Will Aitken

A Sales Growth Company

Heading up outbound sales & GAP Prospecting training

General Manager Prospecting Practice

WillAitken.com

I provide training, coaching, courses, keynotes, and merch for sellers and sales teams! Check out my offerings on willaitken.com

Chief Vice Directing President of Managing Things

Sales Feed

B2B Sales Media company Sales Feed

We make content that helps sellers sell and brings a big ol'd smile to their face when they need it most

Co-Founder

Sell Better 

I'm one of the hosts of SellBetter's epic daily sales shows

Host

Lavender

Head of Social

Head of Content

Evangelist

Proposify

Senior Account Executive

Account Executive

HR.com

Preacta

Recruitment Consultant

Search It Local

Sales Representative

Trust Me, I'm a Salesperson | Sales Trainer, Keynote Speaker, Author, and Pisstaker | Fluent in English, Memes, & Sarcasm 🇬🇧🇨🇦

Just another LinkedIn sales influencer... but funnier and better looking than most.

Born in 1994 in the roundabout filled town of Milton Keynes I was always the odd child at school. 

After getting the worlds most pointless degree at University of Brighton I decided to go “find myself” by working in a French Ski Resort, backpacking through south-east Asia, before temporarily settling down in Sydney Australia where I got work as a recruiter and then moving to Canada. 

Now in North America I was determined to work in SaaS sales because I saw on Reddit that you can make BANK selling software.

Just a couple of years later after trying to find my footing I was the top rep on my team.

This gave me time to open up TikTok and on April of 2021 I made my first video, then I made one everyday for 6-months. 

This opened up my love for content creation and led me to my current career in marketing, keynotes, book writing, and sales training. 

Expertise include: New Business Development, Account Management, Cold Calling, Sales Proposals/Presentations, Marketing Product Knowledge (SEO, EDM, Retargeting), Recruitment Services, Headhunting, Email Prospecting, Vice President (SEO purposes), VP, CEO, LinkedIn Recruiter/Sales Navigator, Boolean Blackbelt, Training, Sales Kick Offs, Speaker, Speech, Sales Management, and Fixing Up to Look Sharp.

🔥 ROAST my Discovery Call 🔥 

I judged a "Discovery Competition" at Salman Mohiuddin's Sales Sprint event this week

6 Sellers had 7-minutes to complete a discovery call with the bot that the team at Hyperbound uses as part of their Account Executive hiring process

Myself, Jen Allen-Knuth, and Eddy Bahnam then gave each seller feedback on what they did well with and how they could improve

I HATE giving feedback to strangers 😂

Coaching is intimate, and without knowing someone, their style, and how they like to be coached, you can end up sounding like a critical w@nker

As Babe Ruth said “The loudest boos always come from the cheapest seats.”

So I thought it'd only be fair if I also gave the challenge a spin and let strangers (that's you folks on LinkedIn) judge my performance

Naturally, I'm using GAP Selling so Keenan can judge me hardest 😉 

*note I went over the 7-minute time limit*

5 ideas to help you sell on LinkedIn (without paying for Sales Nav)

Sat in on a workshop presented by Eddy Bahnam at Salman Mohiuddin's Sales Sprint event earlier this month

(Follow Eddy for LinkedIn tips, he's the GOAT)

In that talk, Eddy shared a few creative ways to make use of LinkedIn's main site to find new leads

Including a few things I didn't know, like the job ad URL second timer 🤯 I wish i'd known that one when I was an agency recruiter

What creative ways have you found to find leads on LinkedIn?

Drop 'em below as this one will likely need a part 2

(I work with Hansel Alvarez for all my long-form YouTube content like this, hit him up if you want to grow on YouTube)

NB Marketing

I partner with B2B companies to build and execute GTM programs that drive real pipeline and revenue. That includes:

- Running full-scale webinar and virtual event programs, from strategy to follow-up

- Leading in-person field events, pre-event outreach, onsite support, and post-event reporting

- Building ABM programs from the ground up or improving what’s already running

- Creating influencer and creator strategies tied directly to pipeline goals

- Supporting demand gen and content strategy across the funnel

- Reporting on performance and helping teams understand what’s working (and what’s not)

- Acting as a brand evangelist at events, on podcasts, and across LinkedIn

- Helping founders and teams grow their personal brands to drive real business impact

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all model.

