Elena sits down with Rodger Jones and Bryan Forbes from Bader Rutter, North America's #1 B2B agency, to unpack what it really takes to succeed in the United States.

Discover why direct, action-oriented communication is the norm, how silence in business conversations can be a double-edged sword, and why you need to think of the US as 50 different countries, not one monolithic market.

You'll learn about the key success factors for US market entry: fully committing to your brand story, adapting your positioning for American audiences, testing before scaling, and focusing on outcome-based communications that answer "what's in it for me?"

From SAP's strategic partnerships to Tesco's billion-dollar misstep, Rodger and Bryan share real-world examples of what works and what doesn't. They also provide practical advice on research sources, regional nuances, localization strategies, and why having a US presence builds credibility that opens doors.

Whether you're in tech, services, or B2B, this conversation offers actionable insights on cultural differences, decision-making styles, business etiquette, and the marketing assets you need to succeed.

The UK is a unique market in many respects: it is attractive in its own right, has a tradition of international trade, and can serve as a springboard to other markets.

But it’s also very competitive. To understand the inner workings of this market, how decisions in B2B are made, and how to navigate the specific British communication style and sometimes the humor, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with Richard Parsons, Managing Director at True, BBN London.

With over 30 years of experience across blue-chip and startup brands, Richard shares what it really takes for international companies — including Romanian tech firms — to win in the UK market.

Discover:

• The nuances of British communication and business etiquette

• Why context and politeness matter in meetings

• How decisions are made (and who really makes them)

• The importance of brand familiarity and trust

• How to enter a mature market strategically

• Why “just do it” is Richard’s advice for those ready to expand
  

🔗 Connect with Richard: trueagency.com

The United States is one of the most dynamic, diverse, and opportunity-rich markets in the world, but also one of the most complex to navigate.

In this episode of the Value-driven Marketing Podcast, Elena talks with Chris Eifert, Managing Director, US, at Luxid Group, a global B2B marketing agency that helps brands connect creativity, data, and technology to drive growth.

With over three decades of marketing and leadership experience, Chris shares practical insights on culture, communication, and the real investment required to build trust and win clients in America.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How Americans communicate and make business decisions.

• Why local presence and distribution matter for credibility.

• The role of emotional connection and storytelling in B2B marketing.

• Practical advice on adapting your messaging and positioning for the US.

If you would like to connect with Chris, you can find him on LinkedIn.

Discover these articles Chris wrote on market expansion:

• Balancing messaging consistency and local relevance

• Creative that can go the distance

• Team structures that work well for global marketing

Looking at expanding into Norway? Wondering how to build trust and succeed in one of Europe’s most digital-savvy markets?

In this episode of the Value-driven Marketing Podcast, Elena Iordache-Stoica speaks with Andreas Thue, Founder and Creative Director of Iteo, Norway’s top B2B marketing agency. With 25 years of experience and clients like IBM, Dell, Salesforce, and Emirates, Andreas explains how to navigate Norwegian business culture and earn credibility.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why Norwegian culture values consensus, openness, and directness.How compliance, sustainability, and GDPR shape decision-making.

• The role of local presence, references, and trust in winning deals.

• What deal-breakers to avoid (hint: aggressive sales won’t work here).

• Why quality and reliability trump “cheap” market entry strategies.
  

We also discuss how companies like Tesla built strong local presence and became trusted brands in Norway.

If your company is considering market expansion into Norway, this conversation will help you get started on the right foot.

Thinking about expanding into Germany? Before you make your move, you need to understand the culture, mindset, and business expectations that shape success in this market.

Elena is joined by Dennis Güth, Chief Growth Officer at wob, one of the leading B2B agencies in the DACH region. 

They delve into the cultural nuances, decision-making processes, and the importance of trust and localization. Dennis shares valuable insights on how businesses can successfully penetrate the German market by focusing on substance first and building long-term relationships. Tune in to learn about the strategies that can make or break a deal in Germany and how to navigate this unique business landscape.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Key cultural aspects of doing business in Germany.

• Why trust, precision, and reliability matter more than flashy pitches.

• How to avoid common deal breakers when approaching German enterprises.

• The importance of localization, from websites to pitch decks.

• Practical steps for building credibility and securing long-term partnerships.
  

If your company is considering expansion into Germany, this conversation is packed with practical insights you don’t want to miss.

Social selling is a term that is being thrown around a lot these days, but for most companies, it means sending automated connection requests over LinkedIn followed by “me, me” messages. 

My guest Claudiu Jojatu, CEO and co-founder of Milk & Cookies Studio has a different take on what social selling done right looks like.

For Claudiu, social selling with zero BS means doing high-quality networking and getting involved in building long-term relationships.

Is social selling effective? Well, Claudiu and his team managed to generate over 1 million EUR in pipeline for one of their tech clients in a little over 9 months. 

If you’d like to learn more about how Milk & Cookies Studio approaches social selling, hit play.

If you’d like to connect with Claudiu, find him on LinkedIn and on milkandcookies.studio

Bonus:  Download for free this 30+ pages #NoBS social selling guide.

Companies often look at outbound sales as a quick fix for bringing in revenue. But sales is not about charm, and revenue is not about luck.

If your company doesn't have a revenue strategy in place that starts with understanding your customer needs, your competitors, defining the right pricing strategy and channels, you're most likely to end up complaining that outbound sales are "dead".

I sat down with Liana and Gabriela of SavoireFair and explored what running outbound sales the right way looks like today in B2B.

Tune in to learn:

Gabriela Turcu and Liana Stoica are the founders of SavoireFaire, a Boutique consultancy helping B2B startups and scale-ups build global sales engines.

You can find more about their process and philosophy on their website www.savoirefair.com or connect with Liana and Gabriela on LinkedIn.

Paid media can be a great acquisition channel, but many B2B startups or SMEs start on the wrong foot.

In this episode, I chat with Andrea Todorova and Niko Dovidija, co-founders of Diligent Studios, a B2B marketing agency specialized on strategy - first performance marketing.

Tune in to learn:

If you want to know more about my guests, you can find and connect with Andrea and Niko on Linkedin or find out more about Diligent Studios on their website.

#b2bmarketing #paidmedia #valuedrivenmarketing

Stacey Danheiser, Founder and CMO of Shake Marketing joins episode #15 to talk about why many B2B marketers today lack credibility in front of their leadership team, and how they can turn this situation around and deliver more business impact.

Stacey shares insights from her career of over 20 years as a marketing leader and strategist, talking about what leadership expects from marketing and how you can become an effective and reputable marketing leader.

Some of the ideas we touched on:

You can find Stacey on Linkedin or on her website www.shakemktg.com.

Bonus: check out Stacey’ Scorecard “The Confident Marketer Scorecard”.

Can you create a better experience for B2B buyers with website personalization?

And if so, what are the different ways in which you can leverage web personalization to help your website visitors without being intrusive?

How can you, as a B2B marketer get started, and what mistakes should you avoid on your website?

In this episode, I talk about web personalization with Eric Melchor, Personalization Ambassador at OptiMonk and host of Innovators can Laugh podcast.

Eric talks about how OptiMonk tapped into the B2B space, why B2B brands need to focus on building long-term relationships rather than increasing conversions short-term and how web personalization enables B2B marketers get there, how a SaaS brand increased web conversions by 20% with a simple reminder notification & more.

If you want to follow Eric’s content, listen to his podcast on Spotify/Apple or follow him on Linkedin.

Check out the resource Eric recommends: optimonk.com/customer-value-optimization-guide