Lisa Quest’s Post

Sage advice from the impressive Lisa Quest at the Propolis Leaders Forum on how B2B Marketers can work more effectively with the CEO and demonstrate how they deliver value. B2B Marketing Joel Harrison

Unlocking the Secrets to a Sustainable Sales Culture: Strategies That Propel Your Business Forward! 💡🚀 Relatable Anecdote or Story: 📖 Imagine this: In the dynamic world of sales, where change is the only constant, I found myself at a crossroads. The synergy between marketing and sales often gets overlooked, and the key lies in collaboration. Let me share how fostering collaboration across departments became the game-changer in my journey. Business Insight or Lesson: 🧠 In many organizations, the success of a sales team depends on the collaboration between marketing and sales. The unified sales enablement process, aligning training and tools with marketing efforts, creates a cohesive narrative that resonates at every level. It's not just about what the product does but why it matters, creating a solution that speaks to clients on a deeper level. Practical Tips or Takeaways: 🔑 Align sales training with marketing efforts for a cohesive narrative. Create marketing material resonating with prospect needs for quality leads. Look for challenger qualities in future leaders – teach, tailor, and take control. Measure success beyond revenue – consider net promoter scores and employee churn. Merge traditional and innovative sales methods for a nuanced strategy. Engaging Question or Call-to-Action: 🤔 What strategies do you use to foster collaboration between your marketing and sales teams? Share your insights in the comments below! Let's create a space for valuable discussions and exchange of ideas. 🗣️💬 🔍 Relevant Hashtags: 🔍 #SalesCulture #Collaboration #SalesStrategies #BusinessSuccess #Leadership #Innovation #MarketingSalesSynergy #ThoughtLeadership Let's ignite a conversation and empower each other in creating sustainable success! 🌎🤝💼

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐬? It’s a question I’ve asked myself too many times throughout my career. As a marketing leader, I’ve seen the frustration on both sides—marketing delivering leads that sales doesn’t think are qualified, and sales chasing quotas that marketing feels aren’t fully supported. But over time, one thing became clear: true alignment between the CMO and CRO isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for real, measurable success. True alignment isn’t about just agreeing on a strategy—it’s about sharing ownership of outcomes and tracking success together. That’s why tomorrow’s session is so important to me—it’s a deep dive into not just aligning at a high level, but actually tracking success through joint KPIs and understanding how we, as leaders, can work more effectively together. Join us 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 on Thursday, September 26th at 1 pm ET for the '𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐌𝐎 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐑𝐎 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭' coffee chat. With Dilya Abushayeva, Imraan Hassam, Sarah Eppler, RJ Pauloski, Joe Heikkinen, 𝐰𝐞'𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞: • 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 for tracking joint KPIs that drive results • The critical difference between 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 and real, 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐬 • How 𝐀𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 and tighten your team’s connection • The 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬 each leader cares about—and how to bring clarity across teams • The art of 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 and drawing a clear line to revenue  Hope to see you all tomorrow. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐒𝐕𝐏 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤: https://lnkd.in/gRasvtr8 #CMO #CRO #SalesAndMarketing #MarketingLeadership #RevenueGrowth #MarketingAlignment #SalesAlignment #KPITracking #MarketingAttribution

Sales Enablement: Seeing the Industry from the Frontlines I just finished Sales Enablement 3.0 by Roderick Jefferson, and it got me thinking about something I’ve noticed in my own work: Sales enablement gives you a unique view of the industry. Being connected to so many teams—sales, marketing, product—means you naturally stay plugged into what’s happening both inside and outside the company. You see where the market’s going and how competitors are moving, which helps you adjust and keep your business ahead. Here are three takeaways from the book that really hit home: 🔗 Sales Enablement as a Leadership Role: Sales enablement isn’t just about supporting sales teams—it’s about influencing company strategy. When you’re tuned into industry shifts, you can help shape messaging, refine products, and adjust sales tactics to stay competitive. 📊 Executive Buy-In: Enablement shines when it supports decision-making at the highest level. By bringing timely industry insights and competitive intel to the table, we help leadership make smarter, faster business decisions that impact revenue and growth. 🤝 Organizational Advocacy: Sales enablement thrives when you connect the dots between teams. We take what we learn about the industry and share it with sales, marketing, and client success, so everyone’s working from the same playbook. It’s all about making sure insights turn into action. Sales enablement isn’t just about keeping up—it’s about staying ahead. The better we understand the industry, the better we can drive results where it matters most. How does your team turn industry insights into action? #SalesEnablement #Leadership #IndustryInsights #BusinessGrowth #Teamwork

B2B Marketing is so much more than marcomms and project management. Yet we hear regularly how easy it is to sleepwalk into the role being consumed entirely by this. How do B2B Marketers move from esoteric engine room to strategic leadership and core pillar of GTM? This is precisely what we will be discussing at the Propolis leaders round table on May 14th.