Some clients bring me in to lead one area. Others tap into multiple. I flex based on what will move the needle the fastest.

Founder

Reachdesk

Events & ABM

Navattic

I play an important role in shaping their B2B marketing and Go-to-Market strategies, which laid the foundation for my work at TACK.

Key Contributions:

→ Developed GTM Strategies: Helped design and implement Go-to-Market that drive growth and customer engagement.

→ Optimized B2B Marketing Efforts: Advised on B2B marketing campaigns, leading to improved lead generation and conversion rates.

Marketing Advisor

Limelight

B2B Creators should be able to monetize their offerings more easily.

And with Limelight, now they can :)

Advisor

Underscore VC

Underscore Core Community member serving as a valued advisor to Underscore portfolio companies.

Core Partner

TACK

I co-founded TACK with a mission to revolutionize Go-to-Market strategies by putting people first. 

Our approach is designed to modernize how businesses connect with their audience, ensuring every interaction is human-centric and impactful. 

Here’s how we’re making a difference:

→ Created a seven-step approach that shifts companies from a company-first to a People-first strategy.

→ Built and Scaled TACK’s Three Pillars:

TACK Network: A GTM media network producing original content and authentic stories to support the brightest minds in B2B Go-to-Market.

TACK Insider: A membership community offering marketers and entrepreneurs access to hundreds of resources, weekly masterclasses, and personalized coaching.

TACK GTM: An on-demand services firm that partners with CEOs, Founders, and Marketing Leaders to design and implement People-first GTM strategies, driving growth and revenue.

Chief Customer Officer & Co-Founder

The Anonymous Marketer Podcast

This is The Anonymous Marketer. A podcast where we tackle the 
biggest questions from the B2B marketing community. 

But instead of bringing on guests for a quick chat, every question 
comes from an anonymous source. 

These are the questions B2B marketers have but are afraid to 
ask.

Let’s start the conversation.

Airmeet

Senior Director of ELG (Event-Led Growth) & Evangelism

Alyce

Director of Evangelism & Customer Marketing

Director of Field, Community, and Partner Marketing

Director of ABM

Goldcast

Strategic Advisor

Generic GTM is dead → Go to my featured section for actionable GTM insights and elevate your marketing game 🔥| Co-Founder of TACK | Creating the category of People-first GTM 👥| 13+ Years in B2B Marketing 📈

I help B2B companies build go-to-market strategies that prioritize real connection because relationships, not just reach, drive growth.

After 14 years in B2B marketing, I’ve led field marketing, demand gen, community, and influencer programs. I know what works, what doesn’t, and what’s changed.

Too many companies still treat buyers like leads. That’s not how modern GTM works.

I’ve helped 35+ B2B brands shift from transactional tactics to connection-driven growth, building scalable strategies, launching communities, running 30+ webinars, and rolling out on-demand models that replaced bloated in-house teams.

Today, I work directly with brands, founders, and marketers to build go-to-market engines that scale—without the spam.

What I do:
→ Build integrated campaign strategies that drive pipeline
→ Coach creators and brands on influencer marketing
→ Design community-led and field programs that actually work
→ Speak on GTM, content, and creator-led growth
→ Act as a fractional marketing leader or advisor

📚 Author of B2B Influencer Marketing: Work With Creators to Generate Authentic and Effective Marketing (Kogan Page, 2025)

👋 Let’s work together: DM me or visit https://linktr.ee/NickBMarketing

Nick Bennett

I’ve been laid off 3 times.
And it never got easier.

