1109: How to Close the Gap Between Strategy and Execution w/ Christine Bottagaro

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:04.559 Are you struggling to come up with original content weekend and week out? Start 2 00:00:04.559 --> 00:00:09.189 a podcast, interview your ideal clients, let them talk about what they care 3 00:00:09.230 --> 00:00:14.150 about most, and never run out of content ideas again. Learn more at 4 00:00:14.230 --> 00:00:23.940 sweet fish Mediacom. You're listening to BB growth, a daily podcast for BTB 5 00:00:24.100 --> 00:00:28.179 leaders. We've interviewed names you've probably heard before, like Gary Vannerd truck and 6 00:00:28.219 --> 00:00:32.020 Simon Senek, but you've probably never heard from the majority of our guests. 7 00:00:32.659 --> 00:00:37.450 That's because the bulk of our interviews aren't with professional speakers and authors. Most 8 00:00:37.490 --> 00:00:41.570 of our guests are in the trenches leading sales and marketing teams. They're implementing 9 00:00:41.649 --> 00:00:46.649 strategy, they're experimenting with tactics, they're building the fastest growing BB companies in 10 00:00:46.689 --> 00:00:49.969 the world. My name is James Carberry. I'm the founder of sweet fish 11 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:53.479 media, a podcast agency for BB brands, and I'm also one of the 12 00:00:53.600 --> 00:00:57.439 CO hosts of the show. When we're not interviewing sales and marketing leaders, 13 00:00:57.600 --> 00:01:00.280 you'll hear stories from behind the scenes of our own business. Will share the 14 00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:03.549 ups and downs of our journey as we attempt to take over the world. 15 00:01:04.189 --> 00:01:15.349 Just getting well, maybe let's get into the show. Welcome back to bebb 16 00:01:15.510 --> 00:01:19.180 growth. I am your host for today's episode, Nikki Ivy, with sweetish 17 00:01:19.219 --> 00:01:23.540 media guys I've got with me today. Christine bought a Guero, who is 18 00:01:23.659 --> 00:01:26.579 CMO at post. Christine, how you doing to day? I'm well. 19 00:01:26.819 --> 00:01:32.739 Hey, Nikki sacristy, we're going to have some fun today and I'm going 20 00:01:32.819 --> 00:01:36.170 to learn. I got my student Cap on today, because the seeming to 21 00:01:36.209 --> 00:01:41.769 be talking to is about how to close the gap between strategy and execution, 22 00:01:41.969 --> 00:01:47.560 which I think is applicable no matter what discipline or industry you are in shoot. 23 00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:52.879 As a parent, I'm trying to figure out and use it as a 24 00:01:53.000 --> 00:01:55.280 wife, all of it, but we're going to talk about it in some 25 00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:57.760 to be to be marketing is bale today. But before we get to all 26 00:01:57.760 --> 00:02:00.000 of that, Christine, I would love it if you would just give us 27 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:04.790 a little bit of background on yourself and what you and the folksing been up 28 00:02:04.829 --> 00:02:08.870 to the yeah, absolutely so. Composed is a content marketing platform. That's 29 00:02:08.870 --> 00:02:13.629 the way the analysts talk about it, but it is are we are a 30 00:02:13.870 --> 00:02:20.860 sasspace platform that basically just creates seamless customer experiences through great content. So from 31 00:02:21.060 --> 00:02:27.139 planning to creating to distributing and measuring. We manage the content workflow and all 32 00:02:27.219 --> 00:02:30.530 of the materials and messaging and things that have to go into that, all 33 00:02:30.569 --> 00:02:34.849 of the pieces parts and the measurement of it. So it's something that, 34 00:02:34.930 --> 00:02:37.810 as a marketer, I wish I had had probably twenty years ago. My 35 00:02:37.849 --> 00:02:39.689 life would have been a whole lot easier. But now that I'm in it 36 00:02:39.729 --> 00:02:43.969 it's really cool because I get to market to marketers and talk and now we're 37 00:02:44.009 --> 00:02:49.360 talking about marketing. So it's like the TRIFECTA way, men, it's way 38 00:02:49.479 --> 00:02:54.280 Meta exactly. So I've spent years in the UPTEV world selling into application development 39 00:02:54.479 --> 00:02:59.990 houses as well as it, and so now marketing a marketers is a whole 40 00:03:00.150 --> 00:03:04.030 different level, higher bar for sure. So I'm excited about it. And 41 00:03:04.229 --> 00:03:07.110 just to be clear, we were acquired at the end of May by upland 42 00:03:07.430 --> 00:03:12.710 software. So now we are upland compost and part of a larger family with 43 00:03:12.900 --> 00:03:17.500 sister products that help on customer advocacy management and our FPR of q generations. 44 00:03:17.659 --> 00:03:22.379 So we got new tools and things to play with as a marketer, which 45 00:03:22.419 --> 00:03:24.340 is always fun. That is exciting. Yeah, you, I mean who 46 00:03:24.419 --> 00:03:30.530 doesn't want to seamless customer experience. I do. Yeah, that was my 47 00:03:30.610 --> 00:03:34.569 impression of the map of from sexolicity, and now I've just dated myself. 48 00:03:34.650 --> 00:03:38.530 Don't care. What did all first run baby. Anyway, live your truth. 49 00:03:40.919 --> 00:03:46.840 I hold not being. So we're going to be getting into this subject 50 00:03:46.919 --> 00:03:52.759 of how to close that gap between strategy and execution real quick, just to 51 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:55.669 give us an overview. Talk to us about what that gap looks like. 52 00:03:57.349 --> 00:04:00.189 Yeah, so I think it's something that you don't see right away. The 53 00:04:00.349 --> 00:04:03.349 gap is over time, when you start straying a bit from what you want 54 00:04:03.389 --> 00:04:08.469 to have happened into what actually happens. And the reality of life is where 55 00:04:08.509 --> 00:04:12.939 that gap typically occurs. Is when people come in and like, Oh, 56 00:04:13.139 --> 00:04:15.300 I need this and it's next week and then I need that. May Not 57 00:04:15.420 --> 00:04:18.660 be part of your plans. So you have to accommodate that. But then 58 00:04:18.819 --> 00:04:23.259 sometimes that will snowball. I need more of those, or now I need 59 00:04:23.300 --> 00:04:26.490 to localize, or I need it for this other groups. So whatever that 60 00:04:27.050 --> 00:04:30.930 is tends to then dominate your life and your work. So how do you 61 00:04:31.089 --> 00:04:35.209 then stay true to what you really want to happen and deliver on that so 62 00:04:35.370 --> 00:04:40.399 that you're not at quarter end or year end looking back and saying, you 63 00:04:40.480 --> 00:04:44.319 know, we didn't get to all those really cool innovative ideas we wanted to 64 00:04:44.360 --> 00:04:47.720 get to because we got caught up in the daily so how to manage that? 65 00:04:47.759 --> 00:04:53.230 That's really where the gap occurs and I think it can also be where 66 00:04:53.550 --> 00:04:58.230 you have an aspiration and the plan that maybe isn't realistic. So it's sort 67 00:04:58.230 --> 00:05:00.310 of a nice check to to say hey, maybe we were too lofty, 68 00:05:00.389 --> 00:05:03.949 that's too much to take on in this timeframe, and that's maybe where you 69 00:05:04.149 --> 00:05:09.379 could insert a little bit more of actual marketing. That's inspect and adapt and 70 00:05:09.459 --> 00:05:13.819 kind of checking in with the strategy. But typically that's where we think see 71 00:05:13.899 --> 00:05:17.100 things fall apart is at execution, and it's something I say, unfortunately, 72 00:05:17.139 --> 00:05:20.730 Nikki, to my team a lot. Is Like your execution will kill your 73 00:05:20.769 --> 00:05:26.449 strategy every time. Like execution is going to win on that. So are 74 00:05:26.569 --> 00:05:30.209 you