B2B Better

In this episode of B2B Better, I sit down with Emir, the co-founder and CEO of HockeyStack, to explore the strategies that fueled the company's meteoric rise from zero to 150 customers, including industry giants like ActiveCampaign. Emir shares how HockeyStack transitioned from a product analytics tool to a powerhouse in B2B marketing, embracing pipeline generation as a company-wide mission.

We discuss the evolution from inbound-led growth to the strategic introduction of outbound tactics, the challenges of balancing these approaches, and the importance of fostering a collaborative culture across teams. Whether you're a SaaS founder, a marketer, or just looking for actionable insights on scaling, this conversation is packed with value.

We also cover his view on how LinkedIn influencer marketing is evolving—and why Emir thinks it might soon face diminishing returns.

Plus, you'll hear expert advice on outbound campaigns from Rob at Sopro - from how to build and balance them against an inbound programme.

Episode Highlights

• Emir shares the origins of HockeyStack and how it identified the need to help companies understand customer conversion journeys.
• From inbound to outbound: what prompted HockeyStack to expand its marketing playbook.
• How HockeyStack integrates pipeline generation into every department and creates a company-wide mission.
• Why Emir believes influencer marketing's golden age might be nearing its end.
• Rob from Sopro breaks down the metrics that matter most in outbound campaigns.

Exclusive Offer for B2B Better Listeners

Quick reminder that all B2B Better listeners are eligible to receive double the number of outreach credits for their first outreach campaign with Sopro. 

Use them to experiment with some new messaging, try and open up a new market outside your network, or simply double your chances of closing more deals with your ideal customer. 

Visit sopro.io/b2b-better-offer to find out more. 

In this episode of B2B Better, I sit down with Alina Vandenberghe, co-founder of Chili Piper, to dive deep into the world of B2B marketing, company culture, and how to strategically align your team for maximum impact.

Alina shares her unique approach to building a thriving company culture, harnessing employee advocacy on social media, and the bold tactics that set Chili Piper apart—like displaying real-time ROI at events.

We also explore Alina’s data-driven methods for generating qualified leads, measuring true impact beyond vanity metrics, and creating a marketing strategy with limited resources that scales sustainably.

To top it off, Vic from Sopro joins us with insights on bridging the gap between sales and marketing for seamless success.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, marketer, or just looking to understand the power of alignment and strategy, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways on driving measurable growth.

Links & Resources:

• Alina Vandenberghe on LinkedIn
• Victoria Heyward on LinkedIn

Exclusive Offer for B2B Better Listeners

Quick reminder that all B2B Better listeners are eligible to receive double the number of outreach credits for their first outreach campaign with Sopro. 

Use them to experiment with some new messaging, try and open up a new market outside your network, or simply double your chances of closing more deals with your ideal customer. 

Visit sopro.io/b2b-better-offer to find out more. 

In this episode of B2B Better, I’m joined by Billy Hamilton-Stent, Chief Strategy Officer at Publicis Pro, to discuss assumptions in B2B marketing.

We discuss how unchecked assumptions can derail even the best marketing strategies and why balancing data, intuition, and critical thinking is the key to long-term success. Billy shares insights from Publicis Pro’s latest report on SMB marketing challenges and myths, while we explore real-world examples of how businesses can overcome misguided assumptions to achieve better results.

We also talk about the importance of blending quick fixes with long-term strategic thinking and how to recognize when you’re relying too heavily on assumptions in your demand-generation efforts.

This episode has actionable takeaways for any marketer or business owner looking to challenge the status quo and make smarter decisions.

Links & Resources:

• Publicis Pro’s SMB Marketing Report
• Billy Hamilton-Stent on LinkedIn

Exclusive Offer for B2B Better Listeners

Quick reminder that all B2B Better listeners are eligible to receive double the number of outreach credits for their first outreach campaign with Sopro. 

Use them to experiment with some new messaging, try and open up a new market outside your network, or simply double your chances of closing more deals with your ideal customer. 

Visit sopro.io/b2b-better-offer to find out more. 

In this episode, I’m excited to be joined by Yiuwin Tsang, CEO of Disruptive Thinking. 

I was really interested in speaking with Yiuwin to unpack his journey in finding differentiation in an incredibly saturated sector - B2B marketing services. 

During this interview, he took us through his journey from a blank slate to a thriving agency, sharing his blueprint around three core pillars of growth - building the right team, implementing discipline around business development, and getting to grips with the customer journey - all while building the right systems and process to track and analyse efforts. 

