The Rockstar CMO F'in' Marketing Podcast

The Rockstar CMO Studio: 5 F’in’ Things for Coping with the Pipeline Crisis

·32 min·3 clips

Dave Kellogg's article reveals pipelines are down, SaaS stock prices are falling, and acquisition costs are rising in the B2B pipeline crisis.

["The episode begins with host Ian Truscott introducing the topic of coping with the pipeline crisis in B2B marketing, inspired by a blog post from Dave Kellogg.", "Ian notes that Kellogg's article references multiple data points, including reports that pipelines are down, SaaS stock prices are falling, and acquisition costs are rising.", "Guest Jeff Clark, a resident strategist and former Forrester research director, joins Ian to pick five of the 13 remedies from Kellogg's list.", "The first remedy discussed is thinking holistically, where Jeff advises CMOs to regularly review pipeline sources, shift investments from underperforming channels, and support sales activities that are working.", "Ian emphasizes the importance of looking across sales and marketing efforts, especially with AI SDRs and LinkedIn prospecting tools becoming more common.", "The second remedy is account-based marketing, which Ian critiques as simply good B2B marketing when done with sales alignment and target account focus.", "Jeff adds that a well-defined ideal customer profile leads to targeted accounts, making marketing more effective and budget-efficient.", "The third remedy is answer engine optimization, with Jeff explaining it as a strategy to appear in AI search citations like ChatGPT by formatting content as Q&A.", "Ian expands on this, suggesting marketers need to influence both the questions buyers ask AI and the answers provided, akin to engineering the buyer's vision.", "The fourth remedy is leveraging the CEO or other executives via social media, podcasts, and speeches to build trust and humanize the brand.", "Ian shares an anecdote about a successful paid CEO profile that boosted employee morale, while Jeff notes alternatives like CTOs or founders if the CEO is unwilling.", "The fifth remedy is building first-party audiences through blogs, YouTube channels, podcasts, and newsletters to own audience engagement rather than relying on third-party platforms.", "Jeff highlights that such content addresses buyer questions directly and can be repurposed, referencing Ian's recent mention of the 'State of the Newsletter 2026' report.", "Throughout, the hosts reference other sources like an Andrew Chen post titled 'Every Marketing Channel Sucks Right Now' and discuss themes like brand vs. demand focus.", "The episode concludes with song selections\u2014Jeff chooses David Bowie's 'Panic in Detroit' and Ian picks The Smiths' 'Panic'\u2014tying into the crisis theme.", "Ian announces that guest Kathy McKnight will appear next week to discuss content management systems in MarTech.", "The tone is conversational and educational, with both hosts sharing personal experiences and practical examples.", "Key recurring themes include the impact of AI on marketing channels, the need for agility in investment, and the importance of human-centric content.", "The episode is part of the Rockstar CMO podcast series, aimed at providing street knowledge for B2B marketers.", "Listeners are directed to show notes for links to Kellogg's article and additional resources."]

As heard by us

A practical look at ABM, sales alignment, and sharper budget focus during a B2B pipeline crunch.

A B2B pipeline crunch turns into a useful conversation about where marketing energy belongs when budgets are tight. Ian Truscott and Jeff Clark use Dave Kellogg's 13 remedies as a frame, then narrow in on five, with the clearest emphasis on account-based marketing, target…

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Why you'd press play

You want a saner B2B pipeline without lighting the budget on fire.

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