Long Story Short

Research report season is here, and we're willing to bet your past ones drove zero demand. After reading over 100 B2B SaaS research reports, we've narrowed down the 7 key reasons why most are a complete waste of time and money. Join us this episode as we break each one of them down.What is the point of a research report? (1:38)Reason 1:  Scope of report is too broad (2:17)Why broad reports do more harm than good (2:59)Reason 2: Survey audience is not your ICP (6:31)Why more respondents doesn't equal a “better” research report (6:47)Why your survey audience must be your ICP to drive demand (8:16)Reason 3: Product > pain points (9:24)Reason 4: Using FOMO as a reason to buy your product (12:25)Why you can never guilt trip or peer pressure businesses into making a purchase (14:19)Reason 5: There's no analysis (aka it's just a data dump) (14:51)Why reports stuffed with stats are a red flag (15:31)What we mean by the “storyline” of your report (17:03)Reason 6: Poor analysis (19:30)What poor analysis often looks like in a report (20:43)Why marketers thinking they can do data analysis is a very serious issue (21:30)Reason 7: Inaccurate or confusing visualizations (24:04)Data visualization best practices (24:52)Resources:Webinar: 7 Reasons Why Your B2B Research Report Isn't Driving DemandConnect with the Hosts:Victoria Gamlen on LinkedInJeff Sirkin on LinkedIn

B2B research was never designed to drive demand. But does that mean it's completely worthless? In this episode, Jeff and Victoria dive into how market research's failings led to the creation of demand research, the six key differences between demand research and market research, and when market research is the right move. The 117-page PDF that started it all (1:37)Why a lot of data isn't impressive, but a red flag (3:48)Why no one wants to buy research (9:46)The normalization of guesswork in B2B marketing (11:15)What B2B research was originally design for (13:34)The two sides of scaling a services-based business (16:59)DR vs MR difference 1: The scope of the survey (18:07)Why most research reports reach like a giant ad (19:04)DR vs MR difference 2: Survey audience (19:56)How we help clients get clear on their ICP (21:54)Why customer research cannot solve positioning and messaging issues (22:27)DR vs MR difference 3: Analysis layer (25:17)The undiscussed beef between marketers and analysts (26:33)DR vs MR difference 4: Objective (27:46)How the scientific method is the basis of our work (28:56)DR vs MR difference 5: The speed (29:20)DR vs MR difference 6: The output (30:03)The second important purpose of market research (32:00)When market research is appropriate (32:37)The misuse of market research by startups (33:04)Resources:How to Achieve GTM AlignmentWebinar: Demand Research 101Connect with the hosts:Victoria Gamlen on LinkedInJeff Sirkin on LinkedIn

Great design: one thing that all successful brands have in common. Yet, it's a topic that seems to be absent from B2B marketers' conversations. We decided to change that. For this episode, we brought on Tommy Treadway, the Head of Design at Measured. From freelance to full-time and from household names and stealth startups, Tommy's done it all – and well. So who better than to explain all the things that non-designers (and new designers) should know with regards to this rarely discussed, yet critical element of marketing?Here are some other topics discussed on this episode of the Sirkin Research Podcast: Tommy's unintentional and winding road into design (1:48) The differences between design roles in-house, freelance, and at agencies (4:52) The issue with W-2 bashing and the risks of freelancing as a writer or marketer (7:29) The different paths someone could take to get into a career in design today (10:14) Why doing an actual project is better experience than concept or theoretical work (12:42) The difference between product design, UX design, and UI design (14:46) What makes for a good design program (18:05) Things you should never say to a designer (23:02) Why both design and copy are integrated systems (27:25) The distrust of creatives causing them to relentlessly justify their work (29:06) What designers should do to find inspiration (34:59) Why “boring” industries can make for more exciting work (35:49) The negative impact of design bootcamps are having on the industry (36:19) The biggest problem with swipe files (37:09) The “Great Blanding” in design and the seeping of the millennial aesthetic into SaaS (38:00) Why everyone hates marketers, according to Victoria (41:05) Why the most valuable designers, creatives, and analysts get paid for how they think (42:17) Connect with TommyWebsiteTwitterConnect with the HostsVictoria Gamlen on LinkedInJeff Sirkin on LinkedIn

We dig into the details from Victoria's 40-page piece on her approach to positioning. We get into her three components of effective positioning, why you don't choose your positioning, and why point of view (POV) rules all. Here are a few other topics discussed on this episode of the Sirkin Research Podcast: How Victoria first got into positioning from writing copy (1:59) Why most people writing website copy are also doing positioning (4:14) Why there is no such thing as a marketing or positioning expert (9:39) Why “we're the best” is not positioning (11:07) The importance of clearly defining terms (12:38) Why boring marketing and gated content are not the problems holding B2B marketers back (14:18) Attribution isn't broken, it was built this way (15:24) Why you don't choose your positioning as a company (19:56) The fundamental questions a company needs to answer about their business to inform their positioning (22:48) Why Victoria didn't touch on strategic narratives or brand stories in her piece (25:11) Why effective positioning requires a compelling point of view (29:37) The importance of defining what not to say when it comes to your messaging (37:08) Why effective positioning isn't a linear process and can't be templated (43:07) The risks of category creation and how to do it right (44:54) Why StoryBrand is not effective for B2B marketers (50:13) Why it's important that whoever does your positioning has written copy plus who to be wary of taking marketing and positioning advice from (55:00) Resources mentioned in episode:The Three Components of Effective B2B PositioningThe Irreconcilable Differences Between B2B and B2C MarketingConnect with the hosts:Victoria Gamlen on LinkedInJeff Sirkin on LinkedIn

Long Story Short is now the Sirkin Research Podcast. Jeff introduces Victoria Gamlen as permanent co-host of the show going forward. Victoria turns the tables and interviews Jeff about his career - what led to the founding of Sirkin Research, their positioning, and breakdowns of a few case studies. Here are a few other topics discussed: What is demand research and how is it different from market research? How to create content for the entire customer journey from original research Why 80% of the business value comes from the last mile of getting to know your buyers How a subtle change in product name led to a 5x increase in natural search traffic and a $200M exit for FamilyWize How Sirkin Research helped Trustpilot prove their value proposition and reach IPO Crafting targeted messaging to multiple personas and buyer roles Connect with the hosts:Victoria Gamlen on LinkedInJeff Sirkin on LinkedIn

