Best of LinkedIn: Field Marketing CW 36/ 37

00:00:00: This episode is provided by Thomas Allgaier and Frennis, based on the most relevant LinkedIn posts about field marketing in calendar weeks, thirty six and thirty seven.

00:00:09: Frennis is a B to B market research company, helping enterprise field marketing teams with precise, targetless research and database driven segmentation, as well as event attendee acquisition.

00:00:21: Okay, so let's dive in here.

00:00:23: We've spent the last couple of weeks really digging into what field marketing leaders are saying on LinkedIn and the big theme, accountability.

00:00:31: Definitely.

00:00:32: It seems like field marketing has really doubled down on discipline, on measurable impact.

00:00:36: We're seeing this hard pivot away from just counting heads.

00:00:40: those attendance vanity metrics?

00:00:42: That's a perfect way to put it.

00:00:43: Yeah, if you scan across all the posts from those two weeks, the message is, well, pretty clear.

00:00:48: It's about tighter strategy, much clearer language around ROI, and just disciplined execution.

00:00:54: Markers are still doing creative things, you know, memorable experiences, launches, partnerships.

00:00:58: But those investments, they're now tied really tightly to revenue accountability.

00:01:03: That expectation is non-negotiable now.

00:01:05: So our mission for this deep dive then.

00:01:07: is to really pull out those key shifts BDB field marketers are making, like right now.

00:01:13: We need to understand how they're moving the goalposts, you know, from just measuring raw leads to actually defining the value of an experience.

00:01:22: And importantly, how segmentation fits in to drive, you know, real pipeline.

00:01:27: Let's kick off with maybe the biggest pillar, measurement.

00:01:31: The actual language around success seems fundamentally different now.

00:01:35: Field marketers are like, done counting badge scans.

00:01:38: Yeah,

00:01:38: it's fascinating how sophisticated the dashboard talk has become.

00:01:41: Like nobody's really celebrating sheer volume anymore.

00:01:45: The focus is strictly on things like qualified conversations, meeting quality, those next step rates, and this is critical, cycle acceleration.

00:01:53: And that's why you hear more talk about ROX return on experience.

00:01:57: They're tracking influence revenue alongside the direct bookings to capture the full value of those face-to-face moments.

00:02:04: And it seems, despite all that pressure for ROI, the investment in physical events is still, well, justified by the numbers, right?

00:02:10: It seems so.

00:02:11: Arlene Singh shared some pretty powerful stats.

00:02:13: Trade shows driving serious ROI.

00:02:17: Average cost per lead, what was it, like a hundred and twelve dollars?

00:02:19: Yeah,

00:02:19: around there.

00:02:20: And conversion being thirty-eight percent cheaper compared to cold outbound.

00:02:24: So, you know, the budget's still there for a reason.

00:02:27: It is, absolutely.

00:02:28: But that positive data, it's being balanced with this need for ruthless prioritization, which honestly is the sign of a really mature marketing function.

00:02:39: OK, so prioritization, how?

00:02:41: Well, we saw a great example from Sarah Kamp.

00:02:44: She talked about making a strategic call to actually skip a major well-known HR tech conference.

00:02:49: Really?

00:02:50: Yeah.

00:02:50: Because when they dug into the attendee list against their pipeline goals, the signal just wasn't strong enough was her phrase.

00:02:56: So they shifted that budget to smaller regional events with, you know, higher intense signals.

00:03:01: Gotcha.

00:03:01: It just proves field marketing is being held accountable for the quality of outcomes, not just, you know, showing up everywhere.

00:03:07: Okay.

00:03:07: And this is where it gets really interesting, I think.

00:03:09: Matthew Volem, he captured that internal tension perfectly.

00:03:13: Oh yeah, that post unbound joke.

00:03:15: Exactly.

00:03:16: Sales team saying unprecedented pipeline energy but like zero follow-up meetings actually scheduled.

00:03:22: Right.

00:03:22: And management's measuring success by how many times great networking got mentioned on Slack.

00:03:27: Yeah.

00:03:28: It just highlights that gap, right?

00:03:30: If marketing and sales don't have a shared, concrete, measurable definition of what success looks like.

00:03:36: Totally.

00:03:37: And to fix that gap, Megan Martin, she cited Joe Fetterbush, made the point that measuring event success just by attendance numbers, it's a major myth.

00:03:45: Right, the vanity metric again.

00:03:47: Exactly.

00:03:47: Real accountability needs that sophisticated data storytelling.

00:03:51: It's not just ROI anymore.

00:03:52: It's ROX, return on experience, RO, return on objective, and ROR, return on relationships.

00:03:58: You need that whole picture to really justify spending five or six figures.

00:04:03: Okay, so if the mandate is disciplined outcomes, how are the best teams making sure they nail that ROI before the event even starts?

00:04:11: That feels like the next theme, the strategic pre-show work, the orchestration and segmentation.

00:04:15: Yeah, and this is where segmentation really becomes more than just a list filter.

00:04:20: It acts like a bridge between marketing and sales.

00:04:23: How so?

00:04:24: Well,

00:04:24: it stops being just who should we invite and becomes more about collaboratively defining those ICP tiers, really drilling down into specific problems they solve and, crucially, agreeing on the exact talk tracks sales will use.

00:04:40: before they even get

00:04:41: there.

00:04:41: So no more generic pitches.

00:04:43: Hopefully not, and it's getting super tactical too.

00:04:45: Pete Lena, who works with logistics companies, shared this great repeatable pre-show playbook.

00:04:51: Oh yeah, what's that?

00:04:52: Like eight weeks out, get the attendee list, then systematically connect with maybe ten people a day on LinkedIn, share relevant content, build that name recognition.

00:05:01: So by the time you meet them at the booth.

00:05:02: Exactly.

00:05:03: It starts with, hey, you're Pete from LinkedIn.

00:05:06: It's already a warm conversation, not a cold pitch from scratch.

00:05:09: Smart.

00:05:09: And that kind of prep.

00:05:10: It also includes paying serious attention to logistics and risk avoidance.

00:05:15: Lisa Gehrer warned about what she called the invisible risk of bad timing.

00:05:19: Invisible risk.

00:05:20: Yeah, like you could have a fantastic event concept, but if the date clashes with a major holiday or school breaks or worse, another key industry event, your audience gets split.

00:05:33: So event planning has to be strategic calendar planning too.

00:05:36: And Caroline Overby added to that, stressing, you got to remove every little hidden roadblock for the attendee.

00:05:42: Like

00:05:42: what?

00:05:43: Don't make them mess around with Ubers.

00:05:45: and expense reports.

00:05:46: maybe offer a car service factor in local weather or city stuff.

00:05:51: the underlying message is treat their time like gold which let's face it given the cost of attending it absolutely is

00:05:59: good point.

00:06:00: And if we're talking planning, you can't ignore the tech infrastructure.

00:06:04: Eric Walker really hammered this home.

00:06:06: The AV stuff.

00:06:07: Yeah, light, sound, video, power.

00:06:09: All that needs to be planned from the very beginning, like when you're choosing the venue.

00:06:13: Not scrambled for at the last minute when it blows the budget and stresses everyone

00:06:17: out.

00:06:17: Makes sense.

00:06:18: That level of detail really sets the stage for, well, theme three.

00:06:21: Yeah.

00:06:21: The actual experience at the booth that shift towards authentic connection.

00:06:25: Right.

00:06:25: Because once people are on the floor, The goal has to be memorability.

00:06:29: The stakes are pretty high.

00:06:30: Molly Stahl shared that stat.

00:06:32: Nearly half, forty-six percent of trade show attendees, they're already in the final stages of their buying decision.

00:06:38: Wow,

00:06:39: forty-six percent.

00:06:40: Yeah, so your booth isn't just a display stand anymore, it's basically decision-making zone.

00:06:45: That stat completely changes the game.

00:06:47: It elevates the need for real connection over just, you know, a hard sell.

00:06:53: Frank Burke taught that the biggest mistake is thinking selling is the same as pitching.

00:06:57: Okay.

00:06:58: Buyers don't remember scripts, he said.

00:07:00: They remember rhythms.

00:07:02: The focus has got to be on, like, genuine connection, listening, and setting up a natural next step, not forcing things.

00:07:09: And McCye Brady echoed that, right?

00:07:10: Saying the worst experience is being pounced on like prey.

00:07:13: Exactly.

00:07:13: Exhibitions are fundamentally about building relationships, long-term relationships.

00:07:17: And

00:07:17: we saw some really cool creative ways people are doing that, Arjun Pillai.

00:07:21: had that great campaign at the Gartner CMO conference.

00:07:23: The photo booth one.

00:07:25: Yeah.

00:07:26: Ditched the usual mugs and pens for a personalized superhero photo booth, used AI and a printer on the spot.

00:07:33: Generated like three hundred leads, not just a gimmick, but it created this viral, shareable, memorable moment.

00:07:39: But the key is, you don't always need the big gimmick.

00:07:43: Look at Hannah Rekker's experience at INV owned a twenty twenty five with coefficient.

00:07:47: Right.

00:07:47: What did they do?

00:07:48: They skipped all the flashy stuff, focused purely on their team's expertise, had one simple opening line.

00:07:54: Which was big.

00:07:54: You, you

00:07:55: spreadsheets.

00:07:56: That's it.

00:07:57: And they doubled their meeting goal.

00:07:59: Wow.

00:08:00: So simplicity plus expertise can beat complexity.

00:08:03: Absolutely.

00:08:03: It just shows, I think, that authenticity really wins whatever your budget.

00:08:07: Yeah.

00:08:07: And, you know, connecting this outwards, Coal Sales made the distinction between a forgettable event and a memorable experience that actually builds loyalty.

00:08:15: And Chris Holmes looked at Comic-Con booths, the successful ones.

00:08:18: They use immersive environments, interactive stuff, things people wanted to take photos of, and just an easy flow to keep people engaged.

00:08:25: That whole experiential mindset.

00:08:27: totally applies to B to B.

00:08:29: Okay, so that brings us to the final piece.

00:08:31: Theme four.

00:08:32: What happens after the show?

00:08:35: The post-event discipline and amplification.

00:08:37: Because all that planning, all that experience, it falls apart if the follow-through isn't there.

00:08:43: Exactly right.

00:08:44: The post-event motion, it can't just be marketing handing off a list.

00:08:47: It has to be a disciplined sales.

00:08:50: partnership.

00:08:50: Partnership being the keyword.

00:08:52: Absolutely.

00:08:53: If you've invested all that time and money getting people there, the follow-up has got to be targeted, relevant, and immediate.

00:09:01: Which comes down to, well, pretty brutal qualification discipline, doesn't it?

00:09:04: Yannick Weedenhoft highlighted this.

00:09:06: Yeah, separating the wheat from the chaff.

00:09:08: Right.

00:09:08: Separating the, like, eighty percent who are maybe just tire kickers or swag collectors from the ten percent who have a genuine, urgent problem.

00:09:16: You

00:09:17: have

00:09:17: to capture those specific notes in the moment, like, budget just approved or planning a facility expansion, that's what lets you tailor the follow up and turn, you know, five hundred scan badges into maybe twenty really qualified opportunities.

00:09:30: And

00:09:31: Tariq Ahmed had that perfect story.

00:09:33: proving process beats budget every single time.

00:09:36: Oh yeah, the two booths.

00:09:37: Yeah.

00:09:38: Company A, maybe a forty dollar K booth spend, but trained staff, meeting scheduled beforehand, solid process.

00:09:46: They walked away with two million dollars in pipeline ops.

00:09:49: Wow.

00:09:50: Company B, massive, hundred and fifty dollar K booth right nearby.

00:09:54: Look great.

00:09:55: But poor planning, no real follow-up strategy, left with basically zero serious conversations.

00:10:01: Just goes to show.

00:10:02: It really does.

00:10:03: And the learning loop can't stop there.

00:10:05: Amy Maury stressed how the debrief, it's the step most teams skip, but it's the one that makes you like.

00:10:11: Ten times better next time.

00:10:12: So true.

00:10:12: You

00:10:12: have to get the team together right after wall.

00:10:14: It's all fresh, the good and the bad and ask, okay, what went really well?

00:10:18: And just as importantly, what slowed us down.

00:10:19: Yeah, capture those learnings immediately.

00:10:21: And that learning should feed straight into amplification.

00:10:24: Katie Street and Stu Milledge both agreed, content creation is kind of the missing piece of the event flywheel.

00:10:30: Extending the value.

00:10:32: Exactly.

00:10:33: Events build trust fast, but repurposing that content.

00:10:36: Turning a keynote into short social clips or summarizing panel insights, that extends to reach and keeps the conversation alive long after the event itself is over.

00:10:46: And just looping back quickly to infrastructure, Shanji challenged what he called default thinking.

00:10:52: Like just using the basic badge scanners.

00:10:54: Yeah,

00:10:54: exactly.

00:10:55: Strategic thinking means leveraging proper conversion infrastructure.

00:11:00: Tools they can.

00:11:01: Maybe passively capture real conversation notes, tag objections, deliver CRM-ready handoffs before you even tear down the booth.

00:11:08: Treating the event like a true revenue channel.

00:11:11: Precisely.

00:11:12: Supported by the right tech.

00:11:14: Okay, wow.

00:11:15: So we've covered a lot from recalibrating ROI and micro-targeting attendees before the show to making the booth itself memorable and making sure those post-show processes are really disciplined revenue drivers.

00:11:26: Yeah, the whole landscape in B to B field marketing feels like it's getting smarter, definitely more accountable, and much more integrated with sales.

00:11:32: It really does.

00:11:33: If you enjoyed this episode, new episodes drop every two weeks.

00:11:37: Also, check out our other editions on account-based marketing, go-to-market, channel marketing, MarTech, social selling, and AI in B to B marketing.

00:11:45: Thank you so much for joining us for this deep dive into the latest in field marketing.

00:11:49: Before you go, here's something to think about.

00:11:52: If almost half that thirty-six percent of attendees are already in their final decision stages when they hit your booth.

00:11:59: How radically do you need to redesign your booth flow, your team's training, maybe even your opening lines to meet their immediate high intent needs?

00:12:07: That's maybe the challenge for your next event.

00:12:09: Subscribe for more actionable insights and we'll catch you on the next deep dive.