ETAI BECK

CEO – FOLLOZE

WITH OVER 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS A LEADER IN THE HI-TECH INDUSTRY, FOLLOZE CEO ETAI BECK HAS A TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS WITH BUILDING AND SELLING START-UPS, TRANSFORMING THEM INTO NOTABLE COMPANIES, AND SPEARHEADING STRATEGIC PRODUCT AND GO-TO-MARKET INITIATIVES AT SCALE.

Etai’s reputation is one of a thoughtful, steady, and decisive leader with a mission to build a sustainable model for marketing and sales to work hand in hand.He has spent many years managing and coaching others within rapidly evolving markets, grounding himself in thorough and technical knowledge at the intersection of product and field.

LET'S TALK CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

FROM ETAI BECK'S POINT OF VIEW

WE LIVE IN THE DISCONNECTED
EXPERIENCE ERA.
Over the past decade, B2B buying behavior has been in a state of evolution. Fueled by mobile connectivity and easy access to information and insights, B2B buyers have become highly discerning. They want to control their own buying journeys and will pay a premium for a great customer experience. Consistently setting the bar higher overall, B2B buyers increasingly expect nothing less than dynamic experiences that are connected, contextual and relevant.The B2B world of today lives squarely within the Experience Era, reflecting many of the same attributes from the B2C world.Just consider the B2B equivalent of consumer experiences such as DoorDash, Airbnb, Uber, or Starbucks.Despite the massive proliferation of digital technology, B2B vendors have not kept pace with their B2C counterparts. As a result, vendors have lost control over a buying journey that has become incredibly complex and unpredictable. For the B2B buyer, this shortfall has created a disconnected, messy, and very frustrating experience.If vendors want to elevate their buyers' experiences, they must know how to use more data-driven and personalized content and messaging.Tailoring your marketing and selling efforts to your buyers' preferences, history, and needs, not to mention their specific position(s) within their buying journey, will be key.

In a digital-first marketplace, marketing has a once in a lifetime opportunity to lead and put buyers first.

Yet, successfully executing against a buyer experience mandate requires a new operational model led by the "Frontline Marketer."

UNCOVERING CHALLENGER VISION

FROM ETAI BECK'S POINT OF VIEW

THE COVID-19 CATALYST
Shockingly, many B2B brands have not felt a sense of urgency to address their shortfalls. They still rely upon an old-school mindset defined by marketing automation and top-of-the-funnel practices.The result? Low conversion rates. High customer acquisition costs. Anemic pipeline. Frustrated customers. High churn rates.Many of the current B2B challenges reflect a very challenging legacy environment – with well-entrenched challenges at that – that vendors have failed to address over the years.Specifically, most revenue teams are composed of data and organizational silos, under-developed digital skillsets, bolt-on marketing automation technologies, and static web experiences that are a poor and generic substitutes for delivering truly personalized experiences at scale.

A SHOT AT REDEMPTION
It's also worth noting that the nature of B2B buying and selling is far more complex than the B2C world.Specifically, B2B marketing and revenue teams must manage more buyers, decision-makers, and buying centers, which altogether mean longer and more unpredictable sales cycles.By kicking the can down the road and not addressing longstanding challenges, B2B vendors were unprepared for the digital tsunami that struck during the COVID-19 crisis.Fortunately, the pandemic in early 2020 lit a fire under the butts of B2B vendors, giving marketing and revenue teams one last shot at redemption.

OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD

FROM ETAI BECK'S POINT OF VIEW

MARKETING'S NEW MANDATE AND THE RISE OF THE FRONTLINE MARKETER

Overnight, B2B buying and selling changed forever, and there's no turning back. COVID-19 accelerated digital selling and upended long-held beliefs about the need for in-person meetings and traditional GTM motions.In a digital-first marketplace, buyers prefer to guide their education and discovery through digital self-service and online channels, often without consulting a sales rep through the entire purchase process.

The COVID-19 catalyst set three irreversible trends into motion:

In a digital-first marketplace, marketing teams are elevated and become architects of the buyer experience across the entire journey.

A recent Folloze-Demand Gen Report survey found that 50% of marketing teams expect a new hybrid GTM model where marketing takes the lead on digitizing the entire lead-to-revenue cycle with support from the direct sales team.

A digital-first mandate shines the spotlight on customer-facing – or frontline – marketers in the field. These "frontline marketers" know what their buyers want and how to build data-driven, revenue-generating, and omni-channel experiences.

These frontline teams are autonomous, leveraging a no-code environment to execute with agility and precision. Through insightful analytics, frontline marketers will close the loop and drive revenue growth.

A modern B2B GTM will finally resolve many of the longstanding sales and marketing collaboration issues.

Imagine your revenue team built in pods of marketers and sellers working together to architect and deliver full-cycle journeys with precision and impact.

Through insightful analytics, frontline marketers will close the loop and drive revenue growth.

MARKETING'S BIG MOMENT
Today, marketing teams can no longer drive predictable growth leveraging the same technology, linear funnels, and operational processes of the past.

The Folloze-Demand Gen Report research found that only 25% of marketers felt prepared and could effectively deliver engaging digital experiences across the entire customer lifecycle. Marketing must move fast and evolve, or perish.DOWNLOAD REPORTFolloze is working with top B2B brands to rethink their GTM strategies with a journey and buyer-centric mindset – all supported with a modern operational model and MarTech stack.

Led by frontline marketers, Folloze is helping companies embrace a next-gen operating model that combines the best of both worlds: the activation of customer data and the automated delivery of personalized experiences with high-value human engagement.This is marketing's big moment to shine, and I'm confident that we will embrace our elevated mandate and lead the next chapter of B2B buying and selling.