If you work in a small, service-led business and are hitting a wall when it comes to growth - this is the episode for you.

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Big thanks to Sopro for sponsoring this week’s episode of B2B Better. They just published "The State of Prospecting 2024" - a bumper report that offers data-backed advice on optimizing outreach. You can check it out by visiting this link. 

https://sopro.io/b2b-better/

In this episode, I speak with Frans Swarttouw, Founder of GETTING THE MARKET

I was really interested in speaking to Frans as a fellow owner of a creative services business - and one that is so niche in its target market to boot.

How does the company differentiate from more generic, we do all things for all people, type agencies?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being so laser-focused on a specific niche?

And when you have become the big fish in a small pond - what comes next? How do you expand in a meaningful and sustainable way?

To answer these questions, Frans shared his insights on developing a personalised email campaign targeting new geographies and how he approaches validating a prospecting ‘hypothesis’ through A/B testing.

You can visit the GETTING THE MARKET website here: https://gettingthemarket.com/

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Big thanks to Sopro for sponsoring this week’s episode of B2B Better. They just published "The State of Prospecting 2024" - a bumper report that offers data-backed advice on optimizing outreach. You can check it out by visiting this link. 

https://sopro.io/b2b-better/

In this episode, I speak with Xanthe Vaughan Williams, Co-founder of Fourth Day.

I started my marketing career working in PR and have always been involved in it in some way or another, working both in-house and agency-side.

What has struck me over the last decade is that - particularly in B2B - there are some pretty fundamental misconceptions about what PR actually is AND how to build a programme that drives real results.

During this conversation, Xanthe and I dissect the blurring lines between earned, owned and shared media, building value and credibility through third-party endorsements, and developing a successful multi-channel strategy centred around your company founder.

You can visit the Fourth Day website here: https://www.fourthday.co.uk/

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Big thanks to Sopro for sponsoring this week’s episode of B2B Better. They just published "The State of Prospecting 2024" - a bumper report that offers data-backed advice on optimizing outreach. You can check it out by visiting this link. 

https://sopro.io/b2b-better/

In this episode, I speak with Callum McGranaghan, Director & Head of Paid Social at Social for Good. 

We had a great conversation on the power of niching down in service-led businesses and its impact on their prospecting campaigns - especially when combined with low-ticket, high-impact projects to get their foot in the door with new clients.

Callum also shared the importance of multi-channel outreach, and how segmenting your audience profiles is crucial for standing out in crowded markets.

He also shared his journey at Social for Good, which involved really understanding what drives customer decision-making and then using this research to develop a value proposition that aligns with those needs.

This episode is a must-listen for service-based businesses looking to understand how focusing on their core value proposition can drive real-world commercial results.

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Big thanks to Sopro for sponsoring this week’s episode of B2B Better. They just published "The State of Prospecting 2024" - a bumper report that offers data-backed advice on optimizing outreach. You can check it out by visiting this link. 

https://sopro.io/b2b-better/

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Follow Callum here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callum-mcgranaghan/

In this episode, I speak with Joel Klettke, Founder of Case Study Buddy.

We had a great conversation on B2B case studies - namely, how to create ones that stand out from the usual legal-has-killed-all-joy-from-this-piece-of-content crap that fills our feeds.

We also covered a topic near and dear to my heart - what can I do to convince a sceptical customer to sign off a case study? There are a bunch of different methods Joel shared, but the one that stood out to me was creating an 'anonymous' case study.

Follow Joel here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelklettke?originalSubdomain=ca

In this episode, I speak with Nick Patterson, Co-CEO of Storm & Shelter. 

We had a great conversation on how marketers in niche, service-led businesses can evolve beyond relying solely on referrals and word-of-mouth to generate new business opportunities.

Nick shares how Storm & Shelter successfully developed and launched a 1:few email outreach strategy that complimented their existing marketing efforts. This was in response to the tough economic climate we find ourselves in and tougher competitive conditions. 

He also shared the secret sauce of the campaign, which involved a deep dive into branding and understanding their unique value proposition. 

I love this interview as it talks directly about solving the key challenge every small, service-based business finds itself trying to solve - generating more business at scale. 

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Big thanks to Sopro for sponsoring this week’s episode of B2B Better. They just published "The State of Prospecting 2024" - a bumper report that offers data-backed advice on optimizing outreach. You can check it out by visiting this link. 

https://sopro.io/b2b-better/

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Follow Nick here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickstormandshelter/