Here's how you can ace a B2B Marketing Strategy interview without making common mistakes.

The basics of B2B marketing include understanding the buyer's journey, identifying the target audience, creating buyer personas, and mastering the sales funnel stages. These fundamentals form the foundation of any successful marketing strategy, allowing for targeted outreach, nurturing leads, and driving conversions. Additionally, it's essential to grasp key metrics like Lifetime Value (LTV) and Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC). LTV measures the total revenue a customer generates over their relationship with your company, while CAC represents the cost of acquiring a new customer. Research these terms, along with conversion rates, churn rates, and ROI, to ensure data-driven decision-making and efficient resource allocation.

Yes, and more than your basics. here are my 3 steps I recommend to students, coachees, and candidates: 1) GenAI allows you to know everything about the B2B business you are applying for. Ask genAI a lot of precise questions and interpret the answers. Use great prompts for this. 2)Use @seeking alpha for the latest performance indicators. 3) Ask your network for insights and news. Whom do you know who knows someone in the B2B business?

Here are my next 3 steps I recommend to students, coachees, and candidates: 1) Use GenAI to draft a strategy for the B2B business you will meet. Disect it and ask genAI again for another version - until you would approve it. 2)Check websites of the competition - identify their SWOT. In B2B often the website itself is weak! 3) Prepare yourself for a whole day alone or with your network. You wonder, why a whole day? Because B2B is not very transparent and complex. You will need the time to understand their strategy, needs, and opportunities.

Research is the backbone, In-depth knowledge about the company, its industry, competitors, and customers can set you apart in an interview. Understanding the company's market position helps tailor strategies. Knowing the challenges they face allows you to propose innovative solutions. For instance, if you identify a gap in their SEO, you can suggest targeted content marketing. Similarly, understanding their competitors' social media tactics can help you craft a unique LinkedIn strategy. This not only enhances engagement but also boosts conversion rates. Ultimately, demonstrating this comprehensive research shows you're not just a marketer but a strategic partner. It’s about proving you can drive growth and solve real business problems.

Here are the next 3 steps I recommend to students, coachees, and candidates: 1) Behave like the CXO of this company: what would you see, hear, say, think, and do? 2) Use data and your personal intuition to prepare your answers. 3) Practice your pitch in front of a camera and watch your own video. The first one will be a little embarrassing, but the third one will be miles better!

If you have done it yourself before, you won't have a problem with this. However, be mindful of two traps I see often: 1) B2C marketers tend to look down at B2B tactical execution. Stay away from coming across as arrogant or "know-it-all" because B2B has not had 100 years of B2C marketing magic. 2) B2B marketing is changing fast so ensure you are the candidate to do it. B2B2C is the future and many B2B companies struggle with this. If you were in sales, ensure they understand you know how sales and marketing can work together.

Again the danger for a sound B2C marketer can be to come across as a high flyer of a multi-million dollar marketing budget: Avoid this boogey trap and ask for the budget. Usually, 0.5 to 5% are spent on marketing in B2B companies so do not start with a huge B2C campaign budget you previously managed.

Problem solving interviews ar always about thinking processes and not knowledge. So if presented with a case study and you're not sure how to tackle it, comminicate your thinking process without automatically approaching it with a textbook framework (that may or may not be relevant)

Absolutely, don’t underestimate the importance of soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and adaptability. These are essential for B2B marketing success. Effective communication ensures your strategies are understood and executed properly. Teamwork is crucial because you'll need to collaborate with sales, product development, and other departments to create cohesive campaigns. Adaptability allows you to pivot when market conditions change. Also, consider the value of empathy and active listening in understanding your client's needs and building strong relationships. Remember, the best strategies fail without the right people skills to implement them.