The Emblazers Show

Emblaze

The Emblazers is your inside track to bold ideas and sharp insights for B2B revenue growth. Hosted by Abby Kerr with resident expert Tim Riesterer, you’ll hear thought leaders, analysts, and practitioners in laid-back, engaging conversations on trending themes shaping sales, enablement, and customer experience. Perfect for leaders like you who love talking shop.

  1. The Irreplaceable Value of Humans in the Future of B2B Sales - Tim Riesterer

    6D AGO

    The Irreplaceable Value of Humans in the Future of B2B Sales - Tim Riesterer

    In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, Tim Riesterer shares his keynote speech from the Emblaze Revenue Summit 2025, where he states that humans are just simply too valuable to be replaced in B2B sales. Tim emphasizes the enduring importance of human interaction despite the rise of automation, explaining that human competencies remain essential in driving sales, with buyers still relying on sellers to navigate complex decisions and provide the crucial personal touch.  The keynote covers how human experiences impact wins and losses, stressing that sales teams need to create distinct, human-driven moments that influence buyer decisions. Tim also highlights that precision skills intelligence, which ensures the right skills are delivered to the right people at the right time, is becoming a key factor in success.  Tune in to learn: How human competencies can drive predictable revenue growth through distinct buyer experiences How precision skills intelligence equips sales teams with the right tools at the right time Why human interaction remains the differentiating factor in B2B sales success, even in an AI-driven world Episode highlights: (00:00) Introduction (01:23) What is the future of B2B sellers (02:22) The key areas to focus on to stay human (04:07) How buyer feedback changes your win-loss strategy  (06:48) Eight predictive experiences of wins and losses (10:52) Aligning skills with sales competencies for better results (15 :42) Moving beyond self-assessments with AI and micro simulations Links and Resources: Connect with Abby Kerr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbycathkerr/ Connect with Tim Riesterer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-riesterer/  Subscribe to The Emblazers for more conversations with leading B2B thinkers. Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership today.   Learn about Tim Riesterer As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.   Learn about Abby Kerr  As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.

    19 min
  2. What Top Companies Do Differently in Uncertain Times with AI

    JAN 20

    What Top Companies Do Differently in Uncertain Times with AI

    In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, hosts Abby Kerr and Tim Riesterer sit down with Sinem Hostetter, Partner at McKinsey & Company, to explore how today’s top-performing organizations are navigating volatility, rethinking their revenue engines, and moving from reactive responses to intentional pivots. The conversation explores how top teams treat pricing, coverage, and customer segmentation as evolving systems, updated continuously rather than annually. Sinem discusses the importance of adaptability, prioritization, and operational discipline, and how organizations are losing margin and focus by misaligning service levels, value propositions, and go-to-market strategies with current customer buying behaviors. Tim and Sinem go into AI's role in sales and marketing transformation, discussing McKinsey’s State of AI research and the impact that comes from workflow redesign, adoption, and human-centered coaching. Tune in for some practical planning tips that focus on vertical AI use cases, omnichannel journeys, and customer value in competitive markets. Tune in to learn: How resilient companies pivot by treating pricing, coverage, and segmentation as dynamic revenue systems How AI is driving sales and marketing impact by prioritizing workflow design and adoption over flashy tools Why revenue leaders should prioritize AI, go-to-market redesign, and value storytelling in their future plans Episode highlights: (00:00) Introduction (00:59) Insights from the Emblaze Executive Retreat 2025 in Savannah (03:44) The importance of agile pricing (05:12) When to update your customer segmentation strategy (08:22) How to refresh your operating cadence for better results (11:39) Enhancing sales processes with AI (19:48) The role of managers in an AI-driven world (24:45) How to adapt to changing B2B customer journeys Links and Resources: Connect with Abby Kerr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbycathkerr/ Connect with Tim Riesterer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-riesterer/  Connect with Sinem Hostetter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sinemh/  Subscribe to The Emblazers for more conversations with leading B2B thinkers. Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership today. Learn about Sinem Hostetter Sinem Hostetter is a Partner at McKinsey & Company, where she advises CEOs and commercial leaders on driving sustainable revenue growth amid economic uncertainty and technological disruption. As a leader in McKinsey’s commercial transformation work, she helps organizations rethink pricing, go-to-market strategy, sales effectiveness, and AI-enabled workflows. With a background spanning consulting, investment banking, and fintech, Sinem brings a data-driven, systems-level perspective to modern selling, helping companies move beyond experimentation to scale AI, redesign operating models, and build resilient revenue engines grounded in measurable value.   Learn about Tim Riesterer As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.   Learn about Abby Kerr  As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.

