In this episode of ⁠⁠‪@truthliesb2bgrowth‬⁠⁠ we talk through why growth has plateaued for many B2B firms. We explore the seismic shifts driven by AI and changing buying behaviour, and how they are impacting marketing strategies. Almost overnight, many B2B marketing functions have found themselves stuck in legacy mode. As a result, their tactics are seeing diminishing returns - fewer leads, reduced ROI and less and less impact on pipeline. We’ve made this episode to help CEOs understand what’s happened and what they can do to start playing catch-up. We look at the key external trends, why B2B marketers are struggling and share the modern approaches to marketing that work in the AI-era.In this episode, you’ll learn:

The Strategic Shifts:

• How the dark funnel has made your buyers invisible: LinkedIn, YouTube, Reddit & network communities are where buyers go to educate
• Authority and trust has shifted to people, not companies: founders and experts now trump faceless corporate brands
• Why short-term campaigns have given way to long-term programmes: consistent, compounding programmes with constant iteration - aligned to the 95:5 buyer reality
• How buyers are self-serving further: which means its key to show up in their research with useful buyer-enablement content
• Fragmentation gives way to orchestration: CRM-first platforms enable  humans and AI to collaborate with structured and unstructured data

• SEO evolves to AEO: optimise for LLMs by building their trust, if you want to be sourced in their answers
• Content formats shift: prioritise short-form video, podcasts and peer insights where buyers actually consume them
• Websites become buyer-enablement hubs: offer assessments, ROI tools, demos and interactive or conversational experiences personalised to each visitor
• Generic outbound loses impact: switch to precision, signal-based engagement powered by CRM and AI
• CRMs become smart and AI-enabled: auto-enrich data, surface real-time intent and drive hyper-personalised outreach at scale

The Tactical Shifts:

• SEO evolves to AEO: optimise for LLMs by building their trust, if you want to be sourced in their answers
• Content formats shift: prioritise short-form video, podcasts and peer insights where buyers actually consume them
• Websites become buyer-enablement hubs: offer assessments, ROI tools, demos and interactive or conversational experiences personalised to each visitor
• Generic outbound loses impact: switch to precision, signal-based engagement powered by CRM and AI
• CRMs become smart and AI-enabled: auto-enrich data, surface real-time intent and drive hyper-personalised outreach at scale

In this episode of ‪@truthliesb2bgrowth‬ we talk through why growth has plateaued for many B2B firms. We explore the seismic shifts driven by AI and changing buying behaviour, and how they are impacting marketing strategies. Almost overnight, many B2B marketing functions have found themselves stuck in legacy mode. As a result, their tactics are seeing diminishing returns - fewer leads, reduced ROI and less and less impact on pipeline. We’ve made this episode to help CEOs understand what’s happened and what they can do to start playing catch-up. We look at the key external trends, why B2B marketers are struggling and share the modern approaches to marketing that work in the AI-era.In this episode, you’ll learn:The Strategic Shifts:

• How the dark funnel has made your buyers invisible: LinkedIn, YouTube, Reddit & network communities are where buyers go to educate
• Authority and trust has shifted to people, not companies: founders and experts now trump faceless corporate brands
• Why short-term campaigns have given way to long-term programmes: consistent, compounding programmes with constant iteration - aligned to the 95:5 buyer reality
• How buyers are self-serving further: which means its key to show up in their research with useful buyer-enablement content
• Fragmentation gives way to orchestration: CRM-first platforms enable  humans and AI to collaborate with structured and unstructured data

• SEO evolves to AEO: optimise for LLMs by building their trust, if you want to be sourced in their answers
• Content formats shift: prioritise short-form video, podcasts and peer insights where buyers actually consume them
• Websites become buyer-enablement hubs: offer assessments, ROI tools, demos and interactive or conversational experiences personalised to each visitor
• Generic outbound loses impact: switch to precision, signal-based engagement powered by CRM and AI
• CRMs become smart and AI-enabled: auto-enrich data, surface real-time intent and drive hyper-personalised outreach at scale

The Tactical Shifts:

In today’s episode we are joined by Nic Peck of Coleman Parkes to discuss their recent thought leadership survey. We explore how thought leadership has evolved far beyond brand building into a direct revenue driver. Nic walks us through the specific strategies that distinguish high-performing content from the "sea of sameness" that characterises much of today's B2B content landscape.

Things to look out for:

00:00 The Importance of Thought Leadership in B2B Tech

03:09 Insights from the Thought Leadership Survey

06:01 The Role of Thought Leadership in Decision Making

08:30 Creating Relevant and Action-Oriented Content

11:05 The Seven Pillars of Effective Thought Leadership

16:47 The Future of Thought Leadership in B2B

21:34 Harnessing Insights for Personalization

26:21 Aligning Content Across the Buyer Journey

32:09 Identifying White Space in Thought Leadership

36:30 The Role of AI in Thought Leadership

42:08 Key Takeaways for Thought Leadership Success

If you want to explore the research for yourself: https://www.colemanparkes.com/thoughtleadership

If you wish to contact Nic via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolapeck/

In this episode, we explore how to effectively blend digital engagement with human-led interactions throughout complex B2B sales processes. We discuss common problems when companies rely too heavily on digital-only or human-only approaches, the importance of mapping buyer journeys, and practical strategies for timing transitions between digital tools and sales team involvement to reduce buyer regret and improve our conversion rates.

Things to look out for:

00:00 Navigating the B2B Buying Process

00:41 Combining Digital and Human Interactions

01:35 The Importance of Consistency in Messaging

07:55 The Role of Human Interaction in Complex Sales

12:00 The Importance of Combining Digital and Human Elements

15:46 Efficiency vs. Effectiveness in Sales

19:10 Framework for Understanding Buyer Journeys

25:53 Building a Comprehensive Buyer Journey Strategy

26:18 Building from the End: A Strategic Approach

30:55 The Importance of Bridging Sales and Marketing

33:00 Optimizing the Buyer Journey for Success

37:32 Summary

In this episode, we dive into HubSpot's recent announcement of the ChatGPT Deep Research Connector - the first CRM integration that allows ChatGPT to query and analyse your HubSpot data directly. We explore why this integration represents a fundamental shift in how businesses can leverage AI for go-to-market success, while examining the critical security and data quality challenges that come with it.

Things to listen out for:

00:00 - Introduction to HubSpot and ChatGPT integration

02:49 - Deep Research Connector: Transforming CRM data utilisation

06:08 - Use cases: Enhancing sales and customer insights

08:46 - Data quality: The foundation of effective AI

11:59 - Security and compliance: Navigating AI risks

15:01 - Cultural shift: Embracing data-driven decision making

18:00 - Practical steps for data readiness

21:14 - Conclusion: The future of AI in B2B sales

From the constant pressure to adopt the latest marketing tech to the overwhelming noise of conflicting advice on LinkedIn, this episode tackles the challenge of marketing faddism head-on. We examine why the "early adopter" mentality often backfires for SME organisations and provide a practical framework for cutting through the bullshit to focus on what actually drives results.

Things to listen out for:

00:00 - Introduction to B2B marketing challenges

02:49 - Navigating marketing fads and trends

05:47 - The importance of fundamentals in marketing

08:47 - Strategies for effective marketing experimentation

11:58 - Budgeting for marketing innovation1

5:08 - Final thoughts on marketing effectiveness

In this episode, Craig and James dive into the resurgence of outbound marketing amid economic uncertainty. They explore how SDRs are evolving in modern sales, why tech-enabled personalisation is non-negotiable, and how signals and intent data are reshaping lead prioritisation.Things to listen out for:02:15 - The role of SDRs in modern sales05:00 - Integrating marketing and sales functions08:12 - The evolution of SDR roles11:00 - Tech-enabled outbound strategies11:40 - Leveraging technology in sales development13:25 - Understanding signals and intent data16:02 - The shift to multi-channel approaches18:45 - Personalisation and contextualisation in outreach21:02 - The evolution of sales techniques23:50 - The future of SDRs and AI integration

In this episode, Julia Hornaday, global head of marketing at Turnkey Consulting, breaks down the balance between brand and demand. We talk content that converts, the rise of AI, and why oversimplifying strategy can cost you. Julia also shares her take on attribution, content overload, and what’s next for marketing.

Things to listen out for:

02:51 - The importance of brand building for conversion

04:38 - Understanding the 95/5 rule in content marketing

06:17 - Differences in B2B content strategy

08:32 - The complexity of the buyer journey

09:22 - Understanding MQLs and sales dynamics

15:10 - Navigating AI in marketing

16:35 - The role of quality content in a saturated market

17:53 - Adapting to new content formats

19:28 - The evolution of information in sales

22:14 - The value of integrated marketing strategies

In this episode, B2B sales expert Martyn Proctor shares his insights on winning complex, high-value deals. He emphasises total commitment to opportunities, deep customer understanding, and visualisation of client success.

Things to listen out for:

02:59 - Understanding Big Ticket Deals

05:47 - The Importance of Visualisation in Sales

09:02 - Building Trust and Handling Objections

12:10 - Qualifying Opportunities and Red Flags

15:11 - Competing Against Larger Companies

21:05 - Handling Objections Effectively

32:49 - Understanding Pricing and Value in Sales

43:10 - The Importance of Prospecting and Lead Generation

50:30 - Consultants as Salespeople: A New Perspective

56:24 - Key Takeaways for Complex Sales Success

From ongoing marketing budget & resource challenges, increased expectations, to the rising pressures of AI adoption, this episode offers a pragmatic look at marketing overwhelm. We explore why marketers are struggling and provide strategies for maintaining focus, managing expectations, and surviving in a challenging professional landscape.

Things to listen out for:

• 0:30 - The fundamental misunderstanding of marketing in leadership teams
• 2:32 - The impact of reduced budgets and resources on marketing teams
• 4:33 - AI's threat to marketing roles and the pressure to master new technologies
• 6:19 - The myth of the marketing 'superstar' who can do everything
• 10:05 - Strategies for saying no and maintaining focus
• 14:40 - Imposter syndrome and the challenges of keeping up with marketing changes
• 18:22 - The concept of 'random acts of marketing'
• 22:30 - The importance of specialising in marketing disciplines