In this episode, marketing strategist Corey Morris joins us to unpack why so many companies feel like they’re spinning their wheels with content and campaigns—without seeing real business results. He explains how marketing often gets lost in the weeds of tactics and vanity metrics, and shares how his START Planning Framework brings clarity, accountability, and strategy to marketing efforts. If you’ve ever felt like you’re busy with marketing but not sure if it’s working, this one’s for you.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:

• Why focusing on tactics before strategy leads to wasted time and budget.
• The problem with reporting on vanity metrics and how to tie KPIs to actual business goals.
• An overview of Corey’s START Planning Framework:
  • Strategy – Align goals with business outcomes.
  • Tactics – Select and evaluate marketing channels based on your funnel.
  • Application – Identify and prep the assets you’ll need.
  • Review – Build meaningful reporting systems.
  • Transformation – Align your team and schedule your plan for consistent execution.
• How to identify and fix resource gaps before they derail your plan.
• Tips for small businesses and solopreneurs on using strategic planning with limited resources.

💡 Memorable Quote:

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

• Corey’s book: The Digital Marketing Success Plan
• Downloadable tools at: thedmsp.com/blueprints

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Why Good Marketing Often Falls Flat

Have you ever launched a marketing campaign that seemed to follow all the right rules—sharp copy, clear calls to action, even a sleek design—only to realize… it didn’t connect? Maybe the message felt off. Maybe no one engaged. You’re not alone.

In this episode of the Mindful B2B Marketing podcast, communication coach Dr. Michael Gerharz joins us to help flip the script. Instead of trying to persuade harder, Michael teaches us how to resonate stronger. Because when your message resonates, you don’t have to push—it pulls people in.

Meet Michael Gerharz

Dr. Michael Gerharz is a communications coach with a background in computer science. With nearly two decades of experience, he now helps leaders and marketers transform their communication into a strategic advantage. He’s the author of The PATH to Strategic Impact, host of the Irresistible Communication podcast, and the creator of the “Leaders Light the Path” manifesto.

But what makes his approach different is this: Michael doesn’t focus on tricks or tactics. He teaches us to speak with clarity, honesty, and purpose—to create messages that shift how people see the world.

How to Build Resonance Step by Step

Michael shared a simple but powerful step-by-step process:

1. Talk to Real Customers

Get out of the meeting room and into real conversations. Don’t guess what your audience wants—ask them. Sit down, have a coffee, go for a walk, hop on a Zoom call. It’s in these moments that the real insights emerge.

2. Listen With Openness

Most marketers listen for confirmation. Instead, listen for truth. Are people actually agreeing, or just being polite? Are they hesitating? Use their words—not yours—to shape your message.

3. Test What Resonates

Michael doesn’t use spreadsheets or analytics to test messaging. He watches for reactions. A resonant message is one that makes people pause. It feels obvious in hindsight. It sticks with you. And when others repeat it back, you know you’ve hit something real.

4. Treat Messaging as a Continuous Cycle

Don’t think of communication as a one-and-done event. It’s an ongoing process of testing, refining, and learning. You might never be “finished,” and that’s okay. 

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Main Insight:
Earning media placements through consistent, strategic PR efforts builds lasting authority and credibility that can significantly boost your brand and sales.

Guest Bio:
Leonard Scheiner is a PR expert who brings over a decade of experience building memorable brands and online authority for both Fortune 500 companies and boutique firms. He has helped professionals secure high-profile media placements in major outlets such as Forbes, CNN, Bloomberg, and more. As the CEO of Geek Haus, Leonard specializes in positioning subject matter experts so they can build trustworthy and credible personal brands that translate into real business results. His proven PR frameworks have driven dramatic revenue growth—helping clients achieve up to a 300% increase in revenue and tens of millions in new business.   

Leonard invites listeners to visit GeekHaus.com to explore how his agency can help secure impactful media placements. He also encourages those ready to become featured experts to join his free live training at PodcastGuestIntensive.com, where he walks you through packaging your expertise and pitching for media success. 

Key Takeaways:

• Key Takeaways:
  • Start with Local and Niche Media: Before aiming for major publications like Forbes or Bloomberg, begin by establishing credibility with local media, podcasts, and industry-specific interviews.
  • Build a Strong Foundation: A professional website, quality headshots, and a concise yet compelling bio are critical components that support successful media outreach.
  • Leverage Existing Opportunities: Utilize platforms such as Featured.com to identify and respond to media opportunities already in circulation rather than creating chances from scratch.
  • Consistency is Key: Whether it’s a local interview or an emerging podcast opportunity, regularly securing media placements increases credibility over time.
  • Timeframe for Results: While initial placements can occur within one to two months (often starting with local placements), establishing national credibility might take six months to a year, with occasional early successes.
  • Effective Messaging: Ensure that your commentary carries a distinct point of view. Differentiating yourself from generic “vanilla” opinions is essential to be recognized as a genuine expert.
  • Effort Versus Outcome: Typically, a professional needs to spend about one hour per placement, with much of the heavy lifting done by the PR team.
  • Integrate Media Success into the Broader Marketing Strategy: After obtaining media placements, amplify these successes across all channels—email signatures, websites, social media, and promotional materials—to drive trust and customer engagement.
  • Avoid Pitfalls: Watch for pay-to-play dynamics and avoid overextending yourself into too many unrelated areas. Focus on a defined niche to ensure that your expertise remains clear and credible.
  • Training and Preparation: Whether you plan to represent yourself or your CEO, investing in media training and preparation can help secure and maximize media placements.

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Main Insight:
Harnessing authentic customer stories that resonate emotionally can significantly enhance trust and value perception, driving successful B2B marketing strategies.

Guest Bio:
Indy is an executive and creative visionary with over 20 years of experience across diverse industries including tech, fintech, real estate, music, fashion, and cosmetics. She has led teams and consulted for prestigious brands such as LVMH, IKEA, and Sony. Currently, Indy is the founder of WeDo, a fintech application designed to support freelancers, gig workers, and small business owners by offering comprehensive business management tools with minimal fees.

Key Takeaways:

1. Engage Directly with Customers
   • Action: Personally reach out to your customers, especially those who are highly engaged or have provided feedback.
   • Implementation: Initiate interviews with these customers to understand their experiences before and after using your product. This direct engagement helps in uncovering authentic and relatable stories.
2. Utilize the Jobs to Be Done Technique
   • Action: Apply the Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework to guide your conversations with customers.
   • Implementation: Start by discussing the customer's current situation and work backward to identify the key pain points and triggers that led them to choose your product. This method helps in uncovering both emotional and practical reasons behind their decision.
3. Identify Common Patterns and Themes
   • Action: Analyze the insights gathered from multiple customer interviews to find recurring themes and challenges.
   • Implementation: Look for similarities in the problems customers faced and how your product provided solutions. These common patterns can form the foundation of your marketing narratives, making them more relatable to a broader audience.
4. Involve Multiple Team Members in the Process
   • Action: Encourage participation from various departments, including CEOs, product teams, and customer service representatives, in conducting customer interviews.
   • Implementation: Different perspectives can provide a more comprehensive understanding of customer experiences. This collaborative approach ensures that the stories captured are well-rounded and cover multiple facets of the customer journey.
5. Systematize Customer Interviews
   • Action: Implement a structured process for scheduling and conducting regular customer interviews.
   • Implementation: Use project management tools like Jira, Asana, or Monday.com to organize and automate the scheduling of interviews. Assign tasks to team members to ensure consistent and ongoing data collection from customers.
6. Create Multi-Channel Content from Customer Stories
   • Action: Develop customer stories in various formats to maximize reach and engagement across different platforms.
   • Implementation: Transform the narratives into written articles, video testimonials, and audio segments for podcasts or radio. Additionally, use snippets of these stories as straplines on your homepage or in social media posts to enhance visibility and impact.
7. Test, Monitor, and Refine Your Stories
   • Action: Continuously evaluate the effectiveness of your customer stories and adjust them based on performance data.
   • Implementation: Track engagement metrics and analyze customer acquisition patterns to determine w

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Main Insight Implement a continuous discovery and improvement process to effectively engage customers post-sale, driving revenue and fostering long-term relationships.

Guest Bio Ken is a dynamic entrepreneur and commercialization leader with a proven track record of founding businesses, creating new markets, and delivering significant shareholder returns. Passionate about addressing unmet needs with practical solutions, Ken specializes in launching products, building scalable business models, and cultivating thriving company cultures. As the founder of Bluestream, he focuses on connecting businesses with their customers after the sale through innovative SaaS platforms.

