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A Business Leader, Entrepreneur, Writer, Founder and President at SalesRoads, David Kreiger, delves into building sales and marketing alignment and buyer communication.   Takeaways: Having a point person that sales and marketing reports to bridges that gap of communication between the departments, as well as, creates a coherent strategy. It is important for sales and marketing to collaborate together to customize their marketing tools. Step away from the templated email blasts! Buyers have become busier and require quicker communication from sales people. Inside sales have been thriving because they are better equipped for that level of communication with easy access to technology such as Zoom.  Focus on your Ideal Customer Profile when marketing and selling to clients. Try to target clients that you know you would service well and have deep conversations with them. Invest in coaching your sales representatives. Putting a coaching infrastructure in place for your team is key to creating unified messaging across the board. Career advice: Start early and learn as much as you can.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidkreiger/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kreigs SalesRoads: https://salesroads.com   Busted Myths: Most people think of a salesperson as someone who is gregarious and always has an interesting story. However, the best salespeople are those who enjoy listening and are passionate about solving their clients problems.     Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/ZxLzbgvZGdw

Data driven approaches are great for creating logical predictions for how customers will interact with content. However, people are not cut and paste. It’s time to take a more personal approach and think like the customer. A Marketing Leader, Strategist, Artist, Writer, Speaker, Fractional CMO, Founder of The ABM Journal, Founder and Chief Marketing Strategist at MESH Interactive Agency, Bill Schick, shares his knowledge of customer viewpoint.   Takeaways: Following a very rational data approach to marketing runs the risk of going down the same path as competitors. There is no one forum to marketing success. Try adding a humanistic approach to marketing. People want to know who is on the company’s team and why you created what you have created. Present data or a view that those who have financial jurisdiction respect above their own. This will promote alignment and overcome any preconceived views the individual may have about something. Don’t be afraid to be experimental when it comes to account based marketing. Try creating a strategy that has an unexpected angle that relates to the conversation and their work reality. Create experiences that teach or that have interactive components. This allows sales representatives to have a more personal connection early on to start the conversation with customers. Career advice: Don’t feed into the fear of risk. Make the jump!   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/founderandcdo/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillSchick MESH Interactive Agency: https://www.meshagency.com The ABM Journal: https://www.theabmjournal.com Tom Hessen Episode: https://www.hardcorpsmarketing.com/e/true-buyer-intent-discovery-tom-hessen-hard-corps-marketing-show-220/   Busted Myths: Not everybody can be in marketing. It takes a special kind of person to do the digging and be creative!   Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/1xR6ayOluzU

LinkedIn has been used to network and promote professional work. However, you can still add your personal touch and authenticity within your LinkedIn posts. A Social Media Leader, Digital Content Creator, LinkedIn Master, Director of Content & Digital Media at Enterprise Community Partners, Mandy McIntyre,    Takeaways: Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through on LinkedIn. Share the development and emotions behind a project you are working on.  There is power in sharing insight or happenings behind the scenes. If you want engagement with others then try giving them your thoughts on the subject or ask questions. Telling an experience or stories about yourself on LinkedIn. This helps promote your authentic self rather than simply giving tips on how to overcome or master the topic. Be more open to others opinions and comments on your content. They could have a point of view you haven’t thought of or this could be an opportunity to challenge their thought process. Career advice: Start thinking about and exploring the things you are passionate about early.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandymcintyre/ Enterprise Community Partners: https://www.enterprisecommunity.org Quad Meets: https://www.quadmeets.com   Busted Myths: You do not need to be perfectly polished and buttoned up if you are a leader on social media. Show that you are an actual person.    Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/5sS0gFxuh1c

