B2B Marketing with Dave Gerhardt
Dave Gerhardt
Recent Episodes
In this episode, Dave is joined by Gurdeep Dhillon, CMO of Contentstack. Gurdeep has built an impressive career leading marketing at some of the biggest names in enterprise software, from SAP to Adobe, Marketo to Zoura. Now at Content Stack, he's challenging conventional B2B marketing wisdom in rethinking how enterprise companies should approach demand generation and brand building. In this conversation, Dave and Gurdeep dive deep into why marketing is ultimately a game of memory and reputation, not just lead generation.
Dave and Gurdeep cover:
- The role of Demand Gen in 2025 (and what's changed)
- Why Brand and Reputation should be prioritized over Lead Generation
- Proven strategies to create urgency and close sales deals in enterprise markets
- A glimpse into ContentStack’s team structure and how they plan for growth
Timestamps
- (00:00) - - Intro to Gurdeep
- (07:17) - - Brand and Audience Marketing
- (08:29) - - How the Role of Demand Gen is Changing
- (12:39) - - Brand and Reputation > Lead Generation
- (17:29) - - How Contentstack is Doing Demand Gen
- (20:07) - - How to Create Urgency to Win Sales Deals
- (21:48) - - Making a Good Offer in B2B Marketing
- (23:04) - - Why Being Bold and Taking Risks is Important in Marketing
- (29:29) - - Selling Your Vision to Leadership
- (32:10) - - How Contentstack Has Over 10,000 Global ICP Accounts
- (36:53) - - Team Structure at Contentstack
- (41:51) - - Running Marketing and Operating a High-Performing Team
- (44:07) - - Setting Effective Annual Plans
- (46:22) - - AI’s Role in Marketing
- (49:56) - - Closing Thoughts
Send guest pitches and ideas to [email protected]
Join the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Check out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/
Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership
***
This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by our friends at Revenue Hero. It’s 2024, your buyer has probably moved on to an alternative after a few minutes of not hearing from you, let alone 29 hours.
What those companies need is automated scheduling for qualified leads.
And that’s where RevenueHero comes in. Their platform is the fastest way for qualified leads to schedule a meeting with your sales team. Plus they have the most sophisticated matching algorithm so all your leads get booked with the right rep whether they are a new account or already a customer. Check them out at revenuehero.io/exitfive.
***
Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.
- They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
- Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.
- Visit hatch.fm to learn more
In this episode, we’re delivering another B2B marketing lesson in under 10 minutes—no fluff, just practical insights.
Matthew Carnevale, Marketing Manager at Exit Five, shares a game-changing mental model for marketers: the GM vs. Player mindset. Inspired by a sports analogy, Matthew explains why thinking like a General Manager—hiring resources and creating leverage—will help you tackle big opportunities without waiting for bandwidth.
Learn how shifting your mindset from “doing the work” to “making the plays happen” can unlock faster results, level up your career, and drive impact for your business.
Send guest pitches and ideas to [email protected]
Join the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Check out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/
Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership
***
This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by our friends at Revenue Hero. It’s 2024, your buyer has probably moved on to an alternative after a few minutes of not hearing from you, let alone 29 hours.
What those companies need is automated scheduling for qualified leads.
And that’s where RevenueHero comes in. Their platform is the fastest way for qualified leads to schedule a meeting with your sales team. Plus they have the most sophisticated matching algorithm so all your leads get booked with the right rep whether they are a new account or already a customer. Check them out at revenuehero.io/exitfive.
***
Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.
- They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
- Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.
- Visit hatch.fm to learn more
This episode is from Drive 2024, our first-ever in-person event for B2B marketers in Burlington, Vermont. Peter Mahoney, Chief Commercial Officer at GoTo, and author of The Next CMO, shared strategies for building and leading high-performing marketing organizations.
Peter covers:
- 10 Guidelines for building (or re-building) a marketing organization
- Running marketing: how to build your CMO operating system
- 5 strategies for effectively leading an organization
Timestamps
- (00:00) - - Intro to Peter
- (05:08) - - Are there requirements for being a CMO?
- (10:06) - - Do you really want to be a CMO?
- (10:35) - - How CMOs spend their time
- (11:18) - - 10 Guidelines for building (or re-building) a marketing organization
- (13:05) - - 1. Align to your marketing strategy
- (14:05) - - 2. Ensure the financial model supports your organization
- (16:00) - - 3. Make it simple
- (16:35) - - 4. Build in clear accountability
- (17:51) - - 5. Resist layers
- (19:31) - - 6. Do not design around the individual
- (22:15) - - 7. Clearly define what is a service center and what is an outcome center
- (22:53) - - 8. Build the smallest organization necessary
- (24:04) - - 9. Make a hiring decision as difficult as laying someone off
- (25:04) - - 10. Define your full-time vs. part-time vs. outsource strategy
- (27:52) - - Running marketing: Building your CMO Operating System
- (29:15) - - 5 strategies for leading marketing
- (32:02) - - Q&A
- (39:28) - - Closing Remarks
Send guest pitches and ideas to [email protected]
Join the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Check out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/
Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership
***
This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by our friends at Revenue Hero. It’s 2024, your buyer has probably moved on to an alternative after a few minutes of not hearing from you, let alone 29 hours.
What those companies need is automated scheduling for qualified leads.
And that’s where RevenueHero comes in. Their platform is the fastest way for qualified leads to schedule a meeting with your sales team. Plus they have the most sophisticated matching algorithm so all your leads get booked with the right rep whether they are a new account or already a customer. Check them out at revenuehero.io/exitfive.
***
Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.
- They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
- Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.
- Visit hatch.fm to learn more
When done right, paid spend is like throwing gasoline on the flames of what’s working in your marketing. Done wrong – it’s just a huge waste of time and money.
In this episode, Dave Gerhardt hosts an live session with John Short, CEO of Compound Growth Marketing (CGM), and Kym Parker, SVP of Media Strategy at CGM, who walk through tried and true strategies they’ve built from managing over $50 million in paid spend.
They also cover:
- How to choose which strategy is best for you and exactly how to target the right ICP
- The three keys to successful paid media, like setting up actionable reporting
- How to identify how much you can spend for leads/account at each stage of the sales and marketing funnel
Timestamps
- (00:00) - - Intro to John and Kym
- (07:29) - - Choosing the Perfect Paid Media Strategy
- (11:57) - - The $100 CPL Myth
- (15:32) - - Three Keys to Successful Paid Media
- (18:10) - - Qualification Is Critical in ABM Success
- (19:48) - - How You Should Think About Bidding Algorithms
- (22:32) - - Prospect Experience: The Campaign Funnel
- (24:12) - - Using a Multi-Channel Approach
- (29:32) - - Mid-Intent Funnel Examples
- (33:04) - - Executing on a Paid Acquisition Strategy
- (39:13) - - Tailoring Your Messaging for Buying Committee Engagement
- (43:47) - - Balancing Funnel Strategies
- (46:28) - - Justifying Higher Costs
- (50:43) - - Channel Testing and Target Comparison
- (52:08) - - How to Master Paid Media in Enterprise Marketing
Send guest pitches and ideas to [email protected]
Join the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Check out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/
Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership
***
This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by our friends at Revenue Hero. It’s 2024, your buyer has probably moved on to an alternative after a few minutes of not hearing from you, let alone 29 hours.
What those companies need is automated scheduling for qualified leads.
And that’s where RevenueHero comes in. Their platform is the fastest way for qualified leads to schedule a meeting with your sales team. Plus they have the most sophisticated matching algorithm so all your leads get booked with the right rep whether they are a new account or already a customer. Check them out at revenuehero.io/exitfive.
***
Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.
- They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
- Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.
- Visit hatch.fm to learn more
In this episode, we’re delivering another B2B marketing lesson in under 10 minutes.
Matthew Carnevale, Marketing Manager at Exit Five, breaks down the story behind the best ad he’s ever created—one that generated $77,822 in MRR over two years. Spoiler: it wasn’t fancy production or clever wordplay. The secret? Raw, undeniable social proof.
Matthew shares why raw social proof, like screenshots, before-and-after results, and authentic testimonials, outperforms polished case studies or logos. By the end, you’ll know how to gather and use social proof effectively to make your marketing efforts stand out and drive real results.
Send guest pitches and ideas to [email protected]
Join the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Check out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/
Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership
***
This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by our friends at Revenue Hero. It’s 2024, your buyer has probably moved on to an alternative after a few minutes of not hearing from you, let alone 29 hours.
What those companies need is automated scheduling for qualified leads.
And that’s where RevenueHero comes in. Their platform is the fastest way for qualified leads to schedule a meeting with your sales team. Plus they have the most sophisticated matching algorithm so all your leads get booked with the right rep whether they are a new account or already a customer. Check them out at revenuehero.io/exitfive.
***
Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.
- They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
- Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.
- Visit hatch.fm to learn more