The Copernican Shift

Neha is back, and we have two flavors of inspiration for you today. First, an inspiring story to start the week. Then an inspirational breathing exercise to spur your creativity and get your brain functioning at its full potential.

Is there really any such thing as B2B selling? We're never selling to a business; we're selling to a business person. And that person is an actual human being, with goals, aspirations, and concerns. Too often B2B marketers fall back on selling features and functions — but that's not what anyone is buying. In today's episode, I reveal the secret of Downy fabric softener, and use that secret to explain the real reason B2B buyers buy your products and services. I can almost guarantee it's not what you think.

We all have dreams. Things we want to do, goals we want to accomplish, places we want to visit. Often, we realize that these dreams may never come to fruition (let's face it, I'm probably not going to help colonize Mars, or race in the French Grand Prix). But as marketers, we need to recognize and appreciate these dreams, and make sure our customers see the potential in our products, and in themselves.

India is currently struggling with a serious COVID outbreak. Sprinklr has offices and employees located throughout India, so this issue is hitting us on a very personal level. Today, Neha and I talk about the crisis, explore how leaders can support their teams, and offer some ways you can help.

For years, marketers have been using personas, those fictional representations of supposedly real people that help you target your marketing messages. The problem with these fictional people is that they're, well, fictional. They don't exist. Not as individuals, and not as groups.

But there's a better alternative. It's time to start looking at consumers in a new way, using real behaviors and interests instead of manufactured demographics.

As marketers, we're torn between… let's call it the brain and the body. The brain is all the data, knowledge, and information we have access to. The body is the action — actually doing something with this data that improves the customer experience. Joshua Nafman, global director of digital & media at Diageo, joins me for a look at how to shift our actions so we truly put the customer first.

Joshua Nafman is fluent in digital, media, data, ecomm, and brand, knocking down organizational silos to transform marketing organizations. You can find him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jnafman/

Why do we get off course so easily? And what are some strategies we can use to get back on course? On our regular Monday Breath Yogi segment, Neha Saxeny helps us to understand how to control our thoughts, so we can control our actions. Plus, a quick breathing exercise to kick off the week the right way.

I love buttermilk. Like, really love it. Possibly way more than is culturally appropriate. Today I open up the marketing fridge, pull out a half-gallon of Marburger, and talk about the often overlooked emotional aspects of the products and services we sell. I don't care whether you're selling buttermilk or bismuth, there are real consumer stories associated with your products. And that's the real power of a brand.

Organizational silos hurt your business, and disrupt your customer experience. Ryan Bonnici, CMO at Whereby, talks with me about how crystal clear organizational alignment can prevent problems before they arise, ultimately driving growth and smoothing out those customer experience bumps.

Ryan is a passionate senior executive leader with fortified marketing and management skills. He's currently CMO at Whereby, and #26 on the Forbes 50 Most Influential CMO list. Follow him at: https://twitter.com/ryanbonnici

Growth is top of mind for every business. Fortunately, modern channels can help drive that growth, in more ways than you can possibly imagine. Today, Michael Crosse and Amanda Sternquist of HGS Digital break down the ROI of digital customer transformation, the magic of customer experiences, and the hidden costs of doing nothing.

HGS Digital specializes in digital transformation services. They create frictionless customer experiences that solve complex business problems and improve people's lives.