Key Takeaways

• Adopt a Continuous Discovery Process: Implement a cycle of discovery, choice, execution, and learning to adapt and grow your business.
• Define Clear Objectives: Start with clear goals, whether they’re revenue targets, product launches, or other milestones.
• Ask the Right Questions: Use both open-ended and closed-ended questions to gather comprehensive data from your customers.
• Listen Actively: Prioritize listening over assuming answers to truly understand customer needs and preferences.
• Tailor Communication Styles: Adapt your questions and interactions to match the communication styles of different stakeholders.
• Be Willing to Pivot: Stay flexible and ready to adjust your strategies based on the insights gained from customer feedback.
• Implement and Iterate: Choose a path based on your discoveries, execute it, and continuously refine your approach based on ongoing learning.

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Main Insight Empower B2B marketers to integrate their unique skills and authentic selves into their work without tying their personal identity to their business roles.

Guest Bio Michael Fritzius is the founder of Podcastify, a podcast marketing company dedicated to helping agency owners amplify their voices and reach. Additionally, he co-founded Exactly Zero with his wife, a sustainable skincare brand offering body butters, lotions, and other eco-friendly skincare products. With a rich background in automation and entrepreneurship, Michael leverages his diverse expertise to drive innovative solutions in both the digital and physical product landscapes. For more insights and to connect with Michael Fritzius, visit Podcastify.me and ExactlyZero.com.

Key Takeaways

1. Define Yourself Beyond Your Job Title: Avoid identifying solely by your professional role to maintain personal resilience and flexibility.
2. Self-Assessment of Skills: Identify what you love, excel at, are indifferent to, and dislike to leverage your strengths effectively.
3. Focus on Strengths and Delegate Weaknesses: Concentrate on tasks that align with your strengths and delegate or eliminate those that do not.
4. Combine Unique Skills to Solve Problems: Utilize your distinct combination of skills to address unique challenges that others might overlook.

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Main Insight

Instead of targeting a broad audience, concentrate on particular industries and their unique use cases. This enables you to tailor your messaging, content, and solutions to meet specific customer needs. This funnel-focused approach enables B2B marketers to systematically optimize each stage of the customer journey with targeted, industry-specific strategies, resulting in higher conversions and more efficient growth.

Guest Bio
Bas Hennephof is the co-founder of ConvertCalculator, a no-code builder for interactive content such as calculators, quizzes, lead pages, product configurators, and quote forms. He has extensive experience in business, design, marketing, product, and strategy. In the past, he founded an online startup accelerator, coached multiple innovation teams, and led a corporate innovation initiative at the largest bank in the Netherlands.

Practical Steps

1. Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP):
   • Identify the specific industries and use cases where your product or service provides the most value.
   • Develop detailed personas to understand their pain points, needs, and decision-making processes.
2. Map Out Your Customer Journey Using Funnel Metrics:
   • Outline each stage of your funnel: awareness, acquisition, activation, retention, revenue, and referral.
   • For each stage, list the actions customers take and the conversion rates associated with them.
3. Create Industry-Specific Messaging and Content:
   • Develop landing pages, blogs, and marketing materials tailored to each industry and use case.
   • Use language and examples that resonate with your target audience's specific challenges and goals.
4. Develop Targeted Templates and Tools:
   • Offer templates, calculators, or interactive content that address the unique needs of each segment.
   • Ensure these resources help customers quickly realize the value of your product.
5. Implement Systematic Measurement and Analysis:
   • Set up analytics to track conversion rates at each funnel stage.
   • Regularly review data to identify drop-off points and areas for improvement.
6. Run Focused Experiments:
   • Prioritize one funnel stage at a time and conduct A/B tests to optimize it.
   • Implement changes based on data-driven insights and measure their impact over time.
7. Enhance Onboarding and Activation Processes:
   • Customize onboarding experiences based on customer segmentation.
   • Provide relevant support content, tutorials, and guidance to improve activation rates.
8. Maintain Team Alignment and Communication:
   • Involve all team members in funnel optimization discussions.
   • Use collaborative tools to ensure everyone is informed about goals, strategies, and progress.
9. Stay Disciplined but Flexible:
   • Set clear quarterly goals for each funnel stage and stick to them.
   • Be open to adjusting strategies based on performance data and changing market conditions.
10. Seek Continuous Feedback and Iterate:
    • Collect customer feedback to understand their experience at each funnel stage.
    • Use insights to refine your product offerings and marketing strategies continually.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Focus on building scalable infrastructure early to support long-term growth.
• Design servicing systems with flexibility to adapt to customer needs and regulatory changes.
• Leverage analytics and customer data to continuously refine product offerings and user experience.
• Invest in modern technologies to future-proof financial products and services.

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Main Insight:
Focusing your time and budget on the accounts that are most likely to buy, and aligning teams with a unified system, is essential to a successful account-based marketing (ABM) strategy.

Guest Bio:
Leanne Chescoe is a results-driven B2B marketer with 15 years of experience in SaaS, specializing in ABM strategies, lead generation, and channel partnerships. In 2018, she founded the Women in B2B Network, a thriving community of over 400 senior professional women, aimed at empowering members through connections, opportunities, and expertise.

Key Takeaways:

1. Adopt an Account-Based Approach: The most urgent strategy for B2B marketers today is focusing on the accounts that have the highest propensity to buy. This requires a clear understanding of target account lists and being able to identify in-market accounts based on intent data.
2. Understand the Customer Journey: Approximately 95% of the customer's time in the buyer's journey is spent without direct contact with a salesperson, much of which is anonymous. Gaining insights into what potential customers are researching—whether it’s your products or your competitors’—is critical.
3. Utilize Intent Data: Marketers must be proactive in identifying accounts that are showing interest in related products or competitors. Having real-time access to intent signals enables more precise targeting and personalization, which leads to better customer experiences.
4. Create a Unified System: It's vital to have a consolidated platform that integrates all your data—account-level, contact-level, and system-level—across marketing and sales. This ensures that both teams are aligned with a shared view of the customer journey, preventing go-to-market fragmentation.
5. Align Sales and Marketing: When marketing and sales teams share the same platform and data, they can work more effectively to prioritize accounts, track engagement across the buyer journey, and know the best time for sales to follow up. Sales readiness isn’t just about one download—it’s about consistent, meaningful engagement.
6. Measure Engagement: With a unified system, you can measure engagement across the entire buyer journey and adjust your messaging to fit where a prospect is in the funnel. This ensures that both marketing and sales are equipped with the right information to engage prospects effectively.

Leanne emphasizes the importance of making sure the right messaging is being delivered at every stage of the sales cycle and that sales follow-up occurs only when there is substantial engagement. By leveraging these strategies, B2B marketers can improve their ABM results and foster a more seamless sales process.

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MAIN INSIGHT: Prioritize self-care and employee wellness in the marketing workplace to prevent burnout and foster sustainable business growth.

GUEST BIO:  Pete Sena is a creative entrepreneur and founder of Digital Surgeons, a brand experience consultancy. For nearly 20 years, he has partnered with founders and business leaders to accelerate growth through marketing innovation, branding, and digital-experience design. A human-centered problem solver, Pete focuses on the behaviors and systems that drive people, products, and experiences. His work has impacted leading brands such as Unilever, Microsoft, and LEGO. He leverages expertise at the intersection of design, technology, and consumer behavior to enact positive change and increase business value. His experiences, such as the development of the Four Green Lights system for aligning values with business growth, are published to his blog, petesena.com

RESULTS:

• Enhanced team morale and employee retention
• Healthier work-life balance for staff
• Reduced stress and prevention of burnout
• Increased productivity and creativity
• Improved client satisfaction
• Positive impact on profitability
• More collaborative and supportive work environment
• Holistic business growth valuing individual contributions

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Implement wellness programs and initiatives within the company
• Encourage practices like prioritizing sleep and meditation among employees
• Foster self-awareness and self-care routines
• Create a supportive environment with generous PTO policies and a remote-first culture
• Align business goals with employee wellness using systems like the four green lights
• Reduce unnecessary meetings and promote asynchronous communication
• Set clear boundaries between work and personal time
• Emphasize effective communication and thorough documentation
• Over-communicate to prevent misunderstandings and foster transparency
• Establish a clear vision that includes employee well-being as a core component
• Encourage open communication and provide a wellness budget for staff initiatives

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