How to Build Long-Term Strategic Advantage in B2B Sales

For 13 years, I’ve been on the frontline of the B2B data wars. Here are the 5 strategies startups can use to defeat larger incumbents in their battle for market share: BACKGROUND: When I was VP at ZoomInfo they outflanked D&B by going after SMB. When I was President/COO at Apollo I saw them build a self-serve PLG engine to take that very same SMB segment from ZoomInfo. In the coming years, some B2B data startup will do to Apollo what they did to ZoomInfo, and ZoomInfo did to D&B. That is the nature of the beast. Here are the 5 ways I've seen new companies defeat incumbents: 1. Capture Attention Better Than Your Competition -  Only companies with the ability to cut through the noise succeed -  No matter what you do, there are likely over 20 teams doing the same -  Lower the search cost for the buyer. Nurture a community, develop a memorable brand, think about market virality early on, invest in an Inbound flywheel 2. Just Be Different - There’s always room to innovate - Innovation can be in GTM or packaging (doesn't have to be product) Example (Packaging): ZoomInfo differentiated from D&B by selling a self serve tool for $5K/year; when most data vendors were selling data dumps for $100K+/year. Apollo differentiated from ZoomInfo by selling a self serve tool for $99/user/mo to SMB; when others were selling $25K/year plans to enterprise. Example (GTM): ZoomInfo innovated in GTM with efficient inside sales teams as opposed to D&B’s field sales staff. Apollo innovated with PLG for the data business as opposed to ZoomInfo’s inside sales team 3. Refuse To Copy Your Dominant Competitor - Most entrepreneurs have so much respect for the dominant competitors that all they can think of is playing catch up and aim for feature parity - By the time you copy a feature, the dominant player will build 5 more and the gap widens - Instead, craft your own path. Identify an audience that your competitor is ignoring and roadmap that will make you look distinct 4. Relentless Focus On Optimizing The Low End Of The Market - Most disruption comes from the low end of the market - Zoominfo went after the SMB, which D&B was willing to forego without a fight - As the ZoomInfo business grew, they moved upstream and Apollo went after the low end of the market that ZoomInfo did not care as much about anymore - It’s only natural that Apollo will find going upstream more attractive as the business scales, paving way for a NewCo to acquire the SMB market once again 5. Be the best at something and don't try to be good at everything - Every team can be exceptionally good at something - Identify what your superpowers are - Is it Product, Sales, Marketing, CS? - Double down on your strengths, ignore your weaknesses - Do more of what you are good at to create a competitive edge TLDR: 1. Learn how to capture attention 2. Be different 3. Don't copy your competitor 4. Focus on low end of the market 5. Be the best at something P.S. Have questions? AMA in the comments. 👇

Your Competitor Isn’t Another Sales Organization In modern B2B sales, your biggest competitor isn’t a rival company. It’s your client’s fear of being wrong. Most decision-makers aren’t comparing your solution to someone else’s. They’re comparing action versus inaction. The risk of change feels greater than the pain of staying the same. Deals die quietly — not because your product failed, but because buyers lack the certainty to sign. Sales leaders often misread this. They push for more follow-ups, bigger pipelines, and better decks. But none of that fixes the real problem: your buyer doesn’t feel safe making a decision to change. Here’s how to fix it: 1️⃣ Lead with Insight — Start with a non-obvious idea that reframes the buyer’s world. 2️⃣ Reframe the Risk — Move from “What if this fails?” to “What if you don’t act?” 3️⃣ Transfer Confidence — Prove you understand their problem better than they do. 4️⃣ Build Consensus — Find the “CEO of the problem,” the one responsible for results. 5️⃣ Teach, Don’t Pitch — They buy rarely; you sell daily. Be their guide, not a vendor. Expertise is the new currency. Modern buyers don’t need pressure — they need confidence. #SalesLeadership #B2BSales #ModernSelling #OneUp #SalesStrategy

I struggled to put this idea into words even after closing 150+ B2B clients. Our sales coach just summed it up perfectly: The first purchase is never the product. It’s the argument. Here’s what it means: B2B prospects won’t buy our product if they don’t buy our thesis. We’re talking about the underlying argument for why our product/service should exist. If a prospect doesn’t find the thesis convincing, they’re out. I’ve seen this play out over countless sales calls - and I’ve experienced it on the other end as a B2B buyer myself. Our thesis at notus: The decisions we make are influenced by the people we trust and the content we consume. Every piece of organic content is a touchpoint that creates a reaction. Over time, reactions build trust. Content lets us build trust and relationships at scale. If a prospect agrees with that, they’ve already accepted the premise for our 3-engine playbook: 1. 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲: Post content to create touchpoints with your ICP 2. 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲: Build owned channels (e.g. email lists) independent of algorithms 3. 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲: Convert signals into meetings with a sales process Before this year, we relied too much on my organic content to explain all this. People booked calls knowing only parts of our thesis. They didn’t always understand exactly what we did, and we weren’t systematically filling in the blanks. Now we have an actual plan for how to present our thesis in the first sales call: 1. talk about how we’re our own success story 2. lay out the entire 3-engine playbook 3. ask if they’re ready to play the long game A lot of new B2B sellers get this wrong. They skip straight to the features and ignore the underlying argument. Don’t. Make the case. See what happens. We did that and doubled our revenue.