MJ Smith is the Vice President of Marketing at CoLab Software, a startup focused on helping mechanical engineers collaborate and make decisions faster. Before CoLab, MJ led sales and marketing at Refine Labs, where she worked with more than 50 B2B software startups. She also spent 6 years working at Halma plc, a group of mid-sized manufacturing businesses focused on medical, environmental, and safety technology. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: Why product marketing is the first priority for an organization's first marketing leader Focusing on positioning and messaging before scaling through demand gen The importance of buyer research, especially when you aren't in your own ICP The 3 types of insights MJ looks for in doing customer research The importance of understanding the critical pain points specific to the buyer role Leveraging quantitative research and product analytics for content How demystifying finance made MJ a better marketing leader and executive Why having a podcast as a marketing strategy might be overrated

Matt Malanga is the Chief Marketing Officer at JW Player, the video platform for video-driven companies. Matt is a full-stack, hands-on CMO who is well-versed in disrupting industries, building winning cultures, and driving top-line growth. He has played a key marketing leadership role in five startups across SaaS and Fintech space - each getting to a successful exit either through an acquisition or IPO. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: Leveraging original research to create content and drive demand Aligning your internal stakeholders around what matters most to your buyers How to connect your ICP to your brand to drive awareness and relevance The importance of identifying the right survey audience and why it's like a bullseye How to effectively launch a new brand in a competitive market Why quantifying buyer insights is the key to gaining alignment from your GTM team The importance of building a bridge to finance as a marketing leader How Sirkin Research's work differs from Gartner and Forrester Connect with Jeff:LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteLinkedIn

Victoria Gamlen is a brand strategist and consultant who establishes positioning, develops messaging, and builds verbal identities for B2B and B2C brands. She is also a fractional head of marketing and creative director across multiple industries. Off of LinkedIn, Victoria owns a cleaning business and is an accomplished photographer. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: How B2B marketing is not broken — it was built this way The false enemies B2B marketers create and what the real one has always been How B2B SaaS defied business fundamentals, and how things look in the current economic climate The impact of Venture Capital funding and business valuations on B2B marketing The key to developing effective marketing and copy: making yourself a local The important distinction between capturing and earning attention Why ‘growth at all costs' never worked, the consequences were just delayed The state of content on LinkedIn and Victoria's strategy for how to win Why creativity might be the most valuable skill in technical fields, and vice-versa Why personal branding is overrated  Resources:B2B SaaS Marketing Isn't Broken, It Was Built This Way: Part 1B2B SaaS Marketing Isn't Broken, It Was Built This Way: Part 2In Defense of Corporate JargonThe Irreconcilable Differences Between B2B and B2C Marketing"Not Boring" Isn't a POV and the Issues with "Pick an Enemy" PositioningConnect with Victoria:LinkedInBlog - In the GrayConnect with Jeff:LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Eric Stockton is the Vice President of Demand Generation at SharpSpring from Constant Contact. He is an executive with proven leadership in running sales teams and creating marketing alignment within organizations, Eric specializes in creating revenue and driving pipeline for B2B, SAAS, and eCommerce. At Constant Contact, Eric focuses daily on the areas of Growth, DemandGen, Publishing and Content to help streamline processes, improve output and motivate the team to excel. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: How to modernize a legacy B2B marketing motion The value of amplifying content to prospects in the channels they're already using How to create new marketing motions that align with how prospects want to buy Why you should set effective expectations with leadership — and how to do it How to ensure marketing is seen as a revenue engine The power of a test and learn approach  Resources:Don't Make Me Think by Steve KrugConnect with Eric: LinkedInConnect with Jeff:LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

April Dunford is a consultant and author who helps companies make complicated products easy for customers to understand and love. She is a globally recognized expert in Positioning, having launched 16 products across her 25-year career running marketing, product and sales teams at a series of successful startups. She is the author of the best-selling book Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get it, Buy it, Love it. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: April's detailed product positioning framework  The root cause of most weak positioning — and how to fix it How positioning is different from messaging and branding The misalignment that occurs across marketing, sales, and product teams within companies — and the issues that causes for buyers How to paint your product in the right light The dominant emotion for B2B buyers (and how to tap into it) Resources:April's WebsiteObviously Awesome by April DunfordThe Challenger Sale by Brent Adamson and Matthew DixonThe Challenger Customer by Brent Adamson, Pat Spenner, Nick Toman, and Matthew DixonThe Four Steps to the Epiphany by Steve BlankPositioning by Al Ries and Jack TroutLenny's NewsletterLenny's PodcastConnect with April: TwitterLinkedInConnect with Jeff:LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Amanda Natividad is the Vice President of Marketing for audience research startup, SparkToro. In her career, she has managed B2B and B2C marketing teams across SaaS, Consumer Packaged Goods, and on the agency side. Amanda created Fitbit's B2B content program and helped build their B2B marketing team. She is also a contributor for Adweek, a former journalist, and for good measure, she's also a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:  Amanda's Zero Click Content framework and how you can put it in place today How to leverage different use cases for audience research Why you need to lead with your best stuff and optimize for impressions How the content marketing game has changed The critical mindset shift for companies to win in content marketing today How the 3-person team at SparkToro can operate like a team of 10 Resources:Lost and Founder by Rand FishkinOut on the Wire by Jessica AbelNonviolent Communication by Marshall RosenburgDoing Content Right by Steph SmithLanding Page Copywriting Mastery by Jeremy MoserSwipe FilesConnect with Amanda: TwitterLinkedInConnect with Jeff:LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Victoria Sakal leads the development and delivery of The Vault by Refine Labs. As the world's first intellectual capital warehouse, The Vault gives members exclusive access to industry-leading research, data, insights, and validated strategies for manufacturing revenue. With a background in marketing, brand strategy, and commercial strategy, Victoria leads growth strategy, covering product, GTM, and product marketing for The Vault in preparation for commercial launch later this year. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:  The levels of customer awareness and why they're important How to leverage data to create hypotheses to test in the market Getting into the minds of your customers The value The Vault will bring to Refine Labs Victoria's approach to applying research and measurement to optimize marketing What is working in real-time across dozens of SaaS clients The key metrics that indicate the impact of your brand Resources:Victoria's list of resourcesThe Marketing Book PodcastConnect with Victoria: LinkedInConnect with Jeff:LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Zoё Hartsfield got her start in SaaS sales 3 years ago as an SDR and pivoted into B2B marketing. She is currently the head of Community over at Spekit. In her spare time, Zoё consults with other B2B companies on personal brand, social selling, and community initiatives. She is passionate about helping others in the SaaS community and is an advocate for mental health. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:  Why it's important to normalize talking about money How not talking about money has held individuals down from earning what they're worth Steps you can take today to ensure you are being fairly compensated for your work How our culture of not talking about money has only served companies, not employees The tools you should use for salary research How to measure the impact of community marketing Why it's critical to translate customer language into marketing content The importance of qualitative data to provide context that quantitative data can't show How finding why people stay is just as important as finding why people buy Connect with Zoё: LinkedInTwitterTiktokConnect with Jeff:LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Cory Young is the founder and CEO of BCC Interactive, a Digital Marketing Agency based in Philadelphia. After managing marketing teams at Fortune 50 companies at Comcast and Campbell's Soup, Cory channeled his passion and experience in a direction that could help small and mid-sized businesses increase their visibility & revenue. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:  Why you need to make your content findable—and how to do it  How SEO has evolved over time Why there will always be a need to help marketers get their content in front of their target audience What it's like to start a company as a side hustle before making the full-time leap Cory's journey to go out on his own The specific kinds of content companies should be creating today Resources:Seth Godin Crushing It - Gary VaynerchukLearningseo.ioConnect with Cory:LinkedInInstagramTiktokTwitterBCC InteractiveConnect with Jeff:LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Liam Moroney is the founder of Suas Marketing, a demand generation consulting firm. He has more than 12 years of experience as a marketing leader in the B2B SaaS tech industry, most recently as the SVP of Revenue Marketing at Notarize. Liam is also the host of the Marketing Revisited podcast. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:  The difference between demand capture and demand generation How to develop separate strategies and measurements for demand creation and demand capture  Ways to put your customer at the center of your marketing How to break away from stale marketing playbooks Why you shouldn't distribute the same piece of content across every channel Resources:Oglivy on Advertising by David OgilvyHey Whipple, Squeeze This by Luke SullivanConnect with Liam:LinkedInConnect with the Host:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Why You Need Customer Research with Ryan Paul GibsonRyan Paul Gibson is the Founder and CEO at Content Lift, where he helps marketers do customer research. In his career, he has interviewed over 1,600 people and accrued 20 years of marketing miles. Ryan even took a small detour in his career, working for CBC as a TV & Radio reporter - and has produced short films and documentaries. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:  Common signs that your organization needs research How customer research will tangibly impact your business growth Tactics you can use today to get started with customer research How to understand the pain points and priorities of your target market The dangers of being uncertain about your ideal customer Resources:How to Win podcastNudge podcastConnect with Ryan:LinkedInConnect with the Host:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Kaylee Edmondson is the Director of Demand Gen at Brightwheel—the #1 platform for early education. She was formerly the first Director of Demand Gen at Chili Piper. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:  The limits and benefits of using attribution data Why marketers shouldn't be 100% reliant on attribution The reason companies should question what they see in their attribution data How to get close to, and connect with, your customers Best practices for customer calls—and 6 questions to ask How to effectively communicate the value of marketing Resources:Morning BrewMarketing BrewRetail BrewThe SkimmChris WalkerDave GerhardtNo Rules Rules by Reed Hastings and Erin MeyerConnect with Kaylee:LinkedInTwitterConnect with the Host:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Evan Patterson is the Head of Content & Community at trender.ai. Outside of that, he is a brand ambassador for a variety of B2B brands, a content creator, podcast host, and an advisor for other startups like Chili Piper and scaleMatters. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:  What it means to build in public as a startup Why B2B marketers need to lean in more heavily to the untapped value of influencer marketing The parallels between personal branding and marketing a startup company  Making social selling easier, more fun, and more approachable. Refining your tone and messaging through experience, realtime feedback, and conversations with customers  Creating a startup culture that is collaborative and fosters active listening Resources:Zoë HartsfieldJorge SotoMeryoli AriasViolating Community Guidelines: Brand ContentViolating Community Guidelines: LinkedIn InfluencersThe Financial DietThe Bald and the Beautiful PodcastConnect with Evan:Evan's LinktreeConnect with the Host:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Katelyn Bourgoin is a 4x founder turned growth strategist and trainer. She understands the challenges business leaders face because she's been there herself. With operational experience spanning the marketing, tech, and hospitality sectors, Katelyn has been named as an influential entrepreneur by Forbes magazine and featured in Inc., HuffPost, Bustle, CBC, CTV, Global TV and more. Katelyn is recognized as one of the "top 20 wonder women of SaaS marketing and growth” by SaaStock. Katelyn's past clients include high-growth tech startups, SMBs, business support organizations, and Fortune 500 companies like Target and Holiday Inn. She has delivered in-person and online training with prestigious accelerators and incubators worldwide. Today Katelyn helps frustrated founders, marketers, and salespeople to focus on what really matters—their customers. After all, whoever gets closer to the customer wins. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:   Using the principles of buyer psychology to get into the minds of your customers Why your customer's perspective is your most valuable asset The power of understanding your customers' decision-making process - and why it's essential for marketers The best tactics to create messaging that resonates every single time How Barnum Statements are a marketer's secret weapon, and how to use them effectively Why B2B purchases are MORE emotional than B2C purchases  Resources:Competing Against Luck - Clayton ChristensenDemand-Side Sales 101 - Bob MoestaWhen Coffee and Kale Compete - Alan KlementClarity Call CheatsheetsWhy We Buy NewsletterThe Choice Factory - Richard ShottonWhat Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You - Melina PalmerAlchemy - Rory SutherlandNudge - Phill AgnewConnect with Katelyn:CustomerCampLinkedInTwitterConnect with the Host:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Phoebe Bain founded Marketing Brew, a Morning Brew vertical covering the most important news in the marketing industry, in 2020. The vertical has since expanded into original reporting and beyond the newsletter. She's now one of five reporters the Brew has since added to the fold, and primarily covers social media and influencer marketing. Before rolling out Marketing Brew, Phoebe wrote for Social Media Today under Industry Dive and worked on the social media editing desk for Business Insider. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:   How to effectively keep your finger on the pulse of your industry Phoebe's meta view of marketing and advertising The current, biggest trends of the marketing industry Changes in social media, engagement, and the world of influencer marketing The benefits of talking to, and learning from, industry experts Why authentic marketing strategies resonate better with audiences The difference between writing and reporting  Resources:Maybe Baby - Haley NahmanMorning BrewMarketing BrewGarbage DayTrick Mirror - Jia TolentinoConnect with Phoebe:LinkedInTwitterInstagramConnect with the Host:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Breezy Beaumont is the Head of Growth & Marketing at Correlated and has tons of hands-on experience at multiple hyper-growth software companies. She's always bringing in new ideas for data-driven strategies and product-led initiatives with the motto “work smarter, not harder.” Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: Tactical strategies for how to put your product at the center of everything The biggest misconceptions about product led growth How the roles of marketing and sales have shifted in product-led companies The key differences between PQLs and MQLs Making it easy for prospects to navigate their way through the sales process in a way that works for them  How product led growth leads to a better product by putting the customer first and giving you a better understanding of your product The importance of being where your customers are—social platforms and communities— to answer questions Resources:GetCorrelated.comThe Product Led Revenue PodcastConnect with Breezy:LinkedInConnect with the Host:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Kevin Bobowski is the Chief Marketing Officer at Siteimprove, where he leads all of the marketing teams and operations globally. He has more than 20 years of experience leading market-defining companies and is committed to helping enterprise organizations deliver brilliant customer experiences and world-class marketing performance. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: How Kevin approached his first 90 days as CMO Why your outside perspective is your biggest advantage when joining a new company The importance of building the right processes as the most foundational part of marketing Why processes are far more effective than playbooks The role of analytics and measurement in marketing—and Kevin's strong opinion on dashboards Why asking questions and testing your way into the answers leads to more success than pretending you have all the answers How rigid ‘playbooks' and immediate changes can be your downfall as a new CMO Resources:Principles by Ray DalioThe Storyteller by Dave GrohlConnect with Kevin:LinkedInTwitterConnect with the Host:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Camille Trent is the head of content at Dooly, where she helps sales teams close more deals, faster. When she's not writing, she's hanging out with her pup and two favorite redheads. Or she's trying to coach the Portland Trail Blazers to victory from her couch. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:  How to develop content strategy that successfully breaks through the noise The value of authentic, approachable content - and how to develop it Showing the tangible impact of brand, both for the company and as an individual Using ‘method marketing' to better relate to your audience and keep your finger on the pulse of your market How training to understand your audience is an ongoing process for marketers The best way to leverage the power of personal branding Resources:State of Demand GenThe Growth Hub SEO for the Rest of UsMade to StickNever Split the DifferenceConnect with Camille:LinkedInDooly on LinkedInConnect with the Host:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Nick Bennett is the Director of Field, Partner, and Community Marketing at Alyce. And, he is the host of the Rep Your Brand podcast. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:  What the future of field marketing holds: Field Marketing 2.0 How field marketing accelerates opportunities in the middle and bottom of the sales funnel The power of cultivating community, and how it helps align marketing and sales  Showing the effect that marketing has throughout the entirety of the sales cycle Creating alignment between field marketing and sales teams How personal branding helps you individually, and brings value to your company The value of creating a community on LinkedIn and building connections with people in your niche  Resources:Rep Your BrandState of Demand GenConnect with Nick:LinkedInTwitterConnect with the Host:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Tyler is VP Marketing at Vidyard, host of a variety of online shows and podcasts for marketing and sales professionals, co-author of The Visual Sale, and a proud father of four. He's spent the last 8 years immersed in the world of video for B2B marketing and sales, and the evolution of modern content marketing and demand generation programs. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:  How the changing expectations of audiences led to the rise in video marketing Filling a shift in audience needs by creating educational video content The key to standing out in your sales strategy Allowing customers to self-serve into the buyer's journey Creating a friction free buying and engagement experience for your customers Using video as an essential part of your content strategy Learning directly from your market to create inbound opportunities The importance of audience engagement to gauge how your content is working Having empathy for your audience and creating content that resonates with them  Resources:The Visual SaleSalesFeedContent Inc.The CatalystConnect with Tyler:LinkedInConnect with the Host:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Over the course of this year, we had 35 guests on the podcast. We've put together a highlight reel for 2021 to showcase our favorite moments and learnings with you! In this episode, we share our best tangible tips, tricks, and takeaways. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: 0:56 - 7:00: Leadership styles and strategies 7:00 - 17:16: Marketing tips from the pros  17:16 - 27:07: The power of data and research 27:07 - 43:33: Being human, mental health, and DEI 43:33 - 51:10: Future predictions for 2022 and beyond Resources:Be a Better AllyDo Your Diversity Efforts Reflect the Experiences of Women of Color?5 Top Tips On Creating Successful Employee Resource GroupsConnect with the Hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedInConnect with Sirkin Research:WebsiteTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Nancy Liberman is the Vice President of JRNI (pronounced Journey), an appointment scheduling platform with a global presence. Nancy has had the opportunity to work in all aspects of marketing for a variety of growth stage companies, and she's a stickler for good grammar and a staunch supporter of the Oxford comma. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:  Recognizing when your brand, and its personality, no longer fit the target market Thinking of your brand's look, feel, name, and identity as one cohesive thing Creating successful rebranding strategies to reach your target audience Knowing when (and how) to reposition your brand Telling a differentiated story in a crowded market Remaining customer-first by collecting customer feedback from an open channel Keeping up with the digital transformation in a rapidly evolving market  Resources:Ogilvy on AdvertisingNRF Smart BriefsFinancial BrandForbesFortunePage SixPendoConnect with Nancy:LinkedInTwitterConnect with the Hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedIn

Anshey Bhatia is the CEO & Founder at Verbal Plus Visual, an e-commerce agency that works with mission-driven retailers to design, build, & grow their ecommerce presence. The digital experiences they build allow brands that are equal parts people, product, and planet to spread their mission and showcase their product lines. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:  Remaining true to both your values and your brand The link between better environmental outcomes and better mental health outcomes Shifting consumerism towards fewer, better things to create a more equitable planet How to inspire others to pay more attention to sustainability, since anyone can make an impact on climate change Emphasizing that everyone can make an impact on climate change Building the infrastructure necessary for intentional, thoughtful, and sustainable growth Prioritizing your team's health and wellness so they have the resources they need Leveraging data and creating content to find effective solutions  Resources:Climate NeutralHarvard Business ReviewShopify Plus blog2PMLEconomistConnect with Anshey:LinkedInConnect with the Hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedIn

Lauren Volpi is a high-growth marketing leader with 15+ years of experience building high-performance teams and driving revenue through innovative demand generation programs. She brings a metrics-driven, integrated marketing approach and persona-based messaging to educate, influence, and evangelize customers through the entire buyer journey. Lauren has guided marketing strategies at global enterprises, mid-stage companies, and tech startups, including Sigma Computing, Pivotal, VMware, and Equinix in the US and EMEA. While at Pivotal, Lauren led a rebrand initiative, was a key member of the IPO team, and contributed to the company's subsequent acquisition by VMware less than two years later. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:  Focusing on the end user at the center of your strategies  Allowing users to experience the product before they speak to a salesperson Collecting qualitative and quantitative data straight from the source  Fostering a collaborative, trusting, and creative atmosphere through humble leadership The value of using honest feedback to evaluate and change your strategies Maintaining a willingness to learn regardless of how far along you are in your career Creating frictionless event registration that's user-friendly The importance of building professional relationships throughout your career  Resources:The Knowledge Project by Shane ParrishHuddle: How Women Unlock their Collective Power by Brooke BaldwinAsk Big Questions by Bill Gates and Radisha JonesFootnotes Resources:Six Top Tips For Networking In The New World Of WorkConnect with Lauren:LinkedIn TwitterLauren Volpi on ChiefConnect with the Hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedIn

Janet Jaiswal is the VP of Global Marketing at Cloudbeds, the fastest growing hospitality management technology company. She has more than 20 years of high-tech B2B marketing experience. She resides in Silicon Valley, CA and has worked at companies of all sizes from start-ups to large companies and somewhere in between. Her marketing experience is based on working at companies such as eBay, PayPal, and IBM. She has a bachelors' degree from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: Balancing short and long term focus to build scalable, sustainable growth How to personalize your content, even when you have a global audience Keeping your finger on the pulse of different markets around the world Leveraging the power of scale of customer data to recommend optimizations Combining a simple user experience with scalable software to level the technological playing field Minimizing the impact of high turnover rates by making software quicker to learn Reaching your audience where they are by keeping their interests in mind Maintaining connection and company culture in a remote, global workforce Resources:Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath2030 by Mauro GuillénLatticeOfficevibeDonutConnect with Janet:LinkedInTwitterConnect with the Hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedIn

We're thrilled to have Kathryn Frankson back on the show. Kathryn is a great friend of the show and the Director of Event Marketing at Informa, the global leader in specialized events, media, and intelligence. For this episode Kathryn turns the tables and puts Jeff in the hot seat to discuss the changes in B2B marketing as the buyer's journey has shifted almost completely digital. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: B2B marketing's major shifts, and how to thrive in the new landscape How to deeply understand and connect with your buyers' needs and wants Getting the market's attention through modern storytelling Taking the guesswork out of marketing to unlock growth The NEW most effective marketing channel for 2022 Identifying what to test and which metrics to use to optimize your marketing The secret to breaking through the noise in an increasingly crowded market Connect with Jeff and Katrhyn:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInKathryn Frankson on LinkedIn

Banu Kannu (she/her), the Co-Founder & Chief Experience Officer of Uncommon Conferences, is a global citizen with a local soul. She's lived and worked all around the world, but loves coming home to Whadjuk Noongar land in Perth, Western Australia. Banu shares why it's important to be outcome-driven with our conferences and events, but also with life! This isn't to say we reverse-engineer everything to the point of losing the magic of spontaneity, but instead taking some time for quiet reflection with what we want to get out of our jobs, projects and yes, life itself. Beginning with the end in mind keeps us focused, intentional and means it's easier to relax and have some fun on the journey. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: Beginning with the end in mind and staying outcome-driven Creating a safe and inclusive space where underrepresented voices are heard Respecting your audience's time, attention, energy, and resources Being intentional and purposeful in your event planning Giving your strategy time to work before reevaluating or changing it Resources:Seth Godin's newsletterMonocle newsletterMark Manson's newsletterModern Love by The New York TimesHouse of Beautiful Business's Beauty ShotHaute Dokimazo's Convo SeriesPriya Parker's The Art of GatheringOprah Winfrey's Super Soul podcastGlennon Doyle's We Can Do Hard Things podcastMyriam Hadnes' Workshops Work podcastBusiness in Colour podcastBrené Brown's Unlocking Us podcastAlok Menon on the Man Enough podcastConnect with Banu:Banu on LinkedInUncommon Conferences on LinkedInUncommon Conferences on InstagramConnect with the Hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedIn

Jeremy Collins is the Executive Vice President of Marketing at Azuga, a Bridgestone company.  He has spent his career building and leading sales teams through M&A and an IPO, as well as leading marketing teams within the Martech space. Most recently, he has led the Marketing team through the acquisition by Bridgestone. Jeremy specializes in revenue marketing where the strategy is driven by data insights that produce actions, and ensuring those actions produce results. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: Focusing on consistent incremental improvement instead of big wins Working as a team to build a playbook for success The necessity of learning from failure to adjust your playbook Setting transparent expectations between marketing and sales teams The three pillars of marketing success: brand, demand, and expand Capturing demand in the short term while building a brand in the long term Leveraging your customer base to build your brand for you Connect with Jeremy:LinkedInConnect with the Hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedIn

Monique Carayol is the Founder and Managing Director of Your New Avenue, a leadership and talent development consultancy to grow and sustain diverse leadership talent pipelines and build brave, collaborative senior leadership. She started her career in healthcare in the UK as a PA in 2001, and navigated her way to a high profile board executive director role in 2016. She won the PRECIOUS Outstanding Woman in the Public Sector award in 2017 and is a regular leadership and career progression keynote speaker and panelist. Monique launched her leadership podcast ‘Be Yourself, Back Yourself & Make it Happen with Monique Carayol' to share her practical insights, thoughts and advice on a global scale. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: Defining brave leadership and the importance of creating safe spaces The power of saying ‘I don't know' as a leader and the example it sets for the team Everyone has unique talents that can be stifled by worrying about getting things wrong Allowing people to be their full and authentic selves at work The need for leaders to be honest about what they can do and what they can't do Working to build a global community of brave leaders Resources:Talent is Never EnoughMaya Angelou Poems - Still I Rise and The MaskConnect with Monique:LinkedInTwitterMonique's PodcastConnecting with the Hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedIn

As Co-CEO of Women of Influence, Stephania Varalli leads one of North America's largest organizations dedicated to gender equity and women's advancement in the workplace. As head of WOI's media efforts, she and her team have built a platform that is by, for, and about women - offering inspiration, insights, and perspectives on key issues. Through this work she is able to dedicate her time to her passion: using storytelling to drive change. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: The power of storytelling to drive change in creating a fair and equitable workforce Shining a spotlight on women's stories instead of putting them on a pedestal The importance of considering intersectionality across a wide range of identities Why you don't have to be a CEO to have influence and have a story worth sharing The impact of representation in the media Why the business case for DEI is not enough to make widespread change in society Why unconscious bias is NOT actually a problem to be solved Resources:Building a StorybrandThe Bullet News RoundupFootnotes Resources:Undistracted Podcast - Tarana Burke InterviewMe Too - About Tarana BurkeTED - Me Too is a Movement, not a MomentConnect with Stephania:LinkedInInstagramTwitterWomen of Influence InstagramWomen of Influence TwitterConnecting with the Hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedInWe want to make our podcast an engaging story for YOU - this means we want your feedback! Click HERE to answer some questions about your listening experience.

Michael Bonaddio is the host of the Career Quest podcast, which centers around interviews outlining the career path of each guest, focusing on the reasons behind their decisions and putting a mythological twist on their journey. In this crossover episode, Sophia and Jeff play both interviewer and guest and they share some of their biggest lessons learned from the podcast. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: Why Long Story Short is a marketing podcast that is not actually about marketing The principles that effective marketers use are the same that foster human connection The origin story of how Sophia and Jeff first met and started working together Why networking is like planting seeds and how to do it the way you feel comfortable The power behind recognizing that there is no such thing as a linear career path How Career Quest dives into the reasons behind the decisions in the guest's journey Why podcasting is the present day version of making friends on the internet Connect with Michael:LinkedInCareer Quest Podcast InstagramConnecting with the Hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedInWe want to make our podcast an engaging story for YOU - this means we want your feedback! Click HERE to answer some questions about your listening experience.

Liz Einhorn is the founder and CEO of Experience Threee. She is a hospitality professional and growth strategist with 15 years' experience in business development, national sales, and brand management. Liz spent a decade at The Boston Beer Company where she oversaw airports, concessions and on premise restaurants nationally before starting Experience Threee in 2017. She is an active member of the Airport Minority Advisory Council where she serves on their communications committee. She is an honors graduate of Muhlenberg college and an enthusiast of all things Philadelphia. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: The power of reframing boundaries and obstacles as growth opportunities Openness to new opportunities and not sticking to a predefined career path Being emotionally vulnerable and honest with yourself as an entrepreneur How to navigate having an external sales force that you don't directly control The importance of intellectual curiosity to being more effective in sales Treating everyone within your company the same regardless of their job title How to pivot your job scope and function within your current company Resources:GreetablPostableAdam GrantMatt Shirley InstagramLiz and Mollie InstagramDrizly InsightsConnect with Liz:LinkedInPersonal InstagramExperience Threee InstagramConnecting with the Hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedInWe want to make our podcast an engaging story for YOU - this means we want your feedback! Click HERE to answer some questions about your listening experience.

Deepak Sivanandan is the Head of Global Marketing for Flowserve, a global leader in manufacturing flow equipment such as pumps, valves, seals and aftermarket services. Under Deepak's leadership, Flowserve launched more than 40 products in the last 3 years including an IoT platform under the brand RedRaven. They launched their content hub, a virtual tradeshow platform under the theme “Destination Innovation,” and established their rapid response customer service center. Deepak is obsessed with the customer experience and is championing that across the entire organization at Flowserve. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: The importance of building customer trust for mutual long-term success Why no amount of design can replace the story for how it will serve customer needs Being honest about your product's capabilities and especially for what it can't do How to invite your customer to be a co-creator of your solution Leveraging market insights as a key input to the product development process Thinking about future customer problems and working to build solutions now How curiosity sparked Deepak's journey from engineering to marketing Resources:Mindset by Dr. Carol S. DweckConnect with Deepak:LinkedInTwitterConnecting with the Hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedInWe want to make our podcast an engaging story for YOU - this means we want your feedback! Click HERE to answer some questions about your listening experience.

Tameka Vasquez is a strategist, educator, and futurist with a decade of experience working with challenger brands in the technology industry. She is also a graduate school professor and a public speaker who has participated in conferences and thought leadership events globally. Tameka has been featured by Udemy for Business, IBM Think Leaders, the Content Marketing Institute, CMS Wire, and the Marketing Artificial Intelligence Institute. She is a 2020 Fortune Magazine Fellow, a 2019 nominee for the Rising Star award for Women in AI, and a 2018 recipient of the Innovators and Disruptors award. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: The role of marketers to create a narrative in the world where it isn't already known How to effectively incorporate an academic approach to business Allowing yourself to be vulnerable enough to be a lifelong learner as a practitioner Rejecting the status quo and moving towards the world as it should be The importance of self-awareness within every pursuit in life Defining success as giving people tools to think about the future Education as finding a way of thinking, asking questions, and navigating the world Resources:General Magic DocumentaryThe Goop PodcastWhere You Are Is Not Who You AreConnect with Tameka:LinkedInInstagramTwitterConnecting with the Hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedInWe want to make our podcast an engaging story for YOU - this means we want your feedback! Click HERE to answer some questions about your listening experience.