The first time? I was barely two years out of college.
Still green. Still figuring out how any of this worked.
My boss was crying her eyes out.
And I remember thinking… why are you crying? It’s fine
I was that naive. No panic. No stress. Just thought, I’ll figure it out

Second time, I was a little further in.
Still calm. Maybe too calm.
It didn’t shake me much.
Looking back, I think I just hadn’t been hit hard enough yet

The third time?
That one changed everything

It was June 2023.
I was working with Mark, my old CMO from Airmeet.
He gave me a heads-up that I was getting laid off.
Then he said something that caught me totally off guard

Wanna start a company?

At that point, my twins were two months old
We were living in survival mode
I hadn’t slept in what felt like weeks
It was risky as hell
But I said yep, let’s roll

That layoff turned into building a million dollar business

Not years down the line
Not after a long reflective journey
Right after

No grand plan
No perfect timing
Just showing up every day with what I had

If you’re in the thick of it right now, I know how rough it feels

The panic
The questions
The shame that sneaks in even when you know better

But here’s what I’ve learned:

➀ It’s not about you
Layoffs are rarely about talent
They’re about budget, timing, and things you’ll never control

➁ You don’t need to see the whole path
Just find the next solid step and take it
Even if your hands are shaking

➂ People will show up if you let them
Colleagues. Friends. Strangers on LinkedIn
The help is there. You just have to crack the door open a little

➃ Chaos can lead to clarity
That call could have been the worst moment of my year
Instead, it became the turning point

You don’t need to be fearless
You just need to be willing

Because the thing that feels like the end?
Might be the beginning of something better than you imagined

B2B Marketing Leader & Advisor | Author | GTM, ABM, and Events That Actually Convert

Flying out to SF this afternoon.
Bags packed. Hotel booked.
No Dreamforce ticket this year… but still going.

Because honestly?
The best stuff never happens inside the event.

It’s the street energy. The people you bump into.
The random conversations that somehow turn into partnerships or friendships.

That’s what I’m chasing this week.

We’ve got a Reachdesk truck rolling through San Francisco, black with a giant purple LED screen.
You literally can’t miss it.
Scan the QR code on the side and you could win a $75 gift.
Take a selfie with it, tag @Reachdesk, and boom...bonus entry.

(Yes, this is my version of Pokémon Go for marketers.)

And if you see me around, I’m also recording a few quick Gift Masters IRL clips.
No scripts. No prep. Just real people sharing the best gift they’ve ever given or gotten.
It’s fast, fun, and surprisingly wholesome for a conference week.

Then later, I’m heading to ChiliPalooza looks like close to 1,000 people are registered already.
If you’re going, come find me.
Let’s grab a drink, shoot some content, or just catch up.

Feels good to be back out in the field again, seeing faces instead of screens.

If you spot a guy with a camera, a mic, and probably too much caffeine…
that’s me.

Come say hey.

This chart wrecked me.

It’s the one showing how much time you really get with your kids
And how fast it disappears

By the time they hit middle school?
You’ve already used up two-thirds of your in-person time with them

Let me say that again
Two-thirds
Gone
By 12

I’ve got a 7-year-old in 2nd grade
And twins who are 2 and a half

So now I’m sitting here doing math I never wanted to do

40 percent of my time with her is already behind me

That’s not just they grow up fast energy
That’s the numbers
That’s real

And look
I’m not perfect

I still check email at dumb times
Still say one sec more than I should
Still fall into that trap of I just need to finish this one thing…

But this chart?
It pulled me up short

Made me realize something simple but uncomfortable

➜ The time I think I’ll have later
It’s already slipping through my fingers right now

So I’m shifting some things
Re-thinking how I work
Why I work
What I’m even doing all this for

Because yeah, I want to build something meaningful
But I also want to be there

For the walks to school
The pancakes on Saturdays
The little moments that feel small… until they’re not

I want to chaperone the field trips
Show up for the school assemblies
Be the parent who’s actually in the crowd, not just catching the photos later

The twins are home every day
So I get to pop in and see them whenever I want
That’s a gift I don’t take for granted

I don’t want to be the guy who wakes up one day and realizes he missed it

Missed the chance to just be there
Not in the room while checking Slack
Actually there

So that’s the mission now

To be present
To not outsource the stuff that actually matters
To build in a way that gives me more time with them
Not just for them

Because I can always build another business
But I don’t get another shot at this part of their life

And neither do you

Most marketers treat content syndication like a vending machine
You put in dollars. You get leads.
Then you hope for the best

That used to be me, too
I’d download some report from a vendor, forward the list to sales, and call it a day

Until I realized...
That list wasn’t leads
It was names on a spreadsheet

No context
No real buying intent
No clue where they were in their journey

That’s why I hosted this webinar with my friends from DemandScience.

I wanted to talk about the version of content syndication that actually works in 2025
The kind that connects marketing, sales, and data into one repeatable engine

And yeah... it’s messier than just buying leads and crossing your fingers
But it’s also the only way to turn awareness into actual revenue

Here’s what we covered
And what I wish I’d known 5 years ago

➜ Content syndication isn’t a lead gen hack

It’s a way to identify real interest at the top of the funnel
But you have to treat it like a relationship starter
Not a shortcut to pipeline

➜ Not all data is helpful. Some of it’s just noise

If you’re not layering in buyer signals like surge topics or engagement recency
You’re just guessing
I’ve wasted hours chasing leads who downloaded a PDF 2 months ago and never came back

➜ Sales needs more than a name

If your SDRs get a list with no story, they won’t trust it
They need to know what content was consumed
What pain it addressed
Where the lead is in their journey

Otherwise they’re cold-calling ghosts

➜ Your follow-up can’t live in a silo

We talked about retargeting ads
Email nurtures
Even how to sync with outbound so the handoff feels natural

It’s about making sure your brand shows up everywhere they’re looking
Not just once in their inbox

➜ The nurture cycle is non-negotiable

 This was a big aha moment for a lot of attendees
 Leads from syndication are usually early-stage
 They need time. And touchpoints. And value before the ask

Sales wants to call after one download
But you need to warm them up first

Pete Lorenco, Alicia Verville, and Brian Kelleher brought some heat on how they’re doing this in real life
No fluff. Just what’s working and what’s not

If you’ve ever felt like your content syndication program isn’t delivering
Or if sales says the leads are junk...

You’ll want to watch this

👉 https://lnkd.in/eRzwtH7j

I hosted it because I’ve been in your shoes
Now I want to make sure you’re not stuck in the same cycle

Steal this. It dropped churn by 14%.

No tool.
No tech.
Just a one-page Google Doc.

If you’re running a SaaS, this is the fastest win you’ll get all quarter.

Here’s how it works:

1. Spot the real problem

Sales was closing deals.
But CS had zero context walking into onboarding.

So the first month felt like guesswork.
Lots of friction. Missed expectations.

2. Create a simple handoff doc

We made a doc with three required sections:
• Context → Why they bought. What they care about. Any deal nuances.
• Success Signals → What an early win looks like. What was promised. Key metrics.
• Risks → What might go wrong. Pressures. Red flags.

That’s it.
Every AE had to fill this out before a deal could be marked closed-won.

3. Make CS actually use it

No passive docs.
CS read it before kickoff.
Used it to lead the convo and build trust faster.

It went from cold handoffs to warm intros.

4. Hold the line

Early days were messy.
AEs didn’t want to fill it out.
CS didn’t want to review it.

We made it non-negotiable.
Reinforced it weekly.

Once the habit stuck, the impact showed up fast:
• 14% drop in churn
• Onboarding time down
• CS team less reactive
• Customers happier sooner

You don’t need a new playbook.
Just a better pass between teams.

Steal this. Use it today.
No budget or buy-in required.

I didn’t plan to go to Dreamforce. But I still ended up inside IYKYK.

And I’m glad I did.

