MVP Insights: Marie Wiese on Sales and Marketing Alignment, How the Buyer Journey Has Shifted

Welcome to “MVP Insights,” a podcast that explores the universe, ideas, and opportunities of the brightest stars in the Microsoft business applications ecosystem. 

In this episode, John Siefert welcomes Marie Wiese, CEO, Marketing CoPilot, Microsoft MVP, to discuss her MVP Journey, the importance of aligning sales and marketing teams, how the buyer journey has shifted due to changing expectations and demands, and she previews her session at Community Summit NA 2024.

This episode is sponsored by Community Summit North America, the largest independent gathering of the Microsoft Business Applications ecosystem, taking place Oct. 13-17, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. Register today to connect with thousands of users across the Microsoft business applications ecosystem at the for user, by user event.

Key Takeaways

• MVP overview: The rapid pace of technological advancement and its complexity have made it challenging to be an expert in today’s world. Marie notes that she chose to focus on the impact of technology on business, acknowledging the technical expertise of MVPs in the channel, particularly in CRM and marketing automation, and noting the transformative effect of AI on the field. Marie, who got her start in marketing, reflects on her journey in the business and marketing world which has consistently intersected with technology. She emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and having a point of view, key attributes for anyone aspiring to be an MVP.
• Sales and marketing alignment: Marie discusses the challenge of aligning sales and marketing on the definition and management of leads, which emphasizes the need for cross-departmental understanding and collaboration. They highlight the importance of leveraging their experience and credibility to facilitate proactive conversations, aligning technology with business outcomes to ensure the CEO’s comfort with marketing spend and its impact on sales.
• Buyer journey: As it relates to the buyer journey, the lines are blurring between sales and marketing due to changing expectations and demands, particularly during the pandemic. Marie emphasizes the necessity of a cohesive approach from prospect to customer, the futility of operating in silos, and the importance of aligning technology with business outcomes. There is no single solution; success requires hard work and a collaborative team effort in today’s sales and marketing landscape.
• Summit NA 2024: At Community Summit North America 2024, Marie is leading a session with another MVP to demonstrate the innovative use of Copilot in mining sales data and supporting sales and marketing processes. The sessions aims to address the decline in market engagement and the overestimation of AI’s capabilities without a clear value proposition and thought leadership. Overall, the goal is to provide valuable insights and practical applications of these tools to add value within organizations. Learn more about Marie’s session.

Stream the audio version of this episode here: