GTM Live (Passetto)

Today's episode features a recording from Dave Gerhardt's Exit Five Podcast. Chris and Dave talk about articulating a company POV, refining your marketing strategy, a framework for demand generation, self-reported attribution, what's going on with LinkedIn, B2B ad creative, and building community.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Chris interviewed Darryl Praill (CRO @ VanillaSoft) on State of Demand Gen this week to talk about marketing, sales, and where both sit in the organization. They discuss common frictions between the two teams, and how they can work together to achieve a shared goal...revenue.

For more content, subscribe to State of Demand Gen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Tired of just listening?

Check out Refine Labs on LinkedIn and YouTube.

In the midst of the holidays we gathered 30 marketers on Zoom to resume our second to last Demand Gen Live installment of the year. We set the agenda with Why only having a small budget to start is an advantage, Why didn't a SaaS company start Thursday Night Sales or Demand Gen Live, and Important considerations when transitioning from Sales-led to Product-led. Thanks to the questions that were submitted ahead of time, we also went into depth on the iOS update's implications on Facebook ads, success on LinkedIn, podcasting, and Google ads.

For more content, subscribe to State of Demand Gen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Tired of just listening?

Check out Refine Labs on LinkedIn and YouTube.

"Removing channel attribution inside of social channels is absolutely required in B2B companies moving forward." Today we tried out a new format and had Chris go deep on a topic that was top of mind. He talks about how much better your marketing can be if you strip away the need to attribute leads to specific channels.

For more content, subscribe to State of Demand Gen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Tired of just listening?

Check out Refine Labs on LinkedIn and YouTube.

The days of marketers shoveling as many leads as possible to sales are long gone. The old rules that applied before social media, communities, and third-party content distribution platforms were mature no longer apply. You can't expect a piece of software to be able to give you an accurate map of the buyer journey anymore, because the buyer's journey is happening in places that be tracked by software. But shifting from lead gen to demand gen comes with a lot of questions—What is the strategy behind the tactics? How do you get started implementing change? How long to results? How do you measure success? These are all questions that Chris covers in this discussion on how to win with demand gen in 2022.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Last week, we joined Katrina Fuhrman on Winning Wednesdays to talk about how to put your best foot forward when marketing to a select number of prospects. Chris shared his take on the difference between inbound and outbound qualified leads, providing content that speaks to the prospects’ interests, and what an optimal sales funnel looks like.

You’ve asked and we’re listening! Here is a compilation episode geared towards all-things Split the Funnel from Chris’ recent podcast appearances. Different areas he breaks down include:

• The root of sales/marketing misalignment

• How to Utilize CRM data 

• Sales Velocity Calculation

• Understanding Levels of Buyer Intent

• Dark Social and the Dark Funnel

Let us know what topic you want to hear a compilation episode focusing on next!

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Every Tuesday at 3:00PM ET we go live on TikTok to answer rapid-fire Q&A. In our 11th installment, we covered:

- How To Create Demand in Mature Categories

- Where demand gen is going in the next 5 years? 

- Running demand gen at an early-stage startup that wants quick results

- How to fix sales/marketing alignment

- How demand teams can work with sales to achieve better results

- The role of email in demand gen

- The ideal sales-to-marketing ratio 

- And much more!

Join us every Tuesday at 3 PM ET to ask your question on TikTok by following @chriswalker171

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Chris Walker presented another keynote last week and shared his demand generation framework. Main takeaways: Word of mouth drives most B2B buying decisions today The best way to connect with your buyers is through content that resonates with them Attribution isn't always what it seems Content distribution is just as, if not more important, than creation  The same team should be responsible for both brand AND demand He also answered questions in regards to his demand gen framework, inbound vs. outbound, and how to completely shift your strategy without creating operational inefficiencies based on current org structure and budget allocation and goals. 

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm. 

Register here for our next live event with Dave Gerhardt, taking place Thursday July 1st at 9am PDT / 12pm EDT.

Chris got to sit down with Anna Gullstrand, Chief People and Culture Officer at Mentometer, about her extensive background in management and leadership. Anna shares her insights and Chris expands on building high-performing teams, the importance of intentional leadership, the role of technology in employee engagement, and the future of work and remote teams. She also stresses the importance of continuous learning and development, diversity, equity, and inclusion education and implementation, and more. 

Then, she turned the questions back onto Chris and asked for his perspective and recommendations on supporting the Chief Marketing Officer - where they can get inspiration and conversations management can have with them to ensure alignment. 

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm.

“Perfection is disguised as insecurity”

Chris joined Tanner Green on the RevSpot podcast to share insights from his business experiences and highlight how he differentiates his personal brand from his company's brand, the changes in marketing roles, and lessons learned from successes and failures.

Chris explains how Refine Labs is reshaping B2B marketing by treating it as a key driver for revenue, not just for generating leads. He talks about the importance of learning from small failures and compares the strategies for coping with stress and expectations in both sports and business. He also discusses the concept of signal-based selling and measurement and gives details on how Passetto is attempting to combine account suitability with actual buyer interest in the B2B market. They wrap up with a series of rapid fire questions.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

Marketers love to hate on "vanity" metrics, and rightfully so. But the problem is, they are misdiagnosing vanity metrics and using the real vanity metrics to make strategic decisions. I'm talking about MQLs, eBook downloads, website visits, blog views, etc. These may have been important KPIs back in 2011 when marketing's only goal was to find fit and feed leads to sales. But this isn't 2011. Sales teams can have tools like Zoominfo to find contacts that have fit. Marketing needs to shift their focus to intent. The new goal is to generate demand at the highest level of the funnel—the level you're not even playing in right now. In this episode, Chris talks about what metrics you need to start looking at and how to turn those metrics into revenue.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Chris was invited onto the Power Producers Podcast, hosted by David Carothers, to share his insights on marketing and sales as applicable to the insurance industry. He emphasizes the importance of leveraging digital tools to reach customers and the need to adapt to the changing landscape of consumer behavior. Chris also highlights the power of creativity in marketing and the ability to make a real impact on business growth.Chris's strategies for releasing valuable information for free and the importance of self-reported attribution in dark social channels provide actionable takeaways for marketers in all industries.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm.

In this episode, Chris Walker shares why many companies have GTM efforts that fail to deliver the expected results, which can often result in missing out on hundreds of millions of dollars of shareholder value. 

He breaks down the root causes—disconnected teams, poor data, and misaligned goals—and provides actionable steps to address them.

Key topics include:

• Why the CEO—not the CFO—should be responsible for fixing GTM efficiency.

• The inefficiency of traditional KPI systems and how they hinder strategic decision-making.

• How to align GTM strategies across finance, marketing, sales, and RevOps.

• How flawed data architecture leads to misaligned budgets and reduced pipeline efficiency.

• The importance of early-warning metrics like pipeline efficiency to avoid costly performance degradation.

• Practical ways to integrate financial data with CRM insights for better executive-level decisions.

• Why AI, SDRs, and marketing teams must unite under a shared accountability framework.

• Transforming the prospecting engine: A case for marketing-led SDR management.

–

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing Revenue Vitals and all of Chris’s short-form video and YouTube content. Hatch is a video-first content agency that creates short-form video content, video podcasts, original video series, and YouTube videos for B2B companies. Visit www.hatch.fm to learn more.

