In this episode of "Women in B2B Marketing," host Jane Serra engages with Maggie Blume, a Deliverability Consultant at The Luster Group, to delve into the intricacies of email deliverability in the B2B sector. Maggie shares her journey from an introverted accountant to a successful sales professional, emphasizing the power of active listening and asking insightful questions. The discussion covers essential deliverability strategies, such as avoiding spam words, warming up new domains, and the importance of segmentation. Maggie also highlights the value of collaboration between sales and marketing and encourages women to embrace opportunities and build personal brands.

Maggie and Jane discuss:

• Maggie's introverted nature and how it has become a strength in her sales career.
• The value of active listening and asking good questions in sales conversations.
• The importance of focusing on the prospect's needs rather than pushing a personal agenda.
• Understanding the significance of email deliverability for sales and marketing, and its impact on open rates.
• Key steps to improve deliverability, including consulting with software providers and IT teams.
• The impact of subscriber engagement on deliverability and the importance of managing subscriber lists effectively.
• The process of warming up a new domain to make it appear more human and improve email deliverability.
• Collaboration between sales and marketing, and how support content can lead to more leads.

Key Links:

Guest: Maggie Blume - https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggieblume/

Host: Jane Serra - https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/

In this episode of "Women in B2B Marketing," host Jane Serra interviews Catherine Solazzo, CMO at Syntax. Catherine shares her career journey, starting as an intern at IBM and evolving into leadership roles. She discusses the challenges and strategies involved in leading marketing transformation, emphasizing the importance of trust, data-driven decision-making, and agile methodologies. Catherine also highlights her expanded responsibilities, including inside sales and sales operations, and reflects on her aspirations beyond the CMO role.

Jane and Catherine discuss:

• Differences between public company and private equity ownership in terms of flexibility, focus, and historical processes
• Challenges and strategies in setting a marketing foundation, establishing expectations, and gaining buy-in for transformation
• Importance of trust and collaboration in leadership - and why she never misses a deadline
• Shifting from reliance on sentiment to data
• Use of agile frameworks and methodologies in marketing transformation
• Integration of technology and tools for an efficient and collaborative work environment
• The reasoning behind Catherine's expanded CMO role to include inside sales and sales ops functions
• Catherine's participation in the Marketing Academy fellowship program and the valuable experiences and learnings gained from it
• Contemplation of transitioning into a CEO role after CMO
• The importance of self-analysis and finding one's identity and purpose

Key Links:

Guest: Catherine Solazzo - https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-solazzo/

Host: Jane Serra - https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/

The Marketing Academy - https://themarketingacademy.org/us/the-fellowship/

In this episode of "Women in B2B Marketing," host Jane Serra interviews Alessandra Colaci, an AI consultant and founder of Humans Plus AI. Alessandra shares her journey from B2C to B2B marketing and her transition into AI. They discuss the practical applications of AI tools like ChatGPT, emphasizing the importance of providing context and experimenting with different approaches. Alessandra offers insights on managing AI initiatives, handling sensitive data, and integrating AI strategically into marketing efforts. She also highlights the need for continuous learning, ethical considerations, and embracing mistakes as part of the growth process in AI and marketing.

Alessandra walks us through:

• Starting with AI tools like ChatGPT and providing context for AI
• Guardrails for using AI, privacy, and handling sensitive data
• Her clients' approach to AI initiatives and guidance on leveraging AI efficiently
• Potential of AI in marketing and its impact on business relationships
• Leveraging AI for data analysis in marketing, including product marketing
• Practical advice on managing logistics for AI analysis and providing context for accurate analysis
• Use of AI tools like Midjourney, Magnifique, and Perplexity for image creation and data analysis
• Ethical considerations and biases in AI, diversity and inclusion in training data
• Continuous learning, experimentation, and embracing mistakes for growth and success in AI and marketing landscape

Key Links:

Guest: Alessandra Colaci - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alessandraco/

Host: Jane Serra - https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/

Humans + AI: https://humansplus.ai/