Revenue Rewired

The excitement around your AI rollout will fade. In this episode of Two-Minute AI Tips, Sarah talks through why month three is where most rollouts quietly lose momentum and what the second phase of adoption actually needs to look like.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why curiosity-driven adoption has a natural ceiling

• What changes between phase one and phase two of a real rollout

• How to plan for the slowdown before it catches you off guard

  
  

Early enthusiasm is not the same as lasting adoption. This episode covers the difference.

Contact Us:

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.stringcaninteractive.com

Reach out to the hosts on LinkedIn:

Jay Feitlinger: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayfeitlinger/

Sarah Shepard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahshepardcoo/

Keywords: AI adoption curve, AI rollout challenges, AI implementation, AI change management, AI team habits, AI momentum, scaling AI adoption, two minute AI tips, AI for business leaders, AI strategy

Sixteen years into running StringCan Interactive, Jay Feitlinger and Sarah Shepard get candid about why so many agency-client relationships fall apart and how agencies help cause it. They trace nearly every breakdown back to two culprits: communication and alignment. You’ll hear how a rushed sales handoff sets up failure, why clients quietly expect their agency to read minds, and how a strategic partner can push back without saying no. Jay shares real examples, including a prospect call where he steered a client away from a shiny new launch to fix their CRM first. If you hire agencies or run one, this episode is for you.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• The two root causes behind almost every agency breakup and why small misunderstandings stack up like a house of cards
• Why the handoff from business development to client services can doom a partnership before kickoff
• How Jay talked a prospect out of putting 80% of their effort into a new offering, bringing in about 2% of revenue
• A pushback approach that lets the data deliver bad news, including the 52% close rate that didn’t hold up under a bigger data set
• What to ask any agency that says yes to everything before you sign the contract

CHAPTERS

0:00 Welcome, Phoenix Heat, and a World Series prediction

1:03 Why the agency-client relationship is broken, and agencies share the blame

3:21 The two root causes behind almost every breakdown

5:03 The mind reader's expectation that strains partnerships

7:56 How to have hard conversations with kindness

11:36 What “strategic partner” should actually mean

12:41 The rushed sales handoff that sinks relationships from day one

19:31 Healthy pushback vs. saying no, and using data as the messenger

24:08 Why disagreement makes a partnership stronger

26:09 Red flags to watch for when you hire an agency

SEO KEYWORDS

b2b marketing strategy, sales pipeline management, revenue operations, mid-market sales, sales enablement, agency client relationship, marketing agency partnership, hiring a marketing agency, strategic marketing partner, client communication, go-to-market strategy, HubSpot CRM optimization, B2B growth, marketing and sales alignment, Revenue Rewired podcast

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Jay Feitlinger is the CEO of StringCan Interactive and author of Revenue Rewired. He’s spent more than 16 years helping B2B companies find and fix the leaks costing them revenue.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayfeitlinger/

Sarah Shepard is the COO of StringCan and keeps strategy, operations, and client delivery running in sync.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahshepardcoo/

ABOUT REVENUE REWIRED

Revenue Rewired is a podcast for B2B marketers, sales leaders, and business owners working where sales and marketing meet. Each episode delivers practical insights on b2b marketing strategy, revenue operations, sales enablement, and sales pipeline management for mid-market companies that want to grow revenue with purpose.

ABOUT STRINGCAN INTERACTIVE

StringCan is a B2B growth marketing agency in Scottsdale, Arizona that helps mid-market sales and marketing teams align around revenue.

LINKS

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.stringcaninteractive.com

Buy the Revenue Rewired book: https://www.amazon.com/Revenue-Rewired-Identify-Leaks-Costing-ebook/dp/B0FST7JCXQ

Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/revenue-rewired-7423414515779936256/

The people reviewing your content already believe in it. Your audience doesn't. In this episode of Two-Minute AI Tips, Sarah shares the pre-publish audit she runs on every piece of content at StringCan Interactive and why it keeps catching things internal review misses entirely.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why the people closest to your content are the least qualified to spot its gaps

• How to use AI to read your own work like a skeptical outsider

• What this audit has changed about the standard for what gets published

  
  

Your audience is going to find the weak spots. This helps you find them first.

Contact Us:

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.stringcaninteractive.com

Reach out to the hosts on LinkedIn:

Jay Feitlinger: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayfeitlinger/

Sarah Shepard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahshepardcoo/

Keywords: AI content audit, AI for content marketing, content review with AI, AI editing strategy, AI before publishing, content credibility, ChatGPT for content, two minute AI tips, AI marketing tips, content quality review

You paid for the booth, the flights, and the hotel, so why does the trade show still feel like a write-off?

