In this conversation, Meg Gowell, a marketing strategist and Director of Growth Marketing at Appcues, discusses the role of AppCues in creating in-app experiences and enabling faster iteration. She also highlights the negative effects of extreme cold email outreach and the challenges of aligning sales and marketing. Meg emphasizes the need for a new approach to sales outreach and shares insights into growth marketing strategies. She also explains the process of creating the customer stories hub at Appcues. In this conversation, Meg discusses the idea of singing Valentines and how it was initially received by her team. She shares the process of exploring different ideas and the challenges they faced in executing the campaign. Meg explains how they recorded the videos and produced the music, highlighting the importance of convincing people to participate. She discusses the success of the campaign and its impact on company culture. Meg also emphasizes the power of public engagement and the importance of being authentic. She shares how the campaign even influenced hiring decisions. Finally, Meg talks about future campaigns and the value of customer stories.

Takeaways

• Appcues is a tool that allows users to create in-app experiences for their products.
• Extreme cold email outreach can have negative effects and damage relationships.
• Building a strong relationship between sales and marketing is crucial for success.
• Growth marketing involves exploring unconventional strategies to drive revenue. The idea of singing Valentines can be a unique and engaging way to connect with customers.
• Exploring different ideas and being open to feedback is crucial in executing a successful campaign.
• Recording videos and producing music can be a time-consuming process, but it's important to find creative solutions.
• Public engagement and authenticity can have a significant impact on company culture and customer perception.

Chapters

00:00
Introduction to AppCues

00:30
AppCues: Creating In-App Experiences

04:13
The Impact of Cold Email Outreach

05:00
The Desperation in Cold Email Outreach

06:12
The Negative Effects of Extreme Outreach

08:06
The Challenges of Sales and Marketing Alignment

09:24
The Need for a New Approach to Sales Outreach

11:05
The Divide Between Sales and Marketing

12:47
Building a Strong Relationship Between Sales and Marketing

15:11
The Role of Growth Marketing

16:23
Exploring Unconventional Marketing Strategies

20:12
Creating the Customer Stories Hub

23:37
The Idea of Singing Valentines

24:16
Exploring Different Ideas

25:18
Recording the Videos and Producing the Music

27:20
The Success of the Campaign

28:23
The Impact on Company Culture

29:10
Delivering the Videos to Customers

30:07
The Power of Public Engagement

31:11
The Importance of Being Authentic

32:12
The Campaign's Effect on Hiring

33:25
Building Trust and Gaining Support

35:21
The Value of Customer Stories

37:08
Future Campaigns and Ideas

39:17
Closing Remarks

Summary

In this episode, Josh and T.J. cover a range of topics, starting with Josh's recent performance at THON at Penn State, a dance marathon that raises money for children with cancer. They delve into the preparation, nerves, and the intense energy of the event. The conversation seamlessly transitions to the importance of relationships in sales and the drawbacks of mass email outreach. They highlight AppCues' personalized customer engagement campaign and explore the potential of Songs for Sales in the tech B2B SaaS space.

Later in the episode, the duo interviews Jeff Hillen, CEO of Warehouse Buyers Club, a marketplace for used and pre-owned material handling products. They discuss the challenges in the industry, the unique approach Warehouse Buyers Club is taking at the MODEX conference, and the significance of creating a memorable booth experience. Jeff emphasizes the focus on building relationships with small to medium-sized businesses and the value of trust and reliability in the industry.

Takeaways

1. THON at Penn State is the largest student-run philanthropy, raising money for children with cancer.
2. Preparation for a performance at THON involves careful planning and consideration of the setlist and technical aspects.
3. Mass email outreach can diminish a company's brand; a personalized and human approach is more effective.
4. Personalized customer engagement campaigns, like AppCues' singing Valentine's Day messages, can yield impressive results.
5. Songs for Sales has potential in the tech B2B SaaS space, reducing touchpoints and expediting the close.
6. Creative and unique sales outreach approaches can yield positive outcomes.
7. Using Songs for Sales at conferences creates memorable experiences and attracts attention.
8. Collaborating with companies, like Warehouse Buyers Club, can lead to exciting opportunities.
9. Warehouse Buyers Club focuses on building relationships with small to medium-sized businesses in the material handling industry.
10. Creating a memorable booth experience at conferences is crucial to stand out from competitors.
11. Using music as a sales tool can help connect with potential customers and leave a lasting impression.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Weekly Podcast Ambition
• 00:33 Josh's Performance at THON at Penn State
• 01:31 Josh's Experience at THON
• 03:00 THON as the Largest Student-Run Philanthropy
• 03:56 Preparation and Performance at THON
• 04:58 Nervousness and Desire for a Great Performance
• 06:37 Performing at 4 AM and the Energy of the Crowd
• 08:33 Growing the Songs for Sales Page and Discourse on Outreach
• 09:02 The Convergence of Sameness in Outreach
• 10:31 The Diminishing Brand Effect of Mass Email Outreach
• 12:04 The Importance of Relationships in Sales
• 13:31 The Anti-AI Outreach Approach
• 14:51 Voicemail from Scott McTaggart
• 18:29 AppCues and Personalized Customer Engagement
• 19:13 AppCues' Singing Valentine's Day Campaign
• 23:14 Songs for Sales in the Tech B2B SaaS Space
• 25:25 Reducing Touch Points and Speeding up the Close
• 28:09 Taking a Home Run Swing in Sales Outreach
• 29:35 Using Songs for Sales at Conferences
• 31:08 Introducing Jeff Hillen and Warehouse Buyers Club
• 32:08 Introduction to Warehouse Buyers Club and Material Handling
• 33:15 Finding Customers and Suppliers
• 36:30 Creating a Memorable Booth Experience
• 41:57 Staying Focused on Niche Markets
• 43:48 Building Relationships with Small to Medium-Sized Businesses
• 46:51 Using Music as a Sales Tool

In this conversation, Co-Founders T.J. and Josh discuss the origin story of Songs for Sales, a company that creates personalized songs for sales outreach. They share their early success and the power of using music to break through the noise of traditional outreach methods. They emphasize the importance of storytelling and personality in sales and marketing, and how their approach can help companies stand out and connect with their target audience. The conversation highlights the problem-solving nature of sales and the need for alignment between sales and marketing teams. Overall, Songs for Sales offers a unique and fun solution to the challenges of sales outreach. In this conversation, Josh and TJ discuss their new venture, Songs for Sales, and their unique approach to sales and marketing. They explore the cost of extravagant company culture and the potential pitfalls of spending excessive amounts of money on employee perks. They also discuss the importance of thinking differently and taking risks in sales and marketing strategies. Finally, they invite listeners to join them on their adventure with Songs for Sales and explain the process of creating personalized songs and pitches for companies.

Chapters

00:00
Starting a New Business

01:06
Unexpected Launch and Early Success

02:16
The Hilarious Approach of Writing Jingles

03:14
The Origin Story of Songs for Sales

04:18
The Problem of Getting Meetings

05:52
The Solution of Sending Personalized Videos

07:48
The Success of the Jingle Approach

09:23
The Convergence of AI and Outreach

11:26
Sales as Marketing and Marketing as Sales

13:48
Crafting a Narrative in Song

16:12
The Problem with Traditional Sales Approaches

19:05
The Wall Between Outreach and Customers

20:06
Using Music to Break Through the Wall

22:40
The Power of Storytelling and Personality

25:13
Sales as Problem Solving

27:39
Sales and Marketing Alignment

29:52
The Promise of Songs for Sales

32:03
The Combination of Music and Sales

33:36
Creating a Fun and Memorable Experience

34:24
The Cost of Extravagant Company Culture

35:25
A New Approach to Sales and Marketing

36:23
Joining the Adventure with Songs for Sales