aware of that. We learn a few things about customer research, including how it impacts our approach to business and if the way we spend money makes sense.Ryan makes a great point about customer research: it's not about the questions you ask, but about the insights you want to get. Businesses face problems, but if you understand why the problem exists in the first place, then you can build a stronger connection with your audience.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro01:40 - What should every b2b marketing leader know about business?06:30 - Approach marketing with a business mindset10:10 - How to learn to speak with executivess?11:00 - How to work as a team with other people in the company16:00 - How can customer research impact our approach to business and who should do this research?21:45 - What are the 3 questions we have to ask our clients if we want to build a solid GTM strategy?25:52 - How you can approach people to ask for interviews?30:00 - how to learn about your audience if you have a very small TAM35:00 - Where you can find RyanLinks:Content Lift - https://www.contentlift.io/Ryan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-paul-gibsonCourse on customer research by Ryan - https://ryanpaulgibson.gumroad.com/l/suzriq?layout=discover&recommended_by=search

In this episode, you'll learn more about communication.Felicjan invited Sam Kuehnle, the VP of Demand Generation at Refine Labs, to learn more about this topic. Learning how to communicate is an often overlooked part of our lives, but at the same time, good communication skills can help us in every part of it.Sam tells us about the role communication plays in our careers. By listening to this episode, you will learn how to communicate with people in management and how to set the right expectations.We briefly talk about the importance of internal marketing and how you can get more allies for your campaigns by setting the right expectations. At a later stage, Sam shares with us a brilliant framework for getting buy-in on new ideas:communication - insight - insight - recommendation - how you're gonna do itWe also learn what many people get wrong when it comes to setting expectations. Your TAM is not your ICP, and Sam explains it based on examples from HubSpot and Marketo.Interview:00:00 - Intro00:50 - What should every B2B leader know about communication?02:20 - Communication with the CEO and other people in management - how your work as a marketer impacts the metrics they care about07:30 - Communication with other coworkers, the importance of internal marketing10:10 - Building in public in the company and who should champion it14:25 - How can we work with our managers if we want to implement new unconventional ideas?18:14 - The framework for getting buy-in on new ideas:communication - insight - insight - recommendation - how you're gonna do it23:10 - What do most CEOs get wrong in their companies?29:50 - The biggest takeaway: learn how to communicate better.30:50 - Where you can find Sam and what's Refine labs?Sam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samkuehnle/Refine Labs - https://www.refinelabs.com/

The manufacturing industry is an interesting one. It's responsible for a big part of the innovation in the world, but it's a mystery to many of us. To learn more about it Felicjan invited Cecilia Hamren, the VP of Field Marketing at Tacton Systems on to the show.Cecilia shares with us what marketing in the manufacturing industry looks like and how it's different from other industries. We learn about the tactics that work best and why building relationships is one of the best investments.In the 2nd part of the conversation, Felicjan asks Cecilia about the similarities and differences between marketers and engineers. What can we learn from each other and what to focus on when hiring for these roles.Cecilia on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceciliahamren/Tacton Systems - https://www.tacton.com/Timestamps:00:00 - intro + Cecilia's transition from engineering to marketing 02:18 - What should every B2B leader know about marketing in the manufacturing industry? 06:15 - Were Broken supply chains a challenge for marketing? 09:00 - What marketing tactics work best when selling to manufacturers 11:10 - The BDR team reports to marketing 13:05 - What can marketers learn from engineers? 16:20 - Should marketers learn about project management? 17:35 - Biggest difference between marketers and engineers 19:50 - Is recruiting for a marketing role different from recruiting engineers?22:50 - Dark social in manufacturing25:15 - Biggest takeaway - how manufacturing is different from other industries, demographics, generations, and structures 30:00 - Outro - Where you can find Cecilia and what does her company do?

Felicjan invited Jonas Molbech-Kuskner to teach us more about employer branding. Jonas is the founder of a creative employer branding agency where they help startups and scaleups personalize brands by giving a voice to the people behind their logo.In this episode, you will learn more about the fundamentals of employer branding and why you should actually focus on it. Jonas will explain where it should be placed in the overall strategy of your company, and he will also share a few tips so you can get started. At a later point, we will talk about boomerang employees and what they mean for a brand, the Employer Value Proposition, and how you can measure if your EB campaigns work.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro00:55 - What should every B2B Leader know about employer branding?02:05 - What are the fundamentals?03:40 - How can you show the employee experience - give a voice to employees06:37 - Give a voice to your people07:05 - Where should employer branding stand in the marketing strategy of a company?08:55 - How you can measure if employer branding is working11:40 - Are boomerang employees a reflection of a great employer brand?13:30 - Rabbit hole on firing people17:55 - Jonas shares a few tips with people who want to start doing employer branding. From building a foundation to attracting people with microcontent24:40 - Sometimes CEOs and management often don't understand what people are looking for.26:00 - Employer Value Proposition: the most over-rated trend30:10 - The biggest takeaway from our conversation: nobody has all the answers it's about communication.32:30 - Where you can find Jonas and OutroHume Agency - https://humeagency.com/Jonas on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonas-molbech-kuskner/

In this episode, Felicjan talks with Paul Slack, the CEO of Vende Digital, about managing up in a marketing role. Paul worked with many marketing leaders and he shares the things he learned throughout the years. We talk not only about managing up but also about the importance of horizontal alignment across the organization.Paul shares why we sometimes have to have difficult conversations and how we can navigate them to ensure the company is headed in the right direction. On top of that we learn how to talk with other stakeholders in the company to drive results. In the second half of the conversation, Paul tells us about the difference between the best and worst leaders. We learn how they work and what things they focus on in their day-to-day.Throughout the conversation, we talk about sales and marketing and how these roles should work together. Paul shares his experience of how we can get rid of friction and the blurry lines between the two. He also tells us why communication is always the key thing to work on.00:40 - What should every B2B leader know about managing up?04:05 - Managing horizontally if you want to manage up05:20 - What if the CEO doesn't know what marketing should do?09:00 - How the marketing function changed over the last 20 years10:00 - Can we apply demand generation to all parts of business?12:00 - Why do we have to have hard conversations? How to navigate such conversations15:30 - Be on the same side of the desk16:40 - The difference between a Good and Bad Marketing Leader19:30 - Focus on the fundamentals to solve the problems23:20 - Navigating between a few stakeholders and who you should support first26:20 - The blurry line between sales and marketing30:00 - How to get rid of the friction - communication31:25 - The quality of the best in the game34:30 - FUNDAMENTALS36:25 - Where you can find PaulPaul Slack - the Founder and CEO of Vende Digital a Full-Service B2B Digital AgencyVende Digital: B2B Digital Agency

In this episode of Be a B2B Leader we learn more about psychology from Phill Agnew the creator of Nudge - Marketing Science Simplified. Phill tells us why future B2B leaders should learn psychology and what are the 3 things they are responsible for. We talk a bit about the psychology behind motivation and dive a bit deeper on mastery . Phill shares why purpose, autonomy and mastery is often more valued by employees than a pay raise. And gives brilliant examples of nudges that we can leverage when it comes to business development.0:00 - intro1:00 - What should every b2b leader know about psychology?3:10 - Psychology behind motivation - purpose, autonomy, mastery5:06 - Why mastery is really important8:15 - What are nudges and the mere exposure effect with examples16:30 - Primacy effect - our brains use shortcuts and you're more likely to remember the first thing you hear or see22:00 - Become a master of presentations like Steve Jobs24:30 - What is the Dunning-Kruger effect and how does it affect our careers?31:02 - The biggest takeaway from our coversation, why we have to learn psychology no matter what you do35:00 - why you should listen to Nudge and where you can find Phill.Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm GladwellThe small BIG: small changes that spark big influence by Steve J. MartinThinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel KahnemanRICHARD CHATAWAY'S ‘THE BEHAVIOUR BUSINESS'Nudge on SpotifyPhill on LinkedInPhill on Twitter

In this episode of Be a B2B Leader, we interview Andrei Zinkevich to learn more about selling to enterprises and how it's different from selling to startups or consumers. Andrei explains what the buying cycle in such organizations looks like and how the buying committee is structured. Moreover, he gives a great analogy of why sales, marketing, and customer success have to work closely together as one team to sell high ACV products or services. He shares how we can align those teams and why communication is one of the most important aspects. Later he gives us examples of warm-up campaigns you can do to set yourself up for success. We also talk about the importance of customer interviews and why it's crucial to learn why you win or lose deals.0:55 - What should every b2b leader know about the buying cycle in enterprises? The committee structure6:30 - How you can identify blockers and what you should avoid when interacting with them12:45 - Who should run customer interviews when selling to enterprises?14:40 - Why do sales and marketing have to be one team to grow business? - great football example18:30 - What does it mean to be aligned22:00 - It's all about communication24:14 - 4 examples of warmup campaigns - what are warm-up campaigns and how you can use them30:00 - Don't think you can sell to enterprises as you sell to DTC or startupsfullfunnel.ioAndrei on Linkedin

Podcasts have taken the world by storm and a lot of B2B Companies realized their values. People are appearing on them to share their know-how, position themselves as experts, and build an intimate relationship with their target audience.In this episode, you will learn how you can make full use of podcast guesting. It's a medium that can help you in growing your business in a modern way. Jakub shares with us the approach his company takes to landing speaking opportunities and the things most people fail at.We speak about the results you can expect and how long you'll have to wait for them. But we also learn from Jakub the 3 things you can really influence by speaking on podcasts and how to identify shows you should appear on. Jakub Zajicek the Co-Founder & CMO at Speak On PodcastsInterview:0:00 - intro3:05 - What should every B2B Leader know about podcasts5:50 - Why do companies want to appear on podcasts7:10 - Share value instead of leading with a pitch9:30 - Why you should appear on smaller podcasts11:10 - Identify podcasts you should appear on13:00 - Jakub shares a few tips for people who want to appear on podcasts.17:24 - Guest pitching and the SpeakOnPodcasts approach to guest booking22;00 - Be active on social media to get on the radar of podcast hosts24;00 - 2 things most people get wrong with podcasts26:25 - People should look at results from a different angle27:00 - 3 things you can influence by speaking on podcasts30:30 - Podcasts were used to pitch prospects but now it's changing31:20 - Who is a B2B Leader that I should have on the show? 31:55 - Where you can find Jakub Zajicek

If you want to step into a marketing leadership position you have to listen to this podcast.In this episode, we are joined by Mason Cosby - the Director of Growth at Gravity Global and host of The Marketing Ladder. Mason learned a lot by interviewing marketing leaders on his podcast and in this episode he shares his findings!We learn what all of them have in common and what are the qualities of successful leaders. Mason shares why our careers are like huge experiments where we have to try out new things to see what works best for us.He also explains why having a side hustle is important for your career and shows that the best really try out new things to learn what works best for them, even if they have to step out of their comfort zone.At the end of the conversation, we look at the differences between marketing and sales and what one can learn from the other. After all, the best marketers know how to sell and the best sales professionals know how to do marketing!The Marketing Ladder on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ZgA5WCH8ZXt3KAMYccWVE?si=d968c6bf20fb4979Mason Cosby Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masoncosby/Interview:0:50 - What should every B2B Leader know, if they want to step into a leadership position? 3:30 - Successful leaders step into positions when they aren't qualified - no matter how much you prepare you sometimes have to take the step to see if you're qualified4:50 - Your entire career is actually an experiment - you have to try things to see what works best for you and sometimes it means taking a step back7:30 - Mason shares his experience in leadership roles and what he learned 9:40 - Why do leaders have to have their own identity separate from their day job?13:50 - What if the return is not tangible straight on ROI? + a great example with a Lama16:40 - We touch on colors and iconography psychology and its importance19:00 What have the leaders of today's marketing in common? Stories from his podcast. 21:25 - I can make an impact with sales but I can change an industry with marketing22:44 - The most dangerous marketers are the ones who know how to sell23:26 - Do you think more people from sales will transition to marketing?26:05 - Transitioning from marketing to sales29:00- What would you say is the biggest takeaway from our conversation?30:45 - Outro - where you can find Mason and what he does at Gravity Global33:00 - Final thought when you are a seller or a marketer - how much pipeline Mason self-sourced thanks to posting frequently on LinkedIn34:00 - Who should I interview next?

