GTM 142: Why Most B2B Marketing Fails (And How to Fix It) with Udi Ledergor

Udi Ledergor served as CMO during Gong’s rise from new SaaS startup to industry dominance. By building a playful, human-centric brand with a lighthearted tone, he captured buyers’ attention and dollars and turned them into raving fans. He helped Gong go from zero to hundreds of millions in revenue, while achieving a multi-billion-dollar valuation. His book Courageous Marketing is officially out and you can buy it below in the show notes. 

Discussed in this Episode:

• Why Marketing 'Best Practices' are broken for Brands that want to stand out.
• Marketers need to consider the long game and remember the 95/5 rule.
• When you should hire for experience versus potential.
• How to foster a culture of healthy risk-taking with your team.

Highlights: 

04:09 Udi's inspiration for writing his new book, Courageous Marketing.

06:02 The four most common reasons why marketing fails.

09:22 What marketers should be looking for when selecting a company to join.

13:55 The Problem with 'playing it safe' in B2B marketing.

23:07 How to market to both the 5% and the 95% of your buyers.

38:13 The Three Team Operating Principles for leading a bold and effective marketing team.

Guest Speaker Links (Udi Ledergor):

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/udiledergor/
• Gong: https://www.gong.io/
• Udi's Book, Courageous Marketing: https://mybook.to/courageousmarketing

Host Speaker Links (Sophie Buonassisi):

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiebuonassisi/
• Newsletter: https://gtmnow.com/tag/newsletter/

Where to find GTMnow (GTMfund’s media brand):

1. Website: https://gtmnow.com/
2. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gtmnow/
3. Twitter/X: https://x.com/GTMnow_
4. YouTube:    / @gtm_now  
5. The GTM Podcast (on all major directories): https://gtmnow.com/tag/podcast/

Sponsor: ZoomInfo’s GTM25 Virtual Conference—a free, half-day even

The GTMnow Podcast
The GTMnow Podcast is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with the top 1% GTM executives, VCs, and founders. Conversations reveal the unshared details behind how they have grown companies, and the go-to-market strategies responsible for shaping that growth.

Visit gtmnow.com for more episodes and other interesting content.