In this week’s live event, Chris shares invaluable insights into how SaaS companies can strategically optimize their marketing and sales spend to enhance their enterprise value. This episode focuses on the correlation between go-to-market efficiency and revenue multiples, presenting findings that challenge the conventional wisdom of growth-at-all-costs in favor of more sustainable, efficient business practices.

This discussion brings to light why traditional metrics might not suffice in today's market conditions. Chris walks through the new concept of GTM efficiency percentage and breaks down its calculation method. From clarifying the inclusion of customer success costs to discussing the varying stages of company growth, this episode dives deep into the financial metrics that matter. It explores how tools like this can illuminate potential pitfalls, especially for companies seeking to navigate the complex landscape from Series B funding to successful IPOs.

The next Expert Session, featuring Malin Wijenayake will take place on September 17 at 11am central. Register here. 

If you want to have a conversation with Chris and present your current questions, roadblocks, or projects you’re working through, make sure to attend this weekly event every Tuesday at 12 central. Register here.

Can’t make the event but have a question for Chris? Submit it here.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

"Whether or not your content marketing will be successful comes down to your INTENT." On this installment of Demand Gen Live Season 2, Chris and Megan talked about why direct response demo ads don't work, why Google gets more credit than it actually deserves, and how to choose the right company to work for as a demand marketer. We opened up the floor to a live AMA and answered questions relating to intent, paid social targeting, retargeting, and organic content.

There has never been a better time to be a top-tier marketer. Demand is high and supply is low. But how do you become one of the top 1%? In this episode, Chris goes through his top 6 pieces of advice for marketers that are trying to become the best. These are all tips that he implemented himself and attributes to his own success and the success of Refine Labs.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Employees have more power than ever in the employer/employee relationship and it's because most companies are still playing from a legacy playbook. The best companies are attracting top-tier talent because they are becoming destination organizations. "Price's Law" is the mentality that 50% of the work at a normal organization is done by the square root of the total employees. For example, at a 50 person company, 7 people do 50% of the work. That makes it extremely difficult when one or more of those people move on. So how do you attract top talent to ensure that your entire team is built from A players? Chris and Joe dive deep on just that in this episode.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

In this episode, we pulled together some of the greatest hits of our talks on how qualified pipeline is currently defined in B2B and why it's broken. We start off by talking about why the current system is broken. After we shed light on the problem, we dive into how we're fixing it by:

• Redefining what qualified pipeline is.
• Why it needs to be standardized across the industry.
• Why HIRO Pipeline is the best way to measure qualified pipeline.
• and more...

Join us every Tuesday at 5 PM ET to ask your question on TikTok by following @chriswalker171

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Erik MacKinnon hosted this episode of Back to Basics with Chris with the main topic being content creation and distribution. They discussed how an earlier stage company, younger marketer, or a company just running SEO as their content play could go about shifting their focus to creating impactful content. Erik and Chris talked about organizational alignment and why marketers need to focus as much, if not more, on distribution. 

Throughout the episode, Chris answered the following questions:

• What are some of the foundational principles to building a successful modern content marketing function?
• Is there any structure or approach that you recommend for a team who is new to content marketing?
• What are some of the common “best practices” or older plays that a forward-thinking, progressive content marketer should avoid?
• B2B SaaS marketplace is noisy and competitive, how much do you think the look, feel and experience plays into the effectiveness of content marketing vs. the information being provided?

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Chris Walker joins Alex McNaughten to usher in the new year with a blend of professional updates and deep dives into the complexities of B2B go-to-market strategies. Kicking off with personal announcements, Chris sets the stage for a detailed exploration of the challenges confronting B2B firms in the ever-evolving digital marketing scene. As Chris unveils plans for his portfolio of companies, the conversation shifts toward critical aspects of analytics and go-to-market strategies that B2B companies grapple with. Chris shares his experiences and the discerning perspectives gained from providing consultancy services. He breaks down the misalignments between modern customer behaviors and traditional business strategies, offering listeners an array of appealing and intuitive insights into refining B2B operations.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

Community is a powerful tool in scaling a company. Marketo demonstrated just how powerful community was in B2B when they built Marketing Nation. It was one of the first communities of its kind in B2B and is one of the major factors that led to their domination in the CRM market. Today we're talking with Sarah Kennedy Ellis, former CMO at Marketo, and current VP of Global Growth & Demand at Google Cloud on how she used community to grow the company, as well as catapult her career.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Marketing teams that start planning for 2022 now are the ones that are going to win in Q1. Teams that wait until December, or even early January, are the ones that are going to be scrambling and end Q1 in the hole. In this expert series of State of Demand Gen, Chris welcomes Dave Gerhardt to discuss their top three tips for developing a Q1 2022 marketing plan now. They dive into seasonality, marketing agility, testing new ideas and channels, and the necessities for a successful Q1.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Chris Walker and Megan Bowen hosted an hour-long installment of Demand Gen Live last night. They covered: 

• Why optimizing for SQLs instead of MQLs, even though they're further down the funnel, is often counterproductive and causes misalignment, 
• Manual attribution and our findings from implementing this on our site, and how this differs from multi-touch attribution, 
• Demo conversion by source as a means of troubleshooting declining demo requests, 
• YouTube SEO, and 
• How website changes can negatively affect your demand system

Register here for Chris's keynote on "The State of LinkedIn Organic in 2021," taking place Thursday July 15th at 9am PDT. 

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Chris delivered a keynote at this spring’s Qualified Pipeline summit. The event kicks off by diving into Chris's motivation for transitioning from the services industry to starting a software company offering GTM strategy as a service. The discussion offers a prime opportunity for businesses to comprehend the challenges and patterns that can dictate success in digital demand.

Chris shares a candid reflection on the inefficiencies plaguing B2B companies, emphasizing a data-driven approach to revitalize go-to-market strategies. The conversation leads into the intricacies of GTM signal, stressing how reliable data serves as the backbone of successful decision-making and efficient company operations. Moreover, Chris challenges the current hype around AI in the B2B sector, advocating for a focus on fundamentals over flashy technology adoption.

If you want to have a conversation with Chris and present your current questions, roadblocks, or projects you’re working through, make sure to attend this weekly event every Tuesday at 12 central. Register here.

Can’t make the event but have a question for Chris? Submit it here.

The next Expert Session, featuring Crissy and Charlie Saunders of CS2 Marketing, will be Wednesday April 24 at 12pm central. Register here. 

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

As we dive into weekly Revenue Vitals Live with listeners invited to come on, ask their questions, and talk through scenarios with Chris, we wanted to revisit a popular episode from last year to demonstrate the effective conversations Chris is able to have in these events and encourage you all to prepare your questions for Tuesday!

In this Ask Me Anything episode, Chris and Megan answered questions on:

• How to hire talented demand gen marketers,
• Using customer insights as your mode of differentiation,
• How to go up against competitors way bigger than you,
• And much more.