Felicjan sits down with Vladimir Blagojevic to learn more about the concept of the Full Funnel and Allbound marketing. This approach has generated huge pipelines and it's like a funnel for building genuine business relationships without the need to be salesy and pushy.Vladimir explains how buyers buy today and shares the journey some of his clients take. In 3 minutes you'll learn what the journey looked like from the client's perspective and what Vladimir has seen in his software.If you are looking for a framework that will allow you to do B2B marketing that is interesting and drives revenue, you'll learn it in this episode!Vladimir Blagojević - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladimirblagojevic/Full Funnel - https://fullfunnel.io/Post with funnel explanation

In this episode, Felicjan is joined by Dr. Jim Kanichirayil to learn more about talent strategy transformation. Jim tells us what modern leaders can do to attract more talent to their companies and what mindset shift has to happen in a lot of organizations regarding this topic.We talk a lot about empowering your workforce and the different ways to do it. Dr. Jim tells us what Millenials and Gen Z are looking for in their employers and what conversations should leaders have with their teams to create more commitment and engagement.In this episode, you'll also learn how you can leverage social platforms to:1. Grow your business2. Facilitate recruitmentIf you are on the journey to leadership you should definitely listen to this episode!Dr. Jim Kanichirayil - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjimk/Cascading Leadership - https://cascadingleadership.buzzsprout.com/Talent Strategy 60 Linkedin Live Show - https://www.linkedin.com/company/talent-strategy-60/Circa - https://circaworks.com/Timestamps:0:58 - What should every B2B Leader know about talent strategy transformation?the 3 things it requires to be successful in it. and how to approach them.3:43 - Some companies focus first on the technology although they should put people first7:30 - Dr. Jim mentions the gap he sees across organizations8:30 - The biggest challenge when it comes to hiring people? Things that have to change from the employer's side12:13 - What do Millenials and Gen C care about when choosing a workplace16:35 - Is an integrated culture of work the future?20:55 - How Jim's research background affects his approach to building personal brands of employees.26:50 - What we see from progressive organizations - the importance of building in the open for attracting talent32:35 - People want to work with other like-minded people33:55 - outro

In this episode, Felicjan talks with Mikhail Myzgin the VP of Marketing at Slice about the concept of a media company.It's a term that has been gaining a lot of attention in the marketing space and in this episode, you'll learn what every B2B Leader should know about it. You'll learn how businesses can thrive in a competitive space and why this concept is great to work around the 5 stages of marketing.But more importantly, you'll see that the content a media company creates is different from other marketing assets. Mikhail shares the biggest challenge he encountered when building a media company at Slice and a few tips you can follow to use this concept.

Welcome to Be a B2B Leader - Your b2b knowledge base. In this podcast, we'll show you what you have to learn to be a real leader in the B2B world. We are building a knowledge base where you can find information and practical advice that will help you advance in your career as a marketer and business professional.We'll interview leaders from different fields like marketing, sales, HR, customer success and more. Because you have to learn a lot to step into a leadership position. If there is a topic a B2B Leader should know about, let us know, we'll cover it here!Remember that leaders are made, not born!