SEO is often seen as this puzzling creature that is difficult to navigate. Is SEO really as mysterious as we assume it to be? Or is the secret for a great SEO just a few clicks away?  A Technology Driven Marketing Thought Leader, Entrepreneur, Speaker, Former SVP of Marketing at OverStock.com, Founder and CEO of Huckabuy.com, Geoff Atkinson, debunks the misconceptions behind SEO and gives tips on how to better your website rank.   Takeaways: Top tips for ranking high on Google:  Have a great technical foundation of your site, such as mobile friendliness, page speed, site architecture, amount of Javascript, etc.  Backlinks matter! Have regularly updated content on your site Do not put 90% of your focus on paid channels such as page search, social, display, or media. Things like email, CRM, and SEO are much easier to adjust and are less technical. Page speed is a huge problem across the internet! If you are looking for something to work on next in SEO, then read up on the new updates for page speed coming in 2021. Career advice: Set yourself up so that you are comfortable and enjoy work rather than having it be your entire life. Don’t put yourself and your wellbeing in the backseat.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-atkinson-7311872/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/geoffatkinson Google Lighthouse Report: https://developers.google.com/web/tools/lighthouse Huckabuy.com: https://huckabuy.com Google Update 2021: https://huckabuy.com/2020/09/25/2021-google-algorithm-update/   Busted Myths: SEO is way more transparent than people give them credit for. They are quite honest about what they want out of websites and you are able to reverse engineer it. SEO agencies and consultants are not always the solution. Many make their business model off of the idea that SEO is a black box controlled by Google and only they can crack the code. Content is not king. It is very important, though there are other fundamental things that you have to do in order to achieve great search rankings.   Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/Diajn6A13ug

Marketers often fall into the trap that a marketing tool is a silver bullet. How do we build off that tool to better our marketing outreach? An International Marketing Leader, Entrepreneur, Marketing Automations Strategist, Certified Pardot Consultant, on the Pardot Advisory Board at Salesforce, Pardot Practice Lead at Destined, Tammy Begley, gives her insight into marketing tools about how to implement.   Takeaways: “You need to start thinking outside of the box. Stop having preconceived ideas because the way you are going to be successful is if you break down some of those boundaries.” ~Tammy Having sessions about Pardot marketing automations with all company departments helps set the scene to start the process of building your silver bullet and get people excited! In today’s marketing world you need to be a digital marketer as well as a traditional marketer. If you don’t have those skill sets then it’s going to be difficult to survive. Marketing operations are essential to a company’s success. If a company’s systems aren’t aligned then it could be doing anything and everything but not getting the right return for the efforts. #1 Tip for Marketing Automations: Keep it simple. This allows you to listen and learn more about the tool starting out. Then you can try pushing the limits. Career advice: Believe that you can do anything you put your mind to.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammybegley/?originalSubdomain=au Destined: https://www.linkedin.com/company/destined-by-design/   Busted Myths: Marketing automations tools are not a silver bullet. They may open doors to new strategies, but it does not tell you what to say or do.   Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/E3fKzSROZso

Data driven analytics are essential to understanding the impact of marketing campaigns. However, with all of the data available, what should you really be focusing on? What are your goals? A Data Science Wizard, Veteran Data Analytics Thought Leader, Translator, Methodologist, Consultant, Ted Lorenzen, delves into goal orienting your data analytics.   Takeaways: Analytics is not just ROI. You can use the same methods or techniques you would for ROI in other metrics to expand on all your other goals. Before making data driven decisions there needs to be goals in place to strive for. This is a more organized way to adjust marketing to drive efficiency or increase impact. Use these steps to find out what data you should analyze in your data: What does the business need? What levers are you allowed to pull on? Find the historical data for each lever or you will need a proxy. Try having a third party experienced data analyst look at your campaign data. This provides an impartial set of eyes with no unconscious bias towards the results. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new marketing ideas. For example, running an ad experiment on Facebook, allows you to see how your audience responds to inform you for the future.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-lorenzen/   Busted Myths: ROI is not the only goal for data analysts. If you only chase ROI, then you are going to miss out on important things marketing is doing. Look through it with different lenses, such as total impact.   Shout Outs: 44:25 Cassie Kozyrkov   Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/ruxK-VDRJLY

Email marketing has been a foundational marketing strategy in the digital world. However, is it still relevant with the rise of social media platforms? A Marketing Leader, Keynote Speaker, Entrepreneur,Content Strategist, LinkedIn Influencer, Copywriter to SaaS and Creators, Instructor of Digital Marketing Fundamentals at University of Vermont, Full Time Consultant, Liz Willits, shares the importance of email marketing and promoting trust from your audience.   Takeaways: On social platforms you are not in control of the algorithm. Email marketing is all on you to reach out to individuals. This makes social media much less reliable in that sense. People go on social media to consume content from their friends. They typically are not there to purchase products. Whereas, email is more expected for marketing promotion. Any time you are on any social media platform you need to have strategies to get people on to your email list in case of a platform shutdown.  Invest time in your lead magnet! People share it with their friends if it is a great free resource or it is the first point of building a relationship with a subscriber. This will grow your email list. “If you can start telling a story in your subject line that people want to know the ending to, then that is a great way to get people to open your emails.” - Liz Willits Build trust by giving your audience free value to their biggest questions or challenges. This creates reciprocities and keeps people coming back for more. Career advice: Build an audience and start creating content around you and your expertise. That audience will be very valuable in the long run.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-willits/ Liz Willits: https://lizwillits.com   Busted Myths: Email marketing is not dead! It is a top revenue platform to sell because you are building an audience of people who know and trust you.    Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/i7I7fnaYepE