Simplify to Succeed. The most effective leaders are obsessed with simplifying complex issues. Teams win when they understand the destination and how they will get there. Take, for example, my recent conversation with Mark Stouse CEO of Proof Analytics, about building brand effectiveness. I am building a framework to measure brand maturity and asked Mark for feedback about my approach. Mark listened carefully and patiently (as he does), and then he said: • "There are only so many things we can control with our brand reputation."    • "Our job as brand managers is to build 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦, 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗙𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧."    • "When we do those things, we increase the probability of earning 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗦...𝗕𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗦...𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗦." As we continued our conversation, we agreed there is a nexus between 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗪𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗬 and 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗪𝗘 𝗗𝗢." Often, GTM teams communicate a value proposition for their product and service that does not reflect the actual customer experience. Our reputation is earned by how we keep our word. 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀. The increased cost of capital and uncertainty about results will stall or kill deals. Brand management is a dynamic and ongoing process. We must be preoccupied with sustainability through various conditions, such as headwinds, tailwinds, and crosswinds. Thanks, Mark. It's always great to speak with you. #fractionalCMO #CMO #Brand #simplify #businessgrowth

Aligning your sales strategies with your brand will lead to maximum impact in today's competitive business landscape. Many of the most highly-grossed companies have mastered this art, and it's a strategy worth emulating. During the previous Sales Leadership Hour, we had the privilege of hosting Pritha Dubey International Sales Trainer Mentor, an experienced sales trainer and mentor, who shared valuable insights on this topic. 👇Here's a recap of her key takeaways: - Understand Your Brand Identity: Clearly define your brand's values, mission, and target audience. This will help you tailor your sales approach to resonate with potential customers. - Align Your Messaging: Ensure that your sales messaging is consistent with your brand's identity and values. This builds trust and credibility with customers. - Create a Seamless Brand Experience: Deliver a consistent brand experience throughout the entire sales process, from initial contact to post-sale support. - Train Your Sales Team: Ensure your sales team understands your brand's values and can effectively communicate them to customers. Aligning your sales strategies with your brand will help you build stronger relationships with customers, increase conversions, and drive long-term business growth. Stay tuned for more updates on the upcoming session of The Sales Leadership Hour. #QueenofSales  #thesalesleadershiphour

Marketing leaders inherently understand the value they can provide businesses. Unfortunately, this value is not always understood or appreciated by the boards and CEOs they report to. As a result, we often see marketing leaders who are left out of strategic conversations, and who are left driving metrics that don’t ultimately translate into revenue. So, why is this, and what can B2B marketing leaders do to build trust and influence with fellow members of the C-suite, in order to enhance their strategic and commercial impact? Well, that’s what we want to find out in the upcoming Propolis leaders roundtable. Hosted by Shane Redding, our Propolis Strategy Expert, this is your opportunity to: 🧠 Understand what's holding B2B marketing leaders back from having greater strategic input, and causing them to be left on a marketing task wheel. 👯 Learn how your peers are showing the commercial value of marketing to the CEO and the board, and the impact this is having on their teams, their companies and their careers. 💡 Share ideas with your peers around how marketing leaders can lead more effective teams, and stop having to justify budget. 📅 Tuesday 14th May 3pm BST/ 10am ET 🏣 B2B Marketing London Offices in Chancery Lane Senior Propolis members, if you'd like to get involved drop me a message and I'll reserve you a place. For members who are overseas, we can offer a virtual spot. #b2bmarketing #TheCommercialMarketer

📈 Executing a Marketing Strategy – When Can You Expect Results? As leaders, we often face the question: How long does it take to see the tangible impact of our marketing efforts? The truth is, impactful results don't happen overnight. It’s a process that requires not only time and patience but also strategic foresight, consistent execution, and collaborative leadership. I’m excited to share a recent story, the one underscoring the power of coordinated teamwork and a customer-centric approach. Over the past few months, as a part of cross-functional team I have been laser-focused on driving results. Here’s our recipe to success: 1️⃣ Customer Engagement – We conducted numerous high-impact meetings to build awareness for our new products. These regular conversations weren’t just transactional—they were about fostering relationships that resonate. 2️⃣ Collaborative Strategy with Regional Sales Teams – I spearheaded multiple sessions with our regional sales teams, aligning our marketing goals with the on-the-ground realities. By taking the time to understand local market nuances, we were able to tailor our strategies for maximum relevance and success. 3️⃣ Leveraging Success Stories – Sharing winning strategies from other regions helped inspire and unify the team, proving that consistent, data-backed efforts yield strong results. 4️⃣ Strategic Product Sampling – Sending out over 50 product samples to key regions was a calculated move. While it’s easy to focus on immediate returns, we knew patience and precision would bring the right results. And today, I’m thrilled to share that our efforts have already begun to pay off—we’ve secured our first two major orders from distributors! 🎉 But is this the time to slow down? Absolutely not! This is just the beginning. Each success is a stepping stone toward even bigger milestones, and it’s through persistence and consistency that we’ll achieve lasting impact. 🚀 Leadership in marketing means driving sustained momentum, staying the course, and celebrating every win as fuel for the next challenge. ‼️ Now, I’d love to hear from you: How long did it take for your strategy to show results? 🤝 Let’s learn from each other — do share your experiences in the comments! 💬 #MarketingLeadership #StrategyExecution #BrandBuilding #Success

When partners feel supported, valued, and equipped, they don’t just achieve their goals—they exceed them, . . and that drives mutual growth. Empowering channel partners is the foundation of successful channel management. Here are a few things that have consistently worked for me: Clear communication: Regular updates and transparency are non-negotiable. Keeping partners informed about product changes, market trends, and opportunities builds trust and ensures alignment. Focused training: Knowledge is power. Whether it’s product training, sales enablement, or market insights, providing partners with the right tools equips them to close deals confidently and effectively. Collaboration over control: Successful partnerships thrive on mutual respect. Treating channel partners as equals, not extensions of your team, fosters innovation and commitment. Collaboration ensures they feel invested in shared success. In today’s competitive landscape, an empowered partner isn’t just a contributor—they’re a strategic asset. ##ChannelPartnerManagement #Leadership #Collaboration #Growth #B2BMarketing #Business