Podcasts about Bazaarvoice

If you're a strategy leader stepping into M&A or refining your inorganic growth strategy, there's one relationship that can either propel you forward or hold you back: your relationship with investment bankers. In this episode, we dive deep into the often opaque world of investment banking with two strategy executives who've worked across both sides of the deal table.    Together, our guests bring more than 40 years of combined experience across investment banking, M&A strategy, and corporate development—having led acquisitions and divestitures in both public and private companies, across industries and borders.  Michael Arlotto is the Global Head of Corporate Development and Ventures at Kenvue, an American consumer health company and the proprietor of many brands you've heard of, like Band-Aid, Benadryl, Neutrogena and Tylenol.  Chris Nuttall is the Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at Bazaarvoice, an American tech company that helps brands collect and leverage UGC, which stands for user-generated content. Together, the three of us explore:- How to assess and build the right relationship with an investment banker  - What “transformative M&A” really means—and how to pull it off  - The soft skills and cultural fit that matter just as much as deal terms  - How to avoid M&A regret by starting with strategy and ending with integration  - Why successful M&A is less about buying a company—and more about buying into a multiyear business plan    Whether you're planning your first acquisition or fine-tuning your approach to external growth, this episode will help you build stronger partnerships, avoid costly missteps, and execute deals that deliver long-term value.Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinkernetwork.com/Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networksLearn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinkernetwork.com/Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networksLearn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinkernetwork.com/Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinkernetwork.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks

This week, Dave welcomes Jyoti Malik, Senior Director of eCommerce at Belkin, to discuss how brands can leverage data & automation to stay competitive. With over 15 years in eCommerce and omni-channel strategy, Malik shares insights on the evolution of eCommerce, retail media, and AI-driven optimization, what has changed and what remains constant. She begins by reflecting on the early days of eCommerce, when it was more of an experiment than a necessity (4:28). As the landscape has evolved, automation has become a key optimization tool (6:19), helping brands expand their reach. Jyoti dives into the impact of AI on search (11:45) and how brands need to think about incorporating AI capabilities. Later, she and Dave discuss the trajectory of retail media (16:45) and its growing influence across industries. Throughout the conversation, one theme remains paramount: the customer. Malik emphasizes that the most effective way to grow a business is to work backward from the customer, understanding how they shop and what drives their decisions (23:57).Catch Dave at Bazaarvoice Summit 2025! He'll be there this Thursday, March 13 at 11:20AM CDT / 4:20PM GMT, for the panel “Retail Media Networks Reimagined: The Power of a Full-Funnel Content Strategy.”  He'll be joined by Bazaarvoice's Jo Callahan and Mindshare's Jeff Malmad.Don't miss this discussion on how brands can integrate content and retail media into a full-funnel strategy. Save your spot here: https://www.bazaarvoice.com/summit-2025/ Connect with Jyoti: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jyotimalik/ Get the It'sRapid Creative Automation Playbook: https://itsrapid.ai/creative-workflow-automation-playbook/Take It'sRapid's Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey: https://www.proprofs.com/survey/t/?title=ffgvdEmail us at sales@rapidads.io with code “BEYOND2025” to find out how you can save more than $1,000 on our Digital Sell Sheets and Retail Media Automation solutionsTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducers: Sean Leviashvili, Jake Musiker

In this episode, Keith Nealon, CEO of Bazaarvoice, dives into how brands can leverage user-generated content (UGC) and artificial intelligence (AI) to boost consumer trust and drive retail success. Discover how sustainability, ethical practices, and innovative AI tools are reshaping the consumer journey—from product discovery to purchase. Tune in for actionable insights, key data points, and a deep dive into the future of social shopping. Key Timestamps & Highlights: • 00:00 – Intro & Sustainability in Retail • 01:03 – Keith's Background & Bazaarvoice Overview • 02:20 – UGC & Consumer Behavior Insights • 03:15 – AI Tools & Innovations • 06:00 – Social Listening & Future Trends Key Quotes: “When consumers do the talking, trust and sales follow.” Links: Visit our website: www.retailnews.ai

User-generated content (UGC) has become central to brands' marketing and customer experience strategies over the past decade. But as social channels and trends have evolved, so too have brands' methods for collecting, amplifying and monetizing their UGC. In August 2024, the FTC issued a formal ban on fake reviews and testimonials — an effort designed to prevent businesses from purchasing and “growth hacking” inaccurate, malicious or misleading content. During this episode of Retail Remix, Bazaarvoice CMO Zarina Stanford digs into: Why new policies were needed as the social media landscape evolved and expanded; How some businesses monetized, even weaponized, UGC for their own gain, and what the new ruling means for this gray area of the web; What brands can do to comply with new guidelines, and how they need to adapt their UGC strategies moving forward; andThe unknown ways brands could be misleading consumers with UGC, and what they can do to course correct. RELATED LINKSLearn more about BazaarvoiceDownload the company's latest Channel Mix StudyGet more details from Bazaarvoice's authenticity researchRead the article outlining the new ban on fake reviews and testimonials See all the latest coverage on FTC cases and rulingsConnect with Zarina on LinkedIn

With over twenty years of experience across various leadership roles, what have been the key lessons you've learned as an entrepreneur, and how have they shaped your approach to leading Bazaarvoice?    You've discussed the evolution of shopping experiences in an omnichannel world. How is Bazaarvoice adapting to these changes, and what role does user-generated content play in this evolution?   As Bazaarvoice has adapted how has your engagement model changed with customers to drive their success?    Bazaarvoice emphasizes values like customer success, authenticity and transparency. Can you share how these values influence your approach to ldecision-making within the company?   What is your long-term vision for Bazaarvoice, and how do you plan to navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the retail e-commerce industry?  

This week we're joined by Jo Callahan, Vice President, Strategy and Insights at Bazaarvoice.  Jo's previous experience incudes Citi, Pinterest and Unilever, where she was Director of U-Studio, Unilever's storied in-house creative agency.They discuss the creation of U-Studio (4:55), the definition of "fit for platform" (7:39), Bazaarvoice's evolution from a ratings and reviews organization to now offering many tools for creatives, influencers and marketers (13:19), creative best practices (20:35), and why the PDP should be considered a media asset (25:20).Connect with Jo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocolv/Take advantage of a special offer from It'sRapid and get a free image, video or banner ad by emailing sales@itsrapid.io with code "BEYOND2024"Learn more about ItsRapid: https://itsrapid.ai/Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker

In this episode of TOP CMO, Jackson Carpenter sits down with Zarina Stanford, the CMO of Bazaarvoice, a leader in user-generated content and customer feedback solutions. With over 25 years of marketing leadership experience across companies like IBM, SAP, and Rackspace, Zarina shares insights on the evolving role of the CMO, the power of user-generated content, and how brands can leverage consumer feedback for product development. Tune in to discover how CMOs are shifting from marketing experts to pivotal business leaders in today's digital landscape.

Send us a Text Message.In this episode of the Digital CX podcast, Jess Osborn shares insights from her career journey, discussing her experiences with customer success, account management, and scaling global teams at companies like Bazaarvoice and, currently, GoCardless. She emphasizes the importance of action-based onboarding, digital tools in renewals, and the evolving landscape of customer experience, while also addressing challenges in today's job market and career development in digital CS.Chapters:06:18 - A start in account management12:17 - Revenue ownership in customer success15:14 - Scaling customer success globally17:01 - Digitizing renewals and the customer experience19:25 - Job market challenges and pivots24:39 - Breaking into digital CS: Key skills and focus30:20 - Strategic relationships in CX and CS33:34 - Redefining onboarding with action-based metrics37:51 - Immersive digital experiences in B2CEnjoy! I know I sure did...Jess' LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicareserosborn/Content:Unlocking Us with Brené Brown: https://brenebrown.com/podcast-show/unlocking-us/Blinkist: https://blinkist.o6eiov.net/JzEe1aShoutouts:CS CollectiveLayton Chainey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laytonchaney/Sue Nabeth Moore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-nabeth-moore-6470905/Support the Show.+++++++++++++++++Like/Subscribe/Review:If you are getting value from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. Website:For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com. Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcspThank you for all of your support!The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic

Danny Grieco is a mindfulness teacher who has also worked as a salesperson for 12+ years, a sales trainer for 5+ years, and a mindfulness practitioner for 10+ years. https://mindfulnessexercises.com/mindfulness-sales-course/ As a salesperson, he has successfully sold for startups and Fortune 500 companies like Xerox, Lever, and Bazaarvoice, successfully selling into almost every industry, from small accounts to seven-figure deals. He has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly, so you can see the best. He has spent the past 5+ years teaching non-salespeople the skills of corporate sales. He has trained 100's of mindfulness teachers in sales and dozens of Silicon Valley startup founders including Y Combinator with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5. He spent 10+ years personally practicing and studying mindfulness and meditation, including daily practice, silent retreats, and academic study. He is also a certified teacher via SIYLI born at Google and has taught programs at Facebook, Amazon, and many others. His instruction is engaging, fun, and instantly applicable. The Mindfulness Sales Course is a comprehensive approach designed specifically for mindfulness teachers who want to make a greater impact in the corporate world.  This course is designed to address your specific challenges, giving you the tools, skills, and confidence you need to succeed.

