The Revenue-Driven CMO Chris Mechanic

Today’s guest is Adam Robinson, the CEO of Retention.com & RB2B. Adam and Host Chris Mechanic dive into how to run a successful Founder-led content strategy on LinkedIn, why content-market fit is crucial, and why personal stories work best for engaging with buyers. They also discuss how to build growth loops with your content and the benefits of different content distribution strategies.
 
Takeaways:
When creating content, be vulnerable and tell authentic stories. Sharing challenges, failures, and insights not only humanizes your brand but can cut through the noise on platforms like LinkedIn. It fosters a deeper connection with your audience.
Thought Leadership Should Flow from the Founder. Even if not directly selling, a constant stream of insights and thoughts from the company leadership can significantly boost team morale, attract top talent, and position your company as a leader in the industry.
Like product-market fit, finding your content market fit - what resonates deeply with your target audience - requires perseverance, curiosity, and dedication. Adapt and refine your content strategy based on feedback and engagement.
Your content efforts must be tailored based on whether your audience is active and engaged on the platforms you choose to focus on. This can significantly impact the effectiveness of your marketing strategies.
Regular, meaningful posts that offer genuine insights or value tend to create and maintain engagement. Being consistent helps in building a reliable presence that your audience looks forward to interacting with.
Use personal stories and experiences in your content. Sharing personal anecdotes or insights can significantly enhance the relatability and impact of your posts. It showcases real experiences which are often more compelling than generic content.
Investing in LinkedIn content won’t make you really famous, but if done right, you'll become famous in a small niche of the world, which helps you and your company in every single way. Forming a parasocial relationship with tens of thousands of people in your market is a very good thing for business. 
 
Quote of the Show:
“I have people hurling themselves to work for me. My Glassdoor rating is a 2.” - Adam Robinson
 
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/retentionadam/ 
Retention.com Website: https://retention.com/ 
RB2B Website: https://www.rb2b.com/ 
Adam’s Cease & Desist Post on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/retentionadam_cease-and-desist-activity-7188637237247459331-KOse?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop 
 
Shoutouts: 
Founder Brand by Dave Gerhardt
Chase Diamond: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chasediamond/ 
Daniel Murray: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing/ 
 
Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7334aa0c-702a-47aa-8c55-760fa2cf4dda/the-revenue-driven-cmo 
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-driven-cmo/id1444680950   
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1OCuYchAG8TlGv82YARRhy?si=60a093a194c64c17 
iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-revenue-driven-cmo-99614345/ 
Listen Notes: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-revenue-driven-cmo-chris-mechanic-rdU1oESluqs/
YouTube: https://youtu.be/6PmFWV0DRj0 
 
The Revenue-Driven CMO is sponsored by WebMechanix, the performance marketing agency that makes you smarter. Learn more at https://www.webmechanix.com/ 

The Revenue-Driven CMO is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is an experienced business leader specialized in revenue-driving go-to-market strategy, data-driven business innovation, building high-performing marketing teams with 10x measurable business impact. Carolyn Bao is the VP of Marketing at AppsFlyer and an Advisor at FlowGPT. Carolyn and Host Chris Mechanic explore the importance of curiosity as a key component of any marketer, how to reach better decisions through a scientific risk versus reward analysis, and what MarTech advancements you should be looking into.
 
Takeaways:
Embrace curiosity as a core competency. Encourage your marketing team to ask "why" behind every strategy and decision. This builds a deeper understanding and can lead to more innovative solutions.
Implement a structured approach to evaluate the risk and reward presented by different opportunities. This helps others on your team make more data-driven decisions by knowing how to balance the potential benefits against the risks.
As a marketing leader, it’s your job to create an environment where taking calculated risks is encouraged and failure is seen as a step towards success. Most of the biggest lessons come from the biggest failures.
Promote an atmosphere where team members are encouraged to explore areas outside their immediate expertise, fostering a culture of lifelong learners and versatile marketers.
Invest in deeply-understanding your audience. Dedicate resources to both primary and secondary research to deeply understand your customers. This knowledge should drive your marketing strategies, ensuring they are customer-centric.
Stay aware of advancements in emerging technologies such as generative AI and data collaboration tools. Understand their potential impact on marketing strategies and prepare your team to leverage these technologies effectively.
Encourage ownership and accountability so that every member of your team feels like an owner of their projects, responsible for outcomes, and empowered to make decisions.
 
