B2B planning and strategy: finding the nuance

Takeaways

1. B2B Marketing Foundations

• Emotion over logic: Fear drives many B2B decisions because buyers aren’t spending their own money. Build trust to ease this fear.
• Simplify strategies: Avoid overly complex plans. Focus on 2-3 impactful strategies that align with business goals.

2. Practical Marketing Strategy Tips

• Conduct a realistic marketing review to understand your starting point.
• Align marketing objectives directly with business goals and set realistic budgets (e.g., 4-8% of revenue for growth-focused companies).
• Use success indicators (not just KPIs) to measure what’s working and iterate accordingly.

3. Sales-Marketing Alignment

• Educate sales teams with data to showcase marketing’s impact.
• Push for shared systems (e.g., integrated CRM) to ensure smooth collaboration.
• Maintain confidence—don’t laugh off dismissive comments like “colouring-in team.”

4. Content and Branding

• Focus on consistent content creation to build trust and attract long-term leads.
• Encourage sales teams to develop personal brands and create content—it’s often more relatable than company-branded content.
• Use humor only if it aligns with your brand and tone.

5. Trends for 2025

• AI as a teammate: Learn to manage AI effectively—it can save time and resources.
• Self-service options: Make it easier for prospects to engage without requiring sales calls (e.g., explainer videos, online demos).
• Brand-building for the long term: Even if sales cycles are lengthy, consistent brand-building efforts are crucial for future success.

Transcript

Introduction

• Host: Hello lovely human beings! It’s so lovely to see you here. Feel free to drop where you’re tuning in from in the chat. Switch the chat to “everyone” so all can see your messages.
• Shoutouts: Jake in London, Beatric in London, someone from Turkey, Bristol, Renata (Brazilian in Germany), and Sarah in Grand Rapids, USA.

Speaker Introduction

• Today’s speaker: Jade Tambini, B2B marketing coach and course leader at the B2B Breakthrough Academy.
• Described by others as “perfect fit” and by herself as a mix between Monica (Friends) and Sophia (Girlboss).

Sponsor Acknowledgement

• Featured sponsor: Exclaimer (email signature management). Also thanks to Frontify, Cambridge Marketing College, Plannable, Redgate, ScoreApp, and Storyblok.

Jade’s Opening: The Human Side of B2B Marketing

• Empathy for Marketers: Many struggle with imposter syndrome and workplace challenges, especially in B2B. Often overworked and misunderstood.
• Why B2B?:
  • B2B decisions often driven by fear and involve multiple stakeholders.
  • Marketing misunderstood due to comparisons with B2C simplicity.

Key Insight: B2B marketing isn’t always logical; fear and emotional decision-making play a big role.

Strategic Marketing in B2B

• Simplified Strategy Framework (6 Steps):
  1. Marketing Review: Honest assessment of what’s working and what’s not.
  2. Objectives and Budget: Align objectives with company goals and set realistic budgets.
  3. Select Effective Strategies: Focus on 2-3 strategies to do well.
  4. Tactics: Specific actions under each strategy.
  5. Control and Measurement: Define KPIs (or “success indicators”) and track impact.
  6. Leadership Buy-In: Present strategy clearly to secure support.

Focus: Avoid overcomplicating strategy; keep it practical and achievable.

Challenges in B2B Marketing

• Sales and Marketing Alignment:
  • Often misaligned due to cultural and operational divides.
  • Solutions: Build trust through transparency, reduce jargon, and educate sales teams.
  • Jade’s ideal: Sales teams as part of marketing, focusing on closing deals.
• Short-term vs. Long-term Thinking:
  • B2B sales cycles are long, requiring patience and consistency.
  • Invest in brand building (content creation, nurturing relationships) alongside short-term activations.

Trends for 2025

1. AI Integration:
   • Huge cost/time savings by using AI tools effectively.
   • Marketers need to learn AI management and prompting.
2. Sales Teams as Content Creators:
   • Encourage personal branding and thought leadership among salespeople.
3. Self-service Options:
   • Customers prefer self-service platforms with video explainers and clear pathways over direct sales contact.

Note: Trends should enhance, not distract from, strategic fundamentals.

Practical Tips for Solo B2B Marketers

• Budgeting:
  • Allocate 4-8% of annual sales revenue to marketing, adjusting for goals, competition, and brand recognition.
• Prioritisation:
  • Focus on essentials like customer insights, CRM setup, and key account support.