The holiday shopping season might seem like it's months away, but if you listen to consumers, it's closer than you think. Today we're going to talk about consumer shopping behavior with some recent research done by Bazaarvoice, and dive into what brands need to know to stay relevant and maximize sales this holiday season. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Zarina Stanford, CMO at Bazaarvoice. ABOUT ZARINA STANFORD As CMO of Bazaarvoice, Zarina Lam Stanford leads with a customer-centric, insights-driven, and outcome-based approach to all aspects she touches - from research, brand, communications, product marketing, to sales, demand generation, partner/alliance and field marketing. A recognized growth catalyst, Zarina is passionate about design thinking, the art and science of being relevant, agile leadership, inclusion, and having fun.    Before joining Bazaarvoice, Zarina was CMO at tech giants including IBM, SAP, and Rackspace Technology as well as PE portfolio firm Syniti where she led a total brand transformation. A champion for diversity and inclusion and a global citizen, Zarina has in-depth hands-on experience in Global, North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific & Japan, and emerging markets. Zarina also serves on the Board of Fortytwo.vc, a global, cross-border fund focused VC firm, and BeyonDiversity Foundation, a non-profit on women empowerment. Recognized for her visionary strategies and transformative contributions shaping the future of marketing in the technology sector, Zarina was recently named among HotTopics' Top 100 Global B2B CMOs. Other industry recognitions for Zarina include Diversity Journal's Woman Worth Watching in STEM, Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business by the Asian American Business Development Center (AABDC) and Corporate Achiever Award by the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA).  Zarina is a Marketing Academy CMO Fellow, a Southern Methodist University MBA, and a graduate of the Asian Advanced Leadership Program at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. She also holds a BA in Journalism from the University of North Texas. She is currently authoring a self-leadership book, #DareToGrow. Born and raised in Hong Kong, the Austin-based Zarina is a nature lover, an ikebana apprentice, a published writer, an aspiring sailor, and a Mini Cooper and a Tesla fan. She describes herself as a proud daughter, sister, a mom, and a remodeling fanatic. RESOURCES Bazaarvoice website: https://www.bazaarvoice.com Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Headed to MAICON 24 - the premier marketing and AI conference? Use our discount code AGILE150 for $150 off your registration code. Register here: http://tinyurl.com/5jpwhycv Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

The holiday shopping season might seem like it's months away, but if you listen to consumers, it's closer than you think. Today we're going to talk about consumer shopping behavior with some recent research done by Bazaarvoice, and dive into what brands need to know to stay relevant and maximize sales this holiday season. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Zarina Stanford, CMO at Bazaarvoice. ABOUT ZARINA STANFORD As CMO of Bazaarvoice, Zarina Lam Stanford leads with a customer-centric, insights-driven, and outcome-based approach to all aspects she touches - from research, brand, communications, product marketing, to sales, demand generation, partner/alliance and field marketing. A recognized growth catalyst, Zarina is passionate about design thinking, the art and science of being relevant, agile leadership, inclusion, and having fun.    Before joining Bazaarvoice, Zarina was CMO at tech giants including IBM, SAP, and Rackspace Technology as well as PE portfolio firm Syniti where she led a total brand transformation. A champion for diversity and inclusion and a global citizen, Zarina has in-depth hands-on experience in Global, North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific & Japan, and emerging markets. Zarina also serves on the Board of Fortytwo.vc, a global, cross-border fund focused VC firm, and BeyonDiversity Foundation, a non-profit on women empowerment. Recognized for her visionary strategies and transformative contributions shaping the future of marketing in the technology sector, Zarina was recently named among HotTopics' Top 100 Global B2B CMOs. Other industry recognitions for Zarina include Diversity Journal's Woman Worth Watching in STEM, Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business by the Asian American Business Development Center (AABDC) and Corporate Achiever Award by the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA).  Zarina is a Marketing Academy CMO Fellow, a Southern Methodist University MBA, and a graduate of the Asian Advanced Leadership Program at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. She also holds a BA in Journalism from the University of North Texas. She is currently authoring a self-leadership book, #DareToGrow. Born and raised in Hong Kong, the Austin-based Zarina is a nature lover, an ikebana apprentice, a published writer, an aspiring sailor, and a Mini Cooper and a Tesla fan. She describes herself as a proud daughter, sister, a mom, and a remodeling fanatic. RESOURCES Bazaarvoice website: https://www.bazaarvoice.com Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Headed to MAICON 24 - the premier marketing and AI conference? Use our discount code AGILE150 for $150 off your registration code. Register here: http://tinyurl.com/5jpwhycv Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Mike Maples Jr. is a prolific angel investor and co-founder of early-stage venture firm Floodgate. Over the years, he's taken a lot of bets. Some have paid off handsomely (Twitter, Twitch, Lyft and Bazaarvoice, for example). Others have not.On today's episode of Equity, Mary Ann sat down with Mike to dig into a number of topics, including some of his most memorable investments, the one that got away, what he looks for when evaluating startups that pitch him - and what Godzilla has to do with it. We also talked a bit about his new book that he co-authored with Peter Ziebelman called “Pattern Breakers. Why some startups change the future.” Press play and join the conversation!Equity is TechCrunch's flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts.You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes over at Simplecast. Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. Bryce Durbin is our Illustrator. We'd also like to thank the audience development team and Henry Pickavet, who manages TechCrunch audio products.

Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.We're re-joined by Mike Maples, Jr. of Floodgate, this time to discuss his just released new book "Pattern Breakers."Mike was first on the pod in 2021 and it was great to catch up again, this time to discuss the importance of identifying founders who are true pattern breakers. We spoke about how his observations on the last 14 years at Floodgate inspired him to write the book. We went through concepts such as founder-future fit, the winning formula of inflections and insights, and his experience that 80% of their returns have been from companies with some major insight or pivot.   You can find Mike's book "Pattern Breakers" and additional insights on his substack at patternbreakers.substack.com.About Mike Maples, Jr.:Mike Maples, Jr. is a co-founding Partner at Floodgate. He has been on the Forbes Midas List eight times in the last decade and was also named a “Rising Star” by FORTUNE and profiled by Harvard Business School for his lifetime contributions to entrepreneurship. Before becoming a full-time investor, Mike was involved as a founder and operating executive at back-to-back startup IPOs, including Tivoli Systems (IPO TIVS, acquired by IBM) and Motive (IPO MOTV, acquired by Alcatel-Lucent.)Some of Mike's investments include Twitter, Twitch.tv, Clover Health, Okta, Outreach, ngmoco, Chegg, Bazaarvoice, and Demandforce.Mike is known for coining the term “Thunder Lizards,” which is a metaphor derived from Godzilla that describes the tiny number of truly exceptional companies that are wildly disruptive capitalist mutations. Mike likes to think of himself as a hunter of the “atomic eggs” that beget these companies.Mike is the host of the Pattern Breakers podcast, which shares startup lessons from the super performers.In this episode, we discuss:(02:00) The story behind writing "Pattern Breakers" and the investment in Twitch and the importance of pivots(04:07) Insights from returns on pivots and major insider pivots(05:02) The concept of founder-future fit and initial skepticism(07:04) The inflection point of Twitch pivoting from Justin.tv(10:28) Authenticity and insights in startup founders(14:32) The role of pattern recognition in startup success(16:24) Creating movements and attracting early believers(21:12) Importance of inflection points in startup success(25:00) Non-obvious inflection points and backcasting(29:52) The formula of inflection plus insight(32:00) Non-consensus and right: key to venture success(34:52) Venture capital and risk-taking(38:00) Inflections and protecting unconventional ideas(41:00) Patience as a form of arbitrage in venture investing(45:00) Insights from Annie Duke on decision-making in venture capitalI'd love to know what you took away from this conversation with Mike. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you'd like to be considered as a guest or have someone you'd like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on Twitter.Podcast Production support provided by Agent Bee This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com

Earlier this week, I visited the offices of Floodgate Partners in Menlo Park to talk with its co-founding partner Mike Maples. As an early investor in Twitter, Twitch.tv and many other successful start-ups, Maples is one of Silicon Valley's most respected venture capitalists. He is, to borrow the title of his new book, an investor in “Pattern Breakers” - entrepreneurs whose radical innovations challenge preexisting conventions and, quite literally, change the future. But, as he explained, while pattern breakers might sometimes have to be disagreeable, that doesn't justify what he calls the “jerks “who all-too-often do a disservice to the business of building the future. Mike Maples is a co-founding Partner at Floodgate.  He has been on the Forbes Midas List eight times in the last decade and was also named a “Rising Star” by FORTUNE and profiled by Harvard Business School for his lifetime contributions to entrepreneurship. Before becoming a full-time investor, Mike was involved as a founder and operating executive at back-to-back startup IPOs, including Tivoli Systems (IPO TIVS, acquired by IBM) and Motive (IPO MOTV, acquired by Alcatel-Lucent.) Some of Mike's investments include Twitter, Twitch.tv, Clover Health, Okta, Outreach, ngmoco, Chegg, Bazaarvoice, and Demandforce. Mike is known for coining the term “Thunder Lizards,” which is a metaphor derived from Godzilla that describes the tiny number of truly exceptional companies that are wildly disruptive capitalist mutations. Mike likes to think of himself as a hunter of the “atomic eggs” that beget these companies. Mike is the host of the Starting Greatness podcast, which shares startup lessons from the super performers.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Now more than ever, B2B audiences are craving authentic and relatable content, and no one showcases this more than our next guest.  With a background in B2C marketing, Kaylin Balderrama brings a fresh perspective to her role as the Global Social Media Manager at Bazaarvoice.  She highlights that no matter if you're in B2C or B2B, you'll always be marketing to people. With that in mind, Kaylin shares the core principles that have helped her craft an engaging and successful social strategy that delivers results: authenticity and social-first content.  The results speak for themselves: in the last 12 months, Bazaarvoice gained an impressive 18,000 followers, with 16,000 of those followers gained since Kaylin started in December 2023 and introduced her new social strategy! To close out the episode, Kaylin also explores how B2B companies can leverage social media platforms traditionally seen as B2C, such as TikTok, to raise brand awareness.   Tune in to learn what it really means to create social-first content and hear about a recent example that landed her in the news and on a flight to Cannes! Hot Topics: What social-first content is, and how to create it The metrics she tracks to monitor their performance  How to leverage TikTok for B2B marketing Subscribe to our newsletter: The B2B Social Compass.

On this episode of the Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different we have a conversation with Mike Maples Jr., co-founder of Floodgate, about his new book "Pattern Breakers." We explore the concept of Pattern Breakers, non-consensus thinking, and the breakthrough sequence for startups. Mike shares some insights on the role of language in defining new patterns and the significance of early adopters. The conversation provides valuable perspectives on the mindset and strategies essential for entrepreneurial breakthroughs and category design. You're listening to Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different. We are the real dialogue podcast for people with a different mind. So get your mind in a different place, and hey ho, let's go. Mike Maples Jr on Understanding Pattern Breakers Mike Maples Jr. introduces the concept of pattern breakers as individuals or companies that disrupt the status quo by proposing radically different futures. These entities don't just imagine a different future; they live in it, tinkering with new technologies and experiencing firsthand the opportunities to break the limits of current thinking, feeling, and acting. Mike also discusses non-consensus thinking, and how is crucial it is for pattern breakers. It involves challenging widely accepted norms and beliefs to create transformative value. He emphasizes that breakthrough startups often face resistance from the present and the status quo, making it essential for founders to be disagreeable in the right situations. The Breakthrough Sequence for Startups The first step in the breakthrough sequence is achieving insight breakthroughs. Founders need to immerse themselves in the future they envision, understanding new opportunities and creating new patterns. Mike uses examples of legendary founders like Marc Andreessen and Bob Metcalfe, who were visitors from the future, to illustrate this point. Once insight breakthroughs are achieved, the next step is to achieve product-market fit. This involves building what's missing for early adopters and lighthouse customers, who play a crucial role in shaping the direction of a startup. Founders must listen to these early believers and co-create the future with them. The final step in the breakthrough sequence is driving growth. This involves creating a movement and category design, gradually moving more people to the envisioned future. Mike highlights the importance of using differentiated language to escape the comparison trap and the conformity trap, leading people into a different future. The Role of Big Companies in Creating Breakthroughs Big companies can also create breakthroughs by harnessing inflections and insights to change the future. Mike discusses different approaches big companies can take, such as sustaining innovation, organic growth, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and partnering. However, he also acknowledges the challenges and biases that come with being a successful company. One effective strategy for big companies is backcasting, where leaders stand in the future and look back to the present, envisioning how they achieved a radically different future. This approach helps companies switch their mental scaffolding from being in the present and looking forward to being in the future and looking back to the present. To hear more from Mike Maples Jr on Pattern Breakers and creating breakthroughs for your company, download and listen to this episode. Bio Mike Maples Jr. is an entrepreneur turned venture capitalist. He's co-founder of Silicon Valley based, early-stage VC Floodgate. And the host of the popular “Starting Greatness” podcast. Investments include Twitter, Lyft, Bazaarvoice, Sparefoot, Ayasdi, Xamarin, Doubledutch, Twitch.tv, Playdom, Chegg, Demandforce, Rappi, Smule, and Outreach. Link Connect with Mike Maples Jr.! Floodgate | Twitter | LinkedIn | Starting Greatness Podcast Check out Mike's new book, Pattern Breakers! Amazon Books | Porchlight Books | Starting Greatness | Patte...

As Social Commerce evolves, so do the roles and skill sets needed to drive it.  This transformation is fast reshaping the landscape of fashion & beauty marketing. Collaboration between social and eCommerce teams, and sharing technologies to utilize, is crucial for crafting a seamless and connected customer journey; one rich with remarkable experiences.  The emergence of more specialized roles within Social Commerce, and teams entirely dedicated to it, are a significant symbol of this shift. Social Media Managers and their wider teams are increasingly held accountable to sales goals. Research shows this trend will only intensify, making it essential for marketers to adapt swiftly. In this episode, Paul is joined by Doug Foulkes (Social & Creator SME, Team Lead @ Bazaarvoice) LIVE from the stage of the Social Commerce Summit: New York. Together, they piece together a playbook for navigating this fast-approaching future. Listen up to learn about… Demonstrating the Business Value of Content: Social Media teams need access to accurate, impactful data and the keen analytical skills to translate these insights into proof of tangible value. Social content can, and should, live far beyond the realms of social to influence customer purchasing decisions. The further into the right analytics you lean, the faster you prove worth. The faster you prove worth, the faster your budgets can expand. Opportunities for AI in Brand Safety: The potential impact of AI on content creation and brand safety is a hot topic. While there's concern, there's opportunity for helpful innovation here, too. AI is helping streamline creative processes in marketing, but it could also be used in influencer & Advocate approval. Take a peek into the not-far-off future. Utilizing User-Generated Content Effectively: Doug's research has found fresh user-generated content (UGC) can make all the difference. 74% of consumers say it's a prerequisite for them to see social proof on product pages, to help them make up their mind before buying. Of this on-page social content, recent UGC works 4x better for sustaining high conversion rates. Find out why. Learn how to optimize.  This episode is presented by Bazaarvoice – a MarTech solution making magic for thousands of brands & retailers, growing sales through authentic social content on their websites.  Find out more about these good folk here: https://www.bazaarvoice.com/  Rate & review Building Brand Advocacy: Apple Podcasts Spotify Connect with Doug: Doug's LinkedIn Bazaarvoice's LinkedIn 

Theresia Intag is the founder of IntagHire, a Fractional Human Resource and Recruiting firm, as well as a co-founder of Tag4HR, a membership platform to support HR leaders of SMBs. Theresia has worked with amazing brands such as Samsung, Bazaarvoice, Nordstrom, Yeti Coolers, Abaco, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Spanning Cloud, Holtzman Partners and many other organizations to build and cultivate their talent pool. Theresia values innovation, flexibility for life's challenges, and creating human spaces in the business world by leading with compassion. Today, the world is changing faster than ever, and pushing businesses to evolve their management style so businesses can be agile and pivot quickly to stay in the game. Theresia was a 2023 Impact Award finalist for Vistage, a global CEO network. Key Moments [05:59] Appreciates variety, understanding different business perspectives. [07:00] Align HR with business strategy, not old-fashioned. [11:15] Former entrepreneurs bring valuable perspective to hiring. [15:33] Outsource resources, be strategic for business growth. Find Theresia Online https://intaghire.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresia-intag If you're enjoying Entrepreneur's Enigma, please give us a review on the podcast directory of your choice. We're on all of them and these reviews really help others find the show. GoodPods: https://gmwd.us/goodpods iTunes: https://gmwd.us/itunes Podchaser: https://gmwd.us/podchaser Also, if you're getting value from the show and want to buy me a coffee, go to the show notes to get the link to get me a coffee to keep me awake, while I work on bringing you more great episodes to your ears. →  https://gmwd.us/buy-me-a-coffee Follow Seth Online: Seth | Digital Marketer (@s3th.me) • Instagram: Instagram.com/s3th.me Seth Goldstein | LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/sethmgoldstein Seth On Mastodon: https://s3th.me/@pch Seth's Marketing Junto Newsletter: https://MarketingJunto.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the newest episode of The Influence Factor, Alessandro Bogliari, CEO & Co-Founder of The Influencer Marketing Factory, engages in a conversation with Liz Griffin, Global Vice President of Social Commerce at Bazaarvoice, delving into the critical significance of user-generated content (UGC) in fostering transparent shopping experiences. Bazaarvoice collaborates closely with brands, integrating customer UGC onto their websites to furnish transparency and validation for consumers. Griffin underscores the necessity for brands to seamlessly incorporate social content into their paid advertisements, thereby simplifying the consumer journey to purchase. Additionally, she underscores the profound impact of UGC, particularly through the utilization of images and videos for authentic product evaluations.

In this episode of The Local Marketing Lab, Justin Ulrich has an energetic discussion with Matthew Marx, CEO of Evocalize, about using automated marketing technology to drive local demand. With over 20 years of experience in tech and digital marketing, Matt provides valuable perspectives. He shares insights on the challenges faced by small business owners in navigating the complex digital marketing landscape and emphasizes the importance of generating demand at the right time and place. By providing real-life examples of successful implementations in the restaurant and real estate industries, Matt offers practical strategies for businesses to drive traffic and engage with their customers effectively.Here are some topics discussed in the episode about automated marketing:The importance of having a digital presence for location-based businessesLeveraging real-time sales and inventory data in marketingAutomating repetitive digital marketing tasks to allow local owners to focus on operationsStreamlining digital marketing for multi-location businessesEvocalize bridges the gap between franchisors and franchisees to market togetherResourcesConnect with Matthew Marx on LinkedIn.Learn more about Bazaarvoice, the user-generated content platform that Matt helped go public.Find out more about Madrona Ventures, one of the founding partners of Evocalize.Other shout-outsSmoothie King — using local TikTok ads to advertise effectivelyPrimanti Brothers — driving people to their restaurants with automated, real-time demand signalsKeller Williams — combining technologies to allow agents to segment their marketing

Dave's guest this week is Doug Straton, Chief Customer Evangelist at Bazaarvoice.  Previously he's served in roles at The Hershey Company and Unilever.  Relevant topics include the "Content Supply Chain" (a phrase Doug coined), as well as Doug's POV on the future of user-generated content. Connect with Doug on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-c-straton-7a59a34/Learn more: https://itsrapid.ai/Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker 

In today's thought-provoking episode of Tech Talks Daily, I'm thrilled to host Colin Bodell, a leading voice at Bazaarvoice, the company revolutionizing the connection between brands, retailers, and consumers through data-driven insights and interactive shopping experiences.  Our conversation couldn't be timelier. With the explosion of interest in the Metaverse and the increasing integration of augmented and virtual reality into our daily lives, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment. Bazaarvoice's 2022 Shopper Preference Report reveals that an astonishing 59% of consumers envision AR and VR technologies as essential components of future physical retail environments. But what are the practical implications of these findings for retailers and consumers alike? Colin and I venture beyond the headlines to discuss how these immersive technologies could radically reshape the retail experience. We also engage in a critical conversation about the role of artificial intelligence in e-commerce. While AI can undeniably elevate the customer experience, it also introduces ethical quandaries, particularly around the authenticity of product reviews. Given the recent controversies surrounding fake AI-generated reviews, this is an issue that brands and consumers cannot afford to overlook. So whether you're a business leader strategizing the implementation of emergent technologies, or an everyday consumer intrigued by how shopping is set to evolve, this episode promises a comprehensive exploration of both the remarkable opportunities and the significant challenges posed by this technological shift.

Dan Ennis of Monday.com, a seasoned expert in the CS community and Monday.com's own digital ace joins us this week. Dan gives us a guided tour of his career journey, transitioning from roots in customer service call centers to account management, and finally, the realm of CS. His insights offer us a fresh perspective on handling different contact personas within a company and the value of data-driven decision making.As we dig deeper into the conversation, we encounter the realities of Monday.com's diverse customer base, its challenges, and its opportunities. Dan teaches us the art of identifying potential champions through data, and how integrating marketing disciplines, like attribution, can help to scale customer success motions. He also underscores the importance of maintaining data hygiene through user identification and human validation. Enjoy! I know I sure did...Dan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-ennis-cs/Resources Mentioned in this Episode:Webinar: How to Grow Revenue from your Scale CS Accounts: https://learn.everafter.ai/grow-revenue-from-existing-accountsPodcast: This is Growth with Daphne Costa Lopes: https://www.daphnelopes.com/podcast/Book: Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger and Multiply Your Impact by Liz Wiseman: https://amzn.to/3Px9LETBook: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear: https://amzn.to/3ZfPsAeBook: Entrepreneurial You: Monetize Your Expertise, Create Multiple Income Streams, and Thrive by Dorie Clark: https://amzn.to/3sJ4r9nShoutouts in this Episode:Angeline Gavino - VP of Customer Success & Support at Katalon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelinegavino/Angelika Marek - Lead Digital Customer Success Manager at Bazaarvoice: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelika-m/Support the show+++++++++++++++++Listener Submissions:If you'd like to call in with commentary or a question to be addressed in a future episode, call our submission line at +1 (512) 222-7381. Leave us a 2-3 minute message with your comment or question using either your real name or a pseudonym, and we'll feature your clip on the show!Like/Subscribe/Review:If you are getting value from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. Website:For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com. Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcspThank you for all of your support!The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic

“My whole business isn't about how often I lose but it's about the magnitude of the rightness when I win”  Mike Maples is a co-founding Partner at Floodgate.  He has been on the Forbes Midas List eight times in the last decade and was also named a “Rising Star” by FORTUNE and profiled by Harvard Business School for his lifetime contributions to entrepreneurship.  Before becoming a full-time investor, Mike was involved as a founder and operating executive at back-to-back startup IPOs, including Tivoli Systems (IPO TIVS, acquired by IBM) and Motive (IPO MOTV, acquired by Alcatel-Lucent.) Some of Mike's investments include Twitter, Twitch.tv, Clover Health, Okta, Outreach, ngmoco, Chegg, Bazaarvoice, and Demandforce. Mike is the host of the Starting Greatness podcast, which shares startup lessons from the super performers. On this episode Mike shares the mindset that has had the greatest impact on his life, what is true about the greatest startup founders and the key to unlocking greatness in investments.  Interested in having Sean DeLaney be your executive coach? CLICK HERE  Caldera Lab– Get 20% off high performance men's skincare!  – Click HERE Marketer Hire– Get $500 off your first hire! – Click HERE https://youunleashedcourse.com/ You Unleashed is an online personal development course created by Sean DeLaney after spending years working with and interviewing high achievers.The online course that helps you ‘Unleash your potential'! You Unleashed teaches you the MINDSETS, ROUTINES and BEHAVIORS you need to unleash your potential and discover what you're capable of. You know you're capable of more and want to bring out that untapped potential inside of you. We teach you how. Enroll Today!- Click Here Subscribe to my Momentum Monday Newsletter Connect with us! Whatgotyouthere TikTok YouTube Twitter Instagram   

Join me in this episode as I'm talking to Angelika Marek, Digital Customer Success Manager at Bazaarvoice. We explore her journey from retail and marketing to digital customer success. Listen in as Angelica shares her experience in applying for a customer success role, and how she ended up taking on the challenge of becoming a Digital CSM. Discover the valuable skills she brings to her current role and the many hats she wears in the world of Digital Customer Success.Together, Angelika and I examine the structure and practical steps for creating digital programs, discussing what digital customer success is and how it differs from traditional customer success. We also touch on the communication channels used in each model and the types of customers supported by each. We share some insights into research conducted by McKinsey regarding self-service expectations and whether digital success is still a niche or becoming mainstream.Finally, we explore how customer success managers can save time and resources by implementing digital programs, such as new user training webinars and office hours. Learn from Angelica's recommendations on segmenting customers for office hours and leveraging technology and other teams to promote and run these programs. Tune in for valuable insights and advice on maximizing digital customer success programs and strategies for getting started in this exciting space.Did You Know:Angelika grew up in Poland

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, we have a dialogue with Mike Maples Jr. on how artificial intelligence is changing startups and venture capital. Mike Maples Jr. is the co-founder of Floodgate, one of the highest profile early stage venture capitalists. He also has a podcast called Starting Greatness, and it is one of my absolute favorites. By the end of it, we hope that you'll gain a new way to think about both technical risk for startups and market risk. And why in an AI world, you must either be radically different or radically disintermediate something. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. Mike Maples Jr. on AI We begin the discussion on the topic of challenges of making sense of the rapidly evolving field of AI. Mike also talks about the traditional funding model of startups, where the primary focus was taking out technical risk, and how the LAMP stack, which commoditized what was once expensive, made it easier to start a startup. Mike notes that the nature of the LAMP stack changed what startups were funded for. “What I like to say is that the LAMP stack was deflationary in terms of the cost of starting startup. And so what does that mean? It meant that what you were funding was different, because if Kevin Rose can start dig for $1,500, over a weekend, there's no technical risks there. I mean, he hired a contractor to do it that he didn't even know at the time.” – Mike Maples Jr. Who gets Product Market Fit first The conversation then moves on to the changing dynamics of venture capital investment. The discussion continues with the notion that technical risk and market risk are inversely related. Solving a technically difficult problem that is valuable to society will create a market; if the problem is easy to solve technically, it will all come down to who achieves product-market fit first. To add value to the business, Floodgate and YC have taken the approach of funding market risk takedown. As technology becomes more commoditized and innovations become more accessible, the person who creates something people want the quickest wins. This is why YC was so successful: it offered young people $100,000 to either take market risks or leave. He also mentions that the traditional venture capital model may not be appropriate for all businesses and that deflationary factors such as content, code, and data may change the way businesses are built. Mike Maples Jr. on AI and the future of Venture Capital Mike Maples Jr. then returns to the topic of artificial intelligence and its implications for the future of venture capital. Here, Mike emphasizes two ends of the risk spectrum: high technical risk and high market risk. On the one hand, some projects require large amounts of funding for mass computation in order to build massive models that have the potential to change humanity. On the other hand, AI is being used in a variety of fields, including content generation for marketing, customer service chatbots, and lead generation, resulting in a deflationary effect on content, code, and data. According to Mike, some businesses may not require traditional venture capital funding and should instead focus on achieving $50 million in revenue with a small team and minimal funding. There is also speculation that the current billion-dollar funds may be providing the wrong incentives to these companies. To hear more from Mike Maples Jr. and how AI can affect the future of startups and venture capital, download and listen to this episode. Bio Mike Maples Jr. is an entrepreneur turned venture capitalist. He's co-founder of Silicon Valley based, early-stage VC Floodgate. And the host of the popular “Starting Greatness” podcast. Investments include Twitter, Lyft, Bazaarvoice, Sparefoot, Ayasdi, Xamarin, Doubledutch, Twitch.tv, Playdom, Chegg, Demandforce, Rappi, Smule, and Outreach. Link

Dr Lou Kratz, Principle Research Engineer of Bazaarvoice, shares how his organization generates value from data, cutting time to value by 6x and leveraging AWS to save big on cloud costs.Topics include:Making smart decisions automatically from data with machine learningBazaarvoice business modelUnderstanding value is the most important part of any machine learning projectLeveraging AI/ML for content moderationLeveraging AWS SagemakerBeing cost effective with serverless optionsCutting time to value by 6x with savings of 82%Investing in ML OpsFinal recommendations for data and ML Ops

On this episode of Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different, we have a dialogue with Mike Maples Jr. on how artificial intelligence is changing startups and venture capital. Mike Maples Jr. is the co-founder of Floodgate, one of the highest profile early stage venture capitalists. He also has a podcast called Starting Greatness, and it is one of my absolute favorites. By the end of it, we hope that you'll gain a new way to think about both technical risk for startups and market risk. And why in an AI world, you must either be radically different or radically disintermediate something. You're listening to Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different. We are the real dialogue podcast for people with a different mind. So get your mind in a different place, and hey ho, let's go. Mike Maples Jr. on AI We begin the discussion on the topic of challenges of making sense of the rapidly evolving field of AI. Mike also talks about the traditional funding model of startups, where the primary focus was taking out technical risk, and how the LAMP stack, which commoditized what was once expensive, made it easier to start a startup. Mike notes that the nature of the LAMP stack changed what startups were funded for. “What I like to say is that the LAMP stack was deflationary in terms of the cost of starting startup. And so what does that mean? It meant that what you were funding was different, because if Kevin Rose can start dig for $1,500, over a weekend, there's no technical risks there. I mean, he hired a contractor to do it that he didn't even know at the time.” – Mike Maples Jr.   Who gets Product Market Fit first The conversation then moves on to the changing dynamics of venture capital investment. The discussion continues with the notion that technical risk and market risk are inversely related. Solving a technically difficult problem that is valuable to society will create a market; if the problem is easy to solve technically, it will all come down to who achieves product-market fit first. To add value to the business, Floodgate and YC have taken the approach of funding market risk takedown. As technology becomes more commoditized and innovations become more accessible, the person who creates something people want the quickest wins. This is why YC was so successful: it offered young people $100,000 to either take market risks or leave. He also mentions that the traditional venture capital model may not be appropriate for all businesses and that deflationary factors such as content, code, and data may change the way businesses are built. Mike Maples Jr. on AI and the future of Venture Capital Mike Maples Jr. then returns to the topic of artificial intelligence and its implications for the future of venture capital. Here, Mike emphasizes two ends of the risk spectrum: high technical risk and high market risk. On the one hand, some projects require large amounts of funding for mass computation in order to build massive models that have the potential to change humanity. On the other hand, AI is being used in a variety of fields, including content generation for marketing, customer service chatbots, and lead generation, resulting in a deflationary effect on content, code, and data. According to Mike, some businesses may not require traditional venture capital funding and should instead focus on achieving $50 million in revenue with a small team and minimal funding. There is also speculation that the current billion-dollar funds may be providing the wrong incentives to these companies. To hear more from Mike Maples Jr. and how AI can affect the future of startups and venture capital, download and listen to this episode. Bio Mike Maples Jr. is an entrepreneur turned venture capitalist. He's co-founder of Silicon Valley based, early-stage VC Floodgate. And the host of the popular “Starting Greatness” podcast. Investments include Twitter, Lyft, Bazaarvoice, Sparefoot, Ayasdi, Xamarin, Doubledutch, Twitch.tv, Playdom,

