How Leaders Build Trust Through Transparency

Episode: How Leaders Build Trust Through TransparencyHost: Donna Peterson, World InnovatorsGuest: Alfred Leach, President of Leach AdvisorsEpisode Summary-Today, businesses everywhere are facing disruption — from leadership changes and mergers to geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain pressures, and new technologies like AI. In these moments of transition, trust becomes the most valuable currency a company has.In this episode, host Donna Peterson speaks with Alfred Leach, President of Leach Advisors, about how companies can communicate with transparency, align employees and stakeholders, and protect corporate reputation during times of uncertainty. Drawing on years of guiding organizations through mergers, acquisitions, crises, and cultural shifts, Alfred shares what leaders should prioritize when disruption strikes and how to ensure their company’s “why” stays at the center.Whether you’re leading a global brand or a mid-sized company, this episode is filled with actionable insights on trust, communication, and long-term brand relevance.Key Takeaways You Can Implement Right Away-Put employees first. Communicate internally before external announcements; employees are your strongest brand evangelists.Transparency builds trust. Be open about challenges, own mistakes, and share lessons learned. Silence almost always erodes credibility.Segment your messaging. Tailor communications for employees, customers, investors, and media — each stakeholder group has unique needs.Leverage subject-matter experts. Credibility grows when leaders and SMEs speak directly to key industry issues.Use AI thoughtfully. AI is a powerful tool, but content must align with brand voice and purpose to build trust and stand out.Define and refresh your “why.” A clear sense of purpose anchors organizations through change and inspires employees and customers alike.Consistency matters. Stay visible, authentic, and relevant — don’t disappear during challenging times.Episode Chapters-00:00 Introduction: Why Trust Matters in Times of Change01:15 The Global Reset — Uncertainty in Today’s Business Climate04:05 Communication Priorities During Mergers, Acquisitions & Crises08:12 Transparency vs. Legal & Competitive Realities12:30 Why Employees Must Hear It First16:45 Building Brands People Trust — The Role of Subject-Matter Experts22:10 AI and Brand Voice — Balancing Innovation with Authenticity29:05 Defining the “Why” — How Leaders Stay Grounded in Purpose35:18 Adaptation, Innovation & Long-Term Relevance41:40 Closing Insights: Be Real, Stay Consistent, Build TrustCall to Action-If your company is navigating change, this episode will help you strengthen communication and protect trust. 🎧 Visit www.worldinnovators.com to learn how we can help you build marketing that connects.👉 Have questions or want Donna to present this topic to your team? Reach out at [email protected].🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast so you never miss an episode!

Direct Mail & AI: Old-School Impact with New-School ToolsDirect mail is making a comeback — and when paired with AI, it becomes an even stronger marketing tool. In a digital-first world, a tangible piece of mail can stand out, build trust, and validate your brand. Add AI into the mix, and you can streamline the process, refine yourmessage, and connect with prospects in smarter, more personal ways. In this episode, Donna Peterson shares how direct mail can deliver old-school impact while leveraging new-school tools like ChatGPT. She walks through her recent Fabtech promotion as a case study, highlighting how validating postal data, segmenting audiences, andintegrating direct mail with digital campaigns creates measurable results. You’ll also discover how AI can support every step of the process — from reviewing lists for accuracy to cultivating messages that resonate with different audiences. The result? Stronger relationships, deeper trust, and marketing that truly cuts through the noise.Key Takeaways You Can Implement Right Away:Validate your list before you send — accurate data builds credibility.Segment your audience so each message speaks directly to their role and challenges.Use AI to refine your copy — test different tones (professional vs. conversational) and let ChatGPT help polish your message.Integrate channels — don’t stop at postal; link your direct mail with email, social, or tradeshow outreach.Start small, then scale — test with 50 targeted pieces, measure responses, and expand from there.Episode Chapters00:00 Introduction: The Power of Direct Mail00:38 Meet Donna Peterson: Your Guide to Direct Mail01:11 The Resurgence of Direct Mail02:18 Building Trust Through Direct Mail04:02 Case Study: Promoting Fabtech with Direct Mail05:58 Steps to a Successful Direct Mail Campaign09:28 Segmenting Your Audience for Maximum Impact10:41 Crafting Personalized Messages with AI14:15 Integrating Direct Mail with Digital Marketing17:40 Conclusion: Old-School Impact with New-School ToolsIf this episode sparks ideas for your business, we’d love to hear from you.Sign up to receive podcast announcements, leave a comment, and rank the show — your feedback helps us continue delivering the conversations and strategies that matter most to you. 🎧 Visit www.worldinnovators.com to learn how we can help you build marketing that connects.👉 Have questions or want Donna to present this topic to your team? Reach out at [email protected].🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast so you never miss an episode!