An Influential Content Marketing Thought Leader, Top 14 Content Marketer, Top 100 Digital Marketer, Top 40 B2B Marketer, Author of #1 Content Performance Culture, Chief Content Marketing Officer for The Authentic Storyteller Project, Christoph Trappe, chats about different ways to enhance your social media presence.   Takeaways: There is no perfect time to post something on social media! Your audience may not be exposed to it right away due to the algorithms on the platforms. Consider using audio tweets and gifs as a way to interact with your target audience. They both add a personal touch to your social media engagements. There is a difference between trying to capitalize and being authentic. Podcasts show your authenticity because it can be difficult to hide one’s true self. Repurpose content on different platforms to get complete promotion coverage. Make sure you always link to your website because then you are able to target and remarket to them. If you are performing a content performance culture model while retargeting visitors to your website, keep an eye on your metrics. Are you attracting your true audience?   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophtrappe/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CTrappe Content Performance Culture: https://www.contentperformance.online The Authentic Storyteller Project: https://authenticstorytelling.net Business Storyingtelling Podcast: https://authenticstorytelling.net/webrand   Busted Myths: Social media followings should not be a top priority. Just because you have a large following does not mean that people will see your content. Think about who you are trying to reach.   Shout Outs: 05:47 Rob and Kennedy - The Email Marketing Show 43:30 Voice Strategy by Susan & Scott Westwater   Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/7-3ucwYzseI

Many heads of marketing find marketing operations to be a cryptic section of the company. In reality, they are the secret weapon behind the scenes making everything work smoothly. A Marketing Thought Leader, Co-host of the fwd:thinking Podcast, Speaker, Entrepreneur, Co-Founder and Board Member of Women in Revenue, Co-Founder and Principal Consultant at CS2 Marketing, Crissy Vetere Saunders, illuminates how marketing operations affects the customer journey and revenue of the business.   Takeaways: “Marketing Ops is what makes marketing work. We are the team ensuring that from all your campaigns, to how someone enters the sales cycle, that it all happens in the most effective way.” ~Crissy Vetere Saunders The best mindset for a marketing ops representative is an entrepreneurial one. In order to make the right decisions, understanding the whole business will better inform that. Marketing ops should spend most of their time focusing on campaigns and anything touching revenue. That is what the company cares about the most! Forge your own marketing ops persona! Start with creating goals for yourself and knowing how parts of a business fits together. Career advice: Try to focus on the things that really matter and don’t feel like you need to do everything to be significant.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crveteresaunders/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CRVetere CS2 Marketing: https://www.cs2marketing.com Women in Revenue: https://www.womeninrevenue.org Fwd:thinking Podcast: https://www.cs2marketing.com/fwd-video-podcast   Busted Myths: Marketing Operations is a strategic part of the marketing team and the people in this department can be strategic leaders! They understand the key data thoughts that support the departments across the company. You cannot do marketing without marketing ops.   Shout Outs: 50:11 Chris Russell 50:21 Maria Pergolino   Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/Z4EsyJmzUWs

When looking for prospect buyers it is important to really know your buyer persona, as well as, each prospect’s pain points. Is there more we could be doing now to help weed out the best candidates sooner? A Marketing Leader, Mentor, Speaker, Founder and Chief Pot Stirrer at Soft Land Partners, Founder and Client Advocate at MEET, Bill Kenney, shares how to seek out true prospect buyers and build valuable relationships with them.   Takeaways: What keeps your buyer persona up at night? Create offers that illuminate that pain and show how you can ease it. Be empathic towards your target customer and communicate to them in a way that is attractive to them.  A prospect customer needs to have three requirements: a need, money and urgency. If they do not have these requirements then they are not a prospect customer. Strive to have the wisdom to not be sure and be okay with testing. Set up your marketing so that it is flexible in a way that you can test and validate ideas. “The more non-prospects you have, the more diluted your time becomes rather than dealing with the people who are convertible.” ~Bill Kenney After you covered the agenda of the meeting with a customer, ask them what else they are trying to solve whether it be directly related to you or not. This builds a relationship of value over price. Career advice: Start entrepreneurship early and get as much experience with internships as you can.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bkenney/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/billkenney Email: bill@meetroi.com Belly 2 Belly Podcast: http://meetroi.com/podcast/ Soft Land Central Podcast: http://softlandpartners.com/podcast/ MEET: http://meetroi.com Soft Land Partners: http://softlandpartners.com   Busted Myths: Don’t give away products that your company does not sell. Think about who you are attracting. You want to make offers that align with what you are trying to catch.    Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/DazbyluE83U

