The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing

Episode 87: Interview with Jay Acunzo - Don't Reach Your Audience, Resonate With Your Audience

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 09:00:00 +0000

After recording this episode and knowing the knowledge and insights that are in it, I'd have to say this is one of the best episodes you could be listening to. I'm definitely biased here. We have an exciting guest, Jay Acunzo, on the show to talk to us about resonance in our work. What he says throughout this episode is gold, and you do not want to miss it.

He even performs the perfect cast for us at the end (if you know, you know).

Get connected with Jay:

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes, let us know what your question is on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at
https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/resonating-with-your-audience and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 86: 2022 Predictions - Data Security, Remote Work & More

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 09:00:00 +0000

This prediction episode has been a long time coming! Today Mike and Doug will be tackling their predictions including items like data security and privacy, remote work, and so much more.

Big News: 2022 Predictions
Question of the Episode: What is one thing you learned last year that others listening in can benefit from as we get further into 2022?

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes, let us know what your question is on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at
https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/2022-predictions and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 85: Interview with James Ontra - The Problem With Presentations

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Presentations suck today. Most people waste time, waste money, and don't focus on the client with their presentations and it becomes hell because they don't know the connection between what's on the screen and how they want to effect their audience. Today we welcome guest James Ontra, CEO of Shufflrr, to the show to give us the 411 on presentation management. (Spoiler Alert: Doug and James do disagree on a few things here.)

If you'd like to follow James you can do so in these locations:

Podcast: Presentation Hell
LinkedIn: James Ontra

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes, let us know what your question is on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at
https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/problem-with-presentations and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 84: End Of Year Discounts - A Debate

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Today is the last episode of the year, can you believe it? 2021 has been a fast year, though the older we get the faster the years go by, so every year feels like it’s fast. All the events that we’re used to having either didn’t happen or weren’t in person, so there hasn’t been anything to break up our year. There’s been no chapters. We can only hope that in the next few years we get those chapters back. The focus today is on sales and marketing discounts and whether they’re good or bad. And surprise, Mike and Doug disagree on the answer.

Thank you everyone for listening and watching over the course of 2021. We have some exciting things lined up for the new year and can’t wait to bring you on the journey with us. Until next time, have a safe and happy new year!

Big News: End of Year Discounts
Question of the Episode: If there’s one piece of advice that you could give someone else going into 2022, what would it be?

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes, let us know what your question is on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at
https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/end-of-year-discounts and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 83: Beware of the Mushroom Cloud Tech Stack

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Doug has noticed for quite some time that tech stacks have been exploding. We’re no longer just talking about cloud tech stacks anymore, we’re talking about (what Doug has coined) mushroom cloud tech stacks that have been sprawling technology.

Each episode is broken up into three sections: Big News, The Question of the Episode, and Takeaways.
Big News: Mushroom Cloud Tech Stacks
Question of the Episode: The new holding company name for Facebook was released and will now be Meta with plans of building out a "metaverse." What are your thoughts? Will it be successful or will it forever be a meme for years to come?
Takeaways:

Mike - Work hard, make bank. Bank can be substituted with anything.
Doug - Focus on the trend, don’t focus on the gadgets.

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes, let us know what your question is on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at
https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/mushroom-cloud-tech-stack and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 82: Blurring The Blackline

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 07:00:00 +0000

The Blackline Podcast has always been based on issues between sales and marketing. That line is blurring - alignment is always improving - but alignment isn’t always (and shouldn’t be) a happy peaceful place. So what is alignment, and can you have alignment without conflict? Let’s find out!

Each episode is broken up into three sections: Big News, The Question of the Episode, and Takeaways.
Big News: The blame game between sales and marketing
Question of the Episode: What one piece of advice would you give sales and marketing teams today to improve their attempts to be more aligned?
Takeaways:

Mike - If you’re in sales, go spend some time with the marketing team. Tell them what you’re being asked and tell them what you need. If you’re in marketing, go and spend time with the sales team to hear the questions they’re being asked.
Doug - Cross-discipline objectives and metrics. How often does each team have its own metrics that aren’t informative? There is no such thing as sales and marketing; they were created to manage organizations. They’re both responsible for revenue problems.

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes, let us know what your question is on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at
https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/blurring-the-blackline and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 81: F^ck Hustle Culture

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 09:00:00 +0000

F^ck Hustle Culture. I don’t think we can get anymore to the point. While the hustle culture seemed to have gone away, it’s come back with a vengeance over the last couple of months. It’s got to a point where we have to wonder what are people doing day to day? Are they doing or just talking?

Each episode is broken up into three sections: Big News, The Question of the Episode, and Takeaways.
Big News: The Hustle / Bro Culture
Question of the Episode: what are some ways to make sure everyone is aligned / stays aligned? Is it different if you're remote vs. in office?
Takeaways:

Mike - I had zero clue that Doug is moody. Just kidding. Figure out what is best for your own work-life balance. Don’t subscribe to the hustle culture just because you think you have to be successful. Success comes in all shapes and sizes.
Doug - Relax. Any performer will tell you that growth comes when you relax. We’re working so hard that we are our own worst enemy. It’s fine to have some downtime. It’s okay to say no and not doing anything in the evenings. Take some time to just relax.

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes, let us know what your question is on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at
https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/fck-hustle-culture and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 80: Interview with Mark Kilens - Revenue Acceleration, Building Insights & Community

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is a special one as we welcome guest Mark Kilens, VP of Content and Community at Drift, to the show. You’ll receive expert insights into the topics of revenue acceleration, building insights from data, and community. We are so excited to share this episode with you all, and thank you Mark for joining us.

If you'd like to follow Mark you can do so in these locations:

Twitter: @MarkKilens
LinkedIn: Mark Kilens

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes, let us know what your question is on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at
https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/revenue-acceleration and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 79: HubSpot's Not Another Marketing Report & Trends For The Remaining Year

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 18:04:54 +0000

The hosts are feeling a bit salty and fatigued today due to all the “State of” reports. So, this will be the last one we do for now to give everyone a break and go back to our regularly scheduled programming.

HubSpot put out their Not Another State of Marketing Report 2021, “a new report by HubSpot, Litmus, and Westin to help marketers prioritize their strategies and outperform their goals.” Did they deliver on the promise that it was in fact not another state of marketing report? Unfortunately, no.

Question of the Episode: What are the things you think companies should be focusing on during the last half of the year? Are there any trends you are starting to see that could affect business?
Takeaways:

Mike - I’m going to be happy to not read these state of reports. People should stay away from them.
Doug - Play your game. Now is the time. There’s so much stimulus out there. Be focused and know what you’re trying to do. Oh and be consistent.

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes, let us know on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at
https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/hubspots-not-another-marketing-report and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 78: Video in Business Benchmark Report & Prepping for Sales Calls

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Vidyard put out their 2021 Video in Business Benchmark Report and although it isn’t a “State of” report officially, it’s referenced as one in their promotion of the report. We won’t be going through everything like our other report reviews because the information is overwhelming and it’s hard to find out what to do with the information.

Question of the Episode: What's the most important thing you can do to prepare for a sales call?
Takeaways:

Mike - Read the benchmark reports (or any reports) with some skepticism. Don't let all your decisions be formed from these reports; avoid the silver bullet.
Doug - Play your game. Games work because of rules. There are things you're going to want to jump on. If you don't know what your game is, everything will overwhelm you. As you dial your game in, it'll open up opportunities.

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes or have a report that you want us to comment on, let us know on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at
https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/video-benchmark-report and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 77: The State of Sales 2021

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 13:00:00 +0000

In continuation of our ongoing series discussing state of state of state of reports, today’s report comes from LinkedIn. They released their State of Sales Report for 2021 - US & Canada edition.

Here are the 7 trends they reported on:

Virtual selling is good for sellers and even better for buyers
Sales organizations and managers must adjust to a remote working world — now
Sales organizations are preventing sellers from putting buyers first
These 6 sales behaviors are killing deals
Sales technology provides the key pathway to building trust
For sales organizations, data is more crucial than ever
Buyers and sellers are ramping up their use of LinkedIn

Dig with us through these trends in the episode.

Takeaways:

Mike - I don’t know that I would download this. I feel like it’s a lot of regurgitation, and the killer point that was made today was on original thought. And this report doesn’t have a lot of original thought behind it.

Doug - Sales isn’t broken. We have to stop saying sales is broken. It creates a non buyer first, non-value added experience. If it was broken it would be inconsistent. Let’s address the cause because in all honesty selling isn’t that hard. It’s not rocket science. The underlying structure can be complicated, but if you build the plumbing right you can put it behind walls and let it run. We’re making it harder than it has to be because we keep trying to patchwork something that’s going to do what it’s going to do.

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes or, let us know what your question is or what report you'd like us to review on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at
https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/state-of-sales-2021 and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 76: Under Armor, Nike & The State of Proposals 2021

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Mon, 24 May 2021 15:04:58 +0000

There has been an explosion of State of [insert title name] Reports, to the point that when you look it up, there’s millions of results. We’re starting a new feature on the podcast where we’ll review these types of reports to help you understand what they mean, bring in application to what you should or shouldn’t do differently, and give you real commentary on them. If you have a report you’d like for us to review, let us know by emailing our Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com. This episode, we’re taking a look at the State of Proposals 2021 - Analysis and Insight to Dominate Your Deals from Proposal to Close.

