20 B2B Marketing Quotes for 2020

Whenever I’m feeling a little uninspired, I like to search for quotes from my favorite B2B marketers. I’ve probably perused all the famous B2B marketing quotes out there.

So, I thought to myself, “Why don’t I offer up some inspiring B2B marketing quotes for 2020?” I searched Sweet Fish’s blog high and low for the best and brightest quotes about B2B marketing.

I’m here to tell you that the insights I found are going to inspire your socks off. B2B marketers everywhere, rejoice!

What are some B2B marketing quotes for 2020? B2B marketing quotes for 2020 include… 

1. “Your writing doesn’t have to be boring just because it’s for other businesses. Businesses have people who read stuff.” — Valeria Maltoni
2. “Perhaps one of the more understated benefits of social media in B2B is the ability to establish and foster expertise within a given industry or niche.” — Brian Solis
3. “Podcasting is a very non-intimidating way to get prospects to talk about pain points.” — Elena Hassan
4. “Even with B2B, the recipient is still a person, so we have to humanize our brand.” — Ryan Quinn
5. ”The best kind of buyers are the ones that feel like they've come to their own decision to buy your product.” — Eric Friedman

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Today, we’re going to explore:

1. B2B marketing quotes for ABM in 2020
2. B2B marketing quotes for sales + marketing alignment in 2020
3. B2B marketing quotes for podcasting in 2020

Let’s dive in!

B2B marketing quotes for ABM in 2020

Although ABM (account-based marketing) has recently grown in popularity, it’s really nothing new to marketers. 

The idea behind account-based marketing is as old as marketing itself. Pick out the big accounts you want to go after. Use the available tools to reach your targeted accounts with crafted messages. Work out a deal.

Here are some new ways to think about ABM in 2020.

1. “Engagement versus page views is a new way of thinking about marketing, one that requires a complete mind shift. But I really believe that if you want to bring value to your clients or your company, it’s a shift you have to make — like now.” — Dianna Huff, Huff Industrial Marketing

Apply it to ABM: As opposed to inbound marketing, ABM encourages marketers to look at the quality of the page visits, not necessarily the number. Great if you reached your goal of one million page views. Did any of those visitors engage with your content?

2. “Your writing doesn’t have to be boring just because it’s for other businesses. Businesses have people who read stuff.” — Valeria Maltoni, strategic consultant

Apply it to ABM: Account-based marketing isn’t about appealing to a faceless corporation. Your content is going to be in front of human eyes. Try not to make it a drag to read.

3. “In the world of B2B, your professional network is everything. Because your business is about business, the potential of who you know and who they know is where powerful connections happen.” — Amber Naslund, LinkedIn

Apply it to ABM: Making connections in the B2B marketing space cannot be undervalued. When you’re targeting a big account, it pays to know the people who are making the decisions.

4. “It’s fascinating how the fundamentals of B2B marketing are the same today as they were 50 years ago. It’s still about relationships although today we have new tools and techniques at our disposal.” — David Meerman Scott, Freshspot Marketing

Apply it to ABM: As I mentioned earlier, ABM isn’t anything new. The relationships are still essential; the means of communication are always changing. Make sure you’re using the prospect’s preferred channel.

5. “If nobody is clicking, but you're getting large awareness, you’re probably getting awareness to the wrong people.” — Elliot Manson, KEO Marketing

Apply it to ABM: What’s worse than collecting no qualified leads? Collecting a bunch of unqualified leads. Especially when you’re implementing an ABM program, messaging and technique need to be spot on. Otherwise, you’re throwing money down the tubes.

6. “Even with B2B, the recipient is still a person, so we have to humanize our brand.” — Ryan Quinn, BrightGuest

Apply it to ABM: For some reason, B2C has always felt more personable than B2B, even though they’re not that different. You’re still communicating with another human. No need for any stuffy, robo talk.

7. ”The best kind of buyers are the ones that feel like they've come to their own decision to buy your product.” — Eric Friedman, venture partner

Apply it to ABM: You want your ABM efforts to be as customized as possible to the targeted account. At the same time, you don’t want it to seem like your begging for the other party’s business. Your job as a B2B marketer is to guide the prospect to the best solution for them (which, is hopefully your offering).

8. “Knowing where you’re already succeeding in the market is a crucial first step before you start on the account-based journey.” — Ben Coffee, LiveRamp

Apply it to ABM: Thinking of taking the ABM plunge? It’s advisable to nail down what your company is really good at. Where are you already seeing success? Follow that and see where it intersects with account-based marketing.

9. “If you’re just starting in ABM and you’re overwhelmed, relax. 90% of the market hasn’t figured it out yet either.” — Russel Banzon, Gong.io

Apply it to ABM: Sure, ABM is founded in B2B marketing ideas that have been around a while. But a lot of the market is still trying to lock down the best strategy. Don’t be discouraged if you’re just starting out!

If you’re focusing on account-based marketing this year, consider the above B2B marketing quotes. These tidbits are from leaders in the space, so take the ABM ingredients that apply to your journey.

B2B marketing quotes for sales + marketing alignment in 2020

ABM and sales-marketing alignment have a lot in common. To carry out a successful ABM program, you’ll need a team that works as… well, a team.

Take a look at the following B2B marketing quotes from alignment masters.

10. “Perhaps one of the more understated benefits of social media in B2B is the ability to establish and foster expertise within a given industry or niche. The same tools and services that new influencers leverage to construct prominence and demonstrate awareness are also readily available to anyone with wisdom and vision to share.” — Brian Solis, keynote speaker

Apply it to team alignment: The exact same marketing tools Kylie Jenner uses are available to you, too. Brian says here that with wisdom and vision, anyone can leverage those tools for influencing. The component needed to make those efforts really successful? Marketing and sales alignment.

11. “As marketers, we need to be honest & ask ourselves: 'Are we doing as good a job as we think we are?’” — Greg Lim, The Heineken Company

Apply it to team alignment: Every once in a while, us B2B marketers need a bit of a reality check. Sometimes we let the creative, entrepreneurial side take hold and we fail to see the logistical side of sales. Take a step back to see if your work is producing the best results.

12. "Make the follow-up more targeted and more relevant." — Heidi Vandermeer, Security Compass

Apply it to team alignment: When marketing is tasked with creating a targeted followup, it’s essential that they’re aligned with sales. Make sure each team has the full picture of the potential customer.

13. “People want more personal touches, and more fun interactions. Direct mail allows companies to do that.” — James Gilbert, Cisco

Apply it to team alignment: Nothing makes a lasting impression quite like a gift in the mail! Sending the right item at the right time to the right customer takes marketing and sales alignment. Without alignment, it’s probable that you’re wasting time and money.

14. “Sales and marketing alignment boils down to aligning on goals and activities and working towards the same end.” — Jaime Romero, Fortinet

Apply it to team alignment: Company culture has a heavy influence over marketing and sales alignment. B2B marketers should be eager to learn more about the sales process and vice versa. Avoid picking sides because it only harms your own organization.

15. "If you use big data, you have created additional value for your customers." — Michael Breidenbruecker, Senseforce

Apply it to team alignment: If sales and marketing can come together to leverage big data, you’re offering more value in addition to the product or service. Anyone can collect data. It takes team harmony to extract value from that data.

Promoting team alignment in your company is crucial for success. Especially if you’re implementing an ABM program, it can be beneficial to mix teams. 

A team made up of sales pros, marketers, customer success reps, and engineers can target an account better than if they were on their own.

B2B marketing quotes for podcasting in 2020

I might be a little biased. But, podcasting in 2020 has already proven to be huge.

Mine some motivation from these B2B marketing quotes for podcasting in 2020.

16. “Oftentimes, it's easier to get behind a mic than it is to hammer out written content or get in front of a camera.” — Logan Lyles, Sweet Fish Media

Apply it to podcasting: As a veteran podcaster, Logan knows a thing or two about producing good content. Podcasts are truly the most passive kind of content to consume. If blogs or videos aren’t your things, podcasting could possibly be your new favorite B2B marketing tactic!

17. “Podcasting is, without a doubt, the single largest generator of new conversations in our marketing arsenal.” — Chad Sanderson, ValueSelling Associates

Apply it to podcasting: As the host of The B2B Revenue Executive Experience, Chad has seen direct growth from podcasting. To kickstart your B2B marketing strategy in 2020, consider getting involved with podcasting.

18. “Podcasting is a very non-intimidating way to get prospects to talk about pain points.” — Elena Hassan, Currencycloud

Apply it to podcasting: Looking for a way to get to know your target audience this year? Invite them to be on your podcast. They’ll probably be flattered and eager to talk with you.

19. “The best part of podcasting has been seeing the joy on the faces of people who never thought they would have a voice.” — Sangram Vajre, Terminus

Apply it to podcasting: What’s better than having a platform to share your insights? Having a platform on which your customers can share their insights. Give a voice to other B2B marketers!

20. “Podcasting is the new way to network.” — Keri Roberts, podcast host

Apply it to podcasting: B2B marketing and sales pros are always looking for the best ways to connect with their audiences. The #1 way to build out your network in 2020 is through podcasting.

For more proof that podcasts work, check out this #WhyPodcastsWork episode of B2B Growth.

B2B marketing quotes

I hope these B2B marketing quotes and insights have given you the inspiration to start something new. If anything, I hope you learned something! (I know I did.)

Remember: Three huge components of B2B marketing in 2020 include

1. account-based marketing
2. sales + marketing alignment
3. podcasting

Now, go forth and market!

For more marketing insights and advice, subscribe to B2B Growth on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.