Here are 17 things I saw, heard, and learned walking the floor at Dreamforce 2025:

➜ 1. AI agents were the main characters
Everyone had an angle. Copilots, workflows, GPT integrations. The booths that tied AI to business impact stood out. Think Pepsi’s digital twin. Lululemon’s ops layer.

➜ 2. Build-a-Bear had the busiest booth
No one remembers the vendor. Everyone remembers the teddy bear. If you’re investing in trade shows, make the memory stick.

➜ 3. Engineers outnumbered marketers
I had more technical convos than campaign strategy ones. Way more data folks than demand gen folks. Felt like a shift.

➜ 4. Headphones at theatre demos just worked
Let people tune in without zoning out. Every group demo should do this.

➜ 5. Booths became micro-events
More vendors ran in-booth talks, giveaways, contests. Less badge scanning. More real engagement.

➜ 6. Unification was the universal pitch
Connect your data. Connect your signals. Connect your teams. Vendors are selling clarity. Not just features.

➜ 7. Out-of-home took over downtown SF
LED trucks. Billboards. Sidewalk chalk. B2B is fighting for attention before the buyer ever steps into the venue.

➜ 8. Traffic in SFO is still a warzone
Plan accordingly. Or just walk. You’ll get there faster.

➜ 9. AI fatigue is here
Booths that led with generic AI messaging got ignored. The ones showing real use cases were packed.

➜ 10. SDR automation means 20 different things
Some meant sequencing. Others meant inbox AI. One meant calendar booking. Nobody agreed.

➜ 11. RevOps is being used as a buzzword
Every vendor claims to support it. Very few can explain how.

➜ 12. Attribution is no longer about credit
Most booths were finally honest. Influence matters more than source. Direction over precision.

➜ 13. Buyers want fewer tools, not more
Point solutions were ghost towns. Platforms were magnets. One login wins.

➜ 14. Media is the new integration
More vendors talked about podcasts, newsletters, and co-branded drops than product roadmaps.

➜ 15. Live demos beat vision decks
If you showed how the thing works, you got foot traffic. If you played a sizzle reel, you didn’t.

➜ 16. ABM has rebranded
No shame anymore. Everyone’s leaning into account-based playbooks. Just not calling it that on the booth wall.

➜ 17. The best conversations happened outside
At Chilipalooza. At OpsStars. At the coffee carts. Same crowd. Less pitch. Better signal.

Dreamforce was massive.

But the magic was in the details.

We spent $60,000 on SEO one quarter.

We did everything right. Topic clusters, search intent, backlinks, internal linking. All of it.

And at first, it looked like it was working.

We ranked #1 for most of our keywords. Top 3 for the rest.

But leads?

Dead quiet.

No spike in demos. No form fills. Nothing.

And that’s when it hit me.

We weren’t losing clicks to competitors.

We were losing them to ChatGPT.

Our content was so good that AI was using it to answer questions.

But it never cited us.

Never linked back.

Never gave attribution.

Just $60K of content... absorbed by an LLM.

⚠️ No traffic. No leads. Just silence.

So we tried something new:

We tracked our AI visibility.

The tool showed us:

➜ What prompts we ranked for (and missed)

➜ Which competitors got the credit

➜ How to structure pages so LLMs actually see us

We updated 15 existing pages.

No new content. Just tweaks:

- Clear authorship
- Stronger entity structure
- Layout built for AI scanning

🚀 60 days later:

- +14,800 visits/month
- $26K/month inbound pipeline (from AI search alone)

It wasn’t our SEO team. It wasn’t the content.

It was the fact we were optimizing for a search engine that’s no longer calling the shots.

If that feels familiar...

Comment “LLM visibility” and I’ll send the tool we used to fix it.

Brand partnership • B2B Marketing Leader & Advisor | Author | GTM, ABM, and Events That Actually Convert

If I had to build an ABM program from scratch today, here’s the exact playbook I’d run.

No complicated frameworks.

No 12-month rollout.

Just 7 simple steps that get results fast.

Let’s break it down:

1. I’d treat ABM like dating, not hunting

Most teams treat ABM like it’s a one-shot kill.

Spray some ads. Drop a teddy bear in the mail. Pray for a demo.

But ABM is about earning trust. Not forcing it.

Start slow. Build the relationship. Then make your ask.

2. I’d pick ONE narrow group and ignore the rest

This is where most ABM dies.

Trying to hit healthcare, fintech, and SaaS in one campaign.

Pick one segment. Get to know their struggles like your own.

If you can’t describe what their Monday feels like, you’re not ready to sell to them.

3. I’d go deep on the signals, not just the data

Forget vague “intent scores.”

I’d dig for real, human signals.

Are they hiring? Who are they following? What are execs posting about?

ABM works when you act like a journalist, not an SDR.

4. I’d build relevance through people, not platforms

Instead of just launching a campaign, I’d build it with:

Our reps
Our partners
Even a few customers

The messaging, the assets, the plays — all built from what real humans are seeing in the field.

That’s how you get messages that feel personal, not programmatic.

5. I’d use one asset to start conversations, not close deals

Most ABM assets feel like one-pagers disguised as ebooks.

But I’d build something people want to read.

An asset that says: “We understand your problem better than anyone else.”

And then turn it into 10 short pieces to spark conversations.

6. I’d partner my way to distribution

No list? No problem.

I’d find creators, influencers, or other companies who already have trust in the market.

Then co-create something together.

Not just for reach — but for credibility.

7. I’d measure meetings, not MQLs

This isn’t about leads.

It’s about getting your team into better rooms, faster.

I’d track:

Are we booking meetings with the right people?
Are deals progressing faster?
Are reps actually using the plays?

If yes, cool. Keep going.

If not, tweak and keep it scrappy.

You don’t need a massive tech stack or a $200K budget to make ABM work.

You just need to listen harder. Build smaller. Partner deeper.

Make it personal. Make it relevant. Make it human.

That’s the cheat code.

Most events aren’t broken. They’re just pretending to be something they’re not.

You know the ones.

Swanky venue.
Buzzing LinkedIn feed.
Cute swag bags.

But then you get back to the office…
And someone in leadership asks, “So what did we get from it?”

Cue the awkward silence.

Here’s the thing no one tells you:

Events can drive pipeline.
Like, real, tangible, CFO-nods-in-the-boardroom pipeline.

But only if you stop treating them like “brand moments”
And start treating them like revenue motions.

I’ve made just about every mistake in the book.

Overspent on booths.
Let sales show up blind.
Chased badge scans like they meant something.

And through all of that?

I learned what actually works.

Here’s a quick sneak peek of what I’ll share with strategicabm | Account-based Marketing Agency and Declan and Josh Weale:

1. You don’t need more attendees. You need more intel.

I’d rather have 12 key account convos than 200 passive listeners.
It’s not about who shows up; it’s about what you learn and do with that info afterward.

2. Pre-event sales plays are wildly underrated.

Most teams prep for follow-up.
Smart teams prep for show-up.
We map accounts, assign roles, build talk tracks.
Then let the reps warm the room before it starts.

3. Post-event follow-up usually dies by Tuesday.

We ghost leads faster than Tinder.
The fix? Build the follow-up funnel before the event even runs.
Complete with emails, content, and nudges tailored by account tier.

4. Badge scans ≠ pipeline. Influence ≠ impact.

You need new metrics.
Ones that show progression, not presence.

I’m walking through all of this (and more) that’s part therapy, part playbook.

We’ll break down:

➜ How to prove real impact to your CFO
➜ How to turn rented events into owned pipeline
➜ How to never again hear “cool event… what now?”

It’s happening Oct 25.
Live. No fluff. 60 minutes of the good stuff.

📅 October 25, 2025
🕓 11AM EDT | 4PM BST | 5PM CEST
🔗 Grab your seat: https://hubs.la/Q03MG9G80

And hey... if you can’t make it live?
Still register. We’ll send you the recording.

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The Battle

Will Aitken

Nick Bennett

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The Battle

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Nick Bennett

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