B2B Growth Hacks: Recent Episodes
Speakerbox Media
Steffen Hedebrandt, Chief Marketing Officer and Co-founder of Dreamdata, brings his marketing and software expertise to the pod for a discussion about B2B attribution. Steffen’s team at Dreamdata have determined through analyzing customer data that it takes, on average, 192 days and 32 sessions for a B2B company to get through its sales cycle. Steffen and Sarah discuss the complicated analytics behind this sales cycle measurement and how B2B companies can optimize their sales cycle with Dreamdata’s software.
Timecoded Guide:
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[00:00] Podcast begins
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[01:08] 192 days stuck in a B2B sales cycle
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[08:00] Why B2B attribution isn’t a hoax
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[15:52] Ungating products & implementing freemium levels
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[20:39] Owning your own data instead of using Facebook & Google
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[22:15] Connecting B2B marketing activities to revenue with Dreamdata
Keep up with Steffen Hedebrandt on LinkedIn and Twitter
Learn more about Dreamdata on LinkedIn and the Dreamdata website
Visit B2B Growth Hacks on our website and remember to subscribe to our newsletter.
How did Trey Tepichin go from lawyer to co-founder of a dental talent marketplace app? Inspired by the realization that dentistry is a shockingly difficult profession, especially when it comes to staffing, Cloud Dentistry was born. Trey’s app connects dental professionals through a reliable platform for temp work, minimizing burnout and maximizing productivity. Trey walks through finding a suitable marketing model, holding clients and businesses accountable, and inspiring trust to retain clients.
“Oftentimes dental hygienists feel underappreciated. To have an organization that is advocating for them, showing them appreciation, that goes a very long way.”
In this podcast, Trey covers:
[00:00] Understanding the unique struggles dentists are facing
[06:20] Managing a dual-sided platform with Cloud Dentistry
[19:50] Dividing efforts between tech and marketing when launching
[21:19] Making a profit with a subscription-based app
[27:00] Empowering dental professionals and creating community
Links:
Connect with Trey Tepichin on LinkedIn or through his email trey@clouddentistry.com
Learn more about Cloud Dentistry on their website
Additional resources mentioned in this podcast: Cloud Dentistry, Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku, Launch by Jeff Walters
Visit B2B Growth Hacks on our website and remember to subscribe to our newsletter.
We’re joined by Terri Hoffman, Founder, and CEO of Marketing Refresh. Terri has 25 years of experience in the marketing field. She saw the transition firsthand from traditional marketing to digital marketing. In the past decade, the world of marketing has evolved at a faster rate than most realize. There are new digital marketing channels emerging every day. Data analysis, case studies, and research drive the future of content marketing. But Terri believes there is still value in picking up the phone and talking to real customers. “As a marketer, my whole job is to understand people and how they make decisions.”
In this podcast, Terri covers:
- [1:52] Terri witnessed firsthand the transition from traditional to digital marketing
- [8:36] How to build credibility and authority with Google and your customers through SEO
- [25:38] Red and green flags of finding the right agency for B2B marketing
- [36:47] The key to seeing results with SEO on your website
We’re joined by Hami Vo Arrington, co-founder of the Houston-based digital marketing agency One Foot Over. She started the business with her best friend Stephen Brent May. With a small team, they specialize in B2B marketing and inbound marketing. The name One Foot Over comes from their drive to push their creative limits to the max and finish every project strong. Being a strategic marketing agency is what sets them apart from the rest.
In this podcast, Hami covers:
- [00:00-5:14] Intro and Hami’s childhood experiences as an Asian-American.
- [5:15] Balancing both personal and professional life
- [8:42] Challenges in modern business, remote work, and growing a team
- [11:21] Navigating creativity, community, and collaboration
- [22:38] What gets Hami up in the morning?
We’re joined by Javier Carro Prado, COO of Blue People, a rapidly expanding international software and consulting company. Blue People has a diverse portfolio of application development, cloud consulting, staff augmentation, and so much more. Javier shares his journey from getting his engineering degree to falling in love with the world of IT and taking the leap to join Blue People in its beginnings. From a handful of employees in Monterrey Mexico to over 100 employees internationally, Blue People has grown into a thriving business with a community of original thinkers and unique company culture.
