Podcast 93: getting insights from other departments for your B2B content

B2B Q&A | Your B2B content questions, answered

In this month’s episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy, we’re talking about an issue that plagues B2B marketers everywhere: getting other departments in your business to share the insights that are so vital to creating worthwhile content.

Guest co-host Adam Harper, Quantexa’s new Demand Generation Manager for EMEA, joins David in the virtual studio to discuss the challenges B2B marketers face when building better interdepartmental collaboration, like:

• Mad marketing ideas from senior leadership
• Lack of trust from other departments
• Being too darned nice to get the co-operation you need

(Yell “BINGO” if you’ve experienced them all.)

Best of all, you’ll catch an interview with indomitable B2B tech marketer and cross-functional insight expert, Maureen Blandford. With her new, free digital book on the subject “Moats and Drawbridges” hot off the press, Maureen tells us why extracting useful insights from other departments is so “ouchy” – and how to make a start.

Finally, a UK-based Fleet Analyst tackles the Anonymous Five. If you create content for fleet customers, you’re really going to want to hear what they have to say.

Time for every functional area to come together

Every functional area of a business – including product, sales, marketing, and customer success – has a wealth of great information that can help everyone else (and especially those of us who make B2B content). But an unstructured, ad-hoc approach to information sharing makes cross-functional insights nearly impossible.

So how can you start to build up that communication, and get the insights you need to create truly great B2B copy? Maureen offers a few tips:

• Start small: Learning any new skill feels strange at first, so starting small is your best chance of keeping everyone onboard.
• Focus on one question you really want answered: It doesn’t have to be marketing’s choice; product could be seeing an under-used feature, for example. Pick a question, work together to answer it, and you’ll build muscle memory.
• Expect messy: Change doesn’t happen overnight – and breaking down barriers is a tough business. A healthy level of friction is part of getting the job done, and that’s okay.

You’ll find plenty more guidance in the full interview (along with a scathing review of Martech vendors). What more could you ask for?

Maureen’s new book can be found here: Moats & Drawbridges: The Current State of B2B Cross-functional Insight Sharing. And when you’re inspired to drive change (and trust us, you will be), join the conversation at #InsightHarnesser.

The Anonymous Five: Fleet Analyst, UK-based maintenance company

In this month’s no-holds-barred Q&A, a mystery Fleet Analyst gives us some brutally honest insights about crap marketing and the impact of electric vehicles.

They tell us which electric car companies have “terrible B2B service” – and which fall short with their targeting – and reveal why, ultimately, Excel is the tool that any software solution needs to beat.

(Thank you, anonymous Fleet Analyst, for being so honest and detailed; we’ve made a donation to Changing Pathways on your behalf.)

In this episode, you’ll find…

0.53 – Introducing the one and only Adam Harper

3.40 – Maureen Blandford tells us why cross-functional collaboration is key

24.21 – David and Adam discuss the interview, and why “anecdata” is so dangerous

36.42 – What one question would you ask? The people have their say

41.26 – The Anonymous Five: a Fleet Analyst tells all

Anything you loved in this episode?

(Or really, really hated? We can take it, honest…)

Tweet us at @radixcom on Twitter or pop us a message on [e-mail] Or, if you want to feature on the podcast itself, send us a voice memo our way.

How to listen

• You can download the episode here (right-click and select “Save As” to download)
• Or you can subscribe (and leave a review if you like) on Apple Podcasts
• Alternatively, add our RSS to your preferred podcast player
• Of if you prefer, you could always follow us on Spotify

Credits

Thanks, Adam, for being a consummate co-host – we’ve no doubt you’ll be back on the show soon. Ish.

Thank you to the wonderful Maureen Blandford, for sharing your wealth of expertise (and never being afraid to say it just how it is). Did we mention the book?

Thanks also to our mystery Fleet Analyst, and to our merry band of Twitter and LinkedIn responders: Paul A63005, Ian Truscott, Wendy Clack, Matt Dodgson, Gregory Hooven, Sam Armondi, Sam Batstone, Kate Roe, and Syed Haseen Ahmed. You guys are awesome.

Podcast editing and music by Gareth at Bang and Smash.

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