Neil Cohen, The Marketing Therapist, joins our host, Camela Thompson, Go-To-Market Thought Leader and B2B Insights Expert, in this episode of the Revenue Marketing Report. Neil shares why the first six months are a marketer’s most impactful time at a company and how to recapture the magic.
Hello and welcome to the Revenue Marketing Report, powered by CaliberMind. I'm your host, Camela Thompson, and today I'm joined by Neil Cohen. Neil, tell us a little bit about yourself.
“Hello, Camela. I call myself a marketing therapist. I’ve been consulting with companies, mostly startups, but also big companies, for over 23 years. Before that, I was a marketing executive at companies like Hilton and Sega. I’ve worked with both high-flying startups and established companies, always focusing on solving puzzles and mentoring others.”
I love it. We’re going to talk about diagnosing your marketing problems. Why did consulting appeal to you?
“I love problem-solving and mentoring. As a CMO or VP of marketing, you innovate for maybe six months to a year, then you become part of the wallpaper. Consulting lets me solve more puzzles and to teach companies to fish. It suits me better, and I love it. I get to work on different challenges all the time, and it keeps things fresh and exciting for me.”
Let's talk about maintaining objectivity in marketing.
“Market conditions change constantly. It’s important to regularly reevaluate your position. For example, back in 2008, Mercedes shifted from being seen as a luxury brand to a value purchase during the economic downturn, and then back to luxury a few years later. It’s crucial to keep an eye on these external forces and adjust your strategies accordingly. One of my sayings is, “Don’t just do something, stand there.” Take a breath, gather information, and then figure out the best way forward. Go slow to move fast.”
Absolutely. How do you refresh that objectivity?
“Marketing is about empathy, understanding your customer’s day-to-day pain. Many companies think they talk to their customers, but they usually focus on features rather than understanding the customer’s life and challenges. Empathetic interviews are crucial. It’s not about selling your product; it’s about understanding the real problems your customers face and how they perceive those problems.”
Tell me more about empathetic interviews.
“It’s about listening to understand, not to reply. When someone says they need innovation, ask them what they mean by that. Understand their context and their true needs without imposing your biases. For example, if a customer says they want a better compass, they might mean they want more reliability, not necessarily more features. Dive deep into their experiences and pain points.”
Yes, don’t lead the witness. What’s a good starting point for these interviews?
“Start by building a rapport. Ask about their day, their role, and their challenges. Understand their life before diving into specific questions. This builds comfort and openness. Begin broad with questions like, “Tell me about a day in your life.” Then narrow down to specifics: “How do you handle marketing automation?” Keep asking why until you can’t ask why anymore. This approach uncovers deeper insights.”
What are some specific questions to ask?
“Start broad: “Tell me about a typical day at work.” Then dive into specifics: “How do you manage your marketing automation?” Ask follow-up questions like, “Why do you use this tool?” or “What challenges do you face with it?” This helps you understand their workflow, pain points, and decision-making process. Avoid leading questions that might bias their answers.”
Yes, and listening more than speaking is crucial. How do you handle the data from these interviews?
“Look for patterns and themes across multiple interviews. Use AI tools like Otter for summaries but always human-check them. Present findings based on facts, not opinions, and include relevant internal feedback to show you’ve listened. This helps you build a compelling case for change based on real customer insights.”
How do you sell these findings internally?
“Lead with facts from customer interviews. If someone says, “I think,” or “I feel,” ask them to explain. Then, share your findings and align them with company goals. Use shared goals to foster consensus. For example, if a VC suggests a strategy, say, “We thought the same, but after talking to 15 customers, here’s what we found.” This approach builds credibility and support for your recommendations.”
It’s about enabling sales and having open conversations. How do you bridge the gap between sales and marketing?
“Sales is a customer for marketing. Listen to their feedback and align your efforts to support them. Join sales calls, understand their challenges, and use customer insights to refine your strategies. This collaboration ensures marketing efforts are aligned with sales needs, leading to better results and fewer conflicts.”
Yes, and maintaining objectivity is key. How do you ensure marketing efforts align with sales needs?
“Focus on shared goals and continuous improvement. Evaluate what’s working and what’s not. Be patient, and keep refining your approach based on feedback and results. Regularly revisit your strategies to ensure they are still relevant and effective. This ongoing alignment helps both teams work towards common objectives.”
Tell me more about effective branding and performance marketing.
“Performance marketing is more effective with a strong brand. Measure incremental improvements. Look at sales deck engagement, time to close, and meeting counts to validate branding efforts. Strong branding supports performance marketing by making your efforts more efficient and impactful.”
Branding is crucial. It’s about building something special. How do you integrate customer feedback into branding?
“Regularly conduct customer interviews and use their language to refine your message. This improves both brand perception and performance marketing results. For example, one company I worked with tripled their pipeline by refining their message based on customer insights. It’s about evolving your message to stay relevant and resonate with your audience.”
Fantastic. Any final advice for marketers?
“We’re in a transformative time with AI. Learn to work with it and understand it deeply. It won’t replace jobs, but it will create better ones. Embrace it, but remember, the secret ingredient is still you. AI is a tool, and how you use it makes all the difference.
Absolutely. Enhancing productivity with AI is crucial.
Yes, the differentiator is how you use and leverage these tools. Remember, it’s about you, not just the AI.
I believe it. Thanks for your insights, Neil.
“You got it.”
For more content on B2B marketing trends, listen to the full Revenue Marketing Report episode at the top of the article or anywhere you podcast.
