Join hosts Josh Wagner and Justin Gray for a conversation with Kelly Hopping, CMO of Demandbase, on being a business athlete. In this episode, Kelly emphasizes the importance of understanding the financials and thinking like a business person in order to gain the respect of peers, justify marketing’s value, and make better decisions. Kelly provides tips on gaining context by talking to finance partners, listening to investor calls, and leveraging the revenue operations team.
Takeaways:
- Ask Questions and Seek Context: It’s crucial for marketers to be curious and proactive in learning about the business. Kelly suggests asking questions, collaborating with finance and rev ops teams, and listening to investor calls to gain insights into the company’s priorities and performance. This knowledge allows marketers to make informed decisions and contribute more effectively.
- Balance ROI with Brand Building: Kelly explains that while it’s important to measure the ROI of marketing activities, there should also be an understanding that not all initiatives can be directly tied to immediate financial returns. Some efforts, like corporate events, play a significant role in brand building and long-term success. Marketers need to strike a balance between proving ROI and investing in these intangibles.
- Digital Engagement is Crucial: The modern B2B buyer prefers to conduct extensive research digitally before engaging with a salesperson. This trend necessitates ungated content, product demos on websites, and influencer marketing to effectively reach and engage potential customers.
- Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Delivers High ROI: ABM has shown significant ROI compared to traditional demand generation, as it allows companies to target and engage with specific accounts showing buying signals. Kelly shares that this approach is more effective in identifying and converting the 5% of the market actively looking for a solution.
- Importance of Value Selling and Customer Onboarding: For complex B2B sales, it’s essential to focus on value selling rather than just competing on features and price. Ensuring customers see value quickly through proper onboarding and integration is key to retention and expansion.
Quote of the Show:
“Common sense doesn’t always translate to getting the CFO to give you more money. Sometimes that’s the hard part.” – Kelly Hopping
Links:
Shoutouts:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtbricker/
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