What happens when a former MLB.com writer ends up leading marketing for one of the most complex machine tool portfolios in the country? You get a masterclass in translating business goals into real marketing ROI. 

In this episode of Buy the Numbers, Jon Star—Director of Marketing at Methods Machine Tools—joins us for a conversation about data-driven marketing, building trust with job shops, and how to actually prove your impact in manufacturing.

Jon shares his winding path from sports journalism to enterprise tech to metalworking, revealing how his background in internal communications and executive messaging taught him the metrics that matter. 

He explains how marketing can (and should) directly support sales by understanding how the company makes money, building content around that mission, and tracking revenue—not just leads.

We also dive into the real challenges job shops face when trying to diversify into new industries, and how methods like CRM implementation, service-first messaging, and persona-driven marketing help shops target the right customers with confidence. 

Whether you're a machine tool distributor, job shop owner, or marketer trying to earn your seat at the executive table, this episode is packed with practical insights. 

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

• (0:00) Welcome to Buy the Numbers—Nick finally makes his co-host debut
• (0:46) Stay tuned to learn more about Top Shops 2025!
• (1:54) Jon Star’s unexpected journey from baseball writing to industrial marketing
• (8:34) Knowing how your company makes money is the foundation of great marketing
• (12:04) Branded house vs. house of brands explained
• (14:22) Selling to small job shops vs. large enterprises
• (15:50) Why shop owners need to market differently based on business goals
• (17:05) Hill’s strategy for diversifying into new industries
• (19:04) How Methods supports diversification through engineering and service
• (22:25) Measuring marketing success and hitting the right customer pain points
• (27:51) Why a focus on service is the best sales strategy
• (29:25) Grow your top and bottom line with CLA
• (30:03) What we’ve learned from building empathy into our marketing
• (31:37) Jon’s first six months: Listening, shadowing, and learning from the field
• (35:05) Internal dashboards vs. “sicko spreadsheets”: Jon’s tracking habits
• (37:41) Mike’s CRM journey—when it’s finally time to scale
• (39:00) MQL vs. SQL: What they mean and why they matter
• (46:18) Attribution doesn’t have to be perfect—but it has to be useful
• (47:47) Sales, marketing, and product must operate as one flywheel
• (51:45) Why you need to talk to your long-standing customers (and team)
• (56:05) Don’t be afraid to start with something basic
• (1:05:35) How ProShop can help you achieve on-time delivery

Resources & People Mentioned

• Marketing that Attracts Work
• Meaghan Ziemba on MakingSparks

Connect with Guest Name

• Connect with Jon on LinkedIn
• [email protected]
• Methods Machine
• Methods on Instagram
• How ProShop can help you achieve on-time delivery

Connect With Buy the Numbers

• Follow on LinkedIn
• Connect with Mike Payne on LinkedIn

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Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK