In today's episode, I talk with Nick Mehta, CEO of Gainsight which is a customer success company that offers businesses everything they need to retain customers and drive company growth.   The company’s Customer Cloud offers a powerful set of solutions focused on customer success, product experience, revenue optimization, customer experience, and customer data, that together enable businesses to put the customer at the center of everything they do.   In our conversation we discuss: Why sales is no longer a one-time activity The role customer success plays in accelerating growth Triggers that indicated that more attention needs to be paid to customer success in your organization How Marketing and customer success should work together to optimize results 

The Alignment Podcast

How Customer Success Can Create Better Alignment w/ Nick Mehta

Podcast: Onboarding for ReThink Small Business

This episode I speak with Ed Ross, Founder & CEO of Michigan & Manchester Consulting. His firm takes science-backed methodology helps organizations implement customized onboarding, skill development and reinforcement strategies that lead to increased revenue and market share. They worked with companies such as Olympus, ThermoFisher, Siemens, Philips, and more. In our conversation we discuss: What value Sales Enablement provides today’s B2B organization Where the majority of companies are getting it wrong when it comes to their established sales process How to ensure Sales Enablement doesn’t become the “fixer of broken things” The key benefits that Sales Enablement can offer the marketing team Additional Resources: Company Website Engage with Ed on LinkedIn and Twitter Music/Production: Chris "KID" Robinson, Hitmakuzz Productions Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | RSS | Spotify

EP. 44 - How To Avoid Sales Enablement Becoming the "Fixer Of Broken Things"

This episode I speak with Max Altschuler, VP of Marketing at Outreach and Founder & CEO of Sales Hacker. He is a recognized thought-leader on sales and technology and has been published in the Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Money, and more. In our conversation we discuss: What B2B sales leaders struggle with when it comes to their approach to selling in a modern and digital-first way How the evolution of sales tech has changed the buyer-seller relationship Why telling sales reps to just increase their activity level alone won’t lead to improved sales results How sales leaders can interact differently with Marketing to get what they need to hit their numbers Additional Resources: “Hacking Sales: The Playbook for Building a High-Velocity Sales Machine” (Max’s book) Sales Hacker Max’s Personal Website Engage with Max on LinkedIn and Twitter Music/Production: Chris "KID" Robinson, Hitmakuzz Productions Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | RSS | Spotify

EP. 43 - The Evolving Role of Technology In B2B Sales w/ Max Altschuler

This episode I speak with Jim Karrh. He is a consultant, speaker, coach to high-value sales teams, and host of the “Manage Your Message” podcast. His podcast offers weekly insights from the experts and the doers, including CEOs, sales leaders, authors, fundraisers, editors, deans, consultants, researchers, and high-level negotiators. In our conversation we discuss: How access to information has changed the world for B2B sellers Why clarity and consistency are vital to selling “change” How Marketing should be contributing to the sales playbook Additional Resources: Jim’s website Engage with Andre on LinkedIn and Twitter Music/Production: Chris "KID" Robinson, Hitmakuzz Productions Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | RSS | Spotify

EP. 42 - Why Clarity and Consistency Are Vital To Selling "Change" w/ Jim Karrh, Ph.D.

This episode I speak with Andre Piazza who has a long history of working as a product marketer in the tech industry for companies such as Dell and Quest Software. He currently serves as co-organizer of ProductTank Austin as well as the co-founder and host of a Portuguese-language podcast focused on the journey of entrepreneurs building new companies. In our conversation we discuss: Why modern buyers aren’t giving your sales reps their attention Product marketing’s role in the effort to align Sales and Marketing How product marketing can help sales reps deliver personalized content and messaging to different customer personas throughout the buying experience Additional Resources: ProductTank Austin meetup Octanage podcast (in Portuguese) Engage with Andre on LinkedIn and Twitter Music/Production: Chris "KID" Robinson, Hitmakuzz Productions Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | RSS | Spotify

EP. 41 - How Product Marketing Can Help Sales Personalize Their Messaging And Get Buyers' Attention w/ Andre Piazza

This episode I speak with Tony Hughes, an international keynote speaker, best selling author, leading professional selling educator, award-winning blogger and the most read LinkedIn Author globally on the topic of sales leadership. As an experienced CEO and company director with 35 years of sales and business leadership experience, he is ranked by Top Sales Magazine as the most influential person in professional selling in Asia-Pacific. In our conversation we discuss: What an effective sales kickoff meeting looks like in 2020 and beyond What sales leaders really want from marketing to help them achieve their goals How marketing can enable Sales to have better conversations with target buyers Additional Resources: Combo Prospecting (Tony’s book) Tony’s Website Engage with Tony on LinkedIn and Twitter Music/Production: Chris "KID" Robinson, Hitmakuzz Productions Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | RSS | Spotify

EP. 40 - What It Takes To Have A Successful 2020 Sales Kickoff Meeting

This episode I speak with Dave Elkington, founder of InsideSales.com. Dave has a rich background in tech, venture capital, and corporate development. He has been involved in the evolution and definition of the inside sales industry and speaks regularly on the topic. Dave is also co-author of the groundbreaking Lead Response Management industry study which was published in the Harvard Business Review. In our conversation we discuss: The forces that are causing massive change in the way B2B companies must operate today and in the future Benchmarks for where most companies sit on the sales and marketing tech adoption curve The fact that not all data is created equal The most effective way for marketing to share data with sales that is actually useful and meaningful for them Why AI has increased in popularity in recent years Additional Resources: Lead Response Management industry study How Marketing and Sales Leaders Can Create A Single Source of Truth (The Alignment Blog) Engage with Dave on LinkedIn and Twitter Music/Production: Chris "KID" Robinson, Hitmakuzz Productions Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | RSS | Spotify

EP. 37 - Are You Using The Right B2B Data To Make Your Business Decisions? w/ Dave Elkington

This episode I speak with Craig Rosenberg, Co-Founder and Chief Analyst at TOPO. TOPO is a research and advisory firm that helps companies grow faster by improving the experiences sales and marketing organizations deliver to buyers. In our conversation we discuss: The different between account-based marketing (ABM) and account based strategy How an account based strategy helps break down the silos between sales and marketing How to develop an ideal customer profile (ICP) that actually enables growth 5 elements of a well-constructed account based strategy The key performance indicators (KPIs) that leaders should be tracking to ensure your account based strategy is performing well Additional Resources: Engage with Craig on LinkedIn and Twitter Music/Production: Chris "KID" Robinson, Hitmakuzz Productions Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | RSS | Spotify

Ep. 36 - The 5 Elements of a Bulletproof Account Based Strategy w/ Craig Rosenberg

This episode I speak with Rob Kall, co-founder and CEO of Cien. Cien is an AI-powered platform that helps connect the invisible dots between your sales data to predict outcomes, uncover improvement areas, and recommend the biggest wins for your team. Rob is also an accomplished entrepreneur with multiple multi-million dollar exits under his belt. In our conversation we discuss: How misalignment between sales and marketing impacts CEO performance What factors have the most negative impact on sales rep productivity The benefits of implementing AI even if you think you have bad data How the purpose of the CRM has changed and how most companies are using it wrong Additional Resources: How AI is Changing CRM (article) Engage with Ron on LinkedIn and Twitter Music/Production: Chris "KID" Robinson, Hitmakuzz Productions Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | RSS | Spotify

EP. 35 - How to Quantify Misalignment's Impact on Sales Productivity w/ Rob Kall

This episode I speak with Ron Carucci, managing partner at Navalent. Ron is also a contributor for Forbes and Harvard Business Review, 2x TED speaker, and author of “Rising to Power”. Ron has expertise in helping companies take a holistic approach to transformation which includes addressing their strategy, organization, and leadership. In our conversation we discuss: How to know if your teams are ready for change The 3 domains of transformation The importance of being an enterprise leader first and a functional leader second What many leadership teams are doing to encourage people not to tell the reality of what is going on in the business Additional Resources: Rising to Power (Ron’s book) How to Be More Powerful Than Powerless (Ron’s TED talk) Navalent Engage with Ron on LinkedIn and Twitter Music/Production: Chris "KID" Robinson, Hitmakuzz Productions Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | RSS | Spotify

EP. 34 - Changing The Internal Narrative That Sales and Marketing Have About Each other w/ Ron Carucci

This episode I speak with Joel Harrison, the Editor-in-chief and Co-founder for the past 15 years of B2B Marketing. His publication is the leading provider of insights, best practices, and professional development for B2B marketers. Beyond just media, B2B Marketing also offers training, conferences, advisory services, peer-to-peer networking and more. In our conversation we discuss: Why alignment is more important than ever before Top 4 priorities B2B marketers should be focusing on in 2019 How to determine if an ABM strategy is a fit for your business How to get access to the best data to ensure you’re making the right decisions to position your company for growth. Additional Resources: B2B Marketing Engage with Joel on LinkedIn and Twitter Music/Production: Chris "KID" Robinson, Hitmakuzz Productions Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | RSS | Spotify

EP. 33 - The Future of B2B Marketing, Alignment, ABM, and More w/ Joel Harrison

This episode I speak with Gabe Larsen, VP of Marketing at InsideSales.com. He is also the host of the popular Sales Secrets Podcast and president of the Utah chapter of the AA-ISP. Gabe has a wealth of experience cross-functional experience in finance, consulting, sales and marketing. He is now focused on helping B2B companies leverage the power of AI to unlock their growth potential. In our conversation we discuss: Is there still a need to have a delineation between the sales and marketing function? How to create a sales process that allows sellers to be flexible and connect with buyers on a human level How AI allows everyone to raise the bar and perform at a higher level How to get access to the best data to ensure you’re making the right decisions to position your company for growth. Additional Resources: Sales Secrets Podcast Engage with Gabe on LinkedIn and Twitter Music/Production: Chris "KID" Robinson, Hitmakuzz Productions Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | RSS | Spotify

EP. 32 - How AI Can Help You Compete on a Whole New Level w/ Gabe Larsen

This episode I speak with Peter Isaacson, Chief Marketing Officer at Demandbase. Peter has over 25 years of marketing experience in several different industries working with companies such as Adobe, Castlight Health, MicroStrategy and more. Peter prides himself on his consistent focus on tying marketing strategy to revenue and business results. In our conversation we discuss: The head of marketing’s role in aligning Sales and Marketing The questions marketing leaders should be asking their sales counterpart to build a more aligned partnership How tech has allowed us to scale our knowledge of customer insights How Account-based marketing (ABM) can be an effective strategy for companies of all sizes to close more business with their ideal customers Additional Resources: Account-based Marketing: How to Target and Engage the Companies That Will Grow Your Revenue (book) Engage with Peter on LinkedIn and Twitter Music/Production: Chris "KID" Robinson, Hitmakuzz Productions Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | RSS | Spotify

EP. 31 - Will Killing the MQL Transform Sales and Marketing Into Better Alignment? w/ Peter Isaacson

This episode I speak with Andy Paul - a founder, author, speaker, and sales acceleration strategist that has significant experience working with B2B organizations focused on growth. His latest venture, The Sales House, is the only all-in-one sales education community for the modern B2B seller. In our conversation we discuss: B2B has not changed as much as we all think that it has Is it possible to automate the process of building trust? How salespeople should be using customer personas to connect with buyers How leaders should adjust their perspective on pipeline coverage and close rates The assumptions sales and marketing both make about buyers that make closing deals more difficult Additional Resources: The Sales House (Andy’s company) Engage with Andy on LinkedIn and Twitter Music/Production: Chris "KID" Robinson, Hitmakuzz Productions Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | RSS | Spotify

EP. 30 - Is It Possible To Automate The Process Of Building Trust? w/ Andy Paul

Welcome to The Alignment Podcast! This platform is dedicated to having thought-provoking conversations that will help B2B CEOs and Executives better align Sales and Marketing to drive revenue. We will have subject matter experts help us focus on effective strategies that leaders can implement into the organization. Guests come from very diverse backgrounds to give a variety of different perspectives (i.e. sales, marketing, psychology, digital transformation, AI and more). I hope you will listen in and share with colleagues that might benefit from these types of conversations. Now let's talk about how we can..... "Create Togetherness"!