In this podcast, Javier covers:
- [2:22] Javier’s education and early career
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[4:14] Mexico as a hub for technology
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[5:22] What is Blue People?
- [17:06] Expanding to an international company
- [20:50] Networking in Houston
We’re joined by Madison Long, CEO of Clutch, in a discussion that focuses on feeling underrepresented and overlooked. Madison, along with her co-founder Simone, have created an incredible service with Clutch, connecting students to marketing roles in small businesses. Madison and Simone are tearing it up and defying expectations, thanks to design thinking, emotional intelligence, and an abundance mindset. We caught up with Madison to find out her story, and to learn how our businesses can be more like Clutch.
In this episode, Madison covers:
- [02:43] Pivoting throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to create Clutch and provide a service to college students searching for professional marketing opportunities
- [09:03] Utilizing design methodology and user feedback to iterate on Clutch’s services and create a business that fully understands and engages the end user at all times
- [14:04] Creating a strong team of employees for Clutch that are creative, engaged, and loyal to the company thanks to ethical business practices, consideration for employees, and emotional intelligence from top-to-bottom of the organization
- [21:57] Breaking through her personal fear of public speaking to become a vision-driven CEO ready to pitch Clutch to anyone at any time, no matter how public or large the platform is
- [31:32] Going beyond the limits of feeling underrepresented and overlooked through an abundance mindset and a focus on the bigger picture of the value of Clutch’s service and Madison and Simone’s vision for Clutch
We’re joined by Charles Gaudet, CEO of Predictable Profits and Host of the Beyond 7 Figures podcast, to discuss the three-part structure of growth: optimization, systemization, and innovation. As part of our Innovate Or Die series, Charles talks about changing business practices during the pandemic and creating sustainable growth.
In this podcast, Charles covers:
- Growing a wide variety of companies and businesses
- Working with clients that want faster, predictable, and easier profits
- Re-evaluating business processes during the pandemic
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Preventing dependence within your company and staff
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Conveying the value of your business and product through positioning
Charles’ Growth Hacks:
Optimize by looking at the data
There is so much that can be done on the path to innovation by spending time and focusing on the optimization process. To hone in on optimization, Charles believes you have to look at the data available to you and your organization. The numbers don’t lie, and data can reveal so much about what actually works in a company and what currently doesn’t, all without any of the guesswork. Optimization is a key aspect of sustainable growth, and innovation cannot come without a thorough understanding of the data of your business.
“We have to look at something specific and measurable to know what's actually working and not working.”
Systemize and reduce repetitive tasks
What tasks do you spend the most time doing over and over again in your business? In Charles' opinion, systemizing everyday business tasks is vital to saving you the time, money, energy, and capital needed to sustainably grow and innovate your company. Many of Charles’ clients tell him that they simply don’t have time to put such systems in place, but what they don’t understand is how much time can be saved by spending the little bit of time needed to put together a solid system. Don’t get stuck spending all your time doing grunt work, systemize and push forward.
“If you tend to a fracture, you can solve that issue quickly and continue to move forward.”
Innovate with strategy
Only when optimization and systemization are put in place can we focus on innovation for our company and our products. Innovation is giving people a reason to either try you on for the first time or come back after having left before. For Charles and his clients, the focus of innovation is often on finding a look and presentation that feels fresh in comparison to what’s been done at the company before and what competitors are doing. When we’re facing our problems head-on without simply following the pack, we’re innovating.
“In 2020, we immediately had to stop and ask ourselves… Do we change the market, the message, or both the market and the message?”
Understand the importance of position, promotion, and product
Predictable Profits focuses a great deal of their methodology on position, promotion, and product innovation. There’s many aspects of these elements, but the driving force behind them comes from the idea of appropriate pricing and presentation to convey and convince clients of your true value. When your product is aligned with the ways you promote it and the pricing puts you in a profitable position, you’re achieving a perfect situation to make profits come faster, easier, and so much more predictable.
“It's one of the scariest things for businesses to raise their prices.”
Find out more about Charles on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Check out Charles’ podcast, Beyond 7 Figures, here.
Learn more about Predictable Profits on their website.
Visit B2B Growth Hacks on our website and remember to subscribe to our newsletter.
We’re joined by Catherine Brown, Founder of Extrabold Sales, to discuss her new book How Good Humans Sell: The Proven Path to B2B Sales Success. Catherine discusses the negative connotation around sales and how we can work to provide helpful simple solutions to our B2B customers while maintaining a positive relationship with our sales processes.
In this episode, Catherine covers:
- Focusing on sales training within businesses
- Launching her new book and what that has looked like for her
- Covering and researching the negative connotations around sales
- Taking your strategies to the next level with a need/want hierarchy
- Understanding large concepts within her book and within the realm of sales training
We’re joined by Ingrid Thorp, culture strategist and founder of Thorp, to discuss diversity and inclusion as a necessity of business. As part of our Resiliency series, Ingrid talks about how a collaborative diverse community with a variety of perspectives is a key to success and a solid indicator of the continued strength of your team.
We’re joined by Christopher Avery, CEO and Founder of The Responsibility Company, to discuss his company’s unique and thoroughly researched approach to teamwork and leadership. As part of our Innovate or Die series, Christopher delves into his thoughts around innovation and walks us through the different steps of The Responsibility Process®.
We’re joined by Wayne Lopez, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer for Vertify, to discuss analytics and company transitions. As part of our Innovate or Die series, Wayne talks about the importance of simple and clean data, transitioning from services to products, and how Vertify optimized their growth during the pandemic.
We’re joined by Craig Koopersmith, CEO of Skyline Displays of Houston and Innovative Environments, to discuss the ups and downs of business turnarounds and running a company for profitability. As part of our Innovate or Die series, Craig talks about managing culture shifts, understanding what to do during an economic downturn, and developing a relationship of trust and transparency with employees at every level in your company. In this podcast, Craig covers:
* Getting his start in geological and petrophysical engineering
- Finding the right time to buy Skyline and manage a growing business
- Starting a business vs running a business to be profitable
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Building trust to create a safer, better environment for employees and businesses
- Coping with massive revenue drops during COVID-19
We’re joined by Paul O’Brien, CEO of Mediatech Ventures, to discuss how to create a more innovative culture, both inside the workplace and in the outside world of our towns and cities. As part of our Innovate or Die series, Paul talks about the tie between accessibility and inclusion, communities that support risk-taking, and the importance of celebrating failure. In this episode, Paul covers:
- Business communities vs startup communities
- Fostering and supporting risk and failure on a culture-wide scale
- Creating an accessible community by tearing down barriers and silos
- Keeping up with change in a startup vs a company
- Prioritizing marketing the right way in a startup environment
We’re joined by David Pachter, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of JumpCrew, to discuss innovation and its role in business leadership. As part of our Innovate Or Die series, David talks about the challenges and successes of remote workplaces, as well as the powerful trust that can be formed through vulnerability and stepping out of your comfort zone.
In this podcast, David covers:
- Wandering and stumbling before finding success
- Taking the time to let your ideas resonate
- Finding the grit to innovate and change
- Inspiring your team to work together, even remotely
- Making the uncomfortable calls and knowing when to keep at it
We’re joined by Jennifer Miller, Fractional CMO and founder of Strategically Connected, to discuss the power of building a referral network. As part of our Resilience series, Jennifer talks about the value referrals have to career longevity and how to forge your next opportunity to connect with others on sites like LinkedIn.
In this podcast, Jennifer covers:
- Clarifying brands and connecting with people
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Tapping into the hidden power of a strong referral
- Listening and personalizing your relationships with your referral network
- Sharing value and building organic relationships
- Utilizing tools for every budget and referral goal
We’re joined by Christie Post, Senior Marketing Strategist at Studio X and Adjunct Professor at Arizona State University, to discuss all things marketing and innovation. As part of our Resilience series, Christie talks about the current uncertainties in the marketing landscape and how mindset means everything.