    30 min
  3. How AI Role Play Boosts Revenue for B2B Leaders

    JAN 13

    How AI Role Play Boosts Revenue for B2B Leaders

    In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, hosts Abby Kerr and Tim Riesterer sit down with Dr. Johannes Habel, Associate Professor at the University of Houston’s C.T. Bauer College of Business, and Jeff Cummings, Director of Sales Force Effectiveness at United Rentals. They discuss the first large-scale research project linking AI role-play performance with real-world sales outcomes using data from United Rentals’ 6,000-person sales organization and the AI simulation platform Second Nature. Johannes brings the research view, showing how his University of Houston team studies sales effectiveness and tests real AI use cases with enterprise partners. Jeff adds the practitioner lens, sharing how United Rentals rolled out AI-driven sales training at scale and how practice frequency, AI scoring, tenure, and manager support are all tied directly to revenue impact. Whether you're exploring AI for the first time or scaling enablement across a large field force, this conversation offers practical insight into where AI simulations are delivering value today and where they can take your team next. Tune in to learn: How AI role plays translated into 7–30% revenue growth and rep performance lift Why practice frequency and AI scoring predict performance better than training completion How using AI to coach managers moves training beyond "check-the-box" to cultural change Episode highlights: (00:00) Introduction (02:01) Overview of United Rentals and its sales organization (03:19) How AI is reshaping modern sales effectiveness (04:30) Why AI role plays were added to new training tracks (07:05) How reps reacted and improved through AI practice (12:41) Key revenue findings and segments that benefited (17:07) The importance of manager support in training impact (21:24) Emerging possibilities for AI in sales enablement (28:51) Final insights on using AI Links and Resources: Connect with Abby Kerr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbycathkerr/ Connect with Tim Riesterer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-riesterer/  Connect with Jeff Cummings: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-cummings-8855298/  Connect with Dr. Johannes Habel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanneshabel  Learn more about Second Nature's Sales Training Software: https://secondnature.ai/ Subscribe to The Emblazers for more conversations with leading B2B thinkers. Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership today. Learn about Dr. Johannes Habel Dr. Johannes Habel, Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Houston, brings a mix of academic rigor and frontline sales experience. His research explores how technology, especially AI, boosts sales productivity, decision-making, and coaching. Working with organizations like United Rentals, he runs large field studies to see how motivation, tenure, leadership, and AI-supported practice drive real revenue gains. Johannes is a champion of evidence-based sales leadership, helping companies turn research insights into practical programs that strengthen skills and performance. Learn about Jeff Cummings Jeff Cummings, Director of Sales Force Effectiveness at United Rentals, brings 35 years of experience developing the capabilities of the world’s largest equipment rental company. He’s led teams across sales management, operations, and business planning, and is known for turning strategy into real execution across a 6,000-person sales organization. Jeff’s enablement approach centers on a people-first culture, aligning training, coaching, and technology so sellers can perform in high-stakes environments. He led the enterprise rollout of AI-powered role play through Second Nature, advancing practice at scale, strengthening coaching, and driving measurable revenue impact. His work shows how innovation, paired with strong leadership and continuous improvement, transforms how global sales teams learn and perform.   Learn about Tim Riesterer As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.   Learn about Abby Kerr  As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.

    32 min
  4. The Conversations That Moved Sales Forward in Season Two with Abby Kerr and Tim Riesterer

    12/09/2025

    The Conversations That Moved Sales Forward in Season Two with Abby Kerr and Tim Riesterer

    In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, hosts Abby Kerr and Tim Riesterer take listeners inside a fast-paced recap of the first half of Season Two. They revisit the conversations, insights, and research that are shaping how today’s revenue leaders think about talent, enablement, customer success, and the evolving role of the seller in an AI-driven world. Abby and Tim walk through their discussions with standout guests, including innovators redefining sales assessments, leaders advancing the profession of revenue enablement, and researchers uncovering new ways for sellers to differentiate in crowded markets. They also highlight customer success frameworks designed to reduce churn, programs transforming SDR readiness, and executive perspectives that broaden what it means to lead the full customer experience. Tune in to learn: How performance-based assessments are replacing outdated self-evaluations in sales Why a new professional certification is raising the standard for revenue enablement What top enablement leaders are doing to improve first-call success Episode highlights: (00:00) Introduction (00:33) Season two recap: Key guests and insights (01:23) Talent and skills: Conversations with David Shacklette and more (03:10) Revenue enablement certification with Chris Kingman and Barbara Mazziotti (04:41) Enablement evolution with Eileen Brooker (06:36) Training future sales leaders with Michael Colonnese (08:48) Customer health scores with Dr. Bryan Hochstein (11:22) Commercial overwhelm and productivity with Dr. Howard Dover (13:40) AI and sales differentiation with Dr. Leff Bonney (19:23) The evolving role of the CRO with Larry Shurtz (21:55) Strategic customer listening with Betsy Westhafer Links and Resources: Connect with Abby Kerr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbycathkerr/ Connect with Tim Riesterer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-riesterer/  Episode 1: Leading Through Complexity in the CSO Role - Larry Shurtz Episode 2: Why Strategic Customer Engagement Protects Growth - Betsy Westhafer Episode 3: Why Sales Teams Struggle to Carry the Moment – Dr. Howard Dover Episode 4: How Adaptive Learning Builds Sales Confidence - Eileen Brooker Episode 5: Redefining Sales Readiness with Precision Skills Intelligence - David Shacklette Episode 6: The Residency Model That's Rewriting Sales Hiring - Michael Colonnese Episode 7: Why NPS Is Failing You (and What to Measure Instead) - Dr. Bryan Hochstein Episode 8: How Sellers and Leaders Win in a World of Sameness - Dr. Leff Bonney Episode 9: How Enablement Becomes a Strategic Growth Lever – Chris Kingman & Barbara Mazziotti Episode 10: The Research Changing How Sales Leaders Think About Talent - Dr. Nate Hartmann & Tiffany Moceri Subscribe to The Emblazers for more conversations with leading B2B thinkers. Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership today.   Learn about Tim Riesterer As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.   Learn about Abby Kerr  As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.

    27 min
  5. The Research Changing How Sales Leaders Think About Talent - Dr. Nate Hartmann & Tiffany Moceri

    12/02/2025

    The Research Changing How Sales Leaders Think About Talent - Dr. Nate Hartmann & Tiffany Moceri

    In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, hosts Abby Kerr and Tim Riesterer sit down with Dr. Nate Hartmann, Associate Professor of Marketing and Innovation at the University of South Florida and Tiffany Moceri, Vice President of Product at Infinity. Together, they divulge a first-of-its-kind research project using Infinity’s real-world sales data to pinpoint what actually differentiates top-performing account executives. Together, Tiffany and Nate explore a unique study where data-driven insights shine a light on how motivation, skills, and emotional intelligence combine to create elite sales performers. Tiffany shares firsthand insights from her experience in sales operations, while Nate reveals how to use data to predict success and drive performance improvements. Tune in for actionable takeaways on what truly differentiates top performers and how you can apply these findings to elevate your team. Tune in to learn: Why meaning and purpose, not recognition or rapid advancement, most strongly predict high performers The two sales skills that consistently separate top reps: adaptive selling and objection handling Why structured data tells only half the story and how unstructured data will shape the next wave of sales research Episode highlights: (00:00) Introduction (01:31) Setting the stage for the research collaboration (02:53) How the research project was structured and analyzed (04:46) Tiffany shares preconceived notions before seeing the data (06:00) How performance was measured using predictive modeling (08:32) Key motivators found in top-performing account executives (09:27) Tiffany reacts to surprising findings about motivation (13:44) Negative drivers: recognition seeking and advancement pressure (17:00) Insights for managers on applying findings in their own teams (21:24) Future research exploring unstructured data for richer insights Links and Resources: Connect with Abby Kerr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbycathkerr/ Connect with Tim Riesterer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-riesterer/  Connect with Tiffany Moceri: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsrose/  Connect with Dr. Nate Hartmann: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanielhartmann/  Subscribe to The Emblazers for more conversations with leading B2B thinkers. Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership today. Learn about Tiffany Moceri Tiffany Moceri, VP of Product at Infinity, simplifies complex B2B sales challenges into scalable, real-world solutions. With a career spanning operations, training, and inside sales leadership, she brings a full-funnel understanding of what drives success, from business development to renewals. Leading Infinity’s innovation engines, including the Innovation Lab and BioLytics, Tiffany blends data, technology, and frontline experience to create systems that deliver measurable results. A champion of combining practitioner insight with research, she uses findings like her study with Dr. Nate Hartmann to shape hiring, coaching, and client programs, proving that data can humanize, not mechanize, performance. Learn about Dr. Nate Hartmann Dr. Nate Hartmann is an Associate Professor of Marketing and Innovation at the University of South Florida and senior researcher at the Center for Marketing and Sales Innovation. His work combines behavioral science, sales strategy, and analytics to explore how data and AI drive sales performance, from call activity to customer retention. In partnership with companies like Infinity, Nate builds models that go beyond quotas to uncover the motivational factors and skills, such as adaptive selling and objection handling, that set top performers apart. By analyzing both structured and unstructured data, like call notes and transcripts, his research is helping sales leaders rethink hiring, development, and team enablement.   Learn about Tim Riesterer As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.   Learn about Abby Kerr  As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.

    29 min
  6. How Enablement Becomes a Strategic Growth Lever – Chris Kingman & Barbara Mazziotti

    11/25/2025

    How Enablement Becomes a Strategic Growth Lever – Chris Kingman & Barbara Mazziotti

    In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, Abby Kerr and Tim Riesterer talk with Chris Kingman (VP of Sales Transformation at NielsenIQ) and Barbara Mazziotti (Senior Director of Global Sales Enablement at Cloudera), two of the driving forces behind the new Certified Revenue Enablement Professional program from the Revenue Enablement Society. Chris and Barbara walk through the four-year journey behind the certification, how the Revenue Enablement Society partnered with Florida State University, and what it means for practitioners and companies across the B2B landscape. From defining the scope of modern enablement to building maturity models, competency models, and strategic planning frameworks, this episode shows how enablement is evolving from “training and content” to a true business within the business—one that connects strategy to execution and accelerates revenue outcomes. Tune in to learn: How the certification was built, validated, and field-tested Why revenue enablement now spans the entire revenue engine, not just sales What enablement leaders must master: maturity models, competency models, tech stack assessments, executive communication, and strategic planning How to align enablement with corporate goals, including measurable revenue targets How VC firms are already using the certification to uplevel portfolio companies Why the profession is entering a new era of credibility, clarity, and strategic impact Links and Resources Connect with Abby Kerr  Connect with Tim Riesterer Connect with Chris Kingman Connect with Barbara Mazziotti Connect with Revenue Enablement Society (RES) Learn more about the Certified Revenue Enablement Professional program Subscribe to The Emblazers for more episodes with top thought leaders  Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership  Learn about Chris Kingman Chris is VP of Sales Transformation at NielsenIQ, where he’s leading the evolution of a global sales organization through enablement, effectiveness, and culture. A founding board member of the Revenue Enablement Society, Chris has helped shape the profession’s standards and practices for nearly a decade. Before joining NielsenIQ, he spent more than 13 years at TransUnion, building enablement functions from the ground up and driving digital transformation across tools, analytics, and process. Known for bringing structure to complexity, Chris helps organizations align quickly, execute with clarity, and translate strategy into measurable outcomes. His expertise spans strategic enablement leadership, cross-functional change management, and the intersection of sales technology, data, and human performance. Learn about Barbara Mazziotti Barbara Mazziotti is Senior Director of Global Sales Enablement at Cloudera and is a new Board Member of the Revenue Enablement Society - responsible for driving the Academic Council for the Certified Revenue Enablement Professional program. At Cloudera, she has led enablement for all sales roles worldwide—driving onboarding, product readiness, sales play execution and SKO programming for 4 years, and will be stepping into a new role to bridge Enablement and Revenue Operations. Barbara brings 25 years of Enablement leadership experience to bear.  Prior to Cloudera, Barbara held Global head of Sales Enablement roles at Waters Corporation, GE Digital, and Pitney Bowes, as well as Director roles at Cognos/IBM Software and i2 Technologies.  Barbara was one of the original 100 founders of the Revenue Enablement Society, and was the founder and president of the greater NYC RES Chapter.  Barbara has built and scaled enablement organizations from the ground up, designed outcome-based sales methodologies, and led multi-region go-to-market transformations supported by world-class Salesforce implementations. Learn about Abby Kerr As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black. Learn about Tim Riesterer As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.