purposeful? Is it what you want to have happen? Right? Yeah, 75 00:05:30.329 --> 00:05:32.850 no, I think all of us can can think of times that are 76 00:05:32.930 --> 00:05:38.720 and our personal and business lives were the execution absolutely killed the strategy. But 77 00:05:38.839 --> 00:05:41.519 we get excited about the strategy. Right. You were mentioning how this. 78 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:44.240 The strategy is the fun part. Talk about that for us a little bit. 79 00:05:44.519 --> 00:05:46.279 Yeah, yeah, so I in fact, it's funny you say that 80 00:05:46.360 --> 00:05:49.949 because, Nikki, we've got next week marketing summit or marketing madness, which 81 00:05:49.990 --> 00:05:54.990 our way it turns out. But we get everybody from the Teaman in one 82 00:05:55.069 --> 00:05:59.589 place and we kind of sequester ourselves and there's big post it notes and sticky's 83 00:05:59.670 --> 00:06:04.180 all over and very agile fell facilitation and we dream up really cool things. 84 00:06:04.300 --> 00:06:08.540 Are Go to market? How should our message change? How who are we 85 00:06:08.660 --> 00:06:11.019 talking to? What do they care about? Where are the ways we want 86 00:06:11.019 --> 00:06:14.980 to you know, put together the plan go forward and then walk out of 87 00:06:15.019 --> 00:06:17.889 that we're energized. We've got other people involved in it. And then it 88 00:06:18.009 --> 00:06:23.649 gets to execution and you find that the daytoday starts chipping away at those lofty 89 00:06:23.689 --> 00:06:27.529 plants and they got sort of on the back burner and we we start lowering 90 00:06:27.610 --> 00:06:31.050 the heat on those and doing different things. So that's the exciting part because 91 00:06:31.089 --> 00:06:35.040 that's where you can really invite innovation. Everyone's got a voice in that. 92 00:06:35.160 --> 00:06:40.600 We have our interns in there and they have crazy good ideas, and sales 93 00:06:40.680 --> 00:06:43.560 comes in and customer success and you're like, oh, that's great, we 94 00:06:43.639 --> 00:06:46.870 should do that as well, and then it's all baked into this amazing plan 95 00:06:47.269 --> 00:06:51.470 and you socialize it and you share it. And then how are you doing 96 00:06:51.509 --> 00:06:56.430 against that even one month in? Right it's like we all go to these 97 00:06:56.589 --> 00:06:59.750 conferences, or a lot of us do, and you get all energize, 98 00:06:59.790 --> 00:07:01.899 you saw a key note and they're like think differently or do all these cool 99 00:07:01.939 --> 00:07:05.620 things, and then you get back and you're mired and email, and then 100 00:07:05.660 --> 00:07:09.740 you're in this meeting and that, and so what happens to all of that? 101 00:07:09.939 --> 00:07:13.939 Like, how do you really bring it to reality? Will you? 102 00:07:14.100 --> 00:07:15.850 You gave us the Danswer. We talked about this offline and the key, 103 00:07:16.410 --> 00:07:18.889 one of the key things that you mentioned, that I wrote down here that 104 00:07:18.930 --> 00:07:25.449 really stuck out, was to execute inserve of your strategy. I think I 105 00:07:25.569 --> 00:07:28.569 know what that means right and I think that that's the gap, as well 106 00:07:28.610 --> 00:07:31.759 as like those two things stop being connected at a certain point. Right now 107 00:07:31.800 --> 00:07:35.199 it's probably at the point at which it stops being fun and then you have 108 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:40.800 to start doing like the hard part of the execution and then you're executing in 109 00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:44.910 service of, you know, keeping your job or justifying your salary. Frankly 110 00:07:44.990 --> 00:07:48.069 or, you know, just getting this off your plate and not necessarily executing 111 00:07:48.110 --> 00:07:51.870 in service of your strategy. So tell us what execution in service of strategy 112 00:07:51.949 --> 00:07:55.990 looks like. Yep, absolutely, and let me back up, Nikki, 113 00:07:56.230 --> 00:07:59.220 because I had for that and I said that's so thank you. But it's 114 00:07:59.259 --> 00:08:03.220 also it's a good check against your strategy. Like if you're hey, you 115 00:08:03.300 --> 00:08:05.500 know, we're gonna go land on the moon next quarter, really, how 116 00:08:05.620 --> 00:08:09.500 is that serve with the business? So you have to really make sure that 117 00:08:09.579 --> 00:08:11.860 your strategy is also aligned with where you need to go in the business and 118 00:08:11.930 --> 00:08:15.290 Blah, blah, blah, like we can get carried away as marketers, 119 00:08:15.329 --> 00:08:20.209 which is the fun part. So when you do those Checkins with execution, 120 00:08:20.649 --> 00:08:22.529 you also want to make sure that you have other people's buy in, because 121 00:08:22.569 --> 00:08:26.970 nobody does this in a vacuum. So are they part of that? Are 122 00:08:26.050 --> 00:08:31.159 you mapping those outcomes, what you want to have happened to things that matter 123 00:08:31.320 --> 00:08:35.840 to other people as well, and what is their role in that? So 124 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:39.360 then kind of going back to the strategy and keeping it maybe even visible, 125 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:43.429 you do have something on the wall that remind you of the five key things 126 00:08:43.470 --> 00:08:48.269 you're trying to you're working towards and you may find midway that the way you're 127 00:08:48.350 --> 00:08:54.070 doing at the execution is different than when you envision but it's still in service 128 00:08:54.269 --> 00:08:58.460 of that strategy. So is it present? Is it there? Is it 129 00:08:58.980 --> 00:09:01.500 checked against in all of the things that you're doing? Do you have a 130 00:09:01.659 --> 00:09:05.820 way to do that right? And it could be excelled, it could be 131 00:09:05.980 --> 00:09:09.340 whatever you choose, it could be composed whatever, but the way to kind 132 00:09:09.379 --> 00:09:13.570 of say this is how we're keeping our strategy front and center, because we've 133 00:09:13.610 --> 00:09:16.370 all agreed on it and now it would be very easy to lose sight. 134 00:09:16.889 --> 00:09:20.970 So it's that check against and then again looking at the strategy and the plan 135 00:09:22.169 --> 00:09:24.960 and saying, HMM, you know what, at the beginning of the year, 136 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:28.039 before this acquisition, we thought that's what we wanted to do. Now 137 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:31.000 we may change our strategy and you know what, that's okay. I think 138 00:09:31.080 --> 00:09:35.200 you tend to think that it's baked in, like the batter's done. Don't 139 00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:37.629 mess with it, and it's like well, it's let's test it. It's 140 00:09:37.669 --> 00:09:41.629 not delicious anymore. Maybe we need to change it. So that's okay. 141 00:09:43.070 --> 00:09:46.350 Just because you spent all that time doesn't mean it's a hundred percent right throughout 142 00:09:46.350 --> 00:09:50.870 the year. So revisit it updated. Hopefully you're not changing it dramatically, 143 00:09:50.029 --> 00:09:52.779 but you may have to. A lot of things change in the business. 