Did you know there's a shadow committee evaluating every B2B deal you're trying to close—and you've never even spoken to them?! Research (https://lnkd.in/g_nsV2cH) from the B2B Institute, NewtonX, and Bain & Company reveals a fascinating blind spot: "Hidden Buyers" wield nearly equal decision-making power as your primary sales contacts (49% vs. 51%)—but they operate with completely different priorities. These key influencers may be from procurement, finance, or legal. Here's the cognitive disconnect that may be costing you deals: ➡️ Your primary buyer thinks like an engineer: Does this solve our problem? Can we implement it? What's the ROI? ➡️ Hidden Buyers think like guardians: Can we trust this company? What's their reputation? Are they legitimate players in our industry? This creates what I call the "feature-trust gap." While you're perfecting your product demo, procurement is Googling your company's credibility. While you're calculating ROI, legal is assessing your long-term viability. That means, if you're relying on product features and innovation alone to make the sale, you might lose out.  In B2B, emotional decision-making might be more critical than in B2C, not less. Consider the psychology: ✔️ Higher financial stakes amplify the need for confidence ✔️ Professional reputations are on the line—no one wants to champion a vendor that fails ✔️ Complex buying processes create more friction points where trust can erode This validates a principle I've long advocated: **great brands avoid selling products.** They don’t promote features and tout technologies without linking them to emotional values. They cultivate deep trust that travels through organizational hierarchies, reaching stakeholders you'll never meet but who hold veto power over your success. The strategic implication isn't to abandon product excellence—it's to recognize that brand strength and technical superiority must work in concert. Your Hidden Buyers aren't evaluating your latest feature release; they're evaluating whether betting their career on your company is a smart move. Question for reflection: When did you last audit your brand through the lens of someone who's never met you but whose opinion could sink your deal? P.S. For those interested in learning how to build this kind of emotionally-grounded brand power, I dive deep into these principles in "What Great Brands Do" (https://lnkd.in/bp22ccV)— still relevant after all these years.

GENAI + B2B = Five Key Lessons for Deploying Gen AI in B2B Sales 1. Start with the Problem, Not the Technology The decision to adopt #GenAI should be driven by specific business challenges, not by the allure of the technology itself. #B2B leaders must identify areas where Gen AI can drive significant, profitable #growth — such as #lead generation, account management, or service optimization. In some cases, simple automation might be more appropriate, especially where processes are still manual or error tolerance is low. The key is understanding the core business need before choosing the best technology to address it. 2. Keep the Seller at the Center Successful #GenAI #tools are designed around the needs of the sales team. Organizations should assess current workflows and look for ways Gen AI can free up sellers’ time or deliver valuable insights. Solutions should be: a) Impactful b) Clear c) Understandable d) Prescriptive e) Reliable If a #solution fails any of these criteria, it likely needs redesign. The more aligned the solution is with seller workflows and needs, the higher the likelihood of #adoption. 3. Buy the Easy Stuff, Build for Competitive Advantage Most companies use a “buy-plus-build” approach to #GenAI. Off-the-shelf tools can be deployed for basic functions (e.g., #meeting summaries), while high-impact, differentiating use cases (e.g., personalized offers) benefit from customized solutions. The key is knowing when to buy vs. when to invest in building for strategic #advantage. 4. Balance Quick Wins with Long-Term Capabilities A clear #AIstrategy and scalable architecture are critical. Leading companies start with minimum viable products (#MVPs), align their AI efforts across the business, and build foundational capabilities like strong data infrastructure and skilled talent. The goal is to deliver near-term impact while ensuring long-term sustainability and #scalability. 5. Invest in Seller Adoption from Day One Technology alone isn’t enough—seller adoption determines impact. Organizations must prioritize change management, continuous #feedback loops, training, and communication. Involving sellers early, recognizing their successes, and encouraging experimentation can accelerate adoption. AI Centers of Excellence can help drive scale and responsible use across the organization. With these five lessons in mind, B2B sales leaders can turn Gen AI from a promising #concept into a transformative force for growth, #productivity, and competitive advantage - with Thiago F Silva - Inteligência Artificial e Gamificação e Herick Ferreira:

Stop selling products. Start selling perspective. The gap between a "Vendor" and a "Strategic Partner" usually comes down to one thing: Deep Domain Expertise. In complex B2B sales, buyers aren't looking for specs. They are looking for business outcomes. If you don't understand their world better than they do, you are just another commodity. Here is why deep expertise wins every time: 1. Instant Credibility. C-level executives guard their time fiercely. If they have to educate you on their industry, you’ve already lost. When you speak their language (acronyms, regulations, trends), you earn the right to be in the room. 2. Diagnosing "Latent" Pain. Average sellers solve known problems ("We need cheaper software"). Experts uncover problems the client didn't even know they had because they’ve seen the pattern 50 times before. 3. De-risking the Decision. Buyers aren't afraid of paying too much; they are afraid of making a career-damaging mistake. An expert maps the path through compliance, implementation, and politics. 4. Best references. The top commercial people know exactly which references to use when conducting the sale. Same industry, same county, and/or same business logic. We call it concentric marketing. The Difference in Action: ❌ The Generalist sells a medical device by talking about the ergonomic grip and titanium build. ✅ The Expert explains that while the device costs more, it shaves 15 mins off surgery time—allowing the hospital to fit in one extra procedure a day, increasing revenue by $2M/year. The takeaway: Your product is secondary. Your primary product is your perspective.

Here is how a B2B marketing strategy SHOULD look like (and how it actually looks in most B2B companies). 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐁2𝐁 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬: 1. Paid ads promoting product/demo 2. Automated email & LinkedIn outreach 3. Gated e-books to generate "leads" 4. Product pitching webinars 5. AI-generated blog articles. 6. Occasional posts on the company's social pages 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 (based on the State of Full-Funnel Marketing research): -Miserable "lead" to opportunity conversion and endless debates about the quality of the leads - Missed revenue targets - High cost of acquisition - Extended sales cycle Usually, the core problem of these companies is a lack of marketing fundamentals and a clear GTM strategy. 𝐆𝐓𝐌 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁2𝐁 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞: 0. 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬. Goals should be based on your current resources, opportunities, and historical growth, not based on wishes or unrealistic expectations. 1. 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. Segmentation is the first step in developing ICP. Different segments have different use cases, buying processes, and revenue potential. You need to select the focus segment. 2. 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 (𝐈𝐂𝐏). Here are 5 ICP pillars. - Firmographics - Buying committee - Account segmentation (Tiers & Lists) - Qualification and disqualification criteria - Customer research 3. 𝐁𝐮𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬. During customer research, define what triggers the buying process, and what are the typical steps buyers take. But keep in mind that most customers are not actively buying. Try to figure out what channels they use for education, who they follow, and what content resonates with them and motivates them to learn more about specific solutions (demand triggers). Understand typical questions, concerns, and inhouse approval process. 4. 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. In the AI era, the differentiation, strong narrative, and clear messaging are vital. 5. 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥-𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧. Define programs to influence the whole buying process: — Awareness and demand generation. — Demand capturing and activation — Sales and buyer enablement — Retention — Expansion 6. 𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 & 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐲. Last stage is often ignored, but without an efficient CS and advocacy, your company will deal with: - Lack of case studies and referrals - High churn Build a great relationship and minimize time to value with appropriate onboarding. Embed customer research into the CS process. Leverage the opportunity to create case studies and share insights with marketing and sales for further expansion. 7. 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬 & 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬. Create a dashboard with key revenue metrics and sales pipeline velocity. Define key leading indicators. Create a blended attribution model to see the impact of marketing.

In 2025, qualified opptys are not just rare—they’re disappearing. After 20 years in enterprise and some massive wins under my belt—I’ve never seen a year like 2025. 61% of sellers #1 problem is Pipeline - but pipeline is the canary in the coal mine for bigger issues that show how few sales teams have kept up with generational shifts in buying patterns. There are 4 brutal truths most GTM teams are ignoring in this new reality. Until you face them, pipeline won’t change. 1. Extended Sales Cycles: Sales cycles have stretched 23% since 2023. Yes, buyers are more informed. But now, sellers who slow down and do real research—then speed back up with AI—are moving twice as fast than the average seller. Strategic outreach is getting 30% more opens and 50% more clicks. That’s not a fluke. If your prep takes 15 minutes, your sales cycle will take 15 weeks. That’s the tradeoff. Sales leaders, stop pushing your teams to pump out volume. Focus on quality outreach and value story creation. Experiment by cutting your email volume in half—and spend 2x time researching each account before sending them out. 2. Digital Preference: 73% of B2B buyers say they prefer digital channels. But in enterprise? That only gets you so far. I’ve sold for 20+ years—and I can tell you: Significant deals don’t close over Zoom. When $500K+ is on the table, execs need to trust you. That means meeting in person- eyeball to eyeball. Who bets $1M+ on someone they’ve never even been in the same room with? Get in that room. That’s where trust is built—and deals grow. Find a good reason to travel within the next quarter to meet stakeholders in your top accounts. Combine work and pleasure. Meet in their office to forward your deal. Then take them to lunch or dinner. Stop talking about sales. Building relationships matters. It's not all about work. 3. AI - the false god: Most sellers over-rely on AI. Everyone can find data on their accounts - but almost no one knows what to do with it. AI makes research easier. But it can’t replace your ever-deepening understanding of and familiarity with an account - that comes naturally when you… Do. The. Work. Meaning don’t rely on Chat GPT alone. Get smart on your top accounts by reading everything you can get your hands on about them. Start by reading the last 3 earnings calls—front to back. Otherwise, you’ll miss the trends—the shifting language, the changing priorities. In a world where everyone seems to be adapting the same way of letting AI do all the thinking, your advantage is adopting a different way of selling. — This is not transactional selling anymore. Execs aren’t taking calls with just anyone. They’re not clicking links for the fun of it. They’re guarding their calendars like Fort Knox. The sellers who adapt will stand out fast. The “spray and pray” crowd? They’ll stall out. It’s already happening. Just look around. Adapt or tap out.