Ginny Jacobs is the founder of Surprisingly Baked, the indulgent stuffed cookie company based in D.C. After a year in business and experiencing explosive growth, the company's sales were quickly outpacing operational capacity. Ginny made the difficult decision to wind down the business. Her passions are in marketing, brand building, and customer acquisition, and not as much the day-to-day logistics of overseeing food safety or facility management of a commercial kitchen. That passion for marketing earned media coverage in many regional and national outlets. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: The crucial differences between building a brand and running a profitable company What led Ginny to wind down the business and go out on her own terms The importance of having a strong WHY to being a small business owner Why the perception of entrepreneurship is much more glamorous than the reality Creating connection with your customer base by pitching your products in a unique way Ginny's advice for aspiring entrepreneurs Resources:How I Built ThisStart with WhyWho Moved My Cheese?Connect with Ginny:LinkedInInstagramMediumConnecting with the Hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedInWe want to make our podcast an engaging story for YOU - this means we want your feedback! Click HERE to answer some questions about your listening experience.

Angela Earl is the Vice President of Global Marketing at RFPIO, the industry leading software for response management. She is a leader in the technology industry passionate about empowering motivated teams and growing organizations, leveraging more than twenty years of business experience to improve outcomes through sales and marketing. She was recognized as one of the top 30 Marketing Technology Experts to Watch in 2016 and The 10 Most Impactful Women in Technology in 2020, and is a contributing author in the international best-selling book, Significant Women: Leaders Reveal What Matters Most. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: How industry leaders blaze a trail ahead based on buyer need Why the real competition in B2B sales is the customer's status quo The importance of painting a picture of the potential future for your buyers Teaching customers about their world to be a true partner and not just another vendor The myth of work-life balance and why it needs to be a complete integration Finding the opportunity to feel connected and fulfilled within your work Why leaders need to walk the walk to set the tone for positive company culture Resources:Significant Women: Leaders Reveal What Matters MostMountain Goat Software BlogMarTech TodayRevOps BlogPatrick Lencioni BooksConnect with Angela:LinkedInConnecting with the Hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedInWe want to make our podcast an engaging story for YOU - this means we want your feedback! Click HERE to answer some questions about your listening experience.

Mildred Talabi is a LinkedIn Visibility Coach, who specializes in helping women build visible and profitable businesses through personal branding and social selling. She has over a decade of experience in this arena, stemming from her previous career in Journalism, PR and Communications, alongside many entrepreneurial ventures. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: The importance of knowing your target audience in order to strategically engage Understanding that we all have a personal brand and an audience to serve Developing original content for people to hear your voice and get to know your values Why Mildred chose to focus on the niche of women entrepreneurs Navigating the fear of showing up and being too salesy Shifting your mindset to understand that selling is a way to serve your audience Measuring what matters most to your target audience and not vanity metrics Resources:Start Being VisibleVisible Women TribeConnect with Mildred:LinkedInWebsiteConnecting with the Hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedInWe want to make our podcast an engaging story for YOU - this means we want your feedback! Click HERE to answer some questions about your listening experience.

Jess Weimer leads Global Revenue Marketing and is the Global PipeGen Officer at Confluent. She is a modern demand-to-revenue marketing executive with proven achievement in building and scaling global, data-driven, operationally savvy, integrated demand strategies directly resulting in pipeline attainment. Jess is passionate about inspiring and mentoring teams across the globe and heavily invests in team growth and scale. She leads with empathy while innovating with grit. Prior to Confluent, Jess held leadership positions at FinancialForce, Adobe, ServiceNow, and 8x8. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: The need for intentional process and structure in a hypergrowth environment Building the plane while it's flying and why even rocket ships need marketing Why the status quo of leadership isn't good enough anymore The value of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to companies and how you can advance initiatives within your own organization Why it is vital to truly connect and check in with your extended teams at work The importance of mentorship in helping advance the next generation of leaders Balancing an attribution model while understanding that all of the value of marketing can not be captured into a single number Why Jess refers to ABM as ABX - Account Based Orchestration Footnotes Resources:Be a Better AllyDo Your Diversity Efforts Reflect the Experiences of Women of Color?5 Top Tips On Creating Successful Employee Resource GroupsConnect with Jess:LinkedInConnecting with the Hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedInWe want to make our podcast an engaging story for YOU - this means we want your feedback! Click HERE to answer some questions about your listening experience.

Marketing has a Marketing Problem with Matt HummelMatt Hummel is the Vice President of Strategic Marketing at RealPage. He is focused on aligning marketing focus to accelerate growth by creating predictable and profitable demand through prioritized go-to-market campaigns and continuous sales engagement and enablement. Prior to RealPage, Matt has served as the head of Marketing at Social Solutions and head of Demand Gen at Thomson Reuters. Matt has a passion for all things B2B marketing, particularly helping organizations enable growth through centering all efforts around the customer. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: The importance of defining the role of marketing within an organization Proving the value of marketing throughout the stages of the buyer's journey What a predictable and profitable demand center means to Matt Matt's belief that he was destined to follow his dreams of a marketer How Matt's marketing background helps him understand what matters to a sales person Matt's role at RealPage and RealPage's value proposition Why growth focused and customer oriented are important to Matt How Matt helps organizations transition from being inbound focused to a more scalable ABM strategy  Resources:The Trusted AdvisorGreg VerdinoThe Ringer Podcast Network Connect with Matt:LInkedIn Connecting with the Hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedInWe want to make our podcast an engaging story for YOU - this means we want your feedback! Click HERE to answer some questions about your listening experience.

On today's episode we speak with Kate Athmer. Kate is the Vice President of Growth at Bombora. She is constantly looking for optimizations, testing new strategies, and finding ways to help customers extract more value from their investments in intent data - and beyond. Kate is also the author of Amazon best-selling “Millennial Reboot” - a book designed to help the go-getters of her generation overcome Millennial stereotypes and lead businesses through the digital revolution. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:  What B2B marketing should be copying from B2C The advantages of being a target of your own marketing How to balance the need for attribution without turning it into a game of claiming credit Ensuring that you are mindful of the teams necessary to support the effort of sales What the impact has been to the need from a B2B perspective for intent data with Bombora Kate's best performing channels when it comes to generating meetings for sales Resources:The HustleMorning BrewMarketing Brew Connect with Kate Athmer:LinkedInTwitterMillennial Reboot Connecting with the hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedInWe want to make our podcast an engaging story for YOU - this means we want your feedback! Click here to answer some questions about your listening experience.

Jake Dreyfuss is the Founder and CEO of Bright Pink Socks Strategy Partners. He has overseen over $1 Billion in real estate transactions since 2003, where he was most recently the CEO of the PhillyLiving Team at Keller Williams. Jake also the host of Sell Them With Kindness, a podcast that "has set out to prove that nice guys and gals finish first in business and in life." Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:  Jake's journey to how he started Bright Pink Socks through storytelling The drive behind Jake's accountability communities  Jake's definition of kindness and what being nice means to him The value of asking customers for feedback Jake's advice for aspiring entrepreneurs  Resources: Bright Pink Socks What Great Salespeople Do Fierce Conversations  Connect with Jake Dreyfuss:LinkedInFacebookInstagramSell Them With Kindness  Connecting with the hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedInWe want to make our podcast an engaging story for YOU - this means we want your feedback! Click here to answer some questions about your listening experience.

Jess Podgajny is the co-founder and CEO of LLUNA, a B2B technology platform that enables employers to offer personalized employment arrangements to employees. She has a passion for the human side of business. LLUNA was imagined as a result of almost two decades of career learnings paired with the realization that employment arrangements are ripe for disruption. Through LLUNA, Jess is challenging the status quo and encourages all businesses to reimagine the way they engage with employees.  Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short:  Creating an inclusive personalized employment with Lluna Helping HR by creating less work through employee experiences Being unique to each person in the job offer negotiation process  The real cost to companies of replacing employees Personality in a name creates identity  Corporate culture adapting to the new way of life  Resources: The Morning BrewThe Founder's Journal Exit Interview “Think Again” by Adam Grant  Connect with Jess Podgajny: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicapodgajny/Company website: https://lluna.io/  Connecting with the hosts: Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedIn

Nichole Elizabeth DeMeré is the Chief Marketing Officer at Reeview.App which is an automated platform that finds collects and displays authentic user generated video reviews for e-commerce businesses. They are also a co-founders at Taggg, a top 15 Hunter at Product Hunt, moderator at Growthhackers.com, and mentor at GrowthMentor.com. Outside the SaaS world, Nichole loves music, art, photography and philosophy.  Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: The correlation of video reviews and purchases Authenticity in reviews vs staged reviews The importance of knowing you don't need 1000s of clients Working towards turning a buyer into a hero Language Market Fit and why being specific with your language leads to more clients Scientific Method of creating hypothesis and testing them for passes of “fails” Activating your customer through storytelling Research / stats mentioned  Hubspot Stat Think with Google research  Princeton study Data Storytelling blog post   Resources  Strategyzer Sixteen Ventures InnerTrends SaaS Community SaaS Growth Hacks on Facebook Aaron Skrall on Facebook Start Up Product Launches on Facebook Connect with Nichole Elizabeth DeMeré Twitter - @NikkiElizDeMeréLinked In: Nichole Elizabeth DeMeréInstagram: NicholeElizabethDeMeré  Connecting with the hosts:Jeff Sirkin on LinkedInSophia Gordon on LinkedIn

Kristina Jaramillo is President of Personal ABM, where she builds strategic social programs that drive sales cycles and revenue. Her team builds top to bottom engagement, relationships, and trust with previously untouchable enterprises. Kristina has reversed “no” positions, saved at-risk accounts, and created wins with previously unresponsive accounts. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: The key differences between creating personal relevance and personalized content Why revenue is the only relevant success metric for a successful ABM program How to re-engage accounts that were active before “ghosting” you Why your biggest competitor is not who you think it is - it is always status quo Developing content for the middle and bottom of the funnel, not just the top The counterintuitive benefit of focusing on accounts that are not showing intent Why effective content is deeper than generalized role-based pain points Resources: Stop the Sales Drop Podcast Friday Reboot Series The Challenger Sale The Challenger Customer B2B Revenue Executive Experience Podcast Revenue Growth Engine Connecting with Kristina Jaramillo:LinkedInConnecting with the hosts: Jeff Sirkin on LinkedIn Sophia Gordon on LinkedIn

Melissa Sargeant is the Chief Marketing Officer at Litmus, where she runs worldwide marketing initiatives including corporate and product branding, demand generation, product marketing, public relations, and event management. She brings more than 30 years of marketing experience in the tech sector, including previous roles as CMO at SugarCRM and ChannelAdvisor (ECOM). Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: Why effective personalization means much more than just first and last name Balancing the goal of 1:1 marketing without intrusive tracking tactics The demise of the 3rd party cookie and its impact on multi-touch attribution How to increase emphasis on 1st party data in your marketing strategy going forward The ROI of email marketing and its resurgence as a part of a company's marketing mix Why it is important to celebrate and focus on outcomes - not activities Leveraging data to understand what is driving revenue to optimize marketing strategy  Resources: Pivot Podcast Strengths Finder Think Again The Demise of the 3rd Party Cookie Footnotes Resources: Litmus 2020 State of Email Engagement Hubspot's Ultimate List of Marketing Statistics for 2021 Connecting with Melissa Sargeant: LinkedIn Twitter Peloton - @mhsargeant Connecting with the hosts: Jeff Sirkin on LinkedIn Sophia Gordon on LinkedIn

With the dramatic shifts in the business landscape over the last year, what was successful in 2019 is unlikely to work in 2021. The most common pain points felt by marketers are all symptoms of a deeper problem around understanding their target buyer. The key to unlocking growth and fueling demand is to build your marketing with audience insights. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Long Story Short: Why understanding your audience is the key to unlocking organizational growth How to stand out when everyone has access to the same audiences and channels The most common pain points felt across marketing and product departments The impact of effective product positioning and creating relevant content Why you can't volume your way out of an efficiency problem The importance of adopting a growth mindset in your business Why what worked in 2019 is unlikely to be effective in 2021 Resources: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success Sirkin Research Connecting with the hosts: Jeff Sirkin on LinkedIn Sophia Gordon on LinkedIn