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Conversation
Highlights
Welcome to Marketing From the Front Lines, where we have unfiltered conversations with the B2B marketers who are bringing innovative technology to market. In today’s episode, we’re speaking with Iris Pfeifer, VP of Growth at Wisetack, a company simplifying embedded financing for service businesses. Wisetack has raised $64 Million.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
- Bridging Sales and Marketing: Iris emphasizes the critical need for strong alignment between sales and marketing. Her experience in sales has shaped her approach to marketing, making it more strategic and collaborative.
- Sales-Minded Marketing: Iris believes that marketers must remove ego and work closely with sales. In B2B environments, sales often have more leverage, and building a trusted advisor relationship with them is key to marketing success.
- Focus on Product Marketing: At Wisetack, a heavy investment in product marketing is essential. Iris highlights the importance of understanding a broad addressable market and tailoring the product messaging to meet varying customer needs.
- Effective Marketing Channels: Video content and SMS communication have been particularly effective for Wisetack, given the on-the-go nature of their target customers in the services industry.
- Deprioritizing Demand Generation: Rather than traditional demand generation, Wisetack leverages its partners’ existing reputations to build trust and drive growth among small businesses.
- Top Priorities: Continuing to refine product education and enablement remains a top priority, especially as Wisetack expands its customer base from small businesses to larger enterprises.
Actionable
Takeaways
Prioritize Sales Alignment in Marketing Strategy:
Iris stresses that marketers in B2B environments must build strong relationships with sales teams. Start by conducting a listening tour to understand sales' needs and challenges. This alignment is crucial for driving effective marketing strategies.
Focus on Product Marketing for Early Wins:
For new marketing leaders, Iris advises prioritizing product marketing over demand generation. This approach yields quicker wins by enhancing messaging and positioning without overwhelming the sales team with major overhauls.
Leverage Existing Partnerships for Growth:
Instead of heavily investing in demand generation, Wisetack grew by leveraging the established reputations of their partners. This strategy is particularly effective for gaining trust in markets where brand recognition is still developing.
Adapt Marketing Channels to Customer Behavior:
Understanding customer behavior is key. Wisetack found success with video content and SMS communication, knowing their target audience is frequently on the move and relies heavily on mobile devices.
Continually Refine Product Education:
As Wisetack's customer base expanded, maintaining effective product education and enablement became a top priority. Iris highlights the importance of regularly reassessing these initiatives to ensure they meet the evolving needs of a diverse customer profile.
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