When you create a proposal, you want to include these items, according to the State of Proposals 2021:

Cover Page
Executive Summary
Approach/Solution
About Us/Our Team
Deliverables
Pricing
Terms & Conditions/Sign-Off

Mike and Doug go through 5 key findings:
1. In a year defined by unpredictability, sales teams adapted - and won
2. Proposals with images close at a higher percentage
3. Deal velocity is increasing
4. Proposals that don't close get more attention than those that do
5. Discounting can be a viable strategy, but there's a limit to its effectiveness

Takeaways:

Mike - I'm going to reevaluate proposals for my business.
Doug - Don't send shitty proposals.

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes, let us know what your question is on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at
https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/state-of-proposals-2021 and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 75: The Importance of Business Acumen & Valuable Metrics

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Mon, 17 May 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Where do you get business acumen? What even is business acumen? And when do valuable metrics turn to vanity metrics? Mike and Doug answer all these questions and more in this episode.

If you would like to learn more, take our online course: Business Acumen for Sales, Marketing & Demand Generation.

Each episode is broken up into three sections: Big News, The Question of the Episode, and Takeaways.
Big News: What is Business Acumen?
Question of the Episode: When does a metric go from being valuable to being vanity?

Takeaways:

Mike - Look at alternative views. Find things that go against what you initially thought because you’ll learn something new about yourself.
Doug - Go to someone in your business that does something that you don’t know much about and ask them to tell you a day in their life. Listen, and ask a whole bunch of questions. Seek to understand their world and then try connecting it to yours.

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes, let us know what your question is on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at
https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/business-acumen-and-valuable-metrics and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 74: Interview with Gabriel Marguglio - Using Video to Enhance Brand Affinity

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Video is an intense medium, and while every business should think about including video in their business strategy and processes, most struggle with doing so. Why? There’s a lot of time and energy that goes into video production whether you’re new at it or not. Today’s guest is the CEO of Nextiny Marketing, a company that specializes in video. We welcome Gabriel (Gabe) Marguglio to the show to discuss how video can enhance brand affinity. So, as the guy that collects typewriters, how did he get here?

Learn about how video can enhance your brand affinity in this episode.

If you'd like to follow Gabe you can do so in these locations:

Twitter - @g_marguglio
LinkedIn - Gabriel Marguglio
Podcast - MarTech Masters

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes, let us know what your question is on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at
https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/video-enhances-brand-affinity and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 73: Okta Acquires Auth0 & Is Being a CopyCat Good?

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 08:00:00 +0000

The whole market is crazy. Okta acquired Auth0 for $6.5 billion. Twitter, LinkedIn and other social platforms are creating similar features to Clubhouse. What can you as a listener or a small to mid-market business take away from these things? Find out in this episode.

Each episode is broken up into three sections: Big News, The Question of the Episode, and Takeaways.
Big News: Okta Acquired Auth0
Question of the Episode: Social platforms like Twitter & LinkedIn have announced that they are building out a feature similar to Clubhouse. Is it a smart idea for them to do so? Is there a lesson that businesses can take away from apps copying features?
Takeaways:

Mike - Learn from, but play your own game.
Doug - In the US, for the next week or so the weather is supposed to be pretty good. Take some time to go soak in the sun. This year is going to be crazy, so make sure you are rested and ready for it.

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes, let us know what your question is on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at
https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/auth0-aquisition and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 72: Interview with Christina Garnett - The Truth About Communities

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 19:11:31 +0000

Today’s episode is extra special as the one and only Christina Garnett joins us as a guest on the show. You may know her from bringing #MarketingTwitter together and making it into a bigger and better community. She is also the Senior Marketing Manager for Offline Community and Advocacy at HubSpot. This episode is packed with lots of insights on what is right and wrong when building a community, how companies can join in and much more.

Community is about the one or two topics that people have in common with each other. These commonalities gravitate them towards finding their tribe. It’s a place where you bring people together with a central love or central hate for something. Off of those conversations micro-communities are created for other items that those people have in common.

What’s the business application to community? Dive into the topic with us in this episode.

If you'd like to follow Christina you can do so in these locations:

Twitter - @ThatChristinaG
LinkedIn - Christina Garnett
Medium - Christina Garnett

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes, let us know what your question is on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at
https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/community and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 71: The Attention Economy, Email Metrics, & A/B Testing

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Doug hit inbox zero the other night and apparently email is dead. Just like coffee doesn’t work anymore. All jokes aside according to HubSpot’s data, email is nowhere near dead. Sales email sends are up 78% from a year ago and marketing email sends are up 36% from a year ago. If you haven’t guessed already we’re talking about email in today’s episode along with the metrics you should be using to measure performance and whether or not A/B testing is important.

Each episode is broken up into three sections: Big News, The Question of the Episode, and Takeaways.
Big News: You're measuring your email wrong and it's killing your engagement.
Question of the Episode: How important is A/B Testing for your site, email, etc.?
Takeaways:

Mike - A/B testing is the world the silver bullets live in and you shouldn’t waste your time on it.
Doug - It’s the comfort of conviction over the discomfort of doubt. Normalize doubt, be clear on your why and everything else will take care of itself.

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes, let us know what your question is on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/email-metrics and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 70: HubSpot, The Hustle & MarTech

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 15:02:10 +0000

We thought the big news this week was going to be that we finished our all hands meetings, but then the news came through - HubSpot acquired The Hustle. We’re discussing why this is a brilliant move for HubSpot and answering a question about too much MarTech on this episode of The Black Line Podcast.

Each episode is broken up into three sections: Big News, The Question of the Episode, and Takeaways.
Big News: HubSpot acquired The Hustle. Why?
Question of the Episode: With there being a lot of technology in MarTech, is it better to have a large tech stack or a small tech stack? And how do you determine which pieces of technology are right for your business?
Takeaways:

Mike - When we talk about tech stack it’s interesting and people talk about the job to be done and we should hire tech for the job to be done. BUT we can also turn it around to think, what are we firing?
Doug - HubSpot is a smart company and is good with content. They understand the value of engagement and being relevant. Learn from that. Put in the effort to generate insightful content.

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes, let us know what your question is on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/hubspot-hustle-martech and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 69: The GameStop Effect & Managing Prospects Gone Dark

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 16:16:18 +0000

There’s only one thing on everyone’s mind this week...the Bernie Sanders meme. If we recorded this episode last week, that might have been the big news. On this episode of The Black Line Podcast, Mike and Doug dive into GameStop’s stock and how to deal with prospects doing dark.

Each episode is broken up into three sections: Big News, The Question of the Episode, and Takeaways.
Big News: While this is a little off from sales and marketing, GameStop's stock has gone up due to subreddit r/WallStreetBets. Get an inside look on Doug and Mike's thoughts on this news.
Question of the Episode: When is it time to call it quits on contacting a prospect who never responds to emails, returns phone calls or even picks up the phone? Is there a proper way to let them go?
Takeaways:

Mike - It's better to be lucky than good.
Doug - It's better to be good than lucky.

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes, let us know what your question is on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/gamestop-effect and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 68: Kicking Off 2021 - How to Steer Your Course to a Strong Year

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 19:51:04 +0000

Happy New Year and welcome to the first episode of the year! We're officially in a new decade. A lot has already happened this year and we're only two weeks in. If you're feeling a little overwhelmed, that's okay. This episode Mike and Doug will be talking about what the new year means to businesses along with sharing their predictions of 2021 and any advice on navigating the noise and chaos of our world.

Each episode is broken up into three sections: Big News, The Question of the Episode, and Takeaways.
Big News: It's the new year...what does that mean to you/to businesses?
Question of the Episode: Going into the new year, are things going to stay similar as they were in 2020? What are your predictions and how would you advise companies to stay successful?
Takeaways:

Mike - 2021 is the year of getting yourself in a better mental and physical mindset because with so much going on, taking care of yourself is key
Doug - In 2021, you have to surf the wave. Influence what you can and ride the rest out

If you'd like to be featured in upcoming episodes, let us know what your question is on Twitter @DemandCreator or email our Podcast Producer at hannah@imaginellc.com

And if you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/kicking-off-2021 and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 67: Salesforce, Slack & Embracing Inbound

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 20:57:26 +0000

Thank you all for another amazing year of listening and supporting the podcast. We want to wish you a happy holidays and know that we'll be picking back up in the new year. Stay tuned for more insights and special guests. And if you haven't already, leave the podcast a review either on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

We're all feeling the last let of 2020 as the year comes to an end. Kick back, relax and listen to our last episode for the year. Mike and Doug discuss Salesforce acquiring Slack, what that acquisition means, and they finally answer the question - We're trying to embrace Inbound more, but how do we manage the transition for our sales team?

If you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/salesforce-slack-inbound and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 66: Gartner's Report: The Future of Sales - What We Think

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 19:46:59 +0000

Experience, intuition and data have to come together. You don't get a good hypothesis from data. Data can tell you what happened, and intuition tells you what data could happen so that you can create a test. In this episode of The Blackline Podcast, Mike and Doug discuss their thoughts around Gartner's research - Future of Sales 2025: Why B2B Sales Needs a Digital-First Strategy.

If you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/the-future-of-sales-gartner-report and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 65: MarTech 2030...The Implications

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 16:40:02 +0000

The biggest news in our world today is that the election this year will be over in the next few days, but for everyone's sanity, we have something better to talk about in this episode. Today Mike and Doug review Scott Brinker and Jason Baldwin's report: MarTech 2030 - Five Trends in Marketing Technology for the Decade of the Augmented Marketer. If you're listening along, we recommend you have the report open so you can follow along.

If you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/martech-2030-the-implications and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 64: Interview with Meghan Anderson - Enhancing the Sales-Marketing Relationship

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 21:27:37 +0000

Today is the episode we've all been waiting for. Guest Meghan Anderson, VP of Marketing at HubSpot, joins us to discuss all things marketing and sales as it relates to changes she's seeing in the world and what we can all do to help one another in today's current environment.

Meghan goes into detail on how you can balance the sales-marketing relationship, what you have to do to really compete as an emerging business, and how we can help each other our during this crazy environment.

If you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/enhancing-sales-marketing-relationship and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

You can follow Meghan Anderson on twitter @meghkeaney and listen to the podcast she hosts @TheGrowthShow on Spotify.

Episode 63: Inbound20 Recap & The Truth About Sales-Marketing Alignment

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 18:50:12 +0000

HubSpot hosted Inbound 2020 remotely this year and they knocked it out of the park. From Inbound stems our question of the episode about aligning sales and marketing. In this episode of The Black Line Podcast, Mike and Doug share their takeaways and improvements to the virtual conference and give their advice on what to do about aligning your sales and marketing teams.

What if the answer is that the teams aren't supposed to be aligned?

If you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/inbound-recap-and-sales-marketing-alignment and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

If you want more information on The DEALS Framework mentioned in this episode, you can access it here at https://www.imaginellc.com/deals-framework.

Episode 62: Snowflake IPO & Side Gigs

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 19:45:05 +0000

There are big things going on in the world this week: Snowflake went public, Inbound 2020 is happening virtually starting September 22, and The Black Line Podcast has a whole new format! In today's episode, Mike and Doug discuss their take on Snowflake and the valuation they received, and they answer a juicy question regarding the growing side gig economy.

If you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/snowflake-ipo and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 61: Interview with Marcus Andrews - Product Marketing, Launches, Narrative Design & More

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 17:59:50 +0000

What is product marketing? Is it really a thing? And if it is a thing, how is it different from marketing?

A lot gets answered in today's episode as we have guest Marcus Andrews, Product Marketing Group Lead for the Marketing Hub at HubSpot, joining us to fill in all the gaps surrounding product marketing. Learn what takes place during a product launch and how to segment them properly, and see how narrative design fits into the puzzle.

And for the first time, cohost and founder of Seventh Sense, Mike Donnelly, is unable to make the recording, so things are extra interesting this episode.

If you want to watch the video recording of this episode, you can do so at https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/product-marketing and follow us on Twitter @dougdavidoff, @knowingwhen & @DemandCreator.

Episode 60: Interview with Tyler Lessard - The Role of Video for Sales & Marketing

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 16:24:06 +0000

Video is just a fad right? No! Video has been around forever, but more recently it's become a way for us to share our ideas and learn more easily. In today's episode we welcome Tyler Lessard, VP of Marketing for Vidyard, to discuss all aspects of video from how to use it in your business processes to the mistakes being made with video.

Episode 59: Interview with Raj Aggarwal & Henry Cipolla - Data, Data Science & Making Better Decisions

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 13:57:48 +0000

Companies have a lot more quality data than they think, but more people use excuses to not have to do the work to sort through it all. For the first time ever, the show introduces not one, but two guests! Ra Aggarwal and Henry Cipolla from DemandSage join Mike and Doug as they discuss using data intelligently and what businesses should focus on when it comes to making better decisions with their data.

Episode 58: A Framework For Building Your MarTech Stack

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 15:49:20 +0000

Is there too much tech? Well, there's a lot of tech, but not a lot of true innovation going on. In this episode, Mike and Doug discuss today's tech stacks, the framework for building them, and how to make sure they're reducing friction.

Episode 57: Interview with Chris O'Donnell - Product Management, The Role of Technology, SaaS & More

Doug Davidoff & Mike Donelly — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 20:03:50 +0000

Guest Chris O'Donnell discusses product management, the role of technology, the SaaS world and more in this edition of The Black Line Podcast.

Episode 56: A Review of HubSpot's Post-Covid Benchmark Data

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Fri, 29 May 2020 19:39:54 +0000

Sift through HubSpot's Post-Covid Benchmark Data with Mike and Doug and get their thoughts and insights into what the data is showing. Visit the video recording of the podcast here to see what data they are viewing. https://blog.imaginellc.com/theblackline/review-hubspot-post-covid-benchmark-data

Episode 55: Selling in Difficult Times

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Fri, 15 May 2020 15:48:11 +0000

What do you do as a salesperson or a sales organization to sell in a beyond difficult market? Adjust your strategy to focus on teaching your prospect.

Episode 54: No Shortcuts - The Keys to Thriving Through Disruptive Times

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 21:21:22 +0000

The year has shifted. What are you doing differently? What are you doing to come out ahead? What should you be doing to come out stronger than you were before? These are all questions that Mike and Doug discuss in this episode of The Blackline Podcast.

Episode 53: Interview with Geoff Atkinson - The Future of SEO

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Fri, 06 Mar 2020 18:48:00 +0000

What is the future of SEO? Guest speaker Geoff Atkinson from Huckabuy discusses the opportunities and threats around SEO and what has changed over the years. The old tricks don't work anymore, things are advancing.

Episode 52: Analytics & Attribution - Solving the Impact Question Once and For All

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 17:36:29 +0000

Marketing attribution is back full force and isn't working. Join Mike and Doug as they discuss their concerns around data and what you should be focusing on when it comes to your analytics.

Episode 51: Interview with Kyle Jepson - Navigating Sales Organization Transformation

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 16:58:19 +0000

On this episode, we welcome the man, the myth, the legend, Kyle Jepson to the show. He discusses with us the changing nature of sales and how to teach salespeople and sales leaders, sales.

Episode 50: 2020 FOMO Nominations

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 14:47:03 +0000

Every year there's something hot that comes out that everyone has to jump on. If you don't jump on it, you end up feeling left behind. That's right we're talking about FOMO. In the first episode of 2020 Mike and Doug dive into FOMO nominations for this year.

Episode 49: How The Buyer Has Changed: The Things Change...

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 18:35:36 +0000

Has the buyer actually changed? Or for that matter has their journey really changed? In this last episode before the holiday break Mike and Doug discuss the perceived notion around how businesses react to the new year and to the change it brings.

Episode 48: What We Learned in 2019 & 2020 Predictions

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Mon, 09 Dec 2019 16:11:23 +0000

In this episode, Mike and Doug go back through the year and discuss some of their failures, what they learned from those failures, and what they predict 2020 will consist of.

Episode 47: Want Faster Sales Traction: Narrow The Focus & Expand The Yield

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 16:56:18 +0000

Less is more. Mike and Doug dive into how narrowing your focus and expanding your yield will lead to better results and greater impact on your business.

Episode 46: What The HubSpot & Salesloft Acquisitions Mean For The Greater MarTech Ecosystem

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Wed, 06 Nov 2019 15:37:43 +0000

In this edition of The Black Line Podcast, Mike and Doug question and speculate on the newest acquisitions of HubSpot buying PieSync and Salesloft buying Costello.

Episode 45: Have Data-Driven Mindsets Jumped The Shark: Using Data Effectively

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 15:33:15 +0000

In this episode Mike and Doug cover some of the latest observations in sales and marketing and dive into how people have lost sight and context of metrics and data.

Episode 44: The Future is 1:1 Video - Interview with George B Thomas

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 15:34:16 +0000

Guest George B. Thomas joins us on this edition to dive past the surface level and get to the heart of making and sending 1:1 videos. We'd highly recommend you checking out the personal video course at https://www.sprockettalk.com/personalvideo .

Episode 43: Interview with Kevin Dunn - Force, Friction, & the Flywheel

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 15:20:02 +0000

Guest Kevin Dunn from HubSpot joins Doug and Mike in this episode to talk about reducing friction and applying force to keep your flywheel spinning.

Episode 42: Interview with Lou Orfanos - The Future of Sales is Frictionless

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 14:18:17 +0000

What is frictionless selling and is it a bad thing? This week on The Black Line Podcast, guest Lou Orfanos from HubSpot, Mike and Doug discuss frictionless selling and the future that is to come with this topic.

Episode 41: Inbound 2019 - What Businesses Need to Change

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 14:20:22 +0000

We have to start playing our game that fits our strengths. Doug and Mike discuss Inbound 2019, their takeaways, and what they expect to see moving forward.

Episode 40: Scott Brinker: The Role of Martech in Marketing & Sales

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 20:31:33 +0000

Why are we doing less as a result of a solution that's supposed to enable us to do more? Guest speaker, Scott Brinker, joins us on this episode to discuss Martech in all its glory. Grab some popcorn as Scott, Mike and Doug debate on technology use in the sales and marketing world.

Episode 39: Addressing A Major Flaw With Today's Metrics: Micrometrics

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 13:07:32 +0000

In this episode, Doug and Mike discuss measuring the metrics that matter, how you should be looking at email analytics, and how to keep score of your work.

Episode 38: Team Human vs. Team Technology - Where AI is Leading Us

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 14:52:08 +0000

Doug and Mike explore the topic of AI, the gap of where it is currently and where people think it is, and the reality of how it's transforming away from "team human" and more towards "team technology."

Episode 37: A Real-Life Coaching Session On Increasing Sales Qualified Leads

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Fri, 28 Jun 2019 17:37:06 +0000

Mike and Doug discuss Seventh Sense's lead nurture emails, what's working for them, and what could be improved.

Episode 36: Content Strategy: Owning vs. Renting Attention

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 14:06:21 +0000

Mike and Doug discuss how email is an important channel, how it needs to be uniquely utilized, and whether you should own or rent attention.

The Black Line Podcast - Episode 35: Forecasting and the Null Hypothesis

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 18:56:59 +0000

Mike and Doug explore how this is a false question and other data driven issues.

The Black Line Podcast - Episode 34: The Truth About Customer Acquisition Cost

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Thu, 23 May 2019 18:39:08 +0000

Mike and Doug discuss how salespeople and marketers' obsession with metrics like customer acquisition cost might hurt more than it helps.

The Black Line Podcast - Episode 33

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Wed, 15 May 2019 17:35:35 +0000

How will the world of sales be different in 5 years. Will AI take over? Will the metrics we base success on change? Mike and Doug discuss and predict. Check it out, and prepare yourself for the future.

Episode 32: The Difference Between Marketing to Small/Mid-Size Business and Enterprise

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Mon, 29 Apr 2019 21:00:19 +0000

Doug and Mike discuss the many differences between marketing and selling to small/mid-sized businesses and large enterprises.

The Black Line Episode 31 - Pricing Opaquity

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 14:43:26 +0000

Mike decided to take the pricing page off of his website, because of how it was affecting the expectations of his prospects. Doug disagrees with removing the pricing page from any SaaS website. Heated debate ensues, don't miss it!

The Black Line - Episode 30

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 15:00:15 +0000

While most marketing organizations are making predictions about the next year, we're looking back at 2018 and what we can learn from it. Doug and Mike review the year of 2018 and discuss what worked (or didn't) for them.

Episode 29: Does Traffic Matter?

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 15:00:05 +0000

For better or worse, marketers are obsessed with numbers. What's one of the biggest metrics they're concerned with? Traffic. The amount of people who have visited a page on your website. But does this number matter? Does it actually express the success of your marketing efforts and your website? Or is it just a number that makes marketers feel like they're doing a good (or bad) job? Doug and Mike discuss...

Episode 28: Marketers Need to be Technologists

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Sat, 08 Dec 2018 21:00:07 +0000

Mike argues that marketers need to be technologists in order to be successful and iterate, but what does it mean to be a technologist? Do marketers need to be technologists, or must they understand the big picture first?

Episode 27: Funnels, Flywheels, or WTF?!

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 14:47:56 +0000

Hubspot has unveiled their new flywheel model for sales, and Doug and Mike have some thoughts. Is the old funnel model dead? Is the flywheel right for your business? Find out.

Episode 26: Navigating Today's MarTech Landscape

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Wed, 22 Aug 2018 19:00:18 +0000

n this episode of the podcast, Mike and Doug discuss the current MarTech landscape, and make some scarily accurate comparisons to past business cycles.

The Black Line Episode 25 - Being Tactical Vs Being Strategic

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 18:00:14 +0000

In this episode of the podcast, Mike and Doug discuss what it means to be tactical, versus what it means to be strategic, and how the words "strategic" and "tactical" are often used incorrectly.

The Black Line Episode 24 - How Can Marketers Bring More To The Table

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 21:00:04 +0000

In this episode of the podcast, Mike and Doug discuss the actions marketers can take to be more relevant and successful.

The Black Line - Episode 23: The Downsides of Running A Business: Don't Forget about Luck

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Fri, 13 Jul 2018 17:28:40 +0000

In this episode of the podcast, Mike and Doug discuss the darker side of owning a business and the importance of factoring in luck.

The Black Line - Episode 22 Hunting Or Farming - Which Is Better To Scale Sales Growth

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 17:00:04 +0000

The Black Line - Episode 22 Hunting Or Farming - Which Is Better To Scale Sales Growth by The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing

The Black Line - Episode 21 - Dave Gerhardt

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 16:42:40 +0000

Doug and Mike welcome Dave Gerhardt to the podcast to discuss conversational marketing and the importance of focusing your marketing efforts on having two-way conversations with prospects, as opposed to a one-way flow of information.

The Black Line Episode 20 - Mike & Doug - Being Data-Driven vs. Being Goal Driven

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 16:59:30 +0000

In this episode of the podcast, Mike and Doug talk about being data driven versus being goal driven.

The Black Line Episode 19 - Doug & Mike - Lead Activation Syndrome

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Thu, 31 May 2018 14:47:23 +0000

A lot of companies are stuck in their old ways with sales. In this episode of the podcast, Mike and Doug discuss Lead Activation Syndrome and how to fix your bulging funnel.

The Black Line Episode 18 - Mike And Doug - Martech Landscape

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Thu, 24 May 2018 13:18:24 +0000

In this episode of The Black Line Podcast, Mike and Doug discuss the evolving technology landscape.

The Black Line Episode 17 - Matt Heinz - The Biggest Lies Marketers Tell Today

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Thu, 10 May 2018 20:17:37 +0000

Matt Heinz joins us for this episode of The Black Line Podcast. Matt, Mike and Doug talk about what Marketer's should be focusing on to drive results.

The Black Line Episode 16 - Steve Pao - Marketing for Startups: How to Get Results

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 20:10:04 +0000

We welcome Steve Pao to this Black Line Podcast Episode. Steve teaches a few lessons that tie engineering and marketing together.

The Black Line Episode 15 - John Barrows - Why Sales & Marketing Still Sucks

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 18:16:03 +0000

Doug and Mike welcome John Barrows to this episode of the podcast to talk about why Sales and Marketing still sucks.

The Black Line Episode 14- Gini Dietrich - How to Grow Your Business with Content

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 15:27:30 +0000

Gini joins the podcast to talk about content for business. We'll discuss what's different today, what she'd do differently if she had to start over and her best tips and recommendations for using content for business growth.

Episode 13 - Ginny Mineo - The Future Of Content In Demand Generation

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 21:05:03 +0000

Excited to have Ginny Mineo from NextView Ventures as a guest on this podcast to discuss the future of content marketing in demand generation.

Black Line - Episode 12 - Growth Driven Design with Luke Summerfield

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 15:38:12 +0000

Doug and Mike welcome Luke Summerfield to the podcast to discuss Growth Driven Design, the problem with websites today and how you can solve them.

The Black Line Episode 11- Derek W State Of Sales Today

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 15:49:15 +0000

Derek Wyszynski joins this latest episode of The Black Line Podcast to discuss the state of sale today.

The Black Line Episode 10 - Pete Caputa Freemium Sales

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 16:50:52 +0000

Pete Caputa, Doug Davidoff and Mike Donnelly discuss why, especially if you're part of a software company, it's essential to offer a freemium product.

The Black Line Podcast - Episode 9 - Hiring Salespeople Is The Wrong Step For Growth

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 14:17:00 +0000

Mike and Doug discuss why hiring more salespeople is the wrong first step for faster growth.

The Black Line Episode 8 with Scott Brinker

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 21:03:23 +0000

We are thrilled to introduce Scott Brinker as our guest for episode 8 of the podcast. Mike and Doug chat with Scott about the MarTech landscape. Companies spend more and more on technology, but across the prism, they're still seeing reducing results. Scott talks about what he thinks the problems are, how to use technology the right way, current trends and the future landscape.

Black Line Podcast - Episode 7 | The Increasing Role of Marketing Within Sales

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 17:27:16 +0000

During episode 7, Mike and Doug discuss Sales and Marketing, comparing the roles to the Airforce and Special Forces.

The Black Line #6 - Gray McKenzie | The Future Role of Agencies

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 16:14:08 +0000

Doug, Mike, guest Gray MacKenzie of DoInbound discusss the future of marketing agencies, their role in client success, and how to build for predictable success.

The Black Line Podcast Episode 5: Manipulation vs. Connection

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Thu, 14 Dec 2017 19:00:00 +0000

The Black Line Podcast Episode 5 by The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing

The Black Line Episode 4 - What Is Sales and Marketing Alignment

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 14:55:28 +0000

The Black Line Episode 4 - What Is Sales and Marketing Alignment by The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing

The Black Line Podcast Episode 3 - The End of Sales?

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 17:38:25 +0000

In this episode we talk with HubSpot's head of sales solution partner channel to discuss the future of sales (including if there's a future) and the keys for companies and salespeople to stay ahead.

Black Line Podcast Episode 2 - Is Email Dead?

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 15:25:32 +0000

There's a lot of talk about the increasing ineffectiveness of email. Despite the challenges, email is still a core tool in a salesperson's and marketer's toolkit. In this episode, Doug & Mike share the keys to implementing an effective email strategy.

Black Line Podcast - Episode 1

The Black Line Between Sales & Marketing — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 14:59:30 +0000

Join us as we break down the challenges business have in creating alignment between sales and marketing to create continuous, predictable and scalable revenue growth.