144 00:09:52.820 --> 00:09:56.940 Yeah, for sure. For sure, I think that that's an important distinction 145 00:09:56.059 --> 00:10:03.059 you make there between the strategy, which is like this overall goals, shared 146 00:10:03.100 --> 00:10:05.379 vision and, you know, ultimate thing that we're looking to achieve, and 147 00:10:05.539 --> 00:10:09.450 the plan. I think the plan, like you, like you're talking about, 148 00:10:09.850 --> 00:10:11.809 does have to be flexible. I mean I think if you were, 149 00:10:11.809 --> 00:10:16.769 if you're too rigid when you with this idea of executing in service of your 150 00:10:16.850 --> 00:10:20.370 strategy, too rigid there, then you end up, you know, executing 151 00:10:20.440 --> 00:10:24.480 bad ideas even after you realize that they weren't the best ideas. And so, 152 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:28.320 yeah, I'm glad that you that you've made that, that distinction, 153 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:33.720 and you talked about before making sure that we socialize and share when it comes 154 00:10:33.799 --> 00:10:37.029 to this strategy and this plan, because, as we all know, that 155 00:10:37.269 --> 00:10:43.190 is super important both within a marketing team and between the marketing team and the 156 00:10:43.269 --> 00:10:48.950 rest of the revenue growth team, right including sales, and so talk a 157 00:10:48.990 --> 00:10:54.580 little bit about how how the plans strategy evolves once we start looking at it 158 00:10:54.620 --> 00:10:56.980 as an entire revenue roof team. Yep, absolutely, and I think you 159 00:10:58.100 --> 00:11:01.779 know we use share a lot and I think it's a really powerful word and 160 00:11:01.899 --> 00:11:05.649 it's important to do. But the piece that sometimes we're missing in that is 161 00:11:05.730 --> 00:11:09.570 the collaboration. So I can share my plan and that's great and people are 162 00:11:09.649 --> 00:11:13.649 probably going to head nod like Yep, that makes sense, I like it. 163 00:11:13.169 --> 00:11:16.929 But have we truly collaborated at the atomic level? Have we going back 164 00:11:18.129 --> 00:11:24.480 to early days of developing that strategy and plan and saying, are we on 165 00:11:24.840 --> 00:11:26.759 in line? Here, are we aligned, and here are the things we're 166 00:11:26.759 --> 00:11:30.159 going to start doing? How does that impact your team? What would you 167 00:11:30.200 --> 00:11:33.509 rather have happened? How do we work through this so that happens before sharing, 168 00:11:33.549 --> 00:11:37.110 because sharing feels very passive. Right. I'm telling you, Niki, 169 00:11:37.190 --> 00:11:41.590 about my team and you're like yeah, or my plan, like yeah, 170 00:11:41.590 --> 00:11:45.629 that sounds great, but have I really engaged you? Have I enrolled you 171 00:11:45.830 --> 00:11:50.019 in that process? And the answer is probably know. So how do you 172 00:11:50.100 --> 00:11:52.620 do that throughout the whole thing? And that's Checkens, that's, you know, 173 00:11:52.740 --> 00:11:56.779 making sure that the right people of their voices are there, because then 174 00:11:56.820 --> 00:12:00.059 all of a sudden they're bought in and they're bought in and at a level 175 00:12:00.259 --> 00:12:03.250 that is much more than just a head nod. So that really helps in 176 00:12:03.289 --> 00:12:07.690 terms of the rollout and the revisit to say hey, you know, remember, 177 00:12:07.250 --> 00:12:09.850 Susie, when we met on this early days, this sounded like the 178 00:12:09.929 --> 00:12:13.409 right way. Tell me why your team is not not working with us on 179 00:12:13.529 --> 00:12:16.279 this now, because I want to understand that. So you can kind of 180 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:22.000 hold people accountable. But again, remember they're invested because their outcomes are based 181 00:12:22.039 --> 00:12:26.639 on your success. So how do you bring that in ruly days? That's 182 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:28.440 the critical part. It's not like hey, y'all, here's our plan. 183 00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:31.190 It's amazing, right, and everyone's like yeah, it is, that's great. 