Account based marketing is all the rage in the marketing community, but are we thinking about it in the correct lens? A Marketing Thought Leader and VP of Marketing at Fortress IQ, Christelle Flahaux, argues that Account Based Marketing should be overseen by the sales department.   Takeaways: ABM is not new. Field marketers have been doing this for decades; technology just caught up to make it easier. Every account is different. You have to understand your customer and how your product fits with them to make them open the door or react. No piece of technology will magically fix that. Do your research! Understand your account’s likes and dislikes to do something that is relevant to that person. This is key for any ABM strategy. Put the power in Sales’ hands when it comes to ABM. They are the ones having the conversations with accounts! Otherwise it will be just like any other inbound campaign. It is difficult to find a product marketer who is a perfect fit. Instead, look for someone who truly understands the product and has experience speaking with customers 1:1. Career advice: You don’t always have to be right, but you do have to try. You learn the most from your biggest failures.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cflahaux/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mktgstella FortressIQ: https://www.fortressiq.com   Busted Myths: ABM should not be our demand gen strategy. Instead, ABM should be used as a part of an integrated marketing strategy on the sales end rather than the marketing end. Buying a piece of technology isn’t going to fix your ________ problem. There is a lot of strategy and thinking that needs to happen before you are ready to fix a piece of technology that compliments that strategy.   Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/fWpp4T-Ws4o

Marketers often look at metrics such as how long prospects spend time on a page or how many clicks they get. However, are marketers really learning anything about the intent of their buyers in this way? A Business Leader, Software Entrepreneur, Consultant, CEO at 9Lenses, Tom Hessen, delves into the intent of buyers and how to assess their needs.   Takeaways: Marketers are often incentivized by quantitative leads. Unfortunately, this damages the sales and marketing relationship, especially if the “leads” they are presenting aren’t ready to talk to sales. Assessments are an incredible way to add value to the prospect while educating them on all you have to offer. They are tailored and personalized to fit their needs. Discover calls as we know them need to die. It all starts with marketing. Find the prospects true business needs before sending it to sales. No matter if you have known your prospect for 5 years or 5 days have them take the assessment before you have a discovery call. This will educate them and yourself to progress further faster. Interactive content is more engaging for your audiences at the top of the funnel. This is a great opportunity to add more value and personalization.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhessen/ 9Lenses: https://www.9lenses.com   Busted Myths: Marketers can not know something about a prospect by the measurement of intent such as what they viewed or how much time they spent on a page. This does not show their viability as a buyer.   Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/U9LhpqnDXQw

We have all heard the saying “There is no I in team.” It takes communication and collaboration to really make a project successful. Then why do we still struggle with cooperation in groups? A Marketing Automation Leader, Technologist, Speaker, Marketo Champion, Global Marketing Operations Manager at Amazon Web Services, Darrell Alfonso, shares his experience in project management and success.   Takeaways: Miscommunication occurs often if there is not an open conversation on project objectives. Remember that not everyone thinks like you or has the same goals. “Find what works well for your customers and make it even better.” ~Darrel Alfonso When it comes to project management for mid-sized companies, be sure to keep your stakeholders updated and motivated with milestones to get something successful through the door. Don’t discount the value of experience. People who have more experience have had more time to understand and pick up patterns.  Build with a Training Mindset. Train others and build your processes and programs with the idea that other people will use it! Career advice: Work hard but find the time to relax.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrellalfonso/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemandDarrell Amazon Web Services: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amazon-web-services/ Project Management for The Unofficial Project Manager: https://www.amazon.com/Project-Management-Unofficial-Manager-FranklinCovey/dp/194163110X?ref_=Oct_s9_apbd_simh_hd_bw_bh9&pf_rd_r=NHB6P932RZVXCHKGY5WB&pf_rd_p=dca8a16a-96fe-51bc-8261-c1db66c588a3&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-10&pf_rd_t=BROWSE&pf_rd_i=2675   Busted Myths: Marketing success cannot happen in a vacuum. Great success needs the cooperation and collaboration of 10s, 100s of people to really make an impact on business.   Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/uNAQMCGV2YI

B2B marketers are great at the bottom of funnel content, but we tend to forget that top of funnel content is just as important for our consumers. A B2B Thought Leader, Entrepreneur, Host of The Content Callout Podcast, Host and Founder of The Negotiations Ninja Podcast, Founder and Head of Marketing at Content Callout, Mark Raffan, delves into connecting to consumers through top funnel content.    Takeaways: If you really want to connect with your audience then you are going to need to know them on the deepest level. Understand how they have fun, their family, activities they like to do, etc. Weekend words are the language that your audience uses when they are at home on the weekend. Look at ways to incorporate those words into your content to appeal to your target market. Now is the time to be investing in good content production whether that be written, video or audio. This could set you apart in today’s hyper digital world. Top of funnel content is just as important as bottom of funnel content. Consumers need to be educated about your service or product, as well as, why you are the best choice before purchasing.  Tips for negotiation:Always ask for more than you expect Plan, Prepare and Strategize Career advice: Take more risks!   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markraffan/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkRaffan The Content Callout: https://www.contentcallout.com The Negotiations Ninja: https://www.negotiations.ninja Greg Segall Episode: https://www.hardcorpsmarketing.com/e/personalization-beyond-the-9-5-greg-segall-hard-corps-marketing-show-212/ Jeanniey Walden Episode: https://contentcallout.libsyn.com/jeanniey-waldens-weekend-words-marketing-strategy   Busted Myths: B2B should be balanced between bottom and top of funnel content they put out. Both sides are important. You do not have to be corporate all the time. It is okay to not take yourself so seriously. This makes you look stuffy and less approachable or entertaining for the target audience.   Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/OFPdSX1wpCk

Everyone believes that they have great content. However is your content connecting with your audience in a way that is benefiting their customer journey? A Marketing Leader, Salesforce and Pardot Specialist, and Marketing Strategist, Lucy Graham, chats about the importance of having content that is relevant to your audience.   Takeaways: Focus on getting your message across in a holistic way that matches the buyer’s journey. The key piece is catering to their needs and wants through content. Get leads from target accounts that are engaging with content such as webinars and digital media that have people click forward. These are warmer leads because they show a peak in interest with what you are providing. Have live speakers and engagement in your content. This will ensure that you are getting what you want across while being relevant to your audience. Be open to getting feedback and collaborating with other people. Just because things have been done the same way for so long doesn’t mean new ideas won’t work too. Career advice: Seek the positivity in all your opportunities.   Links: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lucy-graham-1754ba8     Busted Myths: Everyone thinks that their content is what people are expecting and want. In some cases, it has become so inverted that the content is all about the company and their goals rather than the customer journey.   Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/M5HEIcqOiE0

Sales and Marketing alignment is essential to a customer’s journey. How do we bring each department together for full brand harmony? A Marketing Leader and VP of Integrated Marketing at Enverus, Ashley Estilette, discusses how to market to sales and boost alignment.   Takeaways: Your brand needs to be representative of how your sales and product teams are talking about the company and what you offer, otherwise the customer experience becomes fragmented. Start by having your top of the funnel be your demand gen engine and focus on getting things automated. Then start going into the creative piece. The buyer’s journey has changed in this digital world. Revisit the diversity of your marketing playbook and create a range of different content to be aligned with their journey. Augmented reality is a great way to create a fun experience for the customer. Remember: many customers buy based on an emotional experience. Everything you do needs to be in line with your go to market strategy. Make sure your coworkers know the company's vision and brand! Career advice: Roll up your sleeves, get in the weeds, and raise your hand for projects! Attitude is everything.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-estilette-msc-3a6b4320/ Enverus: https://www.enverus.com Angela Earl’s Episode: https://www.hardcorpsmarketing.com/e/the-gated-content-debate-angela-earl-hard-corps-marketing-show-209/   Busted Myths: Sales should be Marketing’s number one client. Marketers have to sell themselves to sales just like sales have to sell to clients, in order to build trust and bridge gaps.   Shout Out: 35:11 Eri Morita   Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/h8vYOQkoQIw