Quote of the Show:
“The best growth usually comes from the worst failures.” - Carolyn Bao
 
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynbao/ 
AppsFlyer Website: https://www.appsflyer.com/ 
FlowGPT Website: https://flowgpt.com/ 
 
Shoutouts:
Antonio Lucio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonio-lucio-72b6bb13/ 
Emory University
80/20 Marketing by Perry Marshall 
Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don't by Professor Jeffrey Pfeiffer
Principles by Ray Dalio
Becoming by Michelle Obama
 
Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7334aa0c-702a-47aa-8c55-760fa2cf4dda/the-revenue-driven-cmo 
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-driven-cmo/id1444680950   
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1OCuYchAG8TlGv82YARRhy?si=60a093a194c64c17 
iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-revenue-driven-cmo-99614345/ 
Listen Notes: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-revenue-driven-cmo-chris-mechanic-rdU1oESluqs/
YouTube: https://youtu.be/1wKeeIeVkCA
 
The Revenue-Driven CMO is sponsored by WebMechanix, the performance marketing agency that makes you smarter. Learn more at https://www.webmechanix.com/ 
 
The Revenue-Driven CMO is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/ 
 

Today’s guest is a dynamic, data-driven, and award-winning marketing exec with both public and pre-IPO experience in the B2B hyper-growth space. For more than 20 years, he's developed brands, integrated marketing programs, and positioning to really drive business outcomes at companies like Salesforce, AppDynamics, Five9, and Logic Monitor. 
 
Ryan Kam is the new CMO of Egnyte, a cloud content security and governance platform that is trusted by 16,000+ businesses worldwide. Ryan joins Host Chris Mechanic for an in-depth discussion of his “Calculated Creativity” philosophy, how marketing leaders should allot their budgets to include innovation, and why authenticity is such a critical component of great messaging.
 
Takeaways:
Embrace the idea of “Calculated Creativity”. Blend data-driven decision-making with creative risks to innovate and break patterns in marketing strategies. This combination is crucial for standing out in saturated markets.
Allocate resources with 70% on foundational marketing activities that drive awareness and pipeline, 20% on optimizing what works, and 10% on exploring new, innovative ideas that could be game-changers.
Recognize the importance of storytelling in conveying complex data and analytics in a way that resonates with your audience. Use storytelling to make data compelling and memorable.
Concentrate on revealing what’s already awesome about your company and culture through your messaging. Authenticity and distinctness in messaging can significantly impact audience engagement.
Always be in a state of learning and adapting, especially with the rapid evolution of technology and AI in marketing. Continuously seek out and test new platforms, tools, and strategies.
Prioritize listening and adaptability. Listen to your team, your audience, and your data. Be adaptable in your approach and willing to pivot based on new insights, feedback, or changes in the market.
Emphasize the long-term value of brand and awareness activities, even in a performance-driven marketing environment. These efforts are essential for entry into new markets and long-term growth.
 
Quote of the Show:
“It's not my job to create messaging. My job is to reveal what's already awesome about the culture and the company and highlight that in an authentic, distinct way.” - Ryan Kam
 
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanjkam/ 
Egnyte Website: https://www.egnyte.com/ 
 
Shoutouts: 
RB2B.com: https://www.rb2b.com/ 
HeyGen: https://www.heygen.com/ 
Rask AI: https://www.rask.ai/ 
TikTok Ad Library: https://library.tiktok.com/ads/ 
Algorithms To Live By by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths
Made To Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
 
Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7334aa0c-702a-47aa-8c55-760fa2cf4dda/the-revenue-driven-cmo 
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-driven-cmo/id1444680950   
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1OCuYchAG8TlGv82YARRhy?si=60a093a194c64c17 
iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-revenue-driven-cmo-99614345/ 
Listen Notes: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-revenue-driven-cmo-chris-mechanic-rdU1oESluqs/
YouTube: https://youtu.be/GiKOd0U6FtQ 
 
The Revenue-Driven CMO is sponsored by WebMechanix, the performance marketing agency that makes you smarter. Learn more at https://www.webmechanix.com/ 
 
The Revenue-Driven CMO is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/ 

Today’s guest is a seasoned marketing executive known for her successful track record in leading companies through transformational growth. Cindy Zhou is the CMO of KnowBe4, an Advisor for Sendoso, and a Founding Member of CMOHuddles. Cindy joins Host Chris Mechanic to dig into the importance of customer empathy as a pivotal element for marketing success, highlighting the need for personal interactions over data-driven assumptions. Cindy shares her strategic approach to customer engagement, emphasizing the significance of listening to sales calls and directly communicating with customers to truly grasp their needs and motivations.
 
Takeaways:
Gain a deep understanding of your customers' motivations and challenges by actively listening to sales calls and engaging directly with customers whenever possible. This foundational step is crucial for truly resonant marketing strategies.
Encourage the entire marketing team, regardless of their role, to directly engage with customers and listen to their feedback. This could include joining sales or onboarding calls and responding personally to customer inquiries to foster deeper connections and gain firsthand insight into their needs and experiences.
Use AI tools like Gong, Chorus, or similar, to analyze sales calls to better understand of customer language and needs. These insights can then inform content creation, ensuring messaging aligns with actual customer expressions and concerns.
Utilize established frameworks, like Donald Miller's StoryBrand, to craft company messaging. This approach helps in structuring messages that resonate deeply with customers by positioning their needs and outcomes at the center of the narrative.
Integrate learnings from customer onboarding sessions into marketing strategies. This may involve tailoring content or campaigns based on common questions or challenges faced by new customers, thus improving engagement and reducing churn.
Given the preference for quick consumption, experiment with creating concise, engaging video content that can quickly capture attention and convey key messages. This aligns with current social media trends and consumer preferences.
Encourage ongoing learning within the team, including staying up-to-date with the latest marketing tools, trends, and customer behavior insights. Foster an environment where experimentation and innovation are encouraged.
 
Quote of the Show:
“Nothing beats actually talking to customers” - Cindy Zhou
 
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindyzhou/ 
Website: https://www.knowbe4.com/ 
The Inside Man Series: https://insideman.knowbe4.com/ 
 
Shoutouts: 
Donald Miller: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-miller-storybrand/ 
Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
Tomi.ai: https://tomi.ai/ 
Winning by Jack Welch
The Leader You Want to Be by Amy Jen Su



Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7334aa0c-702a-47aa-8c55-760fa2cf4dda/the-revenue-driven-cmo 
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-driven-cmo/id1444680950   
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1OCuYchAG8TlGv82YARRhy?si=60a093a194c64c17 
iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-revenue-driven-cmo-99614345/ 
Listen Notes: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-revenue-driven-cmo-chris-mechanic-rdU1oESluqs/
YouTube:
 
The Revenue-Driven CMO is sponsored by WebMechanix, the performance marketing agency that makes you smarter. Learn more at https://www.webmechanix.com/ 
 
The Revenue-Driven CMO is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/ 
 

Today’s guest has played pivotal marketing roles at high growth companies like Conga and InContact. Randy Littleson is the CMO of Salesloft. Randy joins Host Chris Mechanic to discuss the impact of align marketing goals with revenue goals, how to succeed by including the sales team in your planning, and why marketing’s job doesn’t end at the top of the funnel. Randy also shares how he’s thinking about AI’s place in B2B sales tools and what Salesloft’s acquisition of Drift will mean for future sellers and sales organizations.
 
Takeaways:
Align marketing goals with sales and the broader organizational revenue objectives. This ensures every marketing effort contributes directly to the bottom line. Regularly communicate with the sales team to update goals and strategies, ensuring alignment at all times.
Develop an operational framework that supports your aligned goals. This might include clear plans, timelines, and KPIs that both sales and marketing teams can work towards.
Avoid "random acts of marketing" by sticking to a plan that is cohesive, strategic, and directly linked to company-wide revenue goals.
Over-communicate plans, successes, and lessons learned with both the sales team and within the marketing team itself. This ensures everyone is on the same page and can contribute to refining and executing strategies.
Involve sales teams in planning marketing campaigns. Their insights can provide valuable direction and ensure the marketing efforts are more targeted and effective.
View marketing and sales not as separate entities but as parts of a single revenue-generating team. This perspective helps in creating strategies that are more holistic and encompassing of the entire customer journey.
Marketing’s job is full cycle. That means marketers should not only focus on lead generation but also on enabling sales to close more deals and post-sale customer engagement.
 
Quote of the Show:
“Marketing’s job is full-cycle.” - Randy Littleson
 
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randylittleson/ 
Salesloft Website: https://www.salesloft.com/ 
 
Shoutouts: 
Feedly: https://feedly.com/
 
Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7334aa0c-702a-47aa-8c55-760fa2cf4dda/the-revenue-driven-cmo 
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-driven-cmo/id1444680950   
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1OCuYchAG8TlGv82YARRhy?si=60a093a194c64c17 
iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-revenue-driven-cmo-99614345/ 
Listen Notes: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-revenue-driven-cmo-chris-mechanic-rdU1oESluqs/
YouTube: https://youtu.be/Cbr_5sW8Tec 
 
The Revenue-Driven CMO is sponsored by WebMechanix, the performance marketing agency that makes you smarter. Learn more at https://www.webmechanix.com/ 

The Revenue-Driven CMO is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest has over 25 years of marketing experience in which she has executed campaigns for household name brands like Wachovia, Energizer, Safeway, Nabisco, Ocean Spray, Black Decker, and many others. She is also a founding member of the DC Chapter of CHIEF, which is an organization devoted to connecting and empowering women in leadership. Pam Piligian is the Chief Marketing Officer of Navy Federal Credit Union. Pam joins Host Chris Mechanic to discuss an extremely powerful quote from the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg that every marketer should live by. Pam also shares why continual testing and iteration are crucial to succeeding in marketing, how to prioritize customer privacy while utilizing their data, and how to use storytelling to reach multiple audiences with different needs.
 
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RfANEBoAi-4
 
Takeaways:
Always align marketing efforts with revenue generation. Brand awareness and metrics are important, but they must ultimately contribute to the company's bottom line. Encourage your team to always question how their projects contribute to revenue to maintain focus on impactful activities.
In the planning stages of every marketing campaign, ask how it will add value or serve your audience. This builds trust and loyalty over time as part of the ongoing relationship between your brand and your customers.
Marketing is a relationship business. Every interaction and touchpoint with your brand is an opportunity to deepen the connection with your audience.
Utilize the data available to you to tailor your marketing efforts to the unique needs and preferences of your audience. In so doing, be mindful of the insights customer data provides while also considering your customer’s privacy.
Implement a continuous testing environment. It promotes innovation and ensures you are always ahead in understanding what resonates with your audience.
Create an atmosphere where it's safe to take risks and embrace failures. Celebrate learning from failures as much as celebrating successes. This fosters innovation and encourages team members to propose bold ideas.
Encourage each member of your marketing team to find activities that recharge them and ensure they make their personal well-being a priority alongside their professional responsibilities.
 
Quote of the Show:
“All CMOs really have to be revenue-driven. We can talk about brand metrics til the cows come home, but until that can turn into revenue, it's a missing gap.” - Pam Piligian
 
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pam-piligian-324582/ 
Company website: https://www.navyfederal.org/ 
Shoutouts: 
The One Big Thing by Gary Keller: https://a.co/d/1ltryWn 
Simon Sinek
Adam Grant
 
Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7334aa0c-702a-47aa-8c55-760fa2cf4dda/the-revenue-driven-cmo 
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-driven-cmo/id1444680950   
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1OCuYchAG8TlGv82YARRhy?si=60a093a194c64c17 
iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-revenue-driven-cmo-99614345/ 
Listen Notes: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-revenue-driven-cmo-chris-mechanic-rdU1oESluqs/
YouTube: https://youtu.be/RfANEBoAi-4 
 
The Revenue-Driven CMO is sponsored by WebMechanix, the performance marketing agency that makes you smarter. Learn more at https://www.webmechanix.com/ 
 
The Revenue-Driven CMO is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/