About
There are only two people in the world who have interviewed more CMOs. If you don’t know…
Articles by Drew
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B2B Retention: Delivering a First-Class Customer Experience
B2B Retention: Delivering a First-Class Customer Experience
By Drew Neisser
Contributions
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What do you do if your B2B customers aren't convinced by your value proposition?
Chances are if customers aren't buying your value prop, you've got a value prop problem. To fix this situation, you need to take three steps immediately. First, have your executive team reach out to all of your best customers and ask them how things are going. Don't just focus on your product. Try to get a sense of their overall challenges and if/how your product fits into their priorities. Gather this info. Second, listen in on Sales calls (during or after) to hear how prospects are reacting to your various approaches and look for the top issues. Next, do a worst/best exercise with the leadership team. Ask each exec to share what the worst value prop would be. Repeat this with a best-value prop discussion. Test. Test. Test.
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What do you do if your B2B marketing team is working remotely?
Running a remote team is easy (or easier) if your team is filled with "impact players." [Be sure to read Liz Wiseman's book Impact Players if you are unfamiliar with this concept.]. These folks are inherently trustworthy. They will shepherd priority projects through to completion, checking in at critical junctures and keeping you in the loop along the way. Impact players also play well with others and are unlikely to create added friction or departmental rivalries. In Wiseman's book, you'll learn how to identify potential impact players during the interview process AND how to help "contributors" step up. The bottom line here is that remote or not, as a leader you are only as good as your direct reports. So hire better.
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Your company is struggling to attract top talent. What can you do to stand out in a crowded job market?
One of my favorite examples of using personality to aid recruitment efforts comes from Case Paper, an 80-year-old family-run paper distributor. Nothing could be more generic than selling paper yet this company has been amazingly successful at attracting and retaining the talent they need. How? By adopting the "Joker" archetype and deploying "dad humor" in all of their communications. This approach cuts through since 99% of B2B stands for "Boring to Business." Case Paper is never boring. And by displaying a sense of humor, they are a magnet for people who like people and who can deliver on the brand promise, "On the case." Yes, even their tagline is a pun. Case Paper is "on the case!" Get it?
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What are the best ways to use your existing network for business networking?
My father was a world-class networker - in fact, he turned that into a job which he did well into his late '80s. Among his many secrets was not to eat alone. He had lunches 4-5 times a week with various friends and associates, lunches that he scheduled well in advance and with a regularity befitting the level of friendship. Close friends were on the calendar at least 2x per month. Others 2x per quarter. He talks about these things in the podcast we recorded together when he was 90! Another of his secrets was being a great listener, asking insightful questions and then actually remembering what the person said so he could reference it the next time they met. This endeared him to most. That and a quick sense of humor.
Experience
Education
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Duke University
Activities and Societies: Freewater, Duke Union, Cable13, The Chronicle
Photographer for The Chronicle, camera man for Cable 13, projectionist and film series manager for Freewater, Treasurer for the Duke Union, film critic for short-lived comedy TV show, guest radio DJ, backstage helper for Hoof 'n Horn, intramural sports (volleyball, softball) and a history major.
Volunteer Experience
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Board Member & Volunteer
Children for Children
- 14 years 1 month
Children
Long time board member and volunteer with organization that helped instill the idea of service into kids of all ages. When Children for Children merged with Hands on to become Generation On, I stepped down. My agency helped build their first website and create a volunteer hub.
Publications
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Renegade Marketing: 12 Steps to Building Unbeatable B2B Brands
CMO Huddles
"Drew Neisser's new book unlocks invaluable best practices for B2B marketers. If you want to learn the secret wisdom of nearly five hundred top CMOs, pick up this groundbreaking handbook." Dorie Clark
Other authorsSee publication -
10 Podcasts for CMOs
CrackerJack Marketing
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Renegade Thinkers Unite
Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher & iHeartRadio
Renegade Thinkers Unite focuses on marketing innovators, uncovering the how, what and why behind their on-going success. Award-winning marketer, author, and entrepreneur Drew Neisser keeps these conversations interesting and inspiring, wrapping up each episode with on the spot analysis and insights for big marketers and those who want to be. For more information visit RenegadeThinkersUnite.com.
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CMO Spotlight
AdAge
Weekly column featuring some of the brightest minds in marketing.
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Five Traits of a Modern Marketing Leader
AdAge
In this interview, author Drew Neisser discusses certain marketing leadership traits that he identifies.
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Is Marketing More Art Or Science? (Part 1: The Scientists)
CMO.com
My new book, “The CMO’s Periodic Table: A Renegade’s Guide to Marketing,” features interviews with 64 masters of their craft, including some who lean heavily to the science side and others who employ an artist’s intuitive touch. In Part 1 of this series, I’ll introduce you to some of the “scientists” who have harnessed the power of data to drive sales and minimize the unpredictability of their efforts.
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The CMO's Periodic Table: A Renegade's Guide to Marketing
Pearson's Peachpit Imprint
Imagine how much you would learn if you could converse with 64 of the brightest minds in marketing. Now imagine if those conversations were focused on all the essential elements that go into being a top-notch chief marketing officer and organized into seven logical, intuitive categories. Now you can stop imagining, and start reading The CMO’s Periodic Table, an essential resource for the modern marketer.
Over the last five years, thanks in large part to his friends at The CMO Club…Imagine how much you would learn if you could converse with 64 of the brightest minds in marketing. Now imagine if those conversations were focused on all the essential elements that go into being a top-notch chief marketing officer and organized into seven logical, intuitive categories. Now you can stop imagining, and start reading The CMO’s Periodic Table, an essential resource for the modern marketer.
Over the last five years, thanks in large part to his friends at The CMO Club, author Drew Neisser has interviewed over 100 marketing leaders at prominent companies such as American Express, Audi, Belkin, Black Duck Software, Converse, College Humor, D&B, Dow, and many more. These interviews, 64 of which are highlighted in this book, reflect the fundamental diversity of challenges and subsequent solution sets deployed by each. -
The Science of Ideation: What CMOs Can Learn From GE's Beth Comstock
Forbes
What makes Beth Comstock truly atypical is her commitment to innovation, turning what is for most an art form into a science, complete with methodical experimentation and relentless exploration.
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18 Things CollegeHumor Can Teach You About Content Marketing (And 1 They Won’t)
FastCompany.com
Based on my interview with Paul Greenberg, CEO of CollegeHumor Media, here are a plethora of pearls on how to do content marketing.
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The Recipe for CMO Success, Jack in the Box Style
FastCompany.com
During her tenure as CMO of Jack in the Box, Terri Funk Graham cooked up one of the most effective and enduring marketing campaigns since TV was invented. Here's how she did it.
Other authorsSee publication -
13 Bold Marketing Moves for 2013
FastCompany.com
Forget Michael Porter, Seth Godin, and Guy Kawasaki--if you’re in search of fresh marketing guidance for 2013, then perhaps you should consider a new source. Someone who can help you rectify the dichotomy of abundant data and scant insights and the paradox of ever-expanding media options with the purely finite nature of time. Someone like...Mick Jagger.
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Singing the Praises of Small Business Saturday
FastCompany.com
More than mere marketing, Small Business Saturday has become a movement that unites consumers, cities, and even politicians to focus on "shopping small" and celebrating everything that makes small businesses special. Here's how American Express conceived the idea and why FedEx joined the cause.
Courses
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4 Traits of Successful Marketers
3772
Projects
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Renegade Marketers Unite Podcast Series
- Present
Renegade Marketers Unite focuses on marketing innovators, uncovering the how, what and why behind their ongoing success. Award-winning marketer, author, and entrepreneur Drew Neisser keeps these conversations interesting and inspiring, wrapping up each episode with on-the-spot analysis and insights for big marketers and those that want to be.
Honors & Awards
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50 Marketing Thought Leaders Over 50 (2016, 2015, 2014)
Brand Quarterly
Each of the Marketing Thought Leaders highlighted below have a wealth of experience and knowledge to share; and have gained the respect of their peers through their words, actions and achievements, in print, online and in person.
Languages
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English
Native or bilingual proficiency
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Spanish
Limited working proficiency
Organizations
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Urban Green Council
Board of Directors member
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Duke NY
Board member
- Present
Recommendations received
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