Why GTM Leaders Should Sell the Strategy Before the Budget with Hannah Garner

In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Lindsay Kelley, VP of Marketing at Sonar Software.  Lindsay talks us through her techniques for advocating for marketing initiatives within the organization to secure necessary resources. They also discuss methods to develop and present budgets that reflect marketing goals and company targets and strategies to identify and collaborate with internal allies who can champion marketing initiatives.In this episode, we talk about:Executive Buy-In​Long-Term GTM Strategies​Data-Driven Narratives​Budget Alignment​Internal Marketing

In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Jordan Hwang, VP of Marketing at OpenPhone. Jordan explains why marketing leaders must learn to "market marketing" within their organization to secure buy-in for initiatives. Jordan and Maeva also discuss expanding influence across teams and aligning stakeholders around shared goals. Jordan emphasizes that cross-functional teams should intuitively understand why marketing does what it does.They also discuss how to cut through noise, establish credibility, and prevent “armchair marketing” from derailing real strategies.

In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Hannah Garner, CRO at Arctic Shores, about the real work behind getting leadership on board with a marketing strategy. Hannah explains why starting with budget is a losing game—executives need to agree on what "good" marketing looks like before numbers even enter the conversation. She shares how GTM leaders can sell their vision when they don’t have the data, using industry benchmarks and market shifts to make a compelling case. In this episode, we talk about: executive buy-in GTM strategy marketing budget approval CFO alignment internal marketing

In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Silvia Valencia, VP of Revenue Marketing at Docebo, about her journey from agency to in-house marketing. Silvia shares how her experience at Refine Labs taught her to manage buy-in, present strategic investment cases, and reallocate budgets effectively. Maeva and Silvia also emphasize the importance of starting relationships with clear communication, setting expectations for short- and long-term outcomes, and delivering early wins to gain credibility. 

In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Charlie Riley, Head of Marketing at OneScreen. They discuss the importance of establishing trust with internal stakeholders and the need to understand each department’s motivations so you can communicate the value of marketing in their terms. Charlie also shares insights into the challenges of being the first marketing hire and how to navigate building a marketing function from scratch. He also shares some practical advice on how to align with sales, customer support and HR to create a unified go-to-market approach. In this episode, we talk about: Internal marketing Building trust in marketing Go-to-market leadership First marketing hire Sales and marketing alignment

Mark and Maeva discuss navigating experiment overload in GTM strategies, emphasizing the need for trade-offs. The conversation covers the importance of aligning marketing and sales efforts, with a focus on multi-threaded outreach to decision-makers. Mark shares his approach to working closely with the VP of sales to present a united front to the co-founders. The episode explores how to use data effectively to tell a narrative and gain executive buy-in for long-term GTM motions. Mark highlights the challenges of getting executive support, especially from CEOs and CROs, and strategies to overcome these obstacles. He discusses the necessity of long-term planning and how to balance immediate results with strategic growth goals. In this episode we talk about GTM (Go-to-Market) strategies Executive buy-in Data-driven decision-making Marketing alignment Long-term growth planning Takeaways Importance of detailed planning: Mark highlights the need for a clear strategy and contingency planning for marketing campaigns to ensure they meet objectives and adapt as necessary. Securing buy-in: Discusses effective strategies for gaining support and buy-in from executives and other departments for marketing plans. Budgeting challenges: Provides insights on creating realistic marketing budgets aligned with category benchmarks and total addressable market (TAM) considerations. Marketing in SaaS: Explores the unique aspects of marketing in the SaaS industry, such as managing free and freemium models. Using data effectively: Emphasizes the importance of leveraging data, including tools like Google Analytics, to understand user behavior and optimize marketing strategies.

In this episode of Executive Conversations Ana Laura and Maeva discuss the importance of building relationships and connections with leadership and key stakeholders within an organization. She emphasizes the need to bridge the gap between marketing and sales, focusing on mutual understanding and collaboration to drive business growth. Ana Laura also highlights the role of data in storytelling, using it to align marketing efforts with business goals and demonstrate ROI. We get an insight into her approach to handling resistance and fostering buy-in for long-term strategies, particularly when short-term results are lacking. The conversation also covers the challenges of budget allocation, using data to justify investment in marketing initiatives, and securing support from executives.

Summary Executive Buy-In and Influence: Matt discusses the challenges of gaining executive buy-in and influence in a mid-market SaaS company. He emphasizes the importance of aligning marketing strategies with company goals and demonstrating ROI through data-driven storytelling. This involves convincing stakeholders that marketing initiatives are not only beneficial but necessary for long-term growth. Using Data to Tell a Narrative: Matt highlights the critical role of data in shaping marketing strategies. He shares how to use data to craft compelling narratives that resonate with executives and align with business objectives. This approach helps in securing budget allocations and maintaining support from leadership teams. Navigating Hard Conversations: The episode delves into the techniques Matt uses to navigate difficult conversations, both internally and with executive stakeholders. He shares strategies for handling pushback and resistance, using empathy and clear communication to drive the right decisions and maintain alignment with long-term goals. Long-Term Growth Planning: Matt discusses the challenges of balancing short-term pressures with the need for long-term growth. He offers insights into how to maintain focus on sustainable business growth while managing expectations and demonstrating short-term wins to gain continued support from the C-suite. Budget Alignment with Business Goals: Matt provides a framework for aligning marketing budgets with business objectives, ensuring that each dollar spent contributes directly to achieving target goals. He stresses the importance of transparency and clear communication with executives to justify budget allocations and demonstrate marketing’s impact on company performance. Building Internal Allies: The episode touches on how Matt builds internal allies to support his marketing initiatives. He talks about leveraging relationships and building coalitions within the organization to champion marketing’s role in achieving overall business success. Matt stresses the need for comprehensive planning and contingency strategies for marketing campaigns. This includes aligning short-term goals with long-term objectives and preparing for potential roadblocks to maintain momentum and adapt quickly. Effective strategies for gaining executive and cross-departmental buy-in are highlighted. This involves demonstrating the value of marketing initiatives through data-driven storytelling, aligning marketing strategies with business objectives, and clearly communicating the impact and ROI of marketing efforts. Presenting realistic marketing budgets based on category benchmarks and Total Addressable Market (TAM) is crucial. Matt discusses how to navigate budgeting challenges by using data to justify budget allocations and showing how these budgets will contribute to growth and target achievement. Marketing in the SaaS industry comes with unique challenges, particularly in managing free and freemium models. Matt shares insights on how to effectively market SaaS products by tailoring strategies to customer needs and optimizing customer acquisition and retention efforts. Matt emphasizes the importance of leveraging data to make informed marketing decisions. This includes using tools like Google Analytics to understand traffic sources, conversion rates, and user behavior, and applying these insights to refine marketing strategies and improve outcomes.

Summary  Mohamed Reza shares insights into how he navigates executive conversations and aligns marketing strategies with long-term goals. Discusses the challenges of securing executive buy-in and how he overcomes these hurdles using data-driven storytelling. Explains his approach to presenting budgets in a way that aligns with company targets, even when they’re challenging to quantify. Highlights the importance of creating narratives around data to win allies and gain support for GTM initiatives. Shares his strategies for balancing short-term results with long-term growth in a mid-market SaaS environment. Offers practical advice on how to show marketing’s impact across the organization through effective tools and frameworks. Takeaway Importance of executive buy-in: Mohamed Reza discusses the challenges of gaining executive buy-in for GTM strategies and shares strategies for overcoming resistance. Importance of aligning marketing objectives with broader business goals to secure support from leadership. Detailed planning and execution: The necessity for detailed planning in GTM initiatives, including clear objectives, timelines, and contingencies. Mohamed highlights the need to anticipate challenges and plan for them in advance to ensure successful execution. Budgeting challenges: Mohamed addresses the common difficulties in allocating marketing budgets, especially in the context of long-term growth expectations. Discusses methods for justifying budgets based on measurable outcomes and aligning them with company targets. Data-driven storytelling: Mohamed explains how to use data effectively to tell compelling narratives that support marketing decisions. Emphasizes the role of analytics in understanding customer behavior, tracking KPIs, and making informed decisions. Marketing strategy in SaaS: Mohamed talks about the unique aspects of marketing in SaaS, including the challenges of targeting different customer segments, managing churn, and maximizing value for users. Discusses strategies for adapting GTM motions to fit the SaaS model and driving long-term growth.

Summary Communicating value effectively: Emphasizing that communication happens not just at the speaker's mouth, but at the listener's ear. It’s essential for marketing leaders to think about how they communicate value to executives and ensure it’s framed in a way that resonates with the listener's perspective. The power of framing and narrative: Marketing leaders must frame their contributions and value in a way that highlights their impact, especially when navigating executive conversations and securing buy-in for long-term initiatives. Navigating layoffs: In the context of layoffs, the importance of demonstrating your value to the organization becomes even more critical. It’s not just about doing the right things, but about making sure that your efforts are clearly understood and aligned with company goals. Strategic value in marketing: Marketing leaders need to strategically show their worth and reinforce their contributions to the company's success, not just through metrics but by aligning with the broader organizational goals. The importance of data and storytelling: Data alone is not enough; it must be used to tell a compelling story that helps executives understand how marketing contributes to business growth and aligns with long-term company goals. Takeaways Effective executive communication: Lauren discusses the importance of understanding how communication happens, emphasizing the need to communicate value in a way that resonates with executives and stakeholders. Framing value for buy-in: The conversation explores strategies for framing the value of marketing work so it is understood and appreciated at all levels, particularly in the context of securing executive buy-in. Navigating layoffs and value recognition: Lauren reflects on the role of value recognition in organizational decision-making, and how marketing leaders can work to ensure their teams are seen as essential during times of uncertainty like layoffs. Data-driven storytelling: The importance of using data to tell a compelling narrative that aligns with business goals is discussed, including how data can be leveraged to demonstrate marketing's impact. Strategic marketing leadership: The episode covers how marketing leaders can build a strong case for marketing initiatives, even in the face of challenges, by strategically aligning their motions and messaging with the business’s core objectives.