If you have questions for Chris, join the Revenue Vitals Live conversation on zoom by registering here, or submit them ahead of the call here! Also make sure to check out The Vault, where you can find full depth insights and IP beyond the high level live event.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

This episode is a playback from Chris's appearance on Kathleen Booth's Inbound Success Podcast. Kathleen started the conversation off by asking Chris about how he created such a buzz in the marketing industry in 2 short years. Their conversation then flowed into covering topics such as using data to shift away from the lead gen mindset, tactics vs. strategies, and optimizing for brand top of funnel. “Marketing is about finding something that works well, and then being incredibly consistent at delivering it while also innovating on a micro level,” says Chris when asked about which channels to focus on to avoid being spread too thin. It's about dominating and mastering a few channels before delving into new ones. Chris also shared an interesting take on influencer marketing when he says "everyone is doing influencer marketing, whether or not they know it."

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Chris is presenting a keynote about LinkedIn organic at Demand Gen Live on 6/15, 12pm EDT. Register here to sign up for one or all of the Demand Gen Live Keynote Series.

On Season 2 Episode 2 of Demand Gen Live, we talked about: How Sales can work well with the CMO, How word of mouth drives revenue with zero attribution, and what B2B marketers can learn from B2C. We also hosted a live AMA and answered questions about topics including LTV, ad copy variation, imposter syndrome, and segmenting.

For more content, subscribe to State of Demand Gen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Tired of just listening?

Check out Refine Labs on LinkedIn and YouTube.

In today’s episode, I’m sharing my interview on The Long Game podcast where we covered a variety of great topics like:

• Being Misunderstood on LinkedIn

• Attribution is a Tool (Not the Answer)

• Reimagining the Role of the CMO

• Demand Creation vs. Brand Awareness

• Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital

• Why SaaS + Services is a Great Model

• LinkedIn's B2B Potential

• And more…

–

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing Revenue Vitals, and all of Chris’s short-form video and YouTube content. Hatch is a video-first content agency that creates short-form video content, video podcasts, original video series, and YouTube videos for B2B companies. Visit www.hatch.fm to learn more.

With new listeners coming in every day, we wanted to highlight a couple of the most important episodes of 2022! This is a private keynote Chris delivered in June, with key information on shifting your marketing strategy.

***

Now is not the time to slow down your marketing. Many companies pull back spending and go into self-preservation mode in slow economic times. The fact of the matter is, that economic slowdowns create an environment of opportunity for companies that know how to leverage them. In this episode, Chris is going to talk about a 3-step framework to make marketing your secret weapon, not only in a recession but forever. He dives deep into how to create demand in your category by changing your Mindset, Metrics, and Execution; in that order.

If you have questions for Chris, join his Tuesday afternoon TikTok Lives @chriswalker171, or submit them here!

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

This episode features a throwback to our chat with Megan Bowen (VP Customer Success, Platterz). We discuss some of the reasons why Customer Success is so misunderstood, where the CS function fits into the org chart, and why all departments should have visibility into customer segmentation, the ICP, and the customer journey. 

For more content, subscribe to our podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Tired of just listening?

Check out Refine Labs on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Chris Walker hosted a European time zone-friendly episode of Demand Gen Live yesterday where he delivered a keynote on the Dark Funnel. He explained what the Dark Funnel is and what marketers can do to capture the attention of their buyers in the places and ways in which they ACTUALLY buy. He opened up the stage to a live Q&A after the keynote and answered questions about non-conversion-based paid social, whether or not you can measure the impact of marketing in the dark funnel, intent data, how to know if your messaging is resonating, and podcasting.

Register for the Norwest Venture Partners event 'The New Rules of Digital Advertising' featuring our host, Chris Walker, here: https://newrulesofdigitaladvertising.splashthat.com/

In this episode of State of Demand Gen, Chris Walker joins Kevin Mulrane and Travis King to share the demand gen channels and tactics he is currently running with full confidence. He shares tactical advice on optimizing for revenue (not leads), how to best use content, and what is working in regards to paid social. 

Live zoom events are back!

Join Chris Walker along with VP of Revenue R&D Kaylee Edmonson every Tuesday at noon central as they break down the barriers to creating a consistent and scalable revenue engine by sharing the Refine Labs philosophy and framework, and share first-hand market insights from The Lab.

In this episode:

- Chris shares the vision for Revenue Vitals Live, including the mission to provide less opinions and more data, to be more accessible in time slot, to share non obvious insights only, and to be actionable: you should be able to take the insights shared in the live and implement them that day.

- He also covers the Pipe Framework and data from the Reddit Advertising experiment

- And as always, they take questions from the audience.

If you have questions for Chris or Kaylee, join the conversation on zoom by registering here, or submit them ahead of the call here!

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

We covered lot's of ground in this week's Demand Gen Live. In this playback you can expect to learn: why you should take industry "best practices" with a grain of salt, Gaetano's take on lead scoring, lead handoff process optimization for your sales teams, and tactics we are seeing work on both LinkedIn and Facebook organic and paid.

In the 25th installment of our Tuesday open office hours on TikTok Live, Chris discusses the problems with measuring individual pieces of content rather than looking at overall aggregation. Fewer people are going to ‘like’ posts with radical ideas, so it’s crucial to take a deeper look at DMs, community growth, and program initiatives. He gives advice on account based selling, side hustles, and educating clients to support your narrative. We also opened the show up to Q&A and covered topics including:

• How to get your first client
• Are side hustles essential?
• Is it ever worth it to cold call customers?
• Demand Gen vs Demand Capture
• LinkedIn poll results and reactions
• How to create content outside your area of expertise
• And more!

Tune in every Tuesday at 3pm eastern to ask your questions, or submit them here!

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Amy Volas (Founder & CEO, Avenue Talent Partners) joined us on State of Demand Gen to talk about running a successful business during a pandemic, hiring misconceptions, and how to interpret blanket advice on LinkedIn.

For more content, subscribe to State of Demand Gen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Tired of just listening?

Check out Refine Labs on LinkedIn and YouTube.

In this week’s event, Chris dives into the rapidly evolving landscape of Product-Led Growth (PLG) and how it intersects with traditional sales-led approaches. Chris Walker, a seasoned expert in the space, delves into the latest trends and firsthand observations that challenge the predefined notions of PLG's necessity in today's economic climate.

Product-Led Growth, once revered as the indisputable pathway for software companies, faces scrutiny as Walker shares real-world instances where pulling back from PLG motions proved advantageous. He articulates the results of meticulous analyses, indicating that a hybrid PLG and sales-led model may divert valuable leads, prolong sales cycles, and inflate customer acquisition costs. With a blend of passion and precision, Walker lays out the data-backed rationale for companies to reassess their go-to-market strategies, emphasizing the urgency of meeting forthcoming revenue targets.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

Richard Harris, Founder of The Harris Consulting Group, came on the State of Demand Gen podcast today. We covered:

What parallels appear in both the sales and marketing worlds;

How measuring the things that don’t matter and don’t map to business results affects the sales org;

What questions should a sales leader be asking to understand demand gen better; and

Where the CRO role fits in the org chart.

For more content, subscribe to State of Demand Gen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Tired of just listening?

Check out Refine Labs on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Back by popular demand, Chris and Kaylee reprised the full hour of audience discussion and questions!

Some topics include:

• How to tactically enable Subject Matter Experts when marketing to specific knowledge customers
• How to get the right content in front of the right audience
• An in depth discussion on pipeline velocity
• How to help a seller see the value in shifting approach

If you have questions for Chris, join the Revenue Vitals Live conversation on zoom by registering here, or submit them ahead of the call here! Also make sure to check out The Vault, where you can find full depth insights and IP beyond the high level live event.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Chris Walker and Megan Bowen hosted another Demand Gen Live last night, breaking down the Refine Labs strategy for the community and talking about the more effective alternatives to buyer personas. Chris expanded on the dark funnel and connected that concept to splitting the funnel. He also answered questions about opportunities outside of your 9-5 in marketing, the most important questions marketers should be able to answer about their customers, and measuring the impact of marketing to prospects already in the buying cycle.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Are skyrocketing CAC, decreasing LTV, and over-spending on ineffective demand generation tactics causing bloat in your go-to-market engine?

You're not alone 👀

Go-to-Market teams across tech and other sectors are grappling with these issues, and it's time to take control.

From this recording you'll gain valuable insights on how to navigate the complexities of GTM bloat and emerge with a leaner, more effective approach. Kyle and Chris will share their expertise and discuss practical strategies for success, including:

⚡️ Optimizing ad spend and demand generation channels to boost ROI

⚡️ Doing meaningful data analysis to decipher what strategies are truly effective

⚡️ Rethinking personnel expense & team structure for operational efficiency

⚡️ Harnessing the power of AI for smarter decision-making

If you want to have a conversation with Chris and present your current questions, roadblocks, or projects you’re working through, make sure to attend this weekly event every Tuesday at 12 central. Register here.

Can’t make the event but have a question for Chris? Submit it here.

The next Expert Session, featuring Peep Laja will be on Thursday May 16 at 12pm central. Register here. 

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

Chris joined Ricky Sevta and Sean Diljore on the Sassy Talk podcast to share his insights on demand capture, demand creation, and revenue operations for early-stage B2B companies. He emphasizes the need for a data-driven approach to marketing and go-to-market strategies, highlighting the importance of using large-scale aggregated data to inform decision-making. 

Chris also discusses the disadvantages of the traditional MQL hamster wheel model and the need for a new operating model that is continuously updated based on data and insights. He explains how the traditional MQL SQL model is subjective and lacks data-driven decision-making, and suggests that companies should focus on performance-based objective data to determine the stages of the revenue process. Chris highlights the challenges faced by companies as they scale and the importance of finding efficient and effective ways to drive growth. He also emphasizes the need for early-stage founders to prioritize marketing and demand creation in order to accelerate growth and reach their target market. Additionally, Chris discusses the importance of pricing and how it should be listed on the website based on customer preferences and feedback.

Key Takeaways:

-The traditional MQL SQL model is subjective and lacks data-driven decision-making.

-Companies should focus on performance-based objective data to determine the stages of the revenue process.

-The current influenced revenue model often leads to analysis paralysis and hinders strategic decision-making.

-Early-stage founders should prioritize marketing and demand creation to accelerate growth and reach their target market.

-Pricing should be listed on the website based on customer preferences and feedback.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

To effectively create demand you need to give away your best content for free. But what if your content is in fact your product? This is a big blocker for independent consultants when they want to create demand. By giving away the information that makes them valuable, they think that people will no longer need to work with them.

Here's the thing: People don't hire consultants for their knowledge of a subject matter. In fact, that knowledge is likely a commodity. People hire consultants to increase their likelihood of success in implementing that knowledge. What happens when you horde all your knowledge until a sales process is you get lumped in with other vendors as a commodity. And when you're viewed as a commodity, you have to compete on price, which is not a good place to be.

In this episode, Chris talks about how consultants can win using the same demand gen principles that we use at Refine Labs to help some of the best B2B SaaS companies out there.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

This week on Demand Gen Live we talked about the importance of qualitative metrics, why not to use LinkedIn Engagement Pods, gating content, and outsourced content production.

For more content, subscribe to State of Demand Gen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Tired of just listening?

Check out Refine Labs on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Collin Cadmus, Founder of Collin Cadmus LLC, joined Chris on the podcast to dissect his recent LinkedIn post that started with "Marketing is more important than sales." They discussed the importance in investing in building out your marketing team before scaling your sales team, and the challenges of rebalancing both teams when you've over-hired for sales. Collin shared the signals to look out for to tell you that you have too many sales reps. Marketing is the foundation for sales, and it's easier and more efficient to put that foundation in place before scaling the sales team so the reps are well equipped to do their job. 

Chris joined Yaagneshwaren Ganesh and Manish Nepal on the ABM Conversations Podcast last week to share his thoughts on how attribution oftentimes misses the mark when being used to measure the results of content marketing, what marketers can do in place of trade-shows and in-person events, and why your best leads shouldn't be going to an SDR. 

For more content, subscribe to State of Demand Gen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. 

Tired of just listening? 

Check out Refine Labs on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Chris joined Cameron Brain on the Social at Scale Podcast (by EveryoneSocial) to talk through:

• Determining where you should be focusing resources as a marketing org, 
• Evaluating your own intent when approaching a social content distribution strategy, 
• Refine Labs' process for stacking growth, 
• Dark social, and
• The Revenue R&D process

Chris Walker and Megan Bowen hosted another Demand Gen Live community event this week. They covered three pre-set agenda topics: (1) The Demand Waterfall: Is it time for a new demand model?; (2) The 6 pillars to build your word of mouth strategy; (3) The big problem companies face when only focusing on capturing demand. Chris also opened the stage to a live Q&A and answered questions from the community in regards to quality vs. quantity of leads, content distribution and promotion, creating content at and around conferences and live events, and social listening.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Register for tomorrow's Demand Gen Expert Session here. 

Earlier this week Chris jumped on the Unpopular Opinions podcast hosted by Ashley Sava. They chopped it about Chris's (many) unpopular opinions on the state of B2B marketing today. Starting the early 2010's, B2B's heavy reliance on marketing tech and lead generation has not caught up with the evolution of social media, online communities, and dark social channels. 

If you have questions for Chris, join the Revenue Vitals Live conversation on zoom by registering here, or submit them ahead of the call here! Also make sure to check out The Vault, where you can find full depth insights and IP beyond the high level live event.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

In this week’s live event, Chris is joined by finance expert David Spitz to dig into the intricacies of go-to-market efficiency, a crucial metric for SaaS companies. As businesses navigate 2025 planning and budget setting, understanding key performance indicators is indispensable. David provides a detailed exploration of how public SaaS companies are evolving in their approach to marketing efficiency, following the dramatic shifts seen post-2021 due to economic pressures and the end of the "growth at all costs" era.

By examining data from about 80 public SaaS companies, David highlights the decline in growth rates from 34% in 2021 to a median of 17%, driven by various macroeconomic factors. Despite reduced sales and marketing expenditures, the cost of acquiring new revenue has increased significantly, doubling compared to previous years. The episode further illustrates the link between go-to-market efficiency and enterprise value, offering insights into how companies can adjust their strategies to ensure sustainable growth and better valuation. 

If you want to have a conversation with Chris and present your current questions, roadblocks, or projects you’re working through, make sure to attend this weekly event every Tuesday at 12 central. Register here.

Can’t make the event but have a question for Chris? Submit it here.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

Chris Walker and Megan Bowen started off this week's Demand Gen Live with recommendations for hosting micro events once it is safe to do so again. They shared the start to finish strategy, which includes using the content from the event itself as a fresh content pillar. Chris also shared his thoughts on marketing attribution, dove into some marketing automation and tactical paid social questions, talked about using data to optimize conversions, and shared his take on why smart companies will start to outsource marketing innovation. We'll be hosting a special event next week for our one-year anniversary of Demand Gen Live. You can sign up here. Also, don't forget to register for our next live event with Dave Gerhardt (CMO at Privy) here.

In this week’s event, Chris talks through marketing budget from a new perspective. Hearing marketing leaders continue to say they don’t have enough budget to hit goals isn’t the right approach. Chris insists that regardless of budget, you do have enough - you’re just not making it work hard. On the contrary, just dumping more money into your GTM strategy without proven ROI, is irresponsible. Chris explains that the irst thing to measure is leading/lagging indicators on ROI, and then digs into the metrics on how to make your budget work better for you all around. 

Then, he takes audience questions. If you want to have a conversation with Chris and present your current questions, roadblocks, or projects you’re working through, make sure to attend this weekly event every Tuesday at 12 centra. Register here.

Can’t make the event but have a question for Chris? Submit it here.

The next Expert Session, featuring Crissy and Charlie Saunders of CS2 Marketing, will be Wednesday April 24 at 12pm central. Register here. 

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

Imagine knowing the biggest trends in the industry before they happened. Imagine the advantage you would have over the competition. Every year we make predictions on what the biggest changes in B2B marketing will be and we've got a pretty good track record. But before we do that, we're going back to January 2021 to see which of last year's predictions came true.

PLUS: If you tuned in last week, we told you we were going to read 20 self-reported attribution results and the corresponding software attribution.  If you're looking for proof that dark social produces results, and have been asking how to measure it, here it is.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

In this week’s live event, Chris covers revenue planning for 2025, the fundamental differences between KPI metrics and attribution, and the importance of clear segmentation in go-to-market strategies. Chris highlights the crucial distinction between key performance indicators (KPIs) and attribution metrics in business planning. He offers actionable advice on identifying revenue inefficiencies, understanding unit economics, and aligning go-to-market efforts with company-wide objectives. Chris advises against the segmentation of responsibilities by attribution sources, such as marketing or sales, and instead promotes a holistic approach to evaluating performance metrics. For businesses grappling with complex revenue models, Chris's insights serve as a roadmap to achieving a more streamlined and effective sales funnel.

–

The next Expert Session, featuring Malin Wijenayake will take place on September 17 at 11am central. Register here. 

If you want to have a conversation with Chris and present your current questions, roadblocks, or projects you’re working through, make sure to attend this weekly event every Tuesday at 12 central. Register here.

Can’t make the event but have a question for Chris? Submit it here.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

On last night's episode of Demand Gen Live we hosted a live AMA and tackled topics such as: How to balance Brand and Performance, Measuring the effectiveness of LinkedIn and Facebook advertising, the LinkedIn algorithm and content distribution.

For more content, subscribe to State of Demand Gen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Tired of just listening?

Check out Refine Labs on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Chris was joined by Kyle Coleman, as they talk about Marketing in competitive categories. Chris and Kyle explore the vital strategies companies need to adopt to stand out in saturated markets, focusing on the power of differentiation, effective positioning, and leveraging novel technologies like generative AI.

They discuss Kyle's rich experience in hyper-competitive industries, from his days at Looker and Clari to his current role at Copy AI. They emphasize the importance of having a unique message and strategy to compel potential customers and drive business success. Kyle shares invaluable insights into the balance between speed and perfection in go-to-market strategies, practical tips on utilizing AI for SEO and content creation, and how to enable smaller marketing teams to punch above their weight with limited resources.

If you want to have a conversation with Chris and present your current questions, roadblocks, or projects you’re working through, make sure to attend this weekly event every Tuesday at 12 central. Register here.

Can’t make the event but have a question for Chris? Submit it here.

The next Expert Session, featuring Tom Wentworth will take place on Tuesday July 23 at 11am CT. Register Here. 

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

Chris joined Andrew Kappel, host of the Leader Leverage Podcast, to talk about his transition into a leadership role and how that’s affected his perspective on GTM strategies. Chris outlines the critical leverage points in early-stage businesses and emphasizes the significant impact of engaging with actual customers to refine products and services. He discusses the foundation of Passetto, explaining how it merges financial and go-to-market data to enable CEOs and CFOs to make strategic decisions based on comprehensive, real-time insights. 

Key Takeaways:

Leverage Points in Business Development: Listening to customers and iterating based on their feedback helps refine services and identify target markets.

Integrating Marketing and Financial Data: Passetto aims to bridge the gap between CRM and financial data, helping executives understand why business metrics are changing and what actions to take.

Role of CEO and CFO in Go-to-Market Strategies: Strategic reallocation of budgets and resources should be driven by executives with a comprehensive view of the company's performance, not just department-level metrics.

The Necessity of Blending Technology and Services: Combining BI tools with consulting helps businesses not merely track metrics but also make informed strategic decisions.

Transformation Through Technology: Passetto’s unique approach positions it not as a competitor to typical SaaS companies but as a modern alternative to consulting giants like McKinsey or Gartner.

–

The next Expert Session, featuring Malin Wijenayake will take place on September 17 at 11am central. Register here. 

If you want to have a conversation with Chris and present your current questions, roadblocks, or projects you’re working through, make sure to attend this weekly event every Tuesday at 12 central. Register here.

Can’t make the event but have a question for Chris? Submit it here.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

A lot of marketers spend their entire career in the same industry. Not because they want to, but because it’s where they've gained experience and contacts. But there’s a secret weapon that anyone can use to not only cross industries, but help you dominate in your current industry. In this episode, Chris talks about the most important tool(s) he used in his career across several industries to create demand and win big with marketing.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

“Capturing intent data is the only way to get intent.” - Marketing teams everywhere ^ It’s not true and it’s time to accept it. Chris sat down with Jake Dunlap to discuss how the industry relies on intent data that is flawed, solely for the purpose of creating a metric—even if it's sabotaging their success. In this episode, you'll learn about the three levels of intent and how to optimize your marketing to create real intent, rather than capturing assumed intent.  Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Chris Walker joins Chris Roche on the Acronym Podcast to discuss his transformative journey from his roots in electrical engineering to the echelons of B2B marketing entrepreneurship. Tune in as Chris delves into the trials and triumphs of the first twelve months at the helm of Refine Labs, offering inspiring insights for marketers aspiring to venture into the entrepreneurial landscape.

Throughout the conversation, Chris highlights the importance of aligning go-to-market strategies with changing B2B dynamics and the role of marketing as a comprehensive business strategy. He also touches upon the pivotal moments when he opted to channel his marketing expertise into a standalone venture and the methodologies that allowed him to outpace traditional employment returns in a mere 90 days. The episode is a treasure trove of wisdom for marketers looking to make their mark in the realm of consulting and agency growth.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

In this week’s live event, Chris is joined by Jacco van der Kooij, founder of Winning by Design, to discuss the nuances of running your Go-to-Market strategy as a revenue factory. The session kicks off with discussions on the pivotal role of GTM and how the focus has shifted towards growth, efficiency, and sustainability in today's economy. Jacco draws from his vast experience to explain how businesses need to transition from a 'growth at all cost' mindset to one that emphasizes unit economics and sustainable scaling.