Marketing Capital Equipment: Lessons from Wintersteiger Solutions & Kohler Leveling North AmericaMarketing industrial equipment is complex — long sales cycles, high-stakes investments, and the need for absolute trust.In this episode of B2B Marketing Excellence & AI, Donna Peterson sits down with Brent Fischmann, Managing Director ofWintersteiger Solutions, to explore how companies under the Wintersteiger umbrella — including Kohler Leveling North America —approach these challenges.Brent shares how his team uses trade shows like FABTECH to stand out in crowded halls, engage with decision-makers,and move conversations forward by demonstrating technology live and addressing ROI concerns head-on. The discussion emphasizesthe importance of trust, relationships, and meaningful follow-up — the foundation for shortening long sales cycles in industrial markets.Listeners will also hear how Wintersteiger and its brands balance proven trade show strategies with modern tools like AIto create more targeted content and enhance customer interactions.What you’ll learn in this episode:How industrial brands like Kohler Leveling use trade shows to connect with buyers.Why technical support and live demonstrations build trust faster than brochures.Strategies to create content that addresses customer challenges and ROI directly.The role of relationships and follow-up in converting interest into partnerships.Where AI fits in strengthening — not replacing — human connections in B2B sales.Please comment and rank this episode so we can continue to produce the content that is most helpful for you and the industry. 🎧 Visit www.worldinnovators.com to learn how we can help you build marketing that connects.👉 Have questions or want Donna to present this topic to your team? Reach out at [email protected].🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast so you never miss an episode!

How Pennant Moldings Uses AI and Traditional B2B MarketingB2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast with Donna PetersonIndustrial marketing isn’t like selling shoes or software. It takes time, trust, and a strong understanding of how real relationships drive long-term results.In this episode, I sit down with Brian Contini, VP of Sales and Marketing at Pennant Moldings, to hear what’s actually working for their team right now. We talk about how they’re combining traditional methods—like trade shows and in-person visits—with smart use of AI to support research, improve outreach, and build stronger customer connections.Whether you're in metals, plastics, or any industrial space, this episode is full of practical takeaways you can use right away.Top 5 Topics We Cover:Why traditional marketing still works—and when to use itHow Pennant is using AI to streamline sales researchWhat’s working in email marketing todayThe importance of knowing your audience in technical industriesHow to maintain trust while integrating new tools like AIWhat You Can Do Today:Revisit your email outreach—are you focusing on the recipient’s challenge first?Identify one traditional tactic (like trade shows or phone calls) that deserves renewed attention.Choose one AI tool that could save you time with research or outreach—start testing it in a small way.Talk to your sales team: Where do they feel AI supports their efforts—and where does it get in the way?Let’s keep the conversation going:How are you helping your industrial brand stand out and build stronger relationships?Leave a comment, send me a message, or reach out at [email protected]. I’d love to hear what’s working for you.If this episode helped you in any way, consider leaving a quick review. It helps us continue sharing real strategies that support industrial brands doing meaningful work. 🎧 Visit www.worldinnovators.com to learn how we can help you build marketing that connects.👉 Have questions or want Donna to present this topic to your team? Reach out at [email protected].🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast so you never miss an episode!

In-person meetings will always be the gold standard for building relationships. But in B2B, you can’t always sit across the table right away. That’s why B2B Personalized Video Marketing is such a powerful tool—it lets people see you, hear you, and understand your perspective before the first handshake.At World Innovators, we’ve seen this work firsthand. When I send an email with a short, personal video, people who have never met me before click because they want to see what I have to say. That video starts a conversation—viewers hear my tone, see my face, and begin to understand that I’m here to help them succeed.In this episode, I’ll cover:What makes a B2B video truly personalized.Why videos in email campaigns increase engagement.How to make sure the right people see your video.Simple ways to use AI tools like ChatGPT to plan and repurpose content.If you have a video you’re proud of but aren’t sure how to get it in front of your ideal audience, let’s make sure the right people are clicking, watching, and starting the conversation with you.Thank you for listening, please comment below and let me know what you are doing with your B2B Personalized Video Marketing. 🎧 Visit www.worldinnovators.com to learn how we can help you build marketing that connects.👉 Have questions or want Donna to present this topic to your team? Reach out at [email protected].🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast so you never miss an episode!

Ever get lost down a YouTube rabbit hole when you were supposed to be checking your own channel? You click to review your latest video and somehow end up watching celebrities or cat videos instead. You're not alone—and this distraction problem is exactly what's happening to your potential B2B customers too.In this episode, I talk with Nate Woodbury, CEO of Be The Hero Studios and author of "Influence on YouTube." Nate reveals why most YouTube advice actually hurts B2B companies and shares his proven LEAF Strategy that helps businesses generate high-quality leads from YouTube—even with videos that only get 100 views.Together, we discuss how to:Use the LEAF Strategy to find ultra-specific questions your target audience is actually searching forLeverage keyword research tools that work for B2B (and which popular tools to avoid)Create "evergreen" content that continues attracting qualified leads for yearsTurn small view counts into meaningful business relationships and salesPosition yourself as the go-to authority in your industry without going viralIf you're tired of chasing vanity metrics and ready to use YouTube strategically for lead generation, this conversation offers a completely different approach that focuses on quality over quantity.About Nate: Nate Woodbury is the CEO of Be The Hero Studios and author of "Influence on YouTube." He has produced over 60 different YouTube channels, many generating multiple seven figures in business revenue (not ad revenue) through strategic lead generation.Key Quote: "Even a video that gets a hundred views following the right strategy can turn into 10 leads. We're not talking about a video going viral, but getting found by the right people." – Nate WoodburyEpisode Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction: The YouTube distraction dilemma00:35 – Meet Nate Woodbury: CEO and YouTube strategist02:06 – Why most YouTube advice hurts B2B companies03:56 – The two opposite paths to YouTube success05:07 – How viral content can actually damage your channel07:41 – The dangers of buying fake views and engagement09:56 – Why AI makes this strategy work even better11:00 – Keyword research tools that actually work for B2B13:00 – The power of super long-tail keywords (8+ words)15:26 – Why 10 monthly searches is better than 30017:19 – How evergreen content builds momentum over time18:39 – Real example: 15K subscribers generating 8-figure revenue19:24 – The LEAF Strategy explained with tree analogy21:38 – Specific examples: dental office vs construction site productivity24:32 – Standing out in the age of AI-generated content26:24 – Building authentic relationships through video28:39 – The relationship-first approach to lead generation31:43 – Why filtering out wrong clients is actually good34:15 – Positioning yourself as the go-to industry authority37:02 – Three steps to get started (hint: use your phone!)39:16 – Why "raw" often beats "polished" contentResources Mentioned:Hero Keyword Tool (SEMrush affiliate): herokeywordtool.comFree weekly webinar on the LEAF Strategy: theleafstrategy.com Book: "Influence on YouTube" by Nate WoodburyIf you found this conversation helpful, subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI podcast, leave a review, and share it with other business leaders who are ready to use YouTube strategically. 🎧 Visit www.worldinnovators.com to learn how we can help you build marketing that connects.👉 Have questions or want Donna to present this topic to your team? Reach out at [email protected].🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast so you never miss an episode!

How To Optimize B2B Marketing Campaigns For ROIHave you ever tried to finish a round of golf as the sun goes down? It gets dark, you swing, but you can’t really see where the hole is — you’re just hitting into the dark. That’s what many B2B brands are doing with their marketing: they’re executing campaigns without clearly knowing where the target is or how to measure success.In this episode, I talk with Lori Turner Wilson, CEO of RedRover Sales & Marketing Strategy and author of The B2B Marketing Revolution. Lori shares her 12 Battles Framework, which gives companies a roadmap to bring clarity, focus, and measurable outcomes to their marketing.Together, we discuss how to:Use market research so you know exactly who you’re targeting and why.Personalize your outreach to connect with prospects in meaningful ways.Integrate traditional channels like direct mail to complement digital campaigns and reach decision-makers effectively.Adopt authority marketing to position your brand as a trusted resource and help shorten the sales cycle.If you’re serious about improving your marketing ROI, this conversation offers practical steps you can start implementing now — so you’re no longer “hitting in the dark.”About Lori:Lori Turner Wilson is the CEO of RedRover Sales & Marketing Strategy and author of The B2B Marketing Revolution.URL - marketingresultsguaranteed.com/podcast -- use code "podcast" for special offersA quote from my book - "Defy the apathy the industry expects of you and declare, 'I deserve guaranteed marketing outcomes and anyone standing in my way will be lovingly removed.'" Timestamps:00:00 – Introduction: The Challenge of B2B Marketing00:35 – Meet Lori Turner Wilson: Author and CEO02:52 – The Importance of Market Research04:17 – ROI and Marketing Strategies07:33 – Diversification and Risk Mitigation09:29 – The Power of Direct Mail11:03 – Personalization in Marketing14:53 – The 12 Battles Framework22:30 – Authority Marketing and Giving Value24:31 – Conclusion and Final ThoughtsIf you found this conversation helpful, subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence podcast, leave a comment, and rank the show. Your feedback helps us continue sharing grounded, practical insights to help you succeed. 🎧 Visit www.worldinnovators.com to learn how we can help you build marketing that connects.👉 Have questions or want Donna to present this topic to your team? Reach out at [email protected].🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast so you never miss an episode!

In this episode of B2B Marketing Excellence, Donna Peterson breaks down the intimidating term “prompt engineering” and shows how it’s simply a smarter, more consistent way to work—no tech degree required.Drawing from her experience with generative AI and recent insights from the Vanderbilt Prompt Engineering course, Donna shares practical ways to use prompts for repetitive marketing tasks like campaign planning and list recommendations. You’ll hear how creating simple, reusable prompts not only saves time but also ensures your whole team is aligned—producing clear, professional results.You'll also learn:Why prompting is more about conversation than coding.How a well-written prompt becomes a shortcut you can use again and again.The difference between prompts and templates—and how to use both for better outcomes.At World Innovators, we focus on providing tools and strategies that make your work easier, your messaging clearer, and your outcomes more consistent. This episode offers practical examples to help you build confidence using AI in a way that’s simple and effective.For a step-by-step walkthrough, refer to "Prompt Engineering Examples for Business Teams: 3 ChatGPT Prompt Templates to Boost Productivity" video on YouTube- https://youtu.be/FAlcjTx_xUo?si=uQv6-naLnQGIkn4S.Episode Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome & why the term “prompt engineering” can feel overwhelming00:38 – What prompting really is (and what it’s not)01:33 – The early struggles: over-explaining and second-guessing03:02 – Aha moment from the Vanderbilt course04:47 – Using prompts to simplify and speed up repetitive tasks06:14 – Real-world example: Scheduling campaigns with one simple prompt10:22 – Understanding the difference between prompts and templates12:59 – Encouragement to just start talking to your AI assistantIf you found this episode helpful, subscribe to the World Innovators YouTube Channel for more practical ideas on B2B marketing and using AI tools effectively.Leave a review to help us spread the word about quality marketing that puts people first.If you need help building your prompt library or training your team, reach out directly to Donna at [email protected]. 🎧 Visit www.worldinnovators.com to learn how we can help you build marketing that connects.👉 Have questions or want Donna to present this topic to your team? Reach out at [email protected].🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast so you never miss an episode!

How to Effectively Market High-Value Offers in a Long Sales CycleEpisode Summary:In this episode, Donna Peterson, President of World Innovators, shares practical strategies for marketing offers with longer decision timelines and higher price points.Whether you’re promoting an executive education program, industrial equipment, or a multi-thousand-dollar event registration, Donna explains why relationship-building across multiple touchpoints is essential. The conversation focuses on how to educate prospects in advance, use consistent messaging across email, postal, banner, and phone outreach, and apply AI tools like ChatGPT and Descript to support your efforts.This episode is for leaders who want to create thoughtful campaigns that align with how people actually buy.“Give people the information they’re searching for before they ask — that’s how you earn the meeting and build long-term trust.” – Donna PetersonWhat You'll Learn:Why long sales cycles require an education-first approachHow to structure a multi-channel campaign that builds familiarity and trustWays to use AI tools to increase consistency and save timeThe value of including traditional channels like postal and phoneWhy helpful, relevant messaging leads to stronger engagementEpisode Breakdown:00:00 – Introduction: Understanding long sales cycles00:52 – Clarifying buyer needs and timing01:42 – Marketing strategies that align with how people buy02:32 – Using AI to support marketing and sales efforts04:02 – Leading with education to guide prospects05:38 – Benefits of a multi-channel strategy08:49 – Importance of timing and thoughtful follow-up11:10 – How traditional channels support digital outreach17:36 – Using personal touches to deepen relationships23:34 – Closing thoughts: Focus on relevance and consistencyWant to Discuss Your Approach?If you’d like to talk about your specific offer and what we have seen work, schedule a Complementary 30 minute call with Donna Peterson -https://meetings.hubspot.com/dpeterson/time-to-talk 🎧 Visit www.worldinnovators.com to learn how we can help you build marketing that connects.👉 Have questions or want Donna to present this topic to your team? Reach out at [email protected].🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast so you never miss an episode!

What if you could scale meaningful relationships—without sacrificing authenticity? In this second part of my conversation with Patrick McCullough, President of Hallmark Business Connections, we talk about how B2B companies can use tools like AI and ChatGPT to enhance personalization without losing the heart of what matters: trust, care, and connection.Patrick shares how companies are balancing automation with empathy and gives practical advice for leaders who want to deepen relationships with customers, employees, and partners—even in fast-paced or high-volume environments.We also explore what makes Hallmark's approach so unique: they don't just help brands say the right things—they help them mean it. If you're wondering how to bring more purpose and humanity into your day-to-day business practices, this episode is for you.👉 For more information and to start building deeper connections with customers, vendors, and employees, visit:www.hallmarkbusinessconnections.comwww.worldinnovators.com🎧 And don’t forget to subscribe—so you never miss episodes that help you grow your business the relationship-first way.#B2BMarketing #RelationshipMarketing #AIinB2B #ChatGPTforBusiness #HallmarkBusiness #CustomerExperience #IndustrialMarketing #MarketingWithHeart #HumanConnection #WorldInnovators 🎧 Visit www.worldinnovators.com to learn how we can help you build marketing that connects.👉 Have questions or want Donna to present this topic to your team? Reach out at [email protected].🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast so you never miss an episode!