#247: How This Unknown Startup Landed Enterprise Whales (B2B Marketing & Sales Secrets)

In this video, I sit down with David Fastuca, the founder who built Locomotive, sold it to Travelport, bought it back, then sold it again to Webjet.We cover:Landing big-name enterprise customers like ANZ, World Vision and JB Hi-Fi as an unknown startup, why founders should build for real problems instead of shoehorning solutions into a market, and how to get honest åççcustomer feedback by taking yourself out of the room.If you are a B2B founder trying to break into enterprise sales, nail your ICP, or build a product people actually stick with, this one's for you.Tune in and learn:How David went from complete travel-industry noobs to winning major enterprise deals, why he builds minimal lovable products and iterates fast, and how he uses analytics and third-party interviews to uncover what customers really think.-----------------------------------------------------🔗 Links + CTAs-----------------------------------------------------🎓 Join our Demand Generation Program: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-course 🧠 Learn how to drive revenue across your organisation with CRO School: https://theb2bplaybook.com/cro-school 💼 Need help running your own LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads? https://theb2bplaybook.com/linkedin-ads-agency -----------------------------------------------------SUBSCRIBE to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@theb2bplaybook SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter: https://theb2bplaybook.com/newsletter GET the latest CONTENT: https://theb2bplaybook.com/ -----------------------------------------------------Timestamps:0:00 Building for a real problem, not chasing one7:17 Landing enterprise whales as an unknown startup14:37 Scrappy growth: content, PR, podcasts and referrals20:15 Making marketing serve sales and stickiness26:07 Staying close to the customer to build a better product32:15 Hiring, phone calls and AI in modern selling41:29 Niching down vs. creating a new category50:30 What Ricochet does and why it exists58:12 Wrap-up and the Grow Forum community

In this video, I sit down with Jared Robin, the founder of revgenius, to unpack how he built a 100,000-plus member community by staying obsessively close to his market and betting on relationships over platforms.We cover:His messy road from FedEx sales rep to running a fashion magazine to launching revgenius during Covid, plus why he thinks audiences are now table stakes for real power.If you are trying to build a community, grow an audience, or run go-to-market the human way instead of blasting spam-filled outbound, this one's for you.Tune in and learn:How giving away real value at scale, doing things a little differently, and treating market feedback as a live loop can quietly compound into something way bigger than a transaction.-----------------------------------------------------🔗 Links + CTAs-----------------------------------------------------🎓 Join our Demand Generation Program: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-course 🧠 Learn how to drive revenue across your organisation with CRO School: https://theb2bplaybook.com/cro-school 💼 Need help running your own LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads? https://theb2bplaybook.com/linkedin-ads-agency -----------------------------------------------------SUBSCRIBE to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@theb2bplaybook SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter: https://theb2bplaybook.com/newsletter GET the latest CONTENT: https://theb2bplaybook.com/-----------------------------------------------------Follow Jared on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredrobin-----------------------------------------------------CHAPTERS:00:00 Intro00:42 Welcome and guest introduction02:29 From FedEx to fashion: Jared's early career03:56 Building the fashion magazine on zero budget09:49 Losing his job in Covid and starting on LinkedIn11:05 The DM group that became revgenius13:22 Direct market feedback and building relationships15:32 Relationship selling lessons from FedEx19:14 Long-term horizons vs short-term sales metrics22:01 How the market misread Predictable Revenue24:43 Ad break: B2B demand generation agency25:20 New reps, SDR roles, and lost resilience29:36 First principles and closed circuit selling31:16 Bringing fundamentals back to revgenius34:33 The goal: community media over another Pavilion38:19 Ad break: B2B incubator course39:31 Why Jared became a marketer43:56 One-to-one marketing and the dream list play46:13 Live market reports and the new media project49:49 Closing thoughts on people-driven business51:12 Wrap-up and outro

In this video, Kevin and I wrap up our 5Bs go-to-market framework with Be The Best, covering how to scale what's working without a bigger team by turning your wins into documented, repeatable systems and playbooks.We cover:→ Why growth does not have to mean headcount growth, especially with AI in the mix→ How documented workflows and standard operating procedures save you time and remove guesswork→ Why consistency in voice, tone, and quality is what builds trust in the market→ Building lightweight playbooks anyone can follow for content, distribution, and repurposing→ Operationalizing systems across sales, customer success, and product, not just marketing→ Mapping content to the five stages of awareness on a regular cadence→ When to double down versus pivot using your leading and lagging indicatorsIf you are a lean B2B team trying to scale demand generation without adding headcount, this episode is for you.Tune in and learn:→ How to turn your team's wins and workflows into repeatable assets→ Why simple systems can live in a spreadsheet before you ever need expensive tools→ How to build feedback loops between marketing, sales, and customer success→ Why you should use quarterly reviews to check alignment and adapt→ How to go from random acts of marketing to compounding growth driven by relentless execution-----------------------------------------------------🔗 Links + CTAs-----------------------------------------------------🎓 Join our Demand Generation Program: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-course🧠 Learn how to drive revenue across your organisation with CRO School: https://theb2bplaybook.com/cro-school💼 Need help running your own LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads? https://theb2bplaybook.com/linkedin-ads-agency-----------------------------------------------------SUBSCRIBE to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@theb2bplaybookSUBSCRIBE to our newsletter: https://theb2bplaybook.com/newsletterGET the latest CONTENT: https://theb2bplaybook.com/-----------------------------------------------------Timestamps:0:00 Intro and the Be The Best framework1:00 Scaling without a bigger team1:55 Documenting workflows and playbooks4:10 Building consistency to earn trust6:15 Operationalizing across go-to-market teams7:45 Lightweight content playbooks9:45 Mapping content to the five stages of awareness11:45 Simple systems and not letting tools drive them13:00 When to double down vs pivot13:55 Using quarterly reviews to stay aligned15:55 Key takeaways and recapS08 E245 - The B2B Playbook #b2b #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #gotomarket #b2bsaas #marketingstrategy #icp #contentmarketing #revenuegrowth

In this video, Kevin and I break down Be Better, the fourth step of our 5Bs go-to-market framework, covering why the MQL is broken, how to measure what actually matters with leading and lagging metrics, and how to build marketing's credibility inside your business.We cover:→ Why the MQL is outdated and how chasing it misaligns sales and marketing→ The lagging metrics that show real outcomes: pipeline influence, revenue, deal velocity→ The leading metrics that signal you are moving in the right direction→ Why attribution is helpful but should never be treated as gospel→ The "how did you hear about us" trick for uncovering dark social and hidden content impact→ How to build marketing's credibility internally by tying activity to business goals→ What good reporting for leadership actually looks likeIf you are a B2B marketer stuck chasing MQLs and struggling to prove your impact to leadership, this episode is for you.Tune in and learn:→ Why quality engagement beats arbitrary lead scores and lead volume→ How to align leading and lagging metrics to your funnel and stage of growth→ Why you should be data informed, not just data driven→ How to get leadership to change their beliefs using real customer stories→ How to become a strategic advisor internally, not just the person dumping data into a report-----------------------------------------------------🔗 Links + CTAs-----------------------------------------------------🎓 Join our Demand Generation Program: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-gen...🧠 Learn how to drive revenue across your organisation with CRO School: https://theb2bplaybook.com/cro-school💼 Need help running your own LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads? https://theb2bplaybook.com/linkedin-a...-----------------------------------------------------SUBSCRIBE to our channel: / @theb2bplaybook SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter: https://theb2bplaybook.com/newsletterGET the latest CONTENT: https://theb2bplaybook.com/-----------------------------------------------------Timestamps:0:00 Intro and the Be Better framework0:50 What Be Better focuses on1:35 The death of the MQL3:40 Leading vs lagging metrics6:20 Qualitative signals from your sales team7:00 Avoiding the attribution trap9:00 Be data informed, not data driven10:30 Building marketing credibility internally12:45 Getting leadership buy-in14:20 What good reporting for leadership looks like15:55 Key takeaways and recapS08 E244 - The B2B Playbook #b2b #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #gotomarket #b2bsaas #marketingstrategy #icp #contentmarketing #revenuegrowth

In this video, I hit the floor at the Generate B2B conference grabbing quick hot takes from LinkedIn, SEO, CRM and ABM folks on what's actually worth the money, then Kevin and I break down the sessions we loved-----------------------------------------------------🔗 Links + CTAs-----------------------------------------------------🎓 Join our Demand Generation Program: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-course 🧠 Learn how to drive revenue across your organisation with CRO School: https://theb2bplaybook.com/cro-school 💼 Need help running your own LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads? https://theb2bplaybook.com/linkedin-ads-agency -----------------------------------------------------SUBSCRIBE to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@theb2bplaybook SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter: https://theb2bplaybook.com/newsletter GET the latest CONTENT: https://theb2bplaybook.com/

In this video, Kevin and I break down Be Seen, the third step of our 5Bs go-to-market framework, and how to actually get your helpful B2B content in front of your dream customers using organic and paid distribution.We cover:→ Why even the best content flops without a smart distribution plan→ The "post and pray" mistake B2B teams make and how to think like a media company instead→ Getting seen in an AI-driven world where traditional SEO is shifting→ Organic vs paid distribution and when to use each→ Using paid media to amplify your best content, not just push product ads→ Category entry points and how to tie your brand to buying triggers→ Mapping content to the five stages of awareness so you meet buyers where they areIf you are a B2B marketer or founder creating great content that nobody sees, this episode is for you.Tune in and learn:→ Why distribution is just as important as content creation→ How to test organically and boost the winners with paid→ How to extract content from busy subject matter experts on a regular cadence→ How to find your category entry points through customer interviews→ How to run a simple, repeatable distribution rhythm even with a small team-----------------------------------------------------🔗 Links + CTAs-----------------------------------------------------🎓 Join our Demand Generation Program: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-gen...🧠 Learn how to drive revenue across your organisation with CRO School: https://theb2bplaybook.com/cro-school💼 Need help running your own LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads? https://theb2bplaybook.com/linkedin-a...-----------------------------------------------------SUBSCRIBE to our channel: / @theb2bplaybook SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter: https://theb2bplaybook.com/newsletterGET the latest CONTENT: https://theb2bplaybook.com/-----------------------------------------------------Timestamps:0:00 Intro and the Be Seen framework0:45 Why great content flops without distribution2:50 Getting seen in an AI-driven world3:20 Organic vs paid distribution5:35 Using paid to amplify your best content6:00 Extracting content from subject matter experts7:45 Category entry points explained9:55 Finding entry points through customer interviews10:40 The rhythm of distribution11:10 The five stages of awareness framework13:20 Setting a consistent distribution cadence14:45 Key takeaways and recapS08 E242 - The B2B Playbook #b2b #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #gotomarket #b2bsaas #marketingstrategy #icp #contentmarketing #revenuegrowth

In this video, Kevin and I break down the Be Helpful phase of the 5Bs Go-To-Market framework, the second step in building a B2B demand generation engine that actually works.We cover:→ Why helpful content beats hype content every time and how it builds real trust with your dream customers→ The "nobody got fired for hiring IBM" problem and why buyers stick with the status quo→ How to extract content from subject matter experts without wasting their time→ Matching your content format to each stage of the funnel, from top to bottom→ Using the five stages of awareness framework to map content to where buyers actually areIf you are a B2B marketer or founder pumping out hype content instead of building trust, this episode is for you.Tune in and learn:→ Why demand generation is about solving real problems, not interrupting with hype→ How to run quick 15 to 20 minute expert interviews that give you gold mine insights→ The right content formats for top, mid, and bottom of the funnel→ How to map content to the five stages of awareness, from unaware to most aware→ Why content is your most scalable trust building asset, not just a traffic tool-----------------------------------------------------🔗 Links + CTAs-----------------------------------------------------🎓 Join our Demand Generation Program: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-course🧠 Learn how to drive revenue across your organisation with CRO School: https://theb2bplaybook.com/cro-school💼 Need help running your own LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads? https://theb2bplaybook.com/linkedin-ads-agency-----------------------------------------------------SUBSCRIBE to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@theb2bplaybookSUBSCRIBE to our newsletter: https://theb2bplaybook.com/newsletterGET the latest CONTENT: https://theb2bplaybook.com/-----------------------------------------------------Timestamps:0:00 Intro and the Be Helpful framework0:45 Why helpful content beats hype content1:40 Nobody got fired for hiring IBM3:00 HubSpot as a trust-building example4:15 Extracting content from subject matter experts6:30 Matching content format to the funnel8:00 Repurposing webinars and pillar content9:30 The five stages of awareness framework12:30 Content as a trust-building tool14:00 Key takeaways and recapS08 E41 - The B2B Playbook #b2b #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #gotomarket #b2bsaas #marketingstrategy #icp #contentmarketing #revenuegrowth