Nobody buys your features. They buy their future. In complex B2B industries, it’s easy to fall into a “feature-first” trap. But no one buys because of: → Feature sets → Technical specs → Fancy terminology → Long lists of capabilities Buyers don’t want to 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 your product. They want to 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 in it. What they’re 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 looking for is: → Confidence in the outcome → Confidence in your process → Confidence that they won’t regret the decision → Confidence that you’ve solved this before—for companies like theirs So how do you build that confidence? 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 Case studies, testimonials, and measurable results win trust faster than old claims. 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 Use the words they use. Industry-specific language builds credibility instantly. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 If you can’t explain it clearly, they won’t believe you can solve it. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝗴𝗼 Meet prospects where they are. Their fear of making the wrong decision is real. 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘀 No one cares how the sausage is made—just that it’s delicious, consistent, and delivers ROI. 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲-𝗮𝗻𝗱-𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 Make the transformation obvious. Show them what life after working with you looks like. 𝗔𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Don’t wait for them to ask. Preemptively clear the doubt. 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗼 It’s their journey—you’re just the one helping them reach the destination faster and smarter. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 From your homepage to your sales emails, every detail should reinforce “you’re in good hands.” Remember: Your product’s strength isn’t in what it 𝘩𝘢𝘴— It’s in what it 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 for people who need it most. Start there. Stay there. And you’ll win more trust—and more deals. --- Follow Michael Cleary 🏳️🌈 for more tips like this. ♻️ Share with someone to help them build trust with their clients.

B2B buying behavior is evolving fast. In the past, sales reps played the key role in educating the buyer throughout their journey. According to a buyer trends study by 6sense, today's B2B buyers are nearly 70% through their purchase process before engaging with sellers. What's more, 85% have mostly defined their purchase requirements before reaching out to vendors. Much of the buyer journey now is self-directed and self-served. This shift is primarily driven by the availability of digital resources. What this means is that if you want to align with B2B buyer behavior and fuel greater SQLs and sales pipeline, you better have a sophisticated digital strategy and a strong-as-heck digital presence throughout their journey. Here’s how you can achieve that: 1. UNDERSTAND YOUR ICP Build an audience insights engine. Understand your ICP’s frustrations and pain points as deeply as possible. Continually interview customers, survey your audience, track what they are searching for in Google and the AI engines, listen to sales call recordings and talk to your sales team, and conduct win-loss analysis of your CRM data. 2. FIND THE GAPS Conduct a gap analysis. What is your audience currently focused on, yet you have no web pages or content addressing those questions or concerns? Identify the gaps and prioritize the most important topics. You'll likely be surprised by the number of gaps you spot. 3. CREATE IMPACTFUL CONTENT Then, create web pages, content, and experiences that truly resonate with your audience based on your deeper ICP understanding. Solve their problems. Eliminate their frustrations. Empower them to achieve more. If a content piece doesn’t, then ditch it. Ruthlessly focus on being the most useful content provider to your ICP. And make sure that the content covers the questions they are wrestling with when they are not only problem-aware, but also solution-aware, and product-aware. 3. AMPLIFY, AMPLIFY, AMPLIFY This is a step that many marketing teams fail at. It’s not enough to create content. You gotta amplify it to ensure that your valuable content is actually reaching your audience. To that end, make it easy to discover your brand. Make sure that your SEO & AEO game is on fire, and that you’re just as focused on PR, content amplification, event marketing, and social media. If you are world-class at these four steps (or striving to be), you’ll be sure to significantly increase SQLs and pipeline with today’s self-directed B2B buyers. Let’s Destroy Mediocre Marketing!