What was your first B2B-related job?
Once upon a time I worked for Compaq where we launched small business computers.
What do you most enjoy about your job?
It would be easy to talk about watching the growth we’re seeing at LinkedIn, but the real buzz comes from hearing from the job hunters we’ve helped find a new opportunity, or the small business owner who’s growing their company through connections made on the site. Which B2B brand do you most admire?
Salesforce is a great business tool that continues to innovate. It’s a key tool for a lot of the team at LinkedIn.
Whose job would you like most?
I’m a secret karaoke fan so I’d have to go for Billy Joel.
What’s the best piece of marketing advice you’ve ever been given?
Know your customer. Only when you know what really drives an individual can you understand how you can help them.
What is your proudest achievement?
Growing the LinkedIn business in Europe from my spare room to an office of 30 talented and dedicated staff.
To succeed, a B2B marketer must…
Know what you are trying to achieve, what your business goals are, what your customers want and, importantly, how to measure success.
What is your favourite B2B ad campaign past or present?
Sage’s ‘Train your business brain’ campaign.
What’s the next big thing in B2B marketing?
I’d say integration with social media, and engagement with professionals all with a focus on the context.
Our jobs would be easier if…
All the world’s professionals were connected.
What are the most important traits in a B2B marketer?
I’d say the top three for me are creativity, an analytical mind, and drive.
What are the traits you most and least admire in yourself?
I get very into my work. This is a normally a good thing but less so when I look up and realise I’m running late for dinner.
My biggest extravagance is…
I’m a sucker for tech toys and gadgets. My most recent is a new Apple Magic Mouse.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Awesome!
What marketing challenge are you currently wrestling with?
We’re expanding rapidly across Europe so I’m learning very quickly the nuances of how people do business in 50 countries.
What was your last marketing epiphany?
Simple, straightforward in-product messaging sounds simple but can have a big impact.
Which marketing campaign or idea do you wish you’d thought of?
I think Barclays’ advertising for its iShares brand was executed really well.
Which marketing or business books would you recommend?
Crossing the Chasm, by Geoffrey A Moore. I’ve given away a good few copies.
Which individual has had the most influence on your career?
My sports coach from high school who always told me you have to believe to achieve.
What mistakes do you see companies make with social media?
When companies treat social media in the way they would an advertising campaign, instead of the two-way communication medium that it is.