In this video, Kevin and I break down the Be Ready phase of the 5Bs Go-To-Market framework, the first and most critical step in building a B2B demand generation engine that actually works.We cover:→ Why deeply understanding your market is non-negotiable before any messaging or content goes out→ The 80/20 analysis for identifying the top 20% of customers driving 80% of your results→ How to run five to ten high value customer interviews the scrappy way, even on a small team→ Cataloging your market to know who is in market, who is out of market, and who is with who→ Segmenting down for precision so your content and campaigns feel one to one even at scaleIf you are a B2B marketer or founder relying on guesswork or third party personas instead of real buyer insights, this episode is for you.Tune in and learn:→ Why demand generation only works when it is rooted in real customer insights, not assumptions→ How to find and prioritize your dream customers using the 80/20 rule→ The right open ended questions to ask in customer interviews to uncover pain points and triggers→ How cataloging your market gives sales and marketing a shared playbook→ How niching down by triggers, roles, and use cases sharpens your outreach and messaging-----------------------------------------------------🔗 Links + CTAs-----------------------------------------------------🎓 Join our Demand Generation Program: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-course🧠 Learn how to drive revenue across your organisation with CRO School: https://theb2bplaybook.com/cro-school💼 Need help running your own LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads? https://theb2bplaybook.com/linkedin-ads-agency-----------------------------------------------------SUBSCRIBE to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@theb2bplaybookSUBSCRIBE to our newsletter: https://theb2bplaybook.com/newsletterGET the latest CONTENT: https://theb2bplaybook.com/-----------------------------------------------------Timestamps:0:00 Intro and why messaging needs deep customer understanding0:49 Why Be Ready is the non-negotiable first step2:05 The 80/20 analysis to find your dream customers3:35 Running effective customer interviews6:18 Cataloging your market and target accounts7:59 Niching down through segmentation9:59 Key takeaways and recapS08 E40 - The B2B Playbook #b2b #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #gotomarket #b2bsaas #marketingstrategy #icp #contentmarketing #revenuegrowth

B2B Go To Market Strategy: Why Your Lead Gen Is BrokenYour lead gen program is filling a CRM and burning your market at the same time.In episode one of The 15 Minute GTM Fix, a miniseries with our friends at Dealfront, George Coudounaris and Kevin Chen break down why so many B2B go to market programs quietly fail. If you run marketing in a small team and you are stuck firefighting instead of building, this one is for you.We pull apart the gated ebook play every marketer gets asked to run, why it destroys buyer trust before sales ever picks up the phone, and what to do instead. Then we walk through the Five BEs framework - the flywheel we use to move a go to market motion from reactive chaos to something that scales.Tune in and learn:+ Why traditional lead gen produces MQLs that never convert+ What 95% of your market is doing while you chase the other 5%+ The difference between capturing demand and shaping future demand+ How brand marketing and demand marketing work together+ The five stages of the BEs framework and how they compoundIf you are a marketer in a small B2B team being asked for leads with no time, no budget, and no strategy behind it, start here.-----------------------------------------------------SUBSCRIBE to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@theb2bplaybookSUBSCRIBE to our newsletter: https://theb2bplaybook.com/newsletter/GET the latest CONTENT: https://theb2bplaybook.com/-----------------------------------------------------00:00 95% of Your Market Is Not Ready to Buy00:32 Welcome to the 15 Minute GTM Fix01:00 Why Lead Gen Is Broken in B2B Right Now01:20 Vanity Metrics and MQLs That Never Convert01:40 The Sales and Marketing Tension Nobody Fixes01:55 How Lead Gen Burns Your Own Market02:10 The Gated Ebook Play Every Marketer Gets Asked to Run02:35 What Happens When Sales Calls a Cold Ebook Download02:50 The Playbook That Keeps Destroying Buyer Trust03:05 Capturing Demand vs Shaping Future Demand03:25 Only 5% of Buyers Are In Market Today03:45 The Five Stages of Awareness Explained04:00 Brand Marketing vs Demand Marketing04:30 Why Holistic B2B Marketing Needs Both05:00 The Chaos Small Marketing Teams Live In05:30 Reactive Marketing Is Killing Your Pipeline06:00 Why Fundamentals Beat Tactics Every Time06:30 Five BEs Framework: Be Ready07:00 Be Helpful - Earning Trust With Content07:30 Be Seen - Amplifying to Your Dream Customers08:00 Be Better - Optimising With Data08:20 Be the Best - Future-Proofing Your Strategy08:40 Why Every Great Framework Is a Flywheel09:00 What to Expect From This Miniseries-----------------------------------------------------👥 Are you a B2B marketer in a small team?💰 Need to bring in more revenue so Sales and your boss actually respect Marketing?Get the:🔹 strategy🔹 templates🔹 toolsSo you have everything you need to drive more demand and revenue for your brand.See why 315+ B2B marketers love The B2B Incubator:👉 https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-course-----------------------------------------------------S08 E239 - The B2B Playbook-----------------------------------------------------#b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #b2bsales #revenueoperations #closedcircuitselling #linkedinads #b2bpodcast #gtmstrategy #demandgen #pipelinegeneration

In this video, I sit down with rev ops expert Pasha and Adem to unpack why revenue is really an architecture problem, not a sales problem. We get into cutting through the AI noise, why your CRM ends up as a record of optimism, and what it actually takes to get sales, marketing, and success working as one unit.We cover:→ Why the hardest part of rev ops today is separating what's real from the AI hype→ How stacking tools and methodologies on a broken operating system only compounds the mess→ Why your CRM fills up with inflated pipeline and deals that advance on optimism→ How misaligned incentives pull sales, marketing and success in different directions→ The simple cataloging questions most teams still never ask their buyersIf you are a founder, rev ops leader or B2B marketer drowning in tools and dashboards but still can't get clean data or a straight answer on which accounts are actually in market.Tune in and learn:→ Why revenue is an architecture problem and what that changes about how you build your systems→ Where AI genuinely helps in the sales motion and where it just makes better spam→ How to spot the difference between real alignment and another meeting that changes nothing→ Why marketing was never equipped to decide who's in market, and who should own it instead→ Practical, bite size AI use cases that actually move the needle without a 90th operating system-----------------------------------------------------🔗 Links + CTAs-----------------------------------------------------🎓 Join our Demand Generation Program: https://theb2bplaybook.com/demand-generation-course🧠 Learn how to drive revenue across your organisation with CRO School: https://theb2bplaybook.com/cro-school💼 Need help running your own LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads? https://theb2bplaybook.com/linkedin-ads-agency-----------------------------------------------------SUBSCRIBE to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@theb2bplaybookSUBSCRIBE to our newsletter: https://theb2bplaybook.com/newsletterGET the latest CONTENT: https://theb2bplaybook.com/-----------------------------------------------------Timestamps:00:00 Cutting Through The AI Noise Without Losing The Plot00:55 Welcome Back: Rev Ops With Pasha Irshad02:48 The Hardest Thing About Rev Ops Right Now06:03 Chasing Tools Versus The Business Fundamentals07:47 Why Revenue Is An Architecture Problem, Not A Sales Problem09:33 Rev Ops Full Circle: Back To Commercial Management14:24 Why Reps Default To Broken Habits Under Pressure17:14 How Misaligned Incentives Break Sales And Marketing20:41 Can Rev Ops Actually Fix This Or Just Champion It32:22 One Source Of Truth That Everyone Muddies36:12 Who Really Owns Deciding If An Account Is In Market42:29 What It Takes To Get Back To Human Conversations49:00 Cool Things Built With Claude Code And AI52:36 Wrap Up And ThanksS08 E38 - The B2B Playbook #b2b #b2bmarketing #revops #revenueoperations #gotomarket #b2bsaas #gtmengineering #crm #hubspot #demandgeneration