In this podcast, Christie covers:
- Managing and adapting to a growth mindset
- Creating community within organizations
- Innovating with a human-centered approach
- Capturing customers in the moment
- Finding resilience in a startup environment
We’re joined by Dan Oblinger and Allan Tsang, negotiation coaches and consultants, to discuss the craft of negotiation and how to build stronger agreements with clients. As part of our Resiliency series, Dan and Allan talk about longevity in business negotiations and how forming solid relationships within agreements leads to a better rate of retention amongst clients.
In this podcast, Dan and Allan cover:
- Studying the craft of negotiation and learning by doing
- Listening as a company effort in negotiating
- Acquiring clients through effective conversation and negotiation
- Embracing the answers your clients have, both “yes” and “no”
- Doing your research on client longevity and why clients leave
This week, we’re joined by Deepak Lalwani, founder and change management consultant at Deepak Lalwani & Associates. Deepak talks with us about the human element of the consultation work he does and how to optimize the implementation of technology for both your organization and your clients.
In this episode, we cover:
- Focusing on effective and usable technology adoption
- Avoiding losing the human piece in consulting
- Building long term trust with clients and customers
- Adapting to specific management styles to serve impactfully
- Walking clients through information with eye contact and face-to-face interactions
We’re joined by Sam Moss, CEO, and Co-Founder of One Click Agency, to discuss web developing and designing with a customer-centric approach. As part of our Resiliency series, Sam talks about website resiliency and how to make sure your brand’s website can withstand the test of time.
In this podcast, Sam covers:
- Building a website that’s resilient and relevant
- Solving the problems your customer has
- Keeping calls to action clear and concise
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Unpacking current design trends
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Doing your research on marketing
We’re joined by Holly Woods, founder, and CEO of Emergence Institute, to discuss the importance of purpose. As part of our Resilience series, Holly talks about the work she does to help others find their purpose and how her work impacts powerful CEOs, entrepreneurs, and executives that want to change the world.
In this podcast, Holly covers:
- Explaining her origins and how she started Emergence Institute
- Healing from trauma and finding what she’s meant to do
- Identifying barriers to resilience and seeing “the other side”
- Aligning yourself, your work, and your business with your purpose
- Learning how to be human and how to change the world
This week, we’re joined by Kara Jensen, Co-Founder and Creative Principal of Bop Design. Kara talks to us about the vital importance of remaining calm in the current stress of pandemic times and building a team with strong and positive perspectives on their current situations. In this episode, we cover: * Remaining calm in the uncertainty of the pandemic * Shifting expectations in the workplace and at home * Developing a supportive environment where mental health is prioritized * Managing a business through health issues * Understanding the importance of honest assessments and positive perspectives
This week, we’re joined by Dan King, Co-Founder and Executive Coach at Fireside Strategic. Dan talks to us about his journey from lawyer to entrepreneur and how he finds his strongest success within the intersection of who his clients are as business owners and human beings.
In this episode, we cover:
- Feeling compelled by entrepreneurs as a corporate lawyer
- Understanding the difference between a “sexy” strategy and an effective strategy
- Inviting people to tell their stories and engaging with them personally
- Learning to be a better coach through vulnerability
- Building a world-class, complex team of support for his clients
This week on Growth Hacks, we’re joined by Jim Faust, founder of Local Search Group and author of several marketing-based books. Jim talks to us about his journey from working for Nike and Toyota to opening his own business, his own method of controlled growth, and his excitement for the future of marketing in a digital world.
In this episode, we cover:
- Working for Nike and Toyota and learning along the way
- Knowing who to market for at the moment
- Controlling growth and keeping up with feedback
- Giving back and developing good relationships
- Finding the future of marketing and discovering NFTs
Adam Faust, the Founder of 5plus8, a creative marketing agency, talks about rebranding, which is a hot topic right now, as many legacy brands begin to redefine their voice, look and feel in an ever-changing digital world landscape.
In this episode, we cover:
- Forming 5+8 with his business partner, Jeff Long
- Seeing how his business has grown in 8 years
- Understanding the ins and outs of a client’s company
- Noticing the link between technology and rebranding
- Finding the voice of a company
[PT. 2] This week on Growth Hacks, we’re joined by Chad Alessi, co-founder, and partner at Navstella.
In this episode, we cover:
- Understanding the goals of a midsize company in comparison to a larger corporation
- Finding solutions within the data we analyze
- Shrinking attention spans and restlessness of consumers
- Creating a positive environment for employees and customers
- Uncovering which technology fits with which company
This week on Growth Hacks, we’re joined by Divya Viscentini, co-founder and partner at Navstella.
In this episode, we cover:
- Uncovering purpose and meaning behind Navstella
- Learning the difference between customer service and customer experience
- Training both employees and customers
- Creating a company that centers on people helping people
- Understanding how marketing differs from traditional advertising
This week on B2B Growth Hacks, we meet up with Rachel Bonnette, Marketing Manager of KP Engineering, to discuss her path from an unsure college student to a thriving marketing professional. From networking to internships, mentors to volunteering, Rachel shares her growth hacks with us on how she found her true passion and individualized her career journey.
Rachel’s Growth Hacks:
Build a deep network:
What’s stopping you from putting yourself out there? For Rachel, uncertainty and fear were major barriers she had to overcome in her time as a student in order to truly find herself and her community. Through getting close with college professors and becoming involved in opportunities on campus, Rachel’s uncertainty became a confident passion that led her to making strong connections that have undoubtedly elevated her career.
“I’d say the first step is just getting over yourself and getting out of your own way.”
Get involved in your passion:
Rachel found herself changing majors more than once before she was able to discover that marketing was the right path for her. Still, to make sure she was finally on the right path, Rachel took the chance with not one, but two internships in college to pave the way for her future marketing success. With experience and passion under her belt, Rachel graduated knowing exactly what she wanted to do, despite her initial academic uncertainty.
“If you’re not happy, then it doesn’t matter if you’re comfortable.”
Find yourself a mentor:
Easier said than done, but finding a mentor is one of Rachel’s strongest recommendations for young professionals looking for a leg up in their industry. Through reaching out to those around you and striving towards showing value to every individual you meet, you can find a mentorship that challenges you, pushes you forwards, and gives you the confidence to find your direction in life.
“If you have goals and a direction for your life and where you see it going, it’s very rare that you’ll get there on your own.”
You can connect with Rachel Bonnett on Twitter and LinkedIn.
You can find out more about KP Engineering on their website.
David Martinez, Founder and VP of Marketing at SVP Meds, joins us on this episode of B2B Growth Hacks to talk about the ups and downs of veterinary pharmaceuticals, business owning, and marketing technology. With years of experience under his belt and a do-it-yourself attitude, David shares growth hacks that are guaranteed to inspire your next business step.
David’s Growth Hacks:
Dive in confidently:
With very little business knowledge and experience, David was able to found SVP Meds and transform it into the incredibly successful veterinary compounding pharmacy that it is today through having confidence to take the risk and to ask for help. Finding the right partners to open your business with can be a daunting task, but David’s passion and forward thinking drove him to success and powered him through the toughest times.
“I think that’s been SVP’s motto, to just keep moving forward.”
Embrace the technology:
Pharmacy technology and marketing technology looked a lot different than it does today when SVP first opened their doors, but this didn’t stop David from using the technology around him to his full advantage. From utilizing fax marketing to coding his own website, David was determined to give SVP the cutting edge it needed in technology advancements.
“If I didn’t know how to do it, I looked towards technology to learn how to fix that.”
Learn and apply at every stage:
There’s ups and downs in every business, and David is more than willing to admit his fair share of business mistakes. However, what sets David apart from a lot of his fellow entrepreneur is his constant focus on applying exactly what he’s learned from each mistake in real time, turning failures into victories with direct action.
“Make a mistake, fall down, learn from that, and apply.”
You can connect with David Martinez through Twitter.
You can find out more about SVP Meds on their website.
You can keep up with B2B Growth Hacks through [insert links]
With a wealth of knowledge in digital marketing, Josh Engalla joins us to discuss his journey from traditional beginnings to the digital world of search optimization and shares some key growth hacks of his own on how to elevate your brand online.
Josh’s Growth Hacks:
Chase the vision:
From the very start of Josh’s career, he’s felt the drive to help businesses thrive from a marketing and sales standpoint. Starting in the traditional world of advertising, Josh discovered relatively quickly that his clients were seeking to innovate themselves online with newer advertising techniques. Understanding that this need was something he could expand upon and capitalize with, Josh sought knowledge and assistance from digital industry experts to eventually develop his company, Regex SEO.
“I was out to find the best people at exactly what they love to do.”
Raise the bar:
When we talk about entrepreneuring a new business, it’s easy to want to take the reins and do it all on your own. Thankfully, Josh saw that it would be in his best interest to immerse himself in expertise and to take the steps towards learning every aspect of digital marketing and developing strong working relationships with experts in branding, optimization, SEO, and UX.
“It’s about giving them exactly what they’re looking for as soon as they want it.”
Always keep optimization in mind:
A website that doesn’t work at peak optimization can hurt you in more ways than one. From hurting your search rankings to reducing website traffic, it’s worth the investment to spend some serious time on the ins and outs of user experience on your brand’s website. With experts that break down every aspect from keywords to heat mapping, Regex SEO helps their clients make a huge difference in their online engagement through keeping an eye on optimizing,
“If you’re investing into growing your business at all, all of this stuff funnels down into your website.”
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You can connect with Josh Engalla through Twitter and LinkedIn.
You can find out more about Regex SEO on their website.
As a marketing consultant and entrepreneur, Joy Hutton, CEO of Joy of Consulting and On The Go Glam talks to us about her personal and professional growth hacks and how a change of mindset can have an incredible impact on your business.
Joy’s Growth Hacks:
Set up systems to run your business:
As part of her role at Joy Consulting, Joy provides marketing consultations to businesses and clients of all sizes. Her best advice that she gives to her clients is to set systems in place to make sure that their business runs smoothly without wasting time. Through utilizing different applications and taking advantage of the resources around you, you can save money and grow your business by working smarter, not harder.
"If you don’t have systems in place, you’re actually losing money.”
Understand when you need help:
A major growth barrier for a lot of small business owners is not knowing when they need to seek out and hire additional help. Most people struggle to leave behind the mindset that they have to do everything themselves. Independent contractors, part-time employees, and automated applications all exist to help business owners with basic tasks that need to be taken care of. If you’re too focused on doing every single task by yourself, you won’t be able to focus on growth.
“When running a business, you have to get out of the mentality of self-employed and act like a business owner or entrepreneur.”
“Do, Dump, and Delegate”:
One way to quickly set systems in place is through the method of “Do, Dump, and Delegate”. Do: Make a list of what you actually have to do in order to understand what you need. Dump: Consider dumping the tasks that you don’t want to do or don’t have the time to do. Delegate: hire additional help to pick up the tasks you dumped to set solid systems in place.
“You have to be honest with your strengths and weaknesses because that will help you make up those deficiencies with hiring people.”
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You can connect with Joy Hutton and all her business ventures through her linktree.
You can find out more about Joy of Consulting on their website.
You can discover more about On The Go Glam on their website.
For our most recent episode, B2B Growth Hacks had the honor of meeting with the Vice President of Marketing and Innovation at AlEn, Tanu Grewal. In this exclusive interview, Tanu discusses AlEn’s latest brand launch centered around natural and eco-friendly cleaning products and what it took for her to get to this point in her career. Sharing her growth hacks with us, Tanu delves into the importance of forming a brand for yourself that can carry through your entire career and define your future business path.