184 00:12:31.389 --> 00:12:35.230 It's before then. Yeah, and it's, like you mentioned as well. 185 00:12:35.909 --> 00:12:39.149 One of the ways to do that right, to make sure to bake 186 00:12:39.230 --> 00:12:43.029 in, as you say, into the plan pie. It's this delicious plan 187 00:12:43.190 --> 00:12:48.100 by is to make sure that the outcomes that are being measured are are aligned 188 00:12:48.139 --> 00:12:52.299 as well, and you made no bones about it that. You said we're 189 00:12:52.340 --> 00:12:58.289 not playing this EMUL IMQL game and and that. Listen, if we're really 190 00:12:58.330 --> 00:13:03.169 going to be aligned, then we have to be aligned on on those tpis. 191 00:13:03.570 --> 00:13:05.450 Yea. And how we're being measured. So talk a little bit about 192 00:13:05.490 --> 00:13:09.690 that for us. Yep, absolutely. So I will tell you that it 193 00:13:09.850 --> 00:13:13.480 is made my life hard. I've made my own life difficult. But at 194 00:13:13.559 --> 00:13:16.080 one point, and I tell you, Nikki, there was an experience dance 195 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:20.200 I had with a company we acquired and I was like, Oh, this 196 00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:22.840 is great, there's a lot of health in the pipeline. And when I 197 00:13:22.919 --> 00:13:26.200 really dug into it, I realized there wasn't. It was a lot of 198 00:13:26.360 --> 00:13:30.629 padding in the database and things and I realized that even though the numbers showed 199 00:13:30.669 --> 00:13:33.789 up good on charts, they weren't viable. So if you only look at 200 00:13:33.830 --> 00:13:37.029 himpls, that's not enough. And I said, you know what I I 201 00:13:37.029 --> 00:13:39.389 don't want to be that person, I want to be that marketer. So 202 00:13:39.710 --> 00:13:46.620 I said marketing, our whole team, our function, needs to be closer 203 00:13:46.740 --> 00:13:50.059 to revenue. So I said I will take a coverage number for opportunity. 204 00:13:50.100 --> 00:13:54.809 Dollars Create and Revenue Create by marketing. Now, trust me when I say 205 00:13:54.929 --> 00:14:00.649 that made my life hard and it became very real. So in every pipeline 206 00:14:00.649 --> 00:14:05.850 and every forecast meeting, marketing Kpis or up on the screen because we're top 207 00:14:05.889 --> 00:14:09.529 of the funnel and we're doing things that are, you know, indicative of 208 00:14:09.730 --> 00:14:13.759 how the sales pipe is going to roll. So it became real and our 209 00:14:13.879 --> 00:14:16.840 team, every team meeting, those were the first things we started with. 210 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:22.000 So having that discipline, having that understanding, takes out some of the things 211 00:14:22.120 --> 00:14:28.789 that people can can use to justify things that don't perform. So, you 212 00:14:28.870 --> 00:14:31.470 know, the MQOLS are away to get there. Absolutely like I understand that. 213 00:14:31.789 --> 00:14:35.590 But the reality is, are we delivering true value of business and that 214 00:14:35.830 --> 00:14:41.620 is in revenue generation. So that's when it became real and that's when all 215 00:14:41.659 --> 00:14:45.940 the plans mapped to that and that's when, honestly, I got the respect 216 00:14:46.059 --> 00:14:50.940 of finance and of sales and of everybody else in the company because marketing became 217 00:14:52.059 --> 00:14:56.450 real and not just to make things look nice group. So that that's our 218 00:14:56.570 --> 00:15:01.210 credibility, that is our right to sit at the table, because we are 219 00:15:01.250 --> 00:15:05.370 right there and, you know, being involved in valuation conversations around you know, 220 00:15:05.450 --> 00:15:09.960 in the road shows we were able to put up a really strong story 221 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:13.600 that the marketing engine is viable and here's what we're doing, and so valuations 222 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:18.879 became more attractive because of that. It's not just sales yeah, I love 223 00:15:18.919 --> 00:15:22.309 it. I love it so much, and what you hit on is something 224 00:15:22.350 --> 00:15:26.149 that I'm speaking with the gentleman kyl and Loundine, and he mentioned the same 225 00:15:26.149 --> 00:15:28.909 thing you're talking about right as having a number, giving marketing a number. 226 00:15:28.909 --> 00:15:33.789 He said that when sales people come in, he tells them that they can 227 00:15:33.590 --> 00:15:39.419 count on something like whatever. The number was like two deals a month directly 228 00:15:39.539 --> 00:15:43.500 sourced from marketing. So he was giving them like a hard number of people 229 00:15:43.539 --> 00:15:48.019 on his marketing team, like you guys, must produce x amount of new 230 00:15:48.100 --> 00:15:52.529 opportunities or the sales team in this timeframe, and I just think, I 231 00:15:52.690 --> 00:15:54.490 mean that's that's incredible. I can see how it make your lives harder, 232 00:15:54.769 --> 00:16:00.450 but I also see how how it plays into this shared goal idea and this 233 00:16:00.730 --> 00:16:06.679 this achieving this alignment that everybody is pushing for these days. So so, 234 00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:11.879 yeah, you're you're on to something. I will see. We'll see how 235 00:16:11.879 --> 00:16:15.000 it plays out, niking. So now now, Chirsty, that I've successfully 236 00:16:15.279 --> 00:16:18.440 picked your brain and seeing what I could get out of it, it's time 237 00:16:18.830 --> 00:16:22.190 for you to tell us what you're putting in it. So tell us about 238 00:16:22.269 --> 00:16:26.309 a learning resource that you have engaged with here recently. That is either performing 239 00:16:26.350 --> 00:16:29.950 your approach or it's just got you excited these days. Yeah, absolutely. 240 00:16:30.110 --> 00:16:33.580 So two things. One is, as I mentioned, because I get to, 241 00:16:33.899 --> 00:16:37.299 and I do say get to, sell to marketers. We have people 242 00:16:37.340 --> 00:16:40.940 who inform me every day as our customer base. So we have a leadership 243 00:16:41.059 --> 00:16:44.980 council and I learned from these friends every day about what they're faced with, 244 00:16:45.179 --> 00:16:48.330 because every organization's different, the way they're structured. So anytime I get to 245 00:16:48.409 --> 00:16:52.529 talk to a customer I am that much smarter. The other pieces, I 246 00:16:52.690 --> 00:16:59.889 am super, super crazy for the come out of the Challenger Sale, which 247 00:16:59.889 --> 00:17:06.119 I'm still passionate about. But Seeb was acquired by Gartner and CEB Brett Adamson. 248 00:17:06.359 --> 00:17:11.720 Is All about buyer enablement and that is again, I almost hesitate to 249 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:14.880 say those words because I'll get an roll from people on my team, but 250 00:17:15.480 --> 00:17:19.349 it's how do we make it easier for people to buy from us, and 251 00:17:19.549 --> 00:17:23.710 that has been my watch word. So I am consuming everything around that. 252 00:17:25.309 --> 00:17:26.990 You know, we go out as marketers. Were like hey, here's our 253 00:17:27.069 --> 00:17:32.180 cool stuff, don't you want some? Instead of finding the jobs to be 254 00:17:32.299 --> 00:17:36.660 done on the by side. What questions are being asked? Help them understand 255 00:17:36.819 --> 00:17:38.900 more so they know when not to buy from US and when to buy from 256 00:17:38.900 --> 00:17:42.700 us. Right, like we're not everything for every buddy. So how do 257 00:17:42.819 --> 00:17:47.329 we help them? So that's where I'm really engaged. I think I probably 258 00:17:47.369 --> 00:17:52.009 read eight pieces in the past two days that are put out by the gardener 259 00:17:52.089 --> 00:17:56.170 machine around fire enablement, that landscape and tool kits. And how do you 260 00:17:56.450 --> 00:17:59.960 revel website to do that? How do you serve them buying guides, like 261 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:03.119 I'm all about that because it's super actionable. Right. It's a lot of 262 00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:07.079 that sounds like a fun rabbit hole, the buyer enablement rabbit hole. Yes, 263 00:18:07.240 --> 00:18:11.720 who doesn't want to create a frictionless buying experience? I listen as a 264 00:18:11.759 --> 00:18:15.990 salesperson. What we run into is basically the coaching around that a lot of 265 00:18:17.190 --> 00:18:21.829 time and listen, no shade to anybody that I sold alongside or coach to 266 00:18:21.950 --> 00:18:26.740 the but a lot of it is like how to avoid those. Conversations are 267 00:18:26.740 --> 00:18:32.259 around what friction the buyer is up against when it comes that or how to 268 00:18:32.460 --> 00:18:37.539 overcome that friction as an objection versus. How to remove that friction in the 269 00:18:37.579 --> 00:18:41.450 case might just be that it's not a sales function to remove that friction in 270 00:18:41.569 --> 00:18:45.609 the in the larger sense. Yeah, but I I feel you. Yeah, 271 00:18:45.650 --> 00:18:48.890 yes, that's that's the thing that that needs to be. I think 272 00:18:48.930 --> 00:18:52.569 that's like the next frontier, right. So as as all these disciplines, 273 00:18:52.569 --> 00:18:56.720 all of us are sort of re rebranding or redefining our identities, right as 274 00:18:56.759 --> 00:19:00.599 who we are as Markos, who we are as salespeople, and customer centric 275 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:04.759 becomes this buzzy thing. I think the way to bring it beyond just being 276 00:19:04.839 --> 00:19:10.670 buzzy and into into action, into practice, is to really start looking at 277 00:19:10.750 --> 00:19:15.390 how to remove friction from the from the buyer experience like that straight up. 278 00:19:15.509 --> 00:19:18.309 So thank you for for jet. That's the thing I'm looking for when I 279 00:19:18.349 --> 00:19:21.029 ask that question here. You guys. Oh, thank you so much for 280 00:19:21.109 --> 00:19:22.390 that. And I know, I know, Christine, that just like me, 281 00:19:22.789 --> 00:19:26.819 folks listening have become fast fans of yours and they're going to want to 282 00:19:26.859 --> 00:19:29.740 know how to keep up with you. Tell us, tell us how post 283 00:19:29.779 --> 00:19:33.579 can connect with you. Well, I appreciate that. So I think Linkedin 284 00:19:33.740 --> 00:19:37.740 is the best. I'm not the best self marketer, but I do post 285 00:19:37.779 --> 00:19:44.049 a bit on Linkedin and it's Christine Boughta garrow. You just have to find 286 00:19:44.089 --> 00:19:47.970 me on Linkedin and I'd be happy to connect or any conversations. I welcome 287 00:19:48.049 --> 00:19:49.210 it. The more I can learn, the better I am. Yeah, 288 00:19:49.289 --> 00:19:53.359 yes, follow her. Her laur content is fire. I say I speak 289 00:19:53.480 --> 00:19:56.759 for a speak firsthand experience. Thank you so much. There's a million other 290 00:19:56.799 --> 00:20:00.759 questions I'd love to ask you, just based on your experience and how much, 291 00:20:00.759 --> 00:20:02.960 frankly, fun you are to talk to you. So we'll have to 292 00:20:03.079 --> 00:20:06.039 have you on again, but for now we'll close this out. Thank you 293 00:20:06.039 --> 00:20:07.269 so much for being on the show speed it was a pleasure. Thank you, 294 00:20:07.309 --> 00:20:14.950 Nikki. We totally get it. We publish a ton of content on 295 00:20:15.109 --> 00:20:18.349 this podcast and it can be a lot to keep up with. That's why 296 00:20:18.390 --> 00:20:22.980 we've started the BDB growth big three, a no fluff email that boils down 297 00:20:22.140 --> 00:20:26.700 our three biggest takeaways from an entire week of episodes. Sign up today at 298 00:20:26.740 --> 00:20:33.099 Sweet Fish Mediacom big three. That sweet PHISH MEDIACOM Big Three