Brett Hurt is the CEO and co-founder of data.world, an Austin-based Certified B Corporation and public benefit corporation. data.world makes it easy for everyone—not just the "data people"—to get clear, accurate, fast answers to any business question. data.world's cloud-native data catalog maps its customers siloed, distributed data to familiar and consistent business concepts, creating a unified body of knowledge anyone can find, understand, and use. data.world is also home to the world's largest collaborative open data community, including public COVID-19 datasets. In 2017, 2018, and 2019, data.world was honored on the “Best for the World” list by B Lab that recognizes the top 10% of all B Corps globally. And in 2020, data.world was named by the Austin Business Journal as one of the top-three companies to work for. Brett is also the co-owner of Hurt Family Investments (HFI), alongside his wife, Debra. HFI are involved in 115 startups, 31 VC funds, and multiple philanthropic endeavors. Brett co-founded and led Bazaarvoice as CEO, through its IPO, follow-on offering, and two acquisitions. Bazaarvoice became the largest public SaaS (Software as a Service) business in social commerce and was named by the WSJ as one of the top IPOs of 2012. Brett also founded and led Coremetrics, which was rated the #1 Web analytics solution by Forrester Research and, like Bazaarvoice, expanded into a global company and leader. Coremetrics was acquired by IBM in 2010 for around $300m.   In 2017, Brett was given the Best CEO Legacy Award by the Austin Business Journal. He is a Henry Crown Fellow and Braddock Scholar at the Aspen Institute. Brett began programming at age seven and doing so on the Internet at age eighteen. He finished his book, “The Entrepreneur's Essentials”, in August 2019 (available at databrett.medium.com for free). Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE-RwBRU99XI_K5N1TaQXsQ Timestamps: 0:00 - 4:45 - Business is Art 4:45 - 7:43 - Data.World 7:44 - 10:30 - Mathematics and Seeking Truth 10:30 - 14:40 - Markets Are Conversations 14:41 - 18:51 - Brett's origins 19:00 - 29:59 - Company culture, authenticity, and timing of ideas. 30:00 - 43:59 - Hiring and checking references. 44:00 - 47:59 - Giving back is not an option. 48:00 - 54:00 - The importance of diversity in company culture. 54:01 - Henry Crown Fellowship

Thousands of the world's leading brands and retailers trust Bazaarvoice technology, services, and expertise to drive revenue, extend reach, gain actionable insights, and create loyal advocates. Visit bazaarvoice.com to learn more about how they can help your brand with user-generated content solutions, sampling campaigns, social media commerce and publishing, and more. Show-Notes:“We had to talk about mental, physical, and emotional health. It wasn't easy at first, but it was so worth it.” [12:45] Keith Nealon talks about how he, as the CEO of Bazaarvoice, acknowledged mental health challenges. He focused on vulnerability and different employee situations to make sure no employee felt alone.“We've had a lot of discussions on finding those things that fill your cup or fill your soul, not simply occupying the mind.” [18:25] Creating outlets, supplying mental health support services, and clearly defining priorities are some of the ways, among many others, that Bazaarvoice is using to support their employees against burnout.“You have to normalize this issue of mental health and well-being, and bring it into every conversation.” [30:14] This important idea cannot come out of nowhere; it needs to be intentional and talked about. Keith shares how he related and shared his personal experiences and toolbox with his staff. The offering of helpful apps, services, and policies like “no meeting therapy” helps normalize this initiative.“If folks see the CEO is human and not superhuman, there is less fear about admitting the issues.” [32:40] Keith is setting an example as a CEO of his humanness and how it's okay to talk about this topic. It is the leader's responsibility to break the stigma and create an environment where employees feel safe to open up. “There is culture, and then there is connection.” [35:34] How do you keep up with company culture when everyone is spread out and working remotely? Keith names many ways they create connections, including company all-hands meetings, department all-hands meetings, in-office events, fun-focused Slack chats, and an employee-led “culture crew”. All of these feed into the positive human connection and fun environment at Bazaarvoice.“The leadership of the company is a reflection of that love that I want to bring into the organization.” [40:27] From the familiar saying, ‘people leave managers, not jobs', Keith highlights the importance of choosing caring, empathetic leaders to reach the employees. With over 1300 employees across the globe, Keith can be with everyone, so by making choosing the right leaders a focus in his role, he can greatly impact his staff with love.Mentioned in this episode:Bazaarvoice Bazaarvoice ROI Calculatorkeith.nealon@bazaarvoice.com Keith Nealon @keithnealon on TwitterForrester Consulting Study Modern Health Marcel Schwantes

Companies routinely have Revenue Blind Spots that cost them 10-30% of their revenue. Optimization expert, Bryan Eisenberg and his brother Jeffrey have helped companies increase sales by over a billion dollars using their Persuasive Momentum framework. They coach and train hundreds of companies like Google, NBC Universal, and Health Insurance Innovations. They help sell products as diverse as SaaS software, eyeglass frames, and pig sperm. They help you to anticipate what customers need and how to innovate, staying ahead of them. Bryan Eisenberg the co-founder of BuyerLegends and is the co-author of the Wall Street Journal & New York Times bestselling books “Call to Action”, “Waiting For Your Cat to Bark?”, “Always Be Testing” and "Buyer Legends: The Executive Storytellers Guide". Bryan has been the keynote speaker for Shop.org, the Direct Marketing Association, E-consultancy, Microsoft, the Canadian Marketing Association, and hundreds of other events across the globe. He is also the co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Web Analytics Association. Bryan serves as an advisory board member of several venture capital-backed startup companies (ie. Bazaarvoice, Monetate, UserTesting.com, BoostMedia, Sightly, Runa, etc.). Bryan, an award-winning blogger, and the author was recognized by eConsultancy members as one of the top 10 User Experience Gurus, a winner of the Marketing Edge's Rising Stars Awards, and a member of the inaugural iMedia Top 25 Marketers. Bryan has been featured expert by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times and has been quoted in Advertising Age, CNN, Forrester Research, Jupiter Research, Miami Herald, Publish, Internet Advertising Report (IAR), Chicago Business Tribune, Inc Magazine, Entrepreneur, Target Marketing, DM News, Microsoft's bCentral, Smart Money & Internet Retailer for his thought leadership in the critical area of internet marketing and landing page optimization & online conversion rates. Get your copy of The Rice & Beans Millionaire today: https://www.amazon.com/Rice-Beans-Millionaire-Improbable-Entrepreneur-ebook/dp/B0BBQ5XY6L/ref=zg_bs_7090584011_sccl_4/139-4277487-1979003?psc=1 Connect with Bryan at https://www.bryaneisenberg.com/ CHAPTERS: 00:00 Intro 00:40 Meet Bryan Eisenberg 03:40 The Rice & Beans Millionaire 05:35 Just Over Broke 07:35 Where I Get My Stories 10:20 The Premise 11:00 Building Businesses 11:40 Persuasive Online Copywriting 12:40 Building A Reputation 14:10 Home Services Industry 16:35 Consulting Clients 17:50 Optimizing Your Business 18:50 Industry Pioneers 20:10 Delivering Insights 22:30 Be Like Amazon 23:40 Entrepreneurial Knowledge 24:20 The Biggest Blindspot 26:55 Understanding Your Customer 29:20 The Value Point 30:35 The Call To Action Book 32:50 How To Become Best Sellers 35:45 Waiting For Your Cat To Bark 36:50 Creating An Impact 38:35 Definition of Success 40:40 The Story Of MrBeast 42:40 $35 Business Card 44:30 The Power Of Books 46:15 The Value of Time 46:40 Timeless Books 49:17 The Pendulum 52:15 The Millionaire Next Door 53:25 Finding Consistency Within Inconsistencies 55:05 Outro

THIS WEEK'S TOPIC:Join us and learn what emotional intelligence (EQ) is and how it can work on a go-to-market team. As well as how to identify talent and pursue equitable hiring, and motiving folx in a remote-first culture; all while keeping numbers central to your success.We will also discuss:Leading a sales team (or any team) in a pandemic is challenging; how do we thrive together?How digital comms norms continue to evolve but human connection and trust remain central to lasting relationshipsTHIS WEEK'S GUEST:Elizabeth Ritzcovan, also known as Liz, has been the Chief Revenue Officer at Hustle since 2021. Ms. Ritzcovan is responsible for the overall leadership of Hustle's Go-To-Market organization, including sales, market development, sales operations, client services, and marketing. She has served as Global Chief Revenue Officer of Namogoo, Foursquare, Bazaarvoice, Sizmek, and Parade Media Group. Prior to that, she served as a Vice President at Yahoo! and Time. She has 20 years of print, digital media, and software sales experience with industry-leading organizations. She started her career in print media, where she held a number of roles with Conde Nast Publications, Miller Publishing, and H & H Publishing. Active in the New York community and industry, she serves as a Strategic Advisor to DigiFSi, a start-up for digital coupon solutions. She serves on the board of the New York Pops and also as an Executive Member of the Advertising Women of New York.Support the show

This week our host Brandi Starr is joined by Tiziana Barrow, Founder and CEO at Tilagia and Gerardo Dada, CMO at Catchpoint.  On the couch Brandi, Tiziana and Gerardo will tackle Competitive Intel vs. Competitor Obsession. Tiziana Barrow has spent the last 20+ years of her career in the B2B high tech Industry in key positions, including VP of Marketing, Principal Marketing Consultant, Director of Competitive & Market Intelligence, and Analyst Relations.  Passionate about building strategies, innovative campaigns, and the teams that thrive to deliver, Tiziana is very much a change agent marketer who finds satisfaction in producing high quality results.  She has also been part of building and growing start-up companies, including Symantec, the industry's most popular antivirus software provider and Eloqua—prior to the Oracle acquisition—a marketing automation platform. Gerardo Dada has over 20 years of experience in technology marketing and has been at the center of the Web, Mobile, Social, and Cloud revolutions. He has held senior marketing and strategy positions at SolarWinds, Microsoft, Rackspace, DataCore, BazaarVoice, and Keeper Security. He writes on his blog www.theAdaptiveMarketer.com Together, in this week's episode, Competitive Intel vs. Competitor Obsession Striking the Right Balance, Brandi, Tiziana and Gerardo explore the difference between competitive intel and competitor obsession, value versus reaction, how to use the intel when you have it and much more. Links: Get in touch with Tiziana Barrow on: LinkedIn Tilagia Get in touch with Gerardo Dada on: LinkedIn Twitter YouTube Blog Subscribe, listen, and rate/review Revenue Rehab Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts , Amazon Music, or iHeart Radio and find more episodes on our website RevenueRehab.live

Employee experience is a hot topic among companies, and Maddie Blumenthal (QSTAC) is here to help. She gives some great advice on how to measure it in a way that's as close to reality as possible - spoiler alert: just sending a survey won't do - and talks employee retention, onboarding, and how the IT department is absolutely crucial to all of this. Maddie Blumenthal is VP of Customer Success at QSTAC and has an extensive experience in the field in companies such as FieldPulse, Verizon, Rainforest QA, and Bazaarvoice.

It's an Alkimi only podcast this week! With CEO & Co-Founder Ben Putley, Digital Marketing Manager Milly Putley and our new CFO Vincent Boujnah!Vincent has always been working in fast growing tech and international environments. Whilst born and raised in France, he started his career in NYC back in the 90s with DoubleClick, the internet advertising pioneer later acquired by Google. He then became the CFO of Toluna, supporting the growth from 20 employees in France to 800 globally within only 4 years. Vincent was then in charge of all finance operations outside of the US for BazaarVoice, an Austin based company listed on the NASDAQ and then with Quantcast, a digital advertising solution leveraging AI. After a semi break of 5 years during which Vincent decided to support his 3 fast growing kids and became a part-time CFO and advisor to help scale-ups, Vincent was now appointed CFO of Alkimi where his extensive experience will be highly valuable.Check out everything Alkimi here: https://linktr.ee/AlkimiExchange

David Anderson currently works at Bazaarvoice as Technical Fellow. Before that, he was CTO leading an organizational transformation at Liberty Mutual aimed at generating more value for the clients by using serverless architectures and better ways of working. David shared his experience and lessons learned in the book "The Value Flywheel Effect" and I got the chance to hear it first-hand.Subscribe to 0800-DEVOPS newsletter here.Show notes:- This interview is featured in 0800-DEVOPS #39 - The Value Flywheel Effect with David Anderson- Dave's recommendations: Simon Wardley (On industrialization: a technology-driven path to next generation organization), Matthew Skelton, Manuel Pais, Nick Tune, Susanne Kaiser, Jonathan Allen (Reaching Cloud Velocity), Gregor Hohpe (The Software Architect Elevator), Adrian Cockroft- The Serverless Edge - content for engineers, architects, tech leaders, students and business leaders who are interested in adopting serverless.

Brett Hurt is a serial entrepreneur, launching Bazaarvoice, Coremetrics and now data.world. Over that time, he's learned a lot about software, people, software and soul. His latest company, data.world, is a B Corp, or as he calls it, Capitalism 2.0. Brett invited us to his home to talk about growing up in Austin, and the tension between the creative and the capitalist class.  Notable Links Austin Next SXSW Panel Picker Voting Brett Hurt Brett Hurt Twitter The Entrepreneur Essentials data.world data.world Podcast Catalog & Cocktails Don't Mess with Texas Innovation Podcast Production Services by EveryWord Media Our music is “Tech Talk” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons 4.0 License 

In this episode of Building Brand Advocacy, Paul Archer is joined by Zarina Stanford. They discuss the trends of brand building today and how brands can bring an engaging shopping experience to the digital sphere.As CMO of Bazaarvoice, Zarina leads with a customer-centric, insights-driven, and outcome-based approach to all aspects she touches. Before joining Bazaarvoice, Zarina was CCMO of Rackspace Technology and held sales and marketing executive positions at public and private equity and venture capital portfolio firms, including IBM, SAP, Rackspace Technology, and Syniti. Zarina was recently named among the 2021 Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business by the Asian American Business Development Center (AABDC).Building Brand Advocacy is handcrafted by our friends over at: www.fame.so Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode #15 of Kantar's Retail Sound Bites, hosts Barry Thomas, senior retail thought leader, and Rachel Dalton, head of retail insights, discuss the digital shelf.   Also, get timely news and notes in retail on Australia's new value-based supermarket, TikTok sells fresh food, 7-Eleven acquires Skipcart, and more. This episode also features Doug Straton, chief customer evangelist, and Zarina Stanford, chief marketing officer, of Bazaarvoice to disucss rethinking the digital shelf and the importance of UGC content. Have a topic you would like to see us cover? Share your request by emailing Switchon@kantar.com.  Barry's contact information: barry.thomas@kantar.com Barry's LinkedIn Rachel's contact information: rachel.dalton@kantar.com Rachel's LinkedIn

Everyone has their own definition of success. But for MongoDB's Chief Revenue Officer Cedric Pech, the journey towards achieving it, the self-improvements you make, and the lessons learned along the way may prove to be more important than the destination itself. In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, our hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan talk to Cedric about his career, and his thoughts on leadership, purpose, and success. Additional Resources:Connect with Cedric Pech on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cedricpech/HIGHLIGHTSFrom VP to CRO: Challenges faced and lessons learnedWhy having a purpose is crucial for teams It can't be just about the paycheck Patriots vs. Mercenaries Success is a marathon, not a sprintSlow Success vs. Fast Success How skiing influenced Cedric's career It's about the journey, not the destinationDetails are where the consequences lieLeaders have to take care of themselves tooGUEST BIOCedric Pech is the current  Chief Revenue Officer for MondoDB. He joined MongoDB to lead Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) sales in July 2017, and since that time has rapidly increased the size of the team, expanded into new markets, implemented a new process that has measurably increased sales productivity and has driven exceptional growth.With more than 20 years of sales leadership experience, Cedric has a track record of building high-performance sales organizations that deliver strong and consistent results. Prior to MongoDB, he led worldwide sales at Fuze, an enterprise global cloud communications and collaboration software platform. He has also held senior sales leadership roles for four different software companies, including three publicly traded companies: BladeLogic, BMC, and BazaarVoice.QUOTESCedric on finding your purpose: "I think it starts from you. There's a moment where you wake up in the morning and it's so hard that you ask yourself, why am I doing what I'm doing? And the moment you stop asking that, then you start to dig into yourself and do some introspection to come up with answers."John McMahon on retaining employees: "When people understand the why, they can handle the how."Cedric's advice for sellers: "Be patient and work on your craft. Don't cut corners and don't go after the next promotion or after short-term money but really work on your foundations. This is a marathon."Why Cedric says you shouldn't rush success: "Slow success builds character and fast success builds ego."Cedric on which things cannot be sacrificed for the sake of 'winning': "We are going to win, but not at any cost. And the line that we are going to draw is the line where people get hurt in their families, their health or their personal balance."Check out John McMahon's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064

Thom Singer sits down with one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Austin, Texas. His friend, Brett Hurt, is the author of The Entrepreneur's Essentials and the founder of six successful companies.  In this conversation they chat about Brett's entrepreneurship, the new book, what makes a B Corporation, and how Brett can do a 22 minute plank. This interview is full of useful information for anyone at any level of their business career.   About Brett Hurt Brett Hurt is the CEO and co-founder of data.world, an Austin-based Certified B Corporation and public benefit corporation. data.world makes it easy for everyone—not just the "data people"—to get clear, accurate, fast answers to any business question. data.world's cloud-native data catalog maps its customers siloed, distributed data to familiar and consistent business concepts, creating a unified body of knowledge anyone can find, understand, and use. data.world is also home to the world's largest collaborative open data community, including public COVID-19 datasets. In 2017, 2018, and 2019, data.world was honored on the “Best for the World” list by B Lab that recognizes the top 10% of all B Corps globally. And in 2020, data.world was named by the Austin Business Journal as one of the top-three companies to work for. Brett is also the co-owner of Hurt Family Investments (HFI), alongside his wife, Debra. HFI are involved in 115 startups, 31 VC funds, and multiple philanthropic endeavors. Brett co-founded and led Bazaarvoice as CEO, through its IPO, follow-on offering, and two acquisitions. Bazaarvoice became the largest public SaaS (Software as a Service) business in social commerce and was named by the WSJ as one of the top IPOs of 2012. Brett also founded and led Coremetrics, which was rated the #1 Web analytics solution by Forrester Research and, like Bazaarvoice, expanded into a global company and leader. Coremetrics was acquired by IBM in 2010 for around $300m. In 2017, Brett was given the Best CEO Legacy Award by the Austin Business Journal. He is a Henry Crown Fellow and Braddock Scholar at the Aspen Institute. Brett began programming at age seven and doing so on the Internet at age eighteen. He finished his book, “The Entrepreneur's Essentials”, in August 2019 (available at databrett.medium.com for free). Two beautiful children and married to Debra, my much better half, since 1996. About "The Entrepreneur Essentials" Book The Entrepreneur's Essentials developed through Brett's series of blog posts called Lucky7—named in honor of his mother—to help all entrepreneurs take proactive steps to avoid mistakes that, though common, can have a hugely negative impact on their business. Brett presents this book as a guide with 23 informative lessons, pulling from impactful experiences from his own life as both a startup CEO and investor, sharing dual perspectives to give deeper insight. He explores the stages of a startup's progression from deciding on a company name to hiring well and understanding what it takes to be an inclusive leader worthy of your own company. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or a first-time business owner, The Entrepreneur's Essentials will help you explore ways to make your startup better. You can get the book at https://theEntrepreneursEssentials.com  About data.world data.world is the enterprise data catalog for the modern data stack. Their cloud-native SaaS platform combines a consumer-grade user experience with a powerful knowledge graph to deliver enhanced data discovery, agile data governance, and actionable insights. The company is home to the world's largest collaborative data community, which is free and open to the public. It's where people discover data, share analysis, and team up on everything from social bot detection to award-winning data journalism. They use what we learn from this community to improve the enterprise product and vice versa.  www.ThomSinger.com/podcast/brett-hurt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back with episode 5 to share the replay of Jennifer Leaver's impressive session from B2BMX in Scottsdale, Ariz. Leaver is the Senior Global ABM Manager at Bazaarvoice who shared her secrets to launching an ABM program from the ground up and for scale to become a major strategic partner for the sales org.   ABM strategies are now going beyond the marketing mix to involve Sales, CS and PMK to create customer experiences for a company's most strategic accounts. All these teams are coming together to work towards one goal: Revenue. Leaver lets the audience in on the top priorities for constructing a successful ABM strategy, including:  Strategically targeting the accounts that a business wants to go after;  Creating a personalized experience for accounts;  Starting small to scale and building playbooks; and  Making sure there is enough bandwidth to create the content that is needed to support these campaigns (design, marketing ops, etc.).   RELATED LINKS  Register for #B2BMX: Next-Level ABM in June 

http://www.sherylkline.com/blogIn case you missed my LIVE interview with the phenomenal Zarina Stanford (Chief Marketing Officer at BazaarVoice), here are a few of the wisdom gems she shared:  Having diversity, difference of thinking, and opinions brings the best out of usBring your best self and your whole self to workBe open to opportunities and do not self-prescribe too quicklyBe empathetic and understanding of what other's needs are and how others thinkContinue to be curious, alwaysYour instinct is closest to your own soul, and who you are. Listen to itFind someone whom you respect, and listen to him/her. In my case, it was my mother, and I wish I would have listened to her even moreTo be notified for future interviews be sure to connect with me here on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherylklinema) AND to learn more about how to build the mindset and influence for real change, join our community at www.SherylKline.com. #limitlessleader​​ #womenwholead​​ #sherylkline​​ #bazaarvoice

Helen Abramova, Director of Marketing Operations at Bazaarvoice, shares her thoughts on whether or not an online brand is necessary for your career and where up-and-coming marketing operations professionals should network.   For more great content like this visit https://www.calibermind.com/

Most companies fail with ABM because of their ad hoc execution. They target accounts as a wish list and continue to do business as usual. The truth is that successful ABM requires an organizational mindset shift, and that doesn't happen by changing it all at one time. “Marketing usually gets it,” says Jennifer Leaver, senior global ABM Manager at Bazaarvoice. “The tougher sale is with sales. There's a lot of change management involved.”Leaver's approach to ABM adoption was to start small with “sales friendly's” (Two salespeople out of 200) where she piloted an ABM program and focused on engagement metrics into their target accounts such as click-through rates, impressions, and web traffic. Later, she was able to measure pipeline in terms of full funnel metrics, they increased pipeline generation by 129%, increased opportunities by 57%, and deal velocity increased by 122%.With triple digit number increases across the board, full adoption after that wasn't hard.If you're thinking about adopting an ABM program or would like your ABM to reach its full potential, this episode is a must listen. 

Shawnna Sumaoang: Hi, and welcome to the Sales Enablement PRO podcast. I am Shawnna Sumaoang. Sales enablement is a constantly evolving space and we're here to help professionals stay up to date on the latest trends and best practices so that they can be more effective in their jobs. Over the past 199 episodes, we've spoken to enablement leaders spanning geos, industries, and organization sizes about how they are upleveling their own programs to drive business impact and solidify enablement as a must-have function in the business. Across all pillars of enablement, from onboarding to training, coaching, content, and engagement, one theme remains a throughline to effective enablement: proving business impact. To celebrate the 200th episode, we want to highlight 20 powerful sales enablement statistics that reinforce the value of effective enablement, along with insights from some of our past guests and enablement leaders that help shed light on what good looks like in enablement today. Let's start with the programs that often serve as a rep's first impression of enablement: onboarding and training. For our first sales enablement stat, we found that teams that effectively provide foundational knowledge in their onboarding and training programs see a 10-percentage-point increase in quota attainment. Nina LaRouche from Bazaarvoice shared some advice with us on how to set reps up for success from the beginning of onboarding to ongoing training. Nina LaRouche: For me, as an enablement practitioner and somebody who's been in the learning space for a long time, I really think about learning as a journey. It's not a destination, it's not an event. One of the books that I've recently read is by Laura Fletcher and Sharon Boller, and they talk about the four stages of learning. First, preparing to learn, second, acquiring knowledge or skills, third, building memory practice, and then fourth, sustain and grow. I think all of these pieces are critical when you think about really designing effective learning experiences. SS: For our second sales enablement stat, using data effectively to improve sales onboarding and training programs can lead to a 9-percentage-point increase in average win rates. Amanda Romeo from DailyPay talked to us about how she measures the success of her learning programs. Amanda Romeo: I'm very results-driven. I'm a big fan of the Kirkpatrick model for measuring effectiveness and I presented on this topic with some other enablement groups. Simply put, the Kirkpatrick model is broken into four levels: reaction, learning, behavior, and results. Reaction, simple satisfaction surveys…The second component is learning, and this is achieved through written tests, certifications, so on and so forth. One thing to note is that for reaction and learning to be really telling, you usually want to pair those two results together. For example, if they liked the training but didn't learn anything, it wasn't necessarily an effective initiative. Now, usually this is where I hear a lot of practitioners stop…Where I think we really get the business's attention is beyond that when we talk about behavior and results. SS: In tracking the impact of onboarding and training, having the right tools in place can make a big difference. For our third sales enablement stat, we found that teams using onboarding tools see quota attainment improvements of 3 percentage points. Let's hear from Celine Laffargue at Salesforce to learn how her team is leveraging tools to improve learning in the virtual environment. Celine Laffargue: We are using lots of tools today. The virtual world opened many new perspectives on this type of usage and apps. We do a lot of simulations, and you use simulations to really have people active during the training. We know that today, just delivering your content when you have a speaker and people listening is not enough. You need to have the interaction, you need to have people involved, and you need to use all the tools you can. SS: Alongside seamless onboarding and training, coaching reps can help strengthen the skills and behaviors that ultimately lead to an improved customer experience. Our 4th sales enablement stat highlights this, as companies with effective sales coaching are 177% more likely to be effective at negotiation and handling objections. To add insight on how coaching can improve the customer experience, let's hear from Aaron Evans at Flow State. Aaron Evans: I think that it’s been incredibly valuable. The byproduct of that is how will it affect the customer? Well the things that you are coaching on, whether that is strategies that you are going to approach the customers with, or processes, whatever it may be that you are coaching on, 2e are finding that the outcomes are much stronger and much better. I think coaching will ultimately create a better customer experience because you're coaching on the fundamentals that the business wants to execute on to ultimately achieve the goal of adding value in generating revenue. SS: With insights on how coaching is leading to behavior change, enablement leaders can refine their programs. This brings us to our 5th sales enablement stat. Teams that use data to optimize sales coaching have quota attainment rates that are 5 percentage points greater. Here is Stacey Justice at HashiCorp talking about the ideal outcomes of coaching. Stacey Justice: Good coaching shows progress. It shows development. If it's not happening consistently, if there aren't goals, if there isn't a level of accountability that comes from it, then I just don't think that you see that progress. SS: For our 6th sales enablement stat, we found that teams that use sales coaching tools are 20% more likely to effectively negotiate and handle objections. Let's hear from Chad Dyar from Zoom about the impact of coaching tools on the effectiveness of coaching programs. Chad Dyar: For coaching, we use coaching technology to make sure managers were doing it every week and that their reps are improving the different areas that they were coaching on. So, if we identify that a rep was maybe stronger in discovery, but weaker in qualification, we would be measuring how they improved and how they're qualifying their deals over the course of the quarter. So, forecasting went right down the line with what the reps were responsible for and how the managers were coaching to better behaviors. SS: To equip reps to effectively engage with customers, training and coaching the right behaviors is only part of the full puzzle. Reps also need impactful content to deliver the right messages to buyers at the right time. Our 7th sales enablement stat found that having a proactive content strategy increases employee engagement by 25%. Hear why this is so important from Henry Adaso, author of “Content Mapping”. Henry Adaso: We need to figure out how to increase the value of the work that we're doing. That means constantly reviewing and evaluating our content strategies to make sure that whatever we're doing is actually working. Our content strategy will need to be re-evaluated from time to time as we receive inputs from the marketplace, as we receive input from the organization or the brand or the customer, we need to pivot just like we've done recently to make sure that we're still able to resonate. SS: This brings us to our 8th sales enablement stat: sales enablement teams that strategically organize their sales content see a 14-percentage-point increase in win rates. Marcela Piñeros at Stripe shared with us a bit about why this is so important. Marcela Piñeros: One major shift that I feel we need to make as enablement functions in general is to go from being content creators to being content curators…A lot of us do this work manually, so you know that the lift is enormous, and it does feel like a hamster wheel. You're constantly trying to catch up and you can never really catch up when you're talking about a hundred assets. You can potentially manage that content in a spreadsheet, but when you start thinking in the hundreds or the thousands, you really need technology to support you. You need to be able to lean on processes and tools that help you automate that. You can focus on more impactful tasks, like deciding what content you actually need to source to support key business priorities. SS: We have all heard the phrase “time is money” and when it comes to sales, this really is true. Take our 9th sales enablement stat for example: companies that track the time spent searching for content see a 4-percentage-point increase in cross-sell deals. To double-tap into this statistic, let's get insight from Chris Wrenn at Adobe. Chris Wrenn: A lot of the work from a design and content strategy and management perspective and content delivery perspective has been around really making content easy to find, making sure that it is authoritative, and also just making sure that there are some governance activities in place to keep it up to date and current. Those three areas, search, governing, and authoritativeness of documents so people know they've got the right version at the right time, and also that it's up to date, those are the three things that I think have been continuous in what my team's journey has been, going from managing content to getting more involved in the actual experience of how people receive content, where they get it, and how they use it. SS: Having content that is easy to find is only half the battle. That content also needs to resonate with buyers. Our 10th sales enablement stat emphasizes this: teams that effectively engage customers with content see a 20-percentage-point increase in win rate. Eric Andrews from TriNet shared some thoughts with us on how his team prioritizes customer-centricity in their content strategy. Eric Andrews: I think one of the best ways to get the team more customer-centric is to focus on doing fewer things but doing them consistently and with a high level of quality. There's only so much content that sellers or buyers can consume and we're trying to shift from a “more is more” motto to a “more is less” motto. It's the old Mark Twain adage, “I'd have written a shorter note if I'd had more time.” This is really about providing fewer, really high-quality enablement assets that sellers understand and can use effectively in the buying process rather than having to hunt through hundreds of documents to find the ones that make the most sense for their customers. SS: Beyond just having the right content, reps need guidance on when and how to engage buyers through sales plays. For our 11th sales enablement stat, we found that those who use data to optimize their sales plays see win rates that are 15 percentage points higher. Let's hear from Nieka Mamczak at Drift on the impact of data-driven sales plays. Nieka Mamczak: Sales plays are not just warm and fuzzy, nice ideas, they are meant to drive results. You want to make sure that you're establishing a sales play metric protocol that shows results – is this play influencing a customer conversation? Or is this play influencing a pipeline number, or is this play influencing a growth target or an expansion target? Make sure that revenue impact is also very key. SS: In sales, customer engagement is one of the most important factors of success. Our 12th sales enablement stat highlights this: we found that effectively tracking sales engagement efforts can lead to 10-percentage-point greater win rates. Kris Rudeegraap, the CEO and co-founder of Sendoso shared with us a bit about why customer engagement is so important to sales success today. Kris Rudeegraap: Today's buyers really do a lot of homework in advance of buying. So, there's a lot of information out there on the web and because of that, when salespeople are reaching out, I think relevancy and personalization are some key things that you've got to think about when going after the buyer. I think an orchestrated outreach and not bombarding with generic mass outreach is really what matters to them. I think you've probably seen yourself that people can be bombarded with thousands of messages every day, so it's really reaching out with something that feels more genuine specifically to them. SS: Our 13th sales enablement stat digs into this even further. We found that teams that leverage sales engagement data to improve the buyer experience have win rates that are 8 percentage points higher. Let's hear from Wynne Brown at Fable on how her team optimizes the customer experience through data. Wynne Brown: What we've seen is our most successful customers have us see them throughout that whole customer journey, not just in the sales process where we're trying to get the dollars, but during implementation and of course after implementation with our customer success management team. I feel like customer-centricity is a little bit like art – you know it when you see it. But we are trying to put at least that cipher or that symbol in place that we know that if we visit and we show up and we form real human relationships, we succeed more because the customer succeeds more. SS: When reps are highly engaged in an organization, they are better positioned to provide a positive buyer experience. This brings us to our 14th sales enablement stat: organizations that have above-average employee engagement are 3 times more likely to have above-average customer engagement. Let's hear from Michelle Anthony at LHH on how she is keeping her employees engaged. Michelle Anthony: I think it really does come down to empathy at the core, especially as leaders. I have found that I've had to put on my calendar as a reminder to make sure, whether it's a team meeting, whether it's one-on-ones, that I'm creating time and space just to check in and ask people how they're doing. And not like, how is work going, but like, how are you doing? How is life? How are things going for you? What can I do to help? What is it that you need for me? Amazing conversations surface…We're all part of different communities and making people feel valued and appreciated for the work that they're doing as part of this community is really important. I think that empathy is needed from our team now more than ever. I think just listening, honestly, and responding on a human level is the best thing that we can be doing. SS: One way that companies can improve employee engagement is by investing in professional development for reps. Our 15th sales enablement stat shows why: companies that provide career development support are 50% more likely to have high employee engagement. Imogen McCourt of AndGrow.io shared some insight with us on this. Imogen McCourt: I think if you are really trying to drive world-class sales organizations and world-class sales rep productivity, you need to think very seriously about how your teams are motivated and how you can create a constantly curious approach to their attitude. That is how you get to real productivity. SS: Of course, all these initiatives can't be possible without sufficient investment in the enablement function. Our 16th sales enablement stat sheds some light here, as we found that every additional $50,000 spent on sales enablement leads to a 1-point higher win rate. Sharon Little from Skillsoft talked to us about the value of having investment from leadership in the success of the enablement function. Sharon Little: I think we're in a situation now where leaders, CEOs, heads of sales organizations really understand the value and the strategic impact that sales enablement can make. While most of us who work with sales understand that pain is a huge driver for many decisions including buying decisions and org structure decisions and where you invest your money internally within your company, I think that now sales enablement has almost become an aspirational type of investment. Most often when I talk to sales leaders, what their dream is when it comes to having a world-class sales enablement team is to have that be the impetus for creating a best-in-class sales organization overall and a selling team that has a reputation in the market of being the very best. SS: Investment in enablement efforts can encompass everything from building the team to delivering programs – but one of the most critical investments is the tech stack. In fact, our 17th sales enablement stat shows that teams using a sales enablement tool see 9-percentage-point higher win rates. Gerald Alston from Varonis spoke to us about how tools can improve rep performance. Gerald Alston: Today, salespeople really need to have a certain level of comfort with the tools and the stack to get the most out of the role. It's nearly impossible for sales rep to really generate the type of success they probably want for themselves without some tools working in unison to get them there. A big part of my role is to make sure that reps are comfortable with not only knowing how the tools function and why we actually have them, but also giving them some strategy on how to use them together, especially in-house because all companies are different. SS: Beyond improving rep performance, enablement tools can help improve collaboration across the organization. Take our 18th sales enablement stat for example. We found that those that use a sales enablement tool are 52% more likely to collaborate cross-functionally. Heidi Castagna of NVIDIA shared her perspective on how tools improve collaboration. Heidi Castagna: There is so much mutual benefit to a well-oiled enablement organization when it comes to the product we use between the marketing teams and the sales leadership. Getting excellent resources out in the field, getting those over the finish line is incredibly important, but also it's not like pulling teeth because it is obvious where the shared benefits are. SS: Enablement is well-positioned to drive this collaboration, particularly with executive leaders. Our 19th sales enablement stat shows why. We found that 87% of sales enablement teams meet or exceed expectations in collaborating with sales leadership. Caroline Holt at Bonterra shared with us how enablement can drive collaboration with executive leaders. Caroline Holt: I think that a big part of alignment is understanding both what does that person or that team need to get accomplished? What is it that they need to get out of the revenue organization or the sales organization? How does the revenue organization or sales organization affect them? How do you start to create that collaboration and alignment on business objectives? Then that starts to trickle into what we actually need to accomplish together. I think if you understand the needs of your internal stakeholders, and they understand what's in it for them to work together, it's a lot easier to build something in a collaborative zone. Even if you know what you think the direction is that you want to take from a revenue perspective or revenue enablement perspective, it gives you more clarity and it enables you to work much more closely together because you feel like you have similar consensus-based objectives as opposed to, “this is the stuff that the revenue team needs to get done and here's how I need you to help me get that done.” Which feels a lot more like, I'm either going in and selling them something or I'm going in and telling them that they need to get on board. It's tough to create that interest if they are feeling “volun-told” as opposed to a collaborative part of the solution. SS: Overall, being able to prove the business impact of enablement is a key ingredient to effective collaboration, as it can help enablement leaders earn a seat at the table. This brings us to our 20th sales enablement stat. The 56% of enablement teams that are exceptional at communicating business impact are also 2.3 times as likely to exceed expectations in collaborating with executive leaders. Let's hear from Adriana Romero at Salesforce on how data can help enablement earn a seat at the table. Adriana Romero: It is about credibility. One of the things that I would say is, you have to demonstrate that what you're doing in terms of enablement functions or workshops or any initiatives are backed up by the data that you have in the company and that you are backing up data in terms of numbers, in terms of gaps. And you're coming to the sales managers with an intelligent solution around, “look, I am not only thinking about implementing X, Y, or Zed workshop, it's that we're seeing these trends on the floor and we believe that we can actually impact efficiency or performance or any metric by doing this.” Having a very good grasp on the data that your managers and your leaders have is very important. SS: Thanks for tuning into 200 episodes of the Sales Enablement PRO podcast. To learn more about all the statistics we shared today on the impact of enablement, be sure to check out the Reports section of our website. And as always, if there's something you'd like to share or a topic you'd like to learn more about, please let us know. We'd love to hear from you.

Dave Anderson is currently a Technical Fellow with Bazaarvoice, where he focuses on product development, and technical and strategic leadership. He also is a contributor at The Serverless Edge, a blog for engineers, architects, and leaders interested in serverless, where he explores the narrative building on the new ways to create business value through software and technology.Prior to these roles, Dave has led transformation, technical excellence, cloud adoption, fintech/insurtech strategies, technical community activity, and both participated and led several enterprise/organizational transformation efforts. His experience also includes frequent collaboration with senior executives, engineers and business sponsors. With Liberty Mutual, he designed and implemented large scale internet eCommerce systems and distributed web platforms. Operating as a tech startup within a Fortune 100 company, Dave led a period of digital disruption that put the organization ahead of the competition. Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidand393 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-anderson-belfast/ The Serverless Edge: https://www.theserverlessedge.com/ The Serverless Craic (podcast): https://theserverlessedge.podbean.com/ Dev.to: https://dev.to/davidand39 The Flywheel Effect book: https://itrevolution.com/the-flywheel-effect/

Bazaarvoice is helping companies build their online reputation. Being the largest provider of ratings and reviews means they see upwards of 1 billion users' devices on a monthly basis. Working for a company with this volume of data is exciting to a developer. We wanted to understand how Bazaarvoice approaches their tech recruiting strategy.

Gary Pageau of the Dead Pixels Society talks with Michael Osborne, president of Wunderkind about retail and marketing trends, how COVID-19 affected retail,  and why Precision Camera is his favorite camera store. Osborne is the President of Wunderkind. With more than 30 years of experience in marketing technology, he is an established industry leader trusted by major brands such as Bloomingdale's, Hilton, and Santander Bank. His work focuses on delivering excellent client experiences by leveraging multichannel data and profiles. He is also an expert in executive leadership, retail trends, and sales, having led Bazaarvoice to its IPO in 2012.Visual 1st Visual 1st is the premier global conference focused on the photo and video ecosystem. Mediaclip Mediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

This week on the show, we had a great conversation with Mark Levinson, the global vice president of revenue operations for Bazaarvoice. He's a thoughtful, intelligent person who's served both as an operator and an analyst. So he's given a lot of thought to operational excellence. We talk about the rise of the CRO role, the integration of revenue operations, and of course, how to drive productivity.