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Expert Topic

B2B Go-To-Market Sales and Demand Generation Strategies for New Market Initiatives

New digital technologies and the internet have dramatically altered the sales process.

In many cases, 60-90 percent of the sales cycle now takes place before a sales rep ever talks with the prospect. A well-optimized web presence is essential, and it's important to nurture your prospects and customers with a well orchestrated system of communication across multiple channels. 

Demand generation is key. Marketing and sales must be aligned, with KPI metrics and incentives that keep them focused and working towards a common goal.
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Meet the Expert

Brian Bennett

Consultant Brian Bennett
SVP Sales & Marketing, Facilitr
San Francisco Bay Area, CA
  • English
Expert Topic:

Skills and Expertise: What's this?

About Brian

Professional Experience:  B2B go-to-market executive with particular expertise in Indirect Channels.  Blend of Sales, Marketing, and Demand Generation experience gained primarily at venture-backed software companies in Silicon Valley and NYC.  5 years involved with digital marketing solutions, and multi-channel ad agencies.

Sweet Spot: An executive position (VP or above) with a growth stage software business, with responsibility to identify and develop new revenue streams from an Indirect Channels charter, to compliment an already established Direct sales channel.  Leading a team of 5 to 50 people.

What I’m good at:

  • Strategic Go-To-Market Plan Development – With an emphasis on Demand Generation, Sales, and Indirect Channels
  • Indirect Channels/Business Development – Identify and develop incremental revenue streams
  • Sales – Direct, Indirect, Inside. Lead and build teams of quota carrying reps
  • Demand Generation – Blend of traditional and digital marketing. Drive MQL contribution
  • Sales Process Optimization – CRM best practices, Marketing alignment, training, measurement.
  • Coaching and mentoring junior sales professionals



Experience

SVP Sales & Marketing • Facilitr
Nov, 2016 — Present
  • SaaS. Document management for environmental compliance

Vice President, Customer Development • 3Q Digital
Jul, 2013 — Jun, 2014
  • Implemented Salesforce and associated sales process for multichannel, online digital advertising agency.
  • Bought and implemented Act-On marketing automation application for email marketing outreach.
  • Staffed, directed and built a marketing data base of over 5,000 companies and 15,000 contacts with valid email addresses.
  • Directed company's first-ever demand generation campaigns utilizing SFDC/Act-On.
Vice President, Partners and Channels • Conductor, Inc., NYC
Mar, 2009 — Feb, 2010
  • Developed and executed strategy resulting in advertising agency channel growth from zero to 25 percent of Conductor revenues.
  • Managed strategic partnership with Adobe/Omniture resulting in technology integration, joint marketing, joint sales and more than 100 leads generated.
  • Agency sales team exceeded target four consecutive quarters in 2012.
  • Reported to CEO, presented at board meetings, member of Strategic Planning Committee.
Executive Consulting • Brian Bennett
Sep, 2007 — Feb, 2010
  • Independent consulting focused on go-to-market strategies, sales force productivity and investment research.
  • Clients included Owner's Pass, Increo Solutions, Matrix Partners (private equity), Bloomreach.
VP Sales & Business Development • Vidient
Oct, 2005 — May, 2007
  • Primary responsibility for sales & business development at VC-funded startup in the intelligent video analytics space for business/security applications. Also served as acting head of marketing during company repositioning.
  • Reformulated sales strategy away from reliance on manufacturer’s reps and towards a mix of direct sales, VARs and OEMs. Persuaded and signed up early adopters, signed 15 new VARs, increased sales pipeline by 400 percent within six months. Introduced targeted demand-generation campaigns to complement new go-to-market mode.
  • Initiated key elements of Vidient’s strategic transformation from software-only company to an appliance-oriented product provider; signed strategic partner agreement with a key technology and marketing provider; orchestrated and led new product launch.
VP Indirect Business • Verity
Jul, 2003 — Jun, 2005
  • Recruited to streamline and improve productivity across multiple distribution channels for this public company in enterprise-search software space ($150M/Yr.)
  • Optimized mix of people and distribution channels across five revenue streams. Previous strategies and structure resulted in confusion, stalled growth, and low morale. Result: Retention of key personnel, revenue rejuvenation, vertical market penetration, and assimilation of 250 new VARs.
  • Secured investment in an OEM product manager, enhancing partner satisfaction and company credibility as an OEM supplier.
  • Instituted vertical solutions charter focused on pharmaceutical, financial services, and manufacturing sectors. Hired domain expertise to address specific markets. Result: Vertical solutions provided immediate and incremental revenue for direct sales.
  • Averted crisis stemming from a SoX-driven revenue recognition problem which put $2M of revenue at risk. Focusing on top 15 percent of VARs (85 percent of revenue), brought transactions into compliance within 60 days.
  • Obviated mass exodus of angry VARs stemming from order entry system’s inability to handle new, high transaction volume of VAR orders. Proposed a new OE system and acted as change agent to force immediate operational process improvements, earning VAR trust and establishing credibility as VAR suppliers.
Vice President, Business Development • Elance, Inc.
2002 — 2003
  • Responsible for partner strategy at start-up in enterprise services-procurement software.
  • Led key due diligence supporting acquisition of CascadeWorks. Acquisition resulted in tripling of customer base and greatly enhanced Elance sales reach via new  partnerships.
    • Facilitated smooth integration of CascadeWorks by leading the post-acquisition integration efforts.
VP Indirect Channels • E.piphany
1999 — 2002

  • Recruited to help build indirect channel business from scratch for this enterprise CRM provider. With direct sales in place, charter was to generate additional revenues via channels.

  • Acquired an extensive SaaS partner constituency in 18 months, which contributed one quarter bookings of $20M and recurring revenues of $700K/qtr.  Established a robust ongoing SaaS relationship framework.

  • Developed go-to-market plans for opening new revenue opportunities in the SMB market and for OEM/embedded opportunities. Also, institutionalized company-wide operational template for structuring, capturing, and booking partner contracts for improved revenue recognition.

Senior Director, OEM Sales & Technology • Netscape
1995 — 1999
  • Hired, developed and led team of 50 and exceeded quota 14 consecutive quarters at company that pioneered the Internet browser and exploded into the marketplace, in war with Microsoft. 
  • Expanded traditional OEM business by devising a product liquidation strategy in lieu of product end-of-life, resulting in $10M+ in sale of two EoL products and decreased sustaining engineering costs.
  • Proposed and implemented strategy for embedding web servers into non-Microsoft OSs. This resulted in $10s of millions in revenue from Sun, HP, Digital, IBM, Novell, SGI and others.
  • Pioneered initiatives that resulted in capturing at least $50M in unforecast revenues.
Manager • Silicon Graphics
1992 — 1995

Education

UC Davis
BA, Managerial Economics, 1980

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President
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