Community Q&A Highlights

• **Using Humour in B

4o

You said:

This isn’t a transcript, this is a summary

ChatGPT said:

ChatGPT

Got it! Here’s the readable, edited transcript for your audience while maintaining the conversational tone:

Host: Hello, lovely human beings! I hope you’re doing great. It’s so, so lovely to see you here already. I can see so many folks popping into the chat—feel free to share where you’re watching from! Thank you all so much—you’re complete legends.

Host reads chat responses:

• Jake in London.
• Beatric in London as well.
• Devon in Guilford.
• Someone from Turkey and others from Bristol.
• Renata says, “I’m a Brazilian living in Germany.” What a fabulous combination!
• Sarah’s tuning in from Grand Rapids, USA.

If you haven’t already, pop into the chat where you’re watching from and make sure to switch your messages to “everyone” so we can all see them.

Speaker Introduction

Today, we have the absolutely incredible Jade Tambini! Usually, I’d say something nice about the speaker here, but I’ll hand it over to Laura, our Cardiff organiser, who said:
“Jade would be the perfect fit! Honestly, I can’t speak more highly of her—she really knows her stuff.”

Jade describes herself as a mix between Monica from Friends and Sophia from Girlboss. She’s held leading positions in PLCs and is now a marketing coach and course leader at the B2B Breakthrough Academy, which launches its live format this January. If today’s session leaves you wanting more, check out the Academy—it’s going to be fab!

Sponsor Shoutout

A big thank you to today’s featured sponsor, Exclaimer. I love their product because it focuses on the little things that matter—like email signature consistency, which can also double as a marketing channel. Thank you also to Frontify, Cambridge Marketing College, Plannable, Redgate, ScoreApp, and Storyblok for making these sessions possible.

Opening Conversation

Host: Jade, let’s start with a grounding question. From your posts, it’s clear you have deep empathy for marketers, particularly in B2B. Where does this come from? And why focus on B2B?

Jade: Thanks so much for having me—I’m honoured to be here! Hi, everyone.

I’ve faced tough experiences in B2B myself. When I left the corporate world, I started sharing my thoughts on TikTok, thinking my experiences were unique. Turns out, they’re universal. Imposter syndrome, for instance—it’s not just me.

When I started my business in 2016, I coached marketers one-to-one. People would share their deepest fears with me, things they couldn’t say at work. In corporate settings, especially in B2B, there’s this façade—people are scared to show vulnerability, especially when working with sales teams.

B2B struggles also stem from constant comparisons to B2C. People assume marketing is magic—“just run an ad, and we’ll get success!” They don’t see the massive teams and agencies behind B2C campaigns.

Key Insights on B2B Marketing

1. Emotions in B2B:
   • A common misconception is that B2B decisions are purely logical. In reality, fear is a major driver—it’s not your money, so there’s more at stake. This fear often leads to overly cautious decision-making.
2. The Buying Process:
   • B2B buying is more robust and collaborative than B2C. Multiple stakeholders with different priorities are involved, making the process complex.
3. The Importance of Strategy:
   • Many marketers either present a to-do list as their “strategy” or rely on an unapproachable consultant-created document. There’s a need for practical, actionable strategies that align with business goals.

Host: I love how you emphasised fear and emotion in B2B—it’s not something we talk about enough.

Simplifying Marketing Strategy

Jade’s Six-Step Approach:

1. Marketing Review: Assess what’s working, what’s not, and the current business position.
2. Objectives & Budget: Align marketing objectives with business goals and allocate budgets realistically.
3. Select Strategies: Focus on 2-3 impactful strategies instead of a long list.
4. Tactics: Brainstorm activities within the chosen strategies.
5. Control & Measurement: Use clear success indicators to track progress.
6. Leadership Buy-In: Present the strategy in a way that engages leadership and secures their support.

Audience Questions

Q: How can marketers align better with sales?
Jade: Sales-marketing alignment often suffers from cultural issues. A few tips:

• Don’t laugh off “colouring-in team” jokes—assert your value respectfully.
• Educate sales with data—calmly show how marketing supports growth.
• Push for shared systems and CRM integration to foster collaboration.

Trends for 2025

1. AI Integration:

• AI isn’t a threat—it’s a teammate. Learning how to use AI effectively will be a key skill for marketers.

2. Sales as Personal Brands:

• Salespeople should embrace content creation to build trust and generate leads.

3. Self-Service in B2B:

• Make it easier for prospects to access information without requiring a call. Provide explainer videos and self-service options.

Host: Jade, thank you for an incredible session! Your empathy, insights, and practical tips have been inspiring. To everyone here, don’t forget to connect with Jade and check out the B2B Breakthrough Academy.

Join us next week for Louise Cook on local marketing strategies—don’t miss it! Thank you all for being such a brilliant audience.

Jade: Thanks so much! Bye, everyone!