The episode covers essential concepts such as the "revenue architecture framework," the importance of GTM efficiency, and the measurement of net new ARR. Jacco provides a comprehensive explanation of how companies can adopt a factory model approach to their GTM strategy. He discusses the significance of production lines and the categorization of high-touch to low-touch models, and how these can be leveraged to drive cost-efficient, scalable, and durable growth. The conversation also touches on common hurdles faced by companies, the declining availability of IPO slots, and the impact of market dynamics on revenue generation.

If you want to have a conversation with Chris and present your current questions, roadblocks, or projects you’re working through, make sure to attend this weekly event every Tuesday at 12 central. Register here.

Can’t make the event but have a question for Chris? Submit it here.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

Marketing is the best tool growth stage companies have, not sales. But how does the founder/CEO play a role in driving marketing performance? The problem with most early-stage B2B SaaS companies is there is a lack of customer understanding leading the product roadmap. For the leadership to positively impact marketing, they need to start by understanding the customer. Segmenting down so much to where your product is so in tune with the customer that you have no competition. In this episode, Chris dives into how he did this at Refine Labs, as well as answers questions from Founders and CEOs looking to level up their marketing-led growth.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Chris and Megan hosted the 51st Demand Gen Live installment last night with a packed agenda. They dove into why your ABM list should include target companies where you have an unfair competitive advantage, the difference between demand gen and marketing as a whole, and a step by step breakdown of how we structure, run, and optimize paid social campaigns.

Chris Walker hosts weekly Private Coaching Events for Vault Subscribers, which opens with covering important and timely industry observations. This week, he tackles the transition from an assembly line lead generation system to an all-bound integrated revenue team. He emphasizes the importance of starting with the customer and aligning all departments towards creating demand, capturing active buying intent, and converting that demand into revenue. Chris also highlights the need to change key performance indicators and measurement methods to effectively transition to an integrated revenue team. He explains that many companies struggle with this transition because they fail to update their analytics and KPIs, which hinders their ability to accurately measure the impact of marketing efforts. Chris concludes by emphasizing the importance of addressing organizational and incentive-related challenges to drive successful revenue growth.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

Chris Walker hosts weekly Private Coaching Events for Vault Subscribers, which opens with covering important and timely industry observations. 

He starts by discussing the importance of looking at marketing ROI from a holistic perspective rather than getting caught up in micro-analyzing individual campaigns. Then he shares proprietary data collected from B2B companies in the $50 to $250 million revenue range over the past four to eight quarters. The data reveals a wide range of marketing ROI performance, with bottom performers getting as low as 28 cents in revenue for every dollar spent on marketing, while high performers achieve $3 in revenue for every dollar spent. Chris emphasizes the need to focus on improving overall marketing ROI before scaling up spending, as scaling without efficiency leads to further degradation. He also highlights the importance of analyzing data to identify what is driving impact and making strategic decisions based on that information.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

Chris was joined by CS2’s Crissy and Charlie Saunders to do a deep dive into Marketing Operations to support measurement of Demand Strategies and Programs. They discuss key requirements to set up a measurement framework to measure the effectiveness of demand programs including pipeline sources and how to think about funnel tracking. They also answer audience questions. 

If you want to have a conversation with Chris and present your current questions, roadblocks, or projects you’re working through, make sure to attend this weekly event every Tuesday at 12 central. Register here.

Can’t make the event but have a question for Chris? Submit it here.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

In this week’s event, Chris discusses issues in the B2B tech sector, focusing on go-to-market bloat. He explains that both public and private SaaS companies are seeing slower growth and rising customer acquisition costs (CAC).

Chris highlights the need for B2B companies to reevaluate their sales and marketing spending due to a shift towards prioritizing profitable growth. He mentions that there are many trackable indicators of buyer interest that are not currently being monitored, which could improve the efficiency of go-to-market spending.

If you want to have a conversation with Chris and present your current questions, roadblocks, or projects you’re working through, make sure to attend this weekly event every Tuesday at 12 central. Register here.

Can’t make the event but have a question for Chris? Submit it here.

The next Expert Session, featuring Kyle Coleman will take place on June 6 at 12pm central. Register Here. 

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

Today’s episode is possibly the most unique episode ever published on Revenue Vitals. 

It's the audio from a private coffee meeting I had with an entrepreneur who is looking to start an agency. 

Note - You will only be able to hear my audio, but I think you’ll get a lot of value from it.

I shared my recent learnings around topics like:

• Lessons learned from building multiple businesses

• Getting to $20k / month as a solo-consultant vs. scaling an agency

• How to optimize pricing

• Differences in business needs at various growth stages (e.g., early-stage startups vs. mature organizations)

• Using financial models and unit economics to drive strategic decisions

• Structuring equity and compensation to incentivize long-term employee retention

• The challenges with stock options and equity in startup and growth-stage businesses

• The power of creating content on LinkedIn + podcasts as a Founder

Listen to this full episode, and let me know if you’d like me to create more content around these topics for Founders and CEO’s.

–

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing Revenue Vitals, and all of Chris’s short-form video and YouTube content. Hatch is a video-first content agency that creates short-form video content, video podcasts, original video series, and YouTube videos for B2B companies. Visit www.hatch.fm to learn more.

“If you’re talking about the problem, people are going to assume you’re the solution.”

Chris gets to sit down with Kyle Coleman, SVP of Marketing at Clari to talk through all things revenue. They go in depth on how an SDR upbringing helped Kyle develop communication and fluency in messaging as a marketer, the process of developing Clari’s position of “Run Revenue” to change their entire strategic lens, the importance of shifting the view of revenue for the future, the potential impact of social posting and connections, and more!

Then, Kyle turns the questions back onto Chris to find out what the top mistakes are from a content marketing standpoint, and his concerns in respect to generative AI in content marketing. 

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Chris joined Mike Simmons on the Catalyst Sale podcast to talk through the importance of setting the right foundation in order to make marketing to revenue achievable. They discussed how to go about attacking a market where there's a lot of noise, scenarios in which marketing fails, the necessity of customer feedback, and quantifying the impact of speed in marketing. 

For more content, subscribe to State of Demand Gen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. 

Tired of just listening? 

Check out Refine Labs on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Last night we celebrated the one year anniversary of Demand Gen Live! We hosted a special episode and had some of our loyal community members share their success stories as they related to the impact Demand Gen Live has had on their careers. Chris and Megan also answered questions revolving around topics like: when it makes sense to move towards being a specialist over a generalist, what to look for when hiring demand marketers, personal branding, and moving from typical lead gen activities to more focus on brand.

Register here for our event with Dave Gerhardt (CMO at Privy), taking place April 1st at 12pm EDT. 

Chris Walker (CEO, Refine Labs) and Gaetano DiNardi (Director of Demand Generation, Nextiva) hosted Demand Gen Live for the 20th week in a row. They focused on pre-submitted questions as they related to sales forecasting, LinkedIn video ads, growth hacks, and whether webinars are brand or performance.

For more content, subscribe to State of Demand Gen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Tired of just listening?

Check out Refine Labs on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Chris joined Pablo on the Product Market Fit show, to talk about scaling growth with the right mindset in marketing. Chris discusses his journey from product manager to founder and CEO of Refine Labs, and now his new venture, Passetto. The conversation provides valuable insights into the zero to one phase of startups, the challenges of scaling a business, and the importance of balanced go-to-market strategies.

