Why B2B Buying Is Emotional, Not Rational | Sanjay Gopinath, MathWorks Marketing Leader on The Marketing Couch

Join The Marketing Couch with Sanjay Gopinath, a marketing leader with 25+ years of experience across IBM, Ernst & Young, and now heading marketing at MathWorks India. Discover powerful B2B marketing strategies and leadership insights from his journey.

In this conversation, you'll learn:

1. Why B2B buying decisions are primarily emotional, not just rational - and how to leverage this psychology in your marketing

2. How empathy and curiosity form the foundation of an effective tech marketing strategy

3. The critical shift from campaign-focused to community-building marketing approaches

4. Why consistency and discipline trump perfectionism in marketing execution and leadership

5. How first-principles thinking transforms marketing challenges into growth opportunities

6. Sanjay's leadership philosophy for building high-performance marketing teams

7. The journey from selling wire ropes to fishermen to leading global marketing initiatives at IBM and MathWorks

(00:00) Intro Music

(00:11) Sanjay Gopinath: A Journey Through Marketing

(02:05) Understanding MathWorks and Its Impact

(04:12) Accelerating Startups: The MathWorks Program

(07:53) Early Career Reflections: From Engineering to Management

(09:37) Navigating Career Choices: The Path to Marketing

(12:50) Client-Facing Roles: Lessons from the Field

(20:46) B2B Tech Marketing: Insights from Experience

(28:26) Building a Marketing Center at IBM

(34:22) Challenges in Marketing Leadership

(40:24) Transitioning to MathWorks

(49:53) The Emotional Side of B2B Marketing

(01:00:05) Essential Skills for Future Marketers

(01:03:35) The Art of Effective Communication

(01:08:02) Leadership and Building High-Performance Teams

(01:20:56) Personal Growth and Productivity Strategies

"You are the greatest project you are working on. So keep working." - Sanjay Gopinath

Connect with Sanjay:

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjugopi/

- Sanjay's Book: "Artificial Intelligence: A Friendly Guide to Your Future of Intelligence"

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.in/Artificial-Intelligence-Unveiled-Fundamentals-Possibilities-ebook/dp/B0CW1L5J9H

Connect with Jaydip:

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaydipsikdar/

Referenced:

- MathWorks: https://in.mathworks.com/

- MATLAB and Simulink: https://in.mathworks.com/products/simulink.html

- Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT): https://www.iift.ac.in/iift/index.php

- IBM Marketing: https://www.ibm.com/

- Vipassana Meditation: https://www.dhamma.org/en/index

- Artificial Intelligence: A Friendly Guide to Your Future of Intelligence: https://www.amazon.in/Artificial-Intelligence-Unveiled-Fundamentals-Possibilities-ebook/dp/B0CW1L5J9H

Production by Unstoppable Club. For inquiries about appearing on the podcast, email [e-mail].

The Marketing Couch brings you conversations with marketing leaders who share practical insights on building brands, driving growth, and developing marketing careers.

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