There is a constant battle for control between the sales and marketing departments. How do we combat these disproportionate power distributions and hold each other accountable? A Marketing Leader, 2020 Top 10 SaaS Branding Expert, Top 19 B2B Marketer To Follow, Sales World Top 50 Keynote Speaker, CRO at VanillaSoft, Darryl Praill, shares how marketing can level the power scales with their sales counterpart and bring alignment between the two.    Takeaways: Create a service-level agreement between sales and marketing on marketing qualified leads. This helps define sales’ expectation of a lead to reduce disagreement later on. Service Level Agreements help to keep both marketing and sales accountable to their agreed upon responsibilities in the lead to revenue process. Lead definitions evolve because you are learning more as you sell more, especially in new markets. It is ok to update your service level agreements that define what a qualified lead is for your organization, in order to enforce accountability. When looking at new technology, look at it from two points of view: user adoption and what your long term integrated options are. Career advice: Look at how the rest of the organization works, how you influence them, and how they influence you.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrylpraill/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ohpinion8ted Personal Website: https://www.darrylpraill.com VanillaSoft: https://www.vanillasoft.com Past Episode: https://www.hardcorpsmarketing.com/e/chess-master-marketing-darryl-praill-hard-corps-marketing-show-78/   Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/dP3e1v5Hjck

It is time to switch up your demand generation marketing! From webinars to gated content, there are unseized opportunities to personally connect with customers. A Marketing Leader, Performance-focused Digital Marketing Professional, Director of Marketing Communications at Thrasio, Sandra Rand, discusses how to drive volume through demand generation and digital marketing.   Takeaways: Get out of your comfort zone! Look at the bottom of the funnel for if your customers are converting at a place you want them to or if they are high quality leads. To connect with people there needs to be community around your content. Stop hiding behind forms! Create some serious value that is not a trade off for a lead number. Do not be afraid of opening up Q&As on webinars. Most people come with one main challenge they need guidance on. Make it a multichannel experience. When creating more content don’t follow what everyone else is doing. Make it more raw and conversational in order to drive engagement and community. Career advice: Trust your gut.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandraproulxrand/ Thrasio: https://www.thras.io   Busted Myths: The Demand Gen playbook is tired! It is time to get creative and rethink how you engage with your buyers.   Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/INZAanhuanM

A Marketing Leader, Marketing Coach and Consultant, Fractional CMO, Speaker, Podcast Host of Your Perfect Marketing Strategy, Founder of CMOx, Casey Stanton, delves into an alternative ascent for a marketing career.   Takeaways: A Fractional CMO has the benefit of long-term contracts like a CMO. This allows for more stability in the business, stability in income, and work with the best clients. Fractional CMOs are a happy medium between marketing consulting and CMO. It gives you authority without the unnecessary noise in an organization. Becoming a Fractional CMO before a CMO will allow you to have more experience in strategy. This will make you more appealing for the promotion. Have more legs that support you. Instead of having a few high priced clients acquire multiple clients. This allows for more stability and a cushion if a client leaves. Career advice: Focus on the slow to change aspects in your life and you will have less anxiety about the future.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystanton/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaseyStanton Personal Website: https://caseystanton.com CMOx: https://cmox.co   Busted Myths: You should not have to wait 17 years to ascend in your career as a marketer to become a CMO of an organization. The wait is unnecessary as the role of the CMO is the shortest lived executive role. Marketing consulting is not a stable income stream. It is tough to always have recurring revenue.   Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/XxQ_JV-m-mg

Personalization is all the rage in the marketing world right now. The movement towards humanizing the market creates real connections with our customers. However, are we really creating personalized experiences or is it all smoke and mirrors? A Business Leader, Entrepreneur, CEO and Founder of Alyce, Greg Segall, confronts marketers’ definitions of personalization.   Takeaways: Step away from touches and impressions. Focus on having interactions by being very relevant and build up to having moments with your customers. Training and discovering the 9-5 can be done the same way a sales team creates a discovery questionnaire. Move past small talk and have a genuine bond with the customer. Get to know their 5-9. Customized swag is a great way to take information from 1:1 conversations with customers and connect on a personalized level. The movement from driving attention to driving action is upon us! When you invest in someone there needs to be a rapport built to grow real connections with customers. Look at your customer journey and pinpoint areas where human interaction is needed.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregsegall/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/gsegall Alyce: https://www.alyce.com   Busted Myths: Automation and personalization has been misconstrued. It is more harmful than good if it is clear that you are a part of a sequence. True personalization is on a 1:1 level.   Ways to Tune In: iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show YouTube - Full video - https://youtu.be/OoubKGDQeaY