Chris shares his experiences in launching successful products in the medical technology sector and outlines the importance of understanding customer needs in product development and marketing. He also dives into the mistakes and lessons learned from his earlier e-commerce ventures, which significantly shaped his approach to building Refine Labs. Chris emphasizes the role of organic content production, customer feedback, and marketing in achieving product-market fit and sustainable growth.

If you want to have a conversation with Chris and present your current questions, roadblocks, or projects you’re working through, make sure to attend this weekly event every Tuesday at 12 central. Register here.

Can’t make the event but have a question for Chris? Submit it here.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

Latané Conant, CMO at 6sense, joined Chris Walker on State of Demand Gen to go into more detail about the concepts that are discussed in her new book “No Forms. No Spam. No Cold Calls.” 

For more content, subscribe to State of Demand Gen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. 

Tired of just listening? 

Check out Refine Labs on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Chris joined Jared Fuller and Isaac Morehouse on the Nearbound Podcast to dive into the modern landscape of B2B Go-To-Market. As an expert in go-to-market strategies and digital demand, Chris brings to light the evolution of buyer behavior, the growing importance of trust, and the dynamics between traditional and contemporary marketing techniques. Our conversation delves deep into how B2B companies can navigate and capitalize on these changes for optimal growth and customer acquisition.

The episode uncovers the shift from a “how economy” to a “who economy,” emphasizing the relevance of trust and relationships over mere information overload. Chris elaborates on the significance of understanding how buyers source their insights and make purchasing decisions, highlighting the role of key opinion leaders, evangelists, and influencers in shaping buyer preferences. Furthermore, the discussion challenges conventional marketing metrics, advocating for a paradigm shift in attribution models to truly capture the impactful touchpoints in a customer's journey.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

Chris was a guest speaker for the SaaS Metrics Palooza, happening live online from October 10-12, coordinated by benchmark.it.

For this fireside chat, Chris sat down with Ray Rike to discuss the importance of reevaluating marketing metrics and strategies to drive revenue growth. Chris shares his insights on the need to shift from lead generation to demand generation, and how companies can create, capture, and convert demand effectively. He emphasizes the importance of aligning marketing and sales efforts to optimize revenue generation and highlights the flaws in traditional measurement models. Chris also provides practical advice for CFOs and CEOs on how to allocate marketing budgets and make data-driven strategic decisions to achieve superior returns on their go-to-market investments.

Key Takeaways

-Shifting from lead generation to demand generation is essential for aligning marketing and sales efforts and optimizing revenue generation.

-Companies should focus on creating, capturing, and converting demand to drive revenue growth effectively.

-Allocating marketing budgets based on the different stages of the revenue process can lead to better ROI and scalability.

-Analyzing sales velocity and buyer intent can help identify the most effective channels and programs for revenue generation.

-Bold and innovative strategies are necessary to achieve significant pipeline and revenue growth.

Chris joined the Podcast Gurus to talk about creating content and its power in the B2B space. They cover the challenges of B2B marketing and highlight important factors for growth and scalable demand gen programs.

Chris discusses the common mistakes in marketing strategies and emphasizes the importance of data for insights. He talks about practical tactics and corrects wrong ideas about marketing investments. The episode is about improving marketing strategies that meet customer expectations and current market trends. It includes SEO content and aims to clearly explain effective marketing and the role of executives.

If you want to have a conversation with Chris and present your current questions, roadblocks, or projects you’re working through, make sure to attend this weekly event every Tuesday at 12 central. Register here.

Can’t make the event but have a question for Chris? Submit it here.

The next Expert Session, featuring Peep Laja will be on Thursday May 16 at 12pm central. Register here. 

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

Should SDRs report to marketing or sales? This is an age-old debate. But it's asking the wrong question. It doesn't matter which team the SDR reports to if they're doing the same, low-efficiency role. The real question is what is the future job function of the SDR and does that new functionality align with marketing or sales? In this episode, Chris talks about how he believes the role will evolve over the next several years to be more efficient and produce better results.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Tom Wentworth, CMO at Recorded Future, joined Chris for a podcast episode last week. They discussed what happens when marketers make the shift from optimizing for leads to optimizing for pipeline, and Tom shared that getting more leads is not always good for the business. Chris and Tom talked through opportunity costs, the long term implications of optimizing for short-term metrics, the importance of brand in hitting pipeline goals, and why having a loyal audience creates a competitive advantage. They also debated whether a content marketer or journalist makes more sense to hire internally as well as what missed opportunities they are seeing marketers make often.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Kevin "KD" Dorsey joined Chris on State of Demand Gen this week to talk about how B2B can learn from B2C, especially in regards to influencer marketing. They discuss their thoughts on B2B influencer/user marketing and why SaaS companies in particular should be considering this approach.

For more content, subscribe to State of Demand Gen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Tired of just listening?

Check out Refine Labs on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Chris joined Peter Conforti on the Good Content series to discuss a range of critical topics in B2B Marketing and SaaS. From dissecting LinkedIn’s algorithms to redefining go-go-market strategies in the current economic environment, Chris brings a wealth of knowledge and practical insights to the table. 

Chris kicks off the discussion by sharing his observations on LinkedIn’s evolving algorithms and its impact on follower engagement. He then goes into the metrics that really matter for marketers, emphasizing the importance of quality inbound DM’s over mere post reach. The conversation covers the nuanced strategies needed to thrive in today’s B2B SaaS landscape, especially for companies navigating the shift from growth-at-all-costs to a balanced focus on growth and profitability.

If you want to have a conversation with Chris and present your current questions, roadblocks, or projects you’re working through, make sure to attend this weekly event every Tuesday at 12 central. Register here.

Can’t make the event but have a question for Chris? Submit it here.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

On last night's Demand Gen Live we received several questions before the show and tackled them live. Some topics we covered include:  

-Brand, Demand, ABM - Where to focus?;  

-First 90 days as the first marketing hire; and 

-How the pursuit of ROI and Efficiency drives bad marketing.

For more content, subscribe to State of Demand Gen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Tired of just listening?

Check out Refine Labs on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Chris Walker and Megan Bowen brought the Demand Gen Live community back last night to discuss where marketers get their information and the harm of over-relying on technology and ditching the fundamentals. The community members came on the show live to share where they get their information about marketing strategy and tactics, as well as reputable vendors. Chris dove into why marketers don't always need more budget, but instead need to often reevaluate and reallocate. They talked through word-of-mouth marketing and strategies to help target buyers discover content and develop brand affinity.

MJ Peters, VP of Growth at Refine Labs, is hosting a Marketing Throwdown on Conferences on Thursday September 9th at 12pm EDT. Register here to attend. 

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Chris Walker hosts weekly Private Coaching Events for Vault Subscribers, which opens with covering important and timely industry observations. 

He starts by discussing the lack of data and tracking in companies that spend millions of dollars on Google paid search ads. He emphasizes the importance of having a system in place to measure the ROI of every investment in the channel. Chris highlights the need for marketers to go beyond basic metrics like conversions and clicks and focus on tracking pipeline creation and revenue generation. He also points out common mistakes, such as not using persistent UTMs, and emphasizes the importance of doing the fundamentals well before investing in advanced analytics tools. Chris concludes by discussing the ratio of investment in headcount and its correlation with ROI.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

With new listeners coming in every day, we wanted to highlight a couple of the most important episodes of 2023!

***

With SaaStock and its incredible lineup of speakers in town, Chris was lucky to be able to do some in-person interviews for Revenue Vitals! First up was a chat surrounding leadership, mindset, and culture with ⁠Sam Jacobs⁠, CEO of Pavilion. 

They chatted about:

• Key lessons and takeaways Sam has learned in his time as a CEO:

• Focus on the long term

• Love your customer

• Don’t try to do too many things

• Trust your intuition and slow down

• A reminder to put things into perspective, especially in times of economic uncertainty

• How to empower employees to feel valued and secure in their own path to success

• The idea of embracing instability instead of trying to correct it

• And more!

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at ⁠usehatch.fm⁠.

Andy Raskin joined us on State of Demand Gen to break down what he means when he talks about Strategic Narrative. He shares that the companies that are winning now are powered by a strategic narrative, which is more than just marketing and sales. It’s a story that guides actions at a company across all departments. Andy and Chris also talk about what you can learn from a movie that can be applied to your company’s pitch, the role customers play in the strategic narrative process, and how refining your company's narrative can make a positive difference in recruiting.

Register for our live event on April 1st with Dave Gerhardt (CMO at Privy) here. 

Chris and Kaylee spent the hour having live chats with listeners, addressing their questions and digging into their specific situations:

Some extended discussions covered:

• How to adapt and differentiate Self Reported Attribution strategies for different programs and points of engagement
• A deep dive into the Revenue R&D Exit Criteria and how to adjust based on individual goals and sales cycle lengths
• The potential shift away from SEO with the impact of ChatGPT on marketing
• How to grow one to one sales tactics into one to many

If you have questions for Chris, join the Revenue Vitals Live conversation on zoom by registering here, or submit them ahead of the call here! Also make sure to check out The Vault, where you can find full depth insights and IP beyond the high level live event.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

In response to some chatter circulating through the marketing community that LinkedIn organic is dead, Chris presented a keynote on why it in fact is very much still alive, and how marketers can still capitalize on the platform. He opened up the floor to a live Q&A and answered questions about whether it is best to distribute content via a personal or company profile, connection strategies, content ideas, and engagement metrics.

After a month-long sabbatical that took him across Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji, Chris Walker returns to Revenue Vitals with a life-changing announcement. 

In this deeply personal episode, Chris reveals a profound shift in his perspective and purpose that has led him to hand over hosting duties to Carolyn Dilks (Co-Founder and Managing Partner @ Passetto) who will be rebranding the show to “GTM Live”, while he embarks on a new mission. 

Sharing intimate details about his personal transformation through self-reflection and experiencing "operating system upgrades," Chris outlines his new mission for helping others unlock their innate human potential. 

This is the start of a new chapter for Revenue Vitals, which will now become “GTM Live” hosted by Carolyn Dilks.

And it is a new chapter for Chris, who will be announcing his new podcast and mission in even more details soon.

Stay tuned for more.

In this week’s live event, Chris discusses the complexities of unit economics, pipeline coverage, and go-to-market efficiency. He starts the session with a deep dive into the concept of revenue breakpoints and how they serve as critical metrics for analyzing business scalability from $20 million to $100 million ARR. Chris stresses the importance of improving economic efficiency around pipeline creation and aligning sales resources to meet financial guardrails.

Following the detailed discussion on revenue breakpoints, the episode transitions into actionable insights on measuring and improving unit economics. Chris explores how declining win rates and ineffective pipeline coverage strategies can derail even the most well-planned business growth models. He dissects how to analyze total go-to-market expenditures, highlighting the need for strategic reallocation of budgets, especially when forecasted pipeline targets become unrealistically inflated. The conversation includes practical advice on launching new go-to-market programs without compromising existing unit economics.

If you want to have a conversation with Chris and present your current questions, roadblocks, or projects you’re working through, make sure to attend this weekly event every Tuesday at 12 central. Register here.

Can’t make the event but have a question for Chris? Submit it here.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm

Chris hosted a consulting call with a one-person marketing team with no budget at a small business. He shared his insights on the best approaches to take, given the inputs, to answer the following question: "If we have certain brands we want to target, what would be the best marketing approach to begin to attract that potential business via our digital marketing channels?"

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

On this installment of Demand Gen Live we tackle MANY live questions and requests including...YouTube pre-roll and how to evaluate video success, Gaetano's candid analysis and thoughts about SE0 agencies, and whether or not marketers should be compensated based on revenue. 

On this week's installment we redefine content strategy (with real examples) and unveil marketing automation do's and don'ts.

The goal of B2B paid social ads should be to communicate a single idea to your audience, not to move them from "who is this company" to demo.  Companies waste millions of dollars every year by spending their budget on ads that fail to produce meaningful results because they don't tell the right story. In this episode, Chris gets super tactical on how to run effective campaigns that play to your greater strategy of telling your brand story, including:

How to craft your messaging

Tips for setting up your ad campaigns

And why you might want to make changes to your current campaigns

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Chris joined Mark Stouse on the Accelerating Value podcast to talk about the differences between B2C and B2B, specifically in regards to what B2B companies should unlearn from B2C marketing strategies. They talked about disrupting the “agency” world and why if a marketing agency can’t market themselves that should be a red flag. Chris also shared why churn is a business problem, not a customer success problem, and what the leading causes of churn are and how to correct them. Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Marketing Ops is evolving. With so many marketing technologies on the market, strong marketing ops professionals are no longer thinking strictly about the tactical role out of these new technologies. They are becoming strategic advisors on how teams can not only implement software but choose and use specific tools to best achieve the overall goal. In this episode, Chris sits down with Sara McNamara, Senior Manager of Marketing Operations at Slack, to discuss: What about operations is strategic, the best way to roll out new marketing technology, measuring marketing success, and more.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Marketing is evolving. While most marketing teams are still spending their time and resources writing blogs and running webinars, forward-thinking marketers are figuring out how they can create an unfair advantage for their business. In this episode, Chris dives into just that as he talks about what the goal of marketing is as a sub-function of GTM and what it means to be buyer-centric in modern marketing.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Today's episode features a recording from Erin Balsa's The Notorious Thought Leader podcast. What is a thought leader? Someone with a large audience that speaks on a niched-down topic? That's basically what the definition has come to mean in most circles. And that's why we've come to dislike the term. It's not uncommon for "Thought Leaders" nowadays to not even be the practitioners of the things they are preaching. In our mind, to be a true thought leader in a subject matter, that job has to be deeply ingrained into your day-to-day and that's simply just not the case anymore. In this episode, Chris talks about how to develop and communicate your unique point of view to convey true expertise. It's the same method that he has used in his journey in building Refine Labs.

Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at usehatch.fm.

Dave Gerhardt, CMO at Privy, joined us for another live session to dive into the power shift from sellers to buyers and how that affects your marketing strategy. Half of their session consisted of a live AMA in which they answered questions in regards to: questions marketers should be able to answer about their customers, solutions to podcast & organic content roadblocks, the key players for each type of marketing team, the importance of consistency, and getting executive buy-in for organic brand activities.