Jay Feitlinger just got back from supporting a client at a Las Vegas conference, and he and Sarah Shepard break down what separates an event that builds pipeline from one that drains your budget. They walk through the prep that should start weeks out, why marketing and sales alignment decides your results on the floor, the great swag debate, and the follow-up mistakes that kill hot leads.

If events are part of your b2b marketing strategy, this episode shows you how to protect that investment and turn conversations into revenue.

What You’ll Learn

• The lunch conversation with another exhibitor that revealed exactly why his conference flopped, and the prep work that would’ve saved it

• Why your shyest product expert could be your biggest booth liability, and how smart scheduling and sales enablement turn her into your secret closer

• The generic follow-up email Jay received after the event turned him off instantly, plus a simple personal approach that keeps hot leads warm

• How regrouping every few hours let Jay’s team test new messaging live and pivot before the show ended

• Where the real networking happens (hint: it isn’t your booth) and how a roaming teammate strengthens your sales pipeline management

  
  

Chapters

00:00 Welcome back from Vegas, and why we follow clients to their conferences

00:48 The eye-opening exhibitor form that shows what a booth really costs

03:00 Why a revenue mindset changes how you judge event spend

05:00 Skip the prep, and you shouldn’t even go

05:57 “I just packed and came”: a cautionary tale from the exhibit hall

08:32 Meet the host halfway and double layer your marketing

10:25 Plan it like a wedding: the research that made Jay look like a past attendee

14:28 The swag debate: shiny objects or wasted budget?

17:54 During the show: social listening, power lunches and daily regroups

21:00 Follow-ups that feel personal instead of pushy

23:48 Stop guarding the booth and start fishing the floor

26:11 Staff to strengths: protecting introverts and placing hunters and farmers

29:56 Making the most of the people you bring

SEO Keywords

b2b marketing strategy, sales pipeline management, revenue operations, mid-market sales, sales enablement, trade show ROI, conference marketing, trade show lead generation, event follow-up, booth staffing tips, marketing and sales alignment, B2B events, Revenue Rewired podcast

Meet Your Hosts

Jay Feitlinger is the CEO of StringCan Interactive and co-author of Revenue Rewired. He helps mid-market companies find and fix the leaks costing them revenue.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayfeitlinger/

Sarah Shepard is the COO of StringCan and brings an operations lens to growth, focusing on protecting spend and getting the full return on every investment.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahshepardcoo/

About Revenue Rewired

Revenue Rewired is a podcast for B2B marketers, sales leaders and business owners working where sales and marketing meet. Each episode delivers actionable insights on mid-market sales, revenue operations and growing revenue strategically.

About StringCan Interactive

StringCan Interactive is a B2B growth marketing agency in Scottsdale, Arizona that connects marketing, sales and revenue operations so mid-market companies can grow with purpose.

Links

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.stringcaninteractive.com

Buy the Revenue Rewired book: https://www.amazon.com/Revenue-Rewired-Identify-Leaks-Costing-ebook/dp/B0FST7JCXQ

Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/revenue-rewired-7423414515779936256/ 

AI-assisted work is getting harder to distinguish from original thinking, and that's creating a real problem inside teams. In this episode of Two-Minute AI Tips, Sarah gets into the credit and attribution question that leaders haven't figured out how to talk about yet.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why output quality is no longer a reliable signal of contribution

• How AI is changing what "strong performance" looks like and who gets recognized for it

• What questions to start asking before the resentment builds

The work looks great. The question is who actually did it.

Contact Us:

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.stringcaninteractive.com

Reach out to the hosts on LinkedIn:

Jay Feitlinger: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayfeitlinger/

Sarah Shepard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahshepardcoo/

Keywords: AI and team culture, AI attribution, AI credit at work, AI team dynamics, AI leadership challenges, AI recognition, team trust and AI, two minute AI tips, AI for business, AI and performance

What if your next big win is already sitting in your CRM?

In this episode of Revenue Rewired, Jay Feitlinger and Sarah Shepard dig into closed lost, the pipeline stage where deals quietly go to be forgotten. Jay shares how reviewing hundreds of closed lost deals in a client's HubSpot account showed roughly 70% were lost to timing, which reshaped their entire budget plan. If you lead mid-market sales or revenue operations, you'll learn why one closed lost stage protects your data, how lead scoring surfaces hidden opportunities, and how a small pilot can restart conversations with buyers who found the grass wasn't greener

What You'll Learn

• Why 70% of one client's lost deals came down to timing, and how that finding cut their planned lead spend

• The surprising reason Jay advises against adding a "not yet" stage to your pipeline

• How lead scoring and automation turn sales pipeline management into a system for finding revived deals

• The simple "not now" audit you can test in Q1 with just five to ten contacts

• Why working your closed lost list from the deals that got closest to signing can speed up your wins

  
  

Chapters

0:00 The Revenue Rewired book hits number one in four Amazon categories

2:00 Closed lost: the stage where good deals go to be forgotten

3:23 A client asked for more leads and got a smarter plan they didn't expect

7:24 Should ghosted deals and "not yet" deals live in separate stages?

10:03 Why a single closed lost stage keeps your sales data clean

14:01 You already paid for these leads, so why isn't anyone following up?

15:33 What "we miss you" campaigns can teach your sales enablement team

17:28 How a car dealership earned Jay's attention after he said no

19:41 Abandoned cart lessons and finding the right follow-up timing

21:42 How to run a "not now" audit starting with your goals and ICPs

26:56 Working your pipeline backward and spotting buyer turnover

SEO Keywords

b2b marketing strategy, sales pipeline management, revenue operations, mid-market sales, sales enablement, closed lost deals, HubSpot CRM, deal re-engagement, lead scoring, win back lost deals, CRM data integrity, ideal customer profile, customer journey mapping, 2027 sales planning, B2B podcast

About the Hosts

Jay Feitlinger is the CEO of StringCan Interactive and co-author of Revenue Rewired. He helps mid-market companies find and fix the revenue leaks that stall growth.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayfeitlinger/ 

Sarah Shepard is the COO of StringCan Interactive and co-author of Revenue Rewired. She brings a no-nonsense, operations-first view to aligning sales and marketing.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahshepardcoo/ 

About Revenue Rewired

Revenue Rewired is a podcast for B2B marketers, sales leaders, and business owners working where sales and marketing meet. Each episode delivers practical insights for mid-market companies that want to grow revenue with a stronger b2b marketing strategy.

About StringCan Interactive

StringCan Interactive is a B2B growth marketing agency in Scottsdale, Arizona, helping companies connect marketing, sales, and revenue operations so every dollar works harder.

Links

Website: https://www.stringcaninteractive.com Email: [email protected]

Buy the Revenue Rewired book: https://www.amazon.com/Revenue-Rewired-Identify-Leaks-Costing-ebook/dp/B0FST7JCXQ

Read this week's newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/your-best-2027-pipeline-might-sitting-closed-lost-jay-feitlinger-bdcdc  

A sharp AI-assisted proposal won the deal. Then the delivery team opened it. In this episode of Two-Minute AI Tips, Sarah talks through what happens when the sales process uses AI without looping in the people who actually have to execute it, and the simple step that fixes it.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why AI-built proposals create gaps that show up after the contract is signed

• What the delivery review step looks like in practice

• How to catch scope problems before they become client problems

  
  

Winning the work is one thing. Delivering what you promised is the part that actually matters.

Contact Us:

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.stringcaninteractive.com

Reach out to the hosts on LinkedIn:

Jay Feitlinger: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayfeitlinger/

Sarah Shepard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahshepardcoo/

Keywords: AI proposals, AI for sales, AI and delivery gap, AI scope creep, AI for service businesses, proposal process with AI, ChatGPT for proposals, two minute AI tips, AI business operations, sales and delivery alignment

Picture a buyer comparing two software platforms, and the one with the stronger features loses because the sales experience felt slow and inconsistent.

Jay Feitlinger and Sarah Shepard use a real client situation to explore how feelings and features both shape a purchase, and how a few days of silence can undo great marketing. You'll hear how to treat early friction as a single data point instead of a verdict, why unspoken expectations break trust, and how a quick audit of your touchpoints can reveal revenue leaks. If you lead mid-market sales or own your b2b marketing strategy, this episode will change how you view every handoff.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The surprising reason a platform with missing features can still win the deal, and what it means for your sales pipeline management

• A simple way to tell one annoying moment from a real pattern of friction before you walk away from a vendor

• The onboarding question that surfaces unspoken expectations before they turn into lost trust

• A 15 minute exercise that helps any leader spot the touchpoints quietly costing them revenue

  
  

CHAPTERS

0:01 The iceberg hiding beneath every sales process

1:38 A tech stack decision that came down to feelings

5:00 Meeting the people you'll actually work with after the contract

6:51 How one slow reply can make a buyer feel undervalued

8:34 The hotel anniversary story that explains inconsistent sales experiences

11:34 Buyers show up informed, so can your sales team keep up?

13:48 The Starbucks standard for a consistent brand experience

18:20 Treating friction as data points instead of deal breakers

20:36 The kickoff questions that protect trust and shape sales enablement

24:34 A 15-minute walkthrough that could uncover gold

26:41 Tangible versus intangible touchpoints and what buyers weigh

29:20 Why the effort belongs in feelings and features

SEO KEYWORDS

b2b marketing strategy, sales pipeline management, revenue operations, mid-market sales, sales enablement, sales process, buyer experience, customer journey, sales and marketing alignment, revenue leaks, B2B podcast

YOUR HOSTS

Jay Feitlinger, CEO of StringCan Interactive https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayfeitlinger/

Sarah Shepard, COO of StringCan Interactive https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahshepardcoo/

ABOUT REVENUE REWIRED

Revenue Rewired is a podcast for B2B marketers, sales leaders, and business owners navigating the intersection of sales and marketing. Each episode delivers actionable insights for mid-market companies looking to grow revenue strategically.

LINKS

Website: https://www.stringcaninteractive.com

Email: [email protected]

Buy the Revenue Rewired book: https://www.amazon.com/Revenue-Rewired-Identify-Leaks-Costing-ebook/dp/B0FST7JCXQ

Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/revenue-rewired-7423414515779936256/ 

Your AI pilot worked perfectly. So why did it fall apart the moment you tried to scale it? In this episode of Two-Minute AI Tips, Sarah explains the hidden dependency that makes small AI wins hard to repeat, and what to document before rolling anything out wider.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why a successful pilot can hide a single point of failure
• What's actually behind early AI wins that never gets written down
• How to capture judgment, not just process, before scaling a pilot
• A great pilot proves the tool works. It doesn't prove the rollout will.

Contact Us:

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.stringcaninteractive.com

Reach out to the hosts on LinkedIn:

Jay Feitlinger: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayfeitlinger/

Sarah Shepard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahshepardcoo/

Keywords: AI pilot programs, scaling AI adoption, AI rollout strategy, AI implementation, AI for teams, AI change management, AI training, two minute AI tips, AI business strategy, AI scalability

What happens when a web agency stops fearing AI and starts building with it?

Sarah Shepard talks with Jon Coss, founder of Wawai Partners, who runs a US web company from Malang, Indonesia. Jon explains how his team cut build times from six weeks to one, and how he now edits client sites through Claude Code without being a developer. He also calls static dashboards the headphone jack of software. Sarah adds her own lessons on AI slop and invented client names, plus a bold prediction about the inbox. If AI feels like one more thing on your plate, this episode helps.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Discover how a web team went from fearing AI would replace them to building in one week what once took six.
• Learn how a non-technical founder edits live client sites by chatting with Claude Code, and why strong system architecture makes it work.
• Find out why Jon thinks dashboards are headed the way of the headphone jack, and how two developers already work without one.
• Hear what happened when AI invented client names from real data, and why you still can't let go of the wheel.
• Get a bold take on whether the inbox will survive the rise of the AI chief of staff.

CHAPTERS

• 0:00 A cold LinkedIn message that landed a podcast guest
• 1:21 From ER social worker to running a web agency in Indonesia
• 2:43 AI is disrupting everything we built, so how do you respond?
• 4:00 From fearing replacement to riding the AI wave
• 6:40 Opting out of AI is no longer on the table
• 8:26 Will SEO punish experts who use AI well?
• 11:32 Six weeks of work in one week and what that speed buys
• 13:02 A non-technical founder edits live sites with Claude Code
• 15:23 Learning a codebase from AI without bugging your developers
• 17:27 The dashboard revolution and the headphone jack theory
• 21:12 Custom views for every leader and the client names AI made up
• 24:15 Stripe reports, payment disputes, and writing for ADHD and dyslexia
• 28:37 Will the inbox survive the AI chief of staff?

SEO KEYWORDS

AI web development, Claude Code, MCP connectors, AI dashboards, AI and SEO, AI content, AI slop, AI chief of staff, white-label web development, remote teams, website agency, B2B marketing podcast, Revenue Rewired podcast, Jon Coss, Wawai Partners

GUEST

Jon Coss, Founder and Owner of Wawai Partners, a web development company that designs, builds, and supports websites for small businesses and digital marketing agencies.

Website: wawaipartners.com | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-coss-22725522a/

HOSTS

Jay Feitlinger, CEO of StringCan Interactive: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayfeitlinger/

Sarah Shepard, COO of StringCan Interactive: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahshepardcoo/

ABOUT REVENUE REWIRED AND STRINGCAN INTERACTIVE

Revenue Rewired is a podcast for B2B marketers, sales leaders, and business owners navigating the intersection of sales and marketing, with actionable insights for mid-market companies looking to grow revenue strategically.

Website: https://www.stringcaninteractive.com

Email: [email protected]

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Revenue-Rewired-Identify-Leaks-Costing-ebook/dp/B0FST7JCXQ

Newsletter:

https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7423414515779936256