    35 min
  7. How Sellers and Leaders Win in a World of Sameness - Dr. Leff Bonney

    11/18/2025

    How Sellers and Leaders Win in a World of Sameness - Dr. Leff Bonney

    In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, host Tim Riesterer talks with Dr. Leff Bonney, behavioral scientist, researcher, and Founder and Research Director at the Florida State University Sales Institute, one of Emblaze’s primary research partners.  Leff brings a rare mix of academic and real-world sales experience, with a decade in frontline sales leadership before earning his Ph.D. and becoming one of today’s most influential sales researchers.  In this fast-moving and thought-provoking conversation, Tim and Leff unpack two major studies:  Differentiation in the Age of AI — and how sellers can “sell past the stalemate” by breaking patterns and creating truly distinct buying experiences.  Levers of Leadership — a data-backed, counterintuitive approach to aligning sales managers with rep types for higher team performance.  Tune in to learn:  Why AI is training sellers to sound the same—and how to stand out  Two sales behaviors that create real differentiation: seeding and surprising  How creative sales approaches create a halo effect on your product  Why great managers shouldn’t manage all rep types, and what to do instead  How one company tripled its growth by assigning managers based on rep profiles  Links and Resources:  Connect with Abby Kerr  Connect with Tim Riesterer Connect with Dr. Leff Bonney  Subscribe to The Emblazers for more episodes with top thought leaders  Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership    Learn about Dr. Leff Bonney  Dr. Leff Bonney is a behavioral scientist and Founder and Research Director at the Florida State University Sales Institute, a leading research partner to Emblaze. He’s also Associate Professor of Sales and Marketing at FSU, specializing in customer selection, adaptive sales strategies, and behavioral decision-making. Leff spent a decade in sales and management before becoming one of the most cited researchers in sales performance today. His work has influenced top sales organizations and redefined how sellers think about differentiation and leadership.  Learn about Tim Riesterer As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.   Learn about Abby Kerr  As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.

    44 min
  8. Why NPS Is Failing You (and What to Measure Instead) - Dr. Bryan Hochstein

    11/11/2025

    Why NPS Is Failing You (and What to Measure Instead) - Dr. Bryan Hochstein

    In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, host Abby Kerr welcomes Dr. Bryan Hochstein, one of the leading academic voices in B2B sales and customer success. A former sales executive turned researcher, Bryan runs the Master’s in Sales Leadership program at the University of Alabama and has published in Harvard Business Review, Journal of Marketing, and the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. Bryan joins Tim Riesterer to unpack how forward-thinking companies are using customer health scores not just to predict churn, but to fuel growth. Drawing from hundreds of executive interviews and his recent HBR article, Bryan explains the science behind measuring relationship quality, product usage, and value realization. Together, they explore how these predictive metrics are shaping the next generation of customer success and sales collaboration. Tune in to learn: What makes customer health scoring a true revenue predictor Why traditional metrics like NPS and CSAT are no longer enough How relationship quality, product usage, and value realization connect to renewals and expansion How to calibrate your health score and use it to improve retention and acquisition Why CS and sales should share accountability for customer outcomes Links and Resources: Connect with Abby Kerr Connect with Tim Riesterer Connect with Dr. Bryan Hochstein Subscribe to The Emblazers for more episodes with top thought leaders Check out the Emblaze revenue community and start your membership today

    34 min

Trailer

5
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

The Emblazers is your inside track to bold ideas and sharp insights for B2B revenue growth. Hosted by Abby Kerr with resident expert Tim Riesterer, you’ll hear thought leaders, analysts, and practitioners in laid-back, engaging conversations on trending themes shaping sales, enablement, and customer experience. Perfect for leaders like you who love talking shop.