The top B2B marketing predictions for 2025
The worlds of marketing and sales are evolving faster than ever. As we step into 2025, aligning these two crucial functions isn’t just a goal – it’s a necessity. But let’s be clear: alignment is no longer enough. Sales and marketing teams need consistent collaboration and shared goals to work together effectively.
In this episode of Called to Action, Janet Mesh, CEO of Aimtal, joins Tucker Delaney-Winn, Growth Marketing Lead, and Dylan Rhudd, Integrated Marketing Strategist, to discuss the evolving trends shaping B2B marketing and sales.
From the resurgence of in-person events and the growing demand for authentic, community-focused connections to the power of personalized messaging and operational excellence, the team reflects on 2024 insights and shares actionable strategies for 2025. This episode also delves into aligning marketing and sales teams, emphasizing collaboration, and leveraging integrated approaches to drive meaningful results.
Let’s dive into the highlights and key takeaways.
From alignment to collaboration
"For 2025, it’s not just about alignment; it’s about collaboration," Janet emphasized. While alignment suggests teams are moving in the same direction, true collaboration requires actively working together to achieve shared goals. This principle applies not only to marketing and sales but also across all departments, as clear and intentional collaboration serves as the foundation for business success.
To foster collaboration, marketing and sales must:
- Share insights: Marketers need sales’ firsthand perspectives on customer pain points, while sales benefit from marketing’s data-driven understanding of audience behavior.
- Use a shared CRM: Platforms like HubSpot enable seamless information sharing, tracking, and eliminating silos. This consistency across departments prevents information from getting trapped in disparate tools or processes.
- Establish joint goals: Both teams should align around revenue as the ultimate metric, ensuring their efforts support overarching business objectives.
Kyle Lacy, CMO of Jellyfish, reinforced this, stating, "Collaboration should revolve around shared business objectives like revenue generation." When sales and marketing teams track different KPIs, frustration builds, and outcomes suffer. Neglecting collaborative processes can also negatively impact revenue and profit incomes, as highlighted by Gartner.
To avoid these pitfalls, Janet stressed the importance of shared, collective visibility: “Organizations need to lean into one unified tech stack, with all teams using the same tools for project management, knowledge sharing, and communication.” This ensures workflows are seamless and prevents inefficiencies that slow down progress. In 2025, prioritizing operations, people, and collaboration tactics will be key to driving success.
The resurgence of in-person events
Four years post-pandemic, after a wave of primarily virtual events, the desire for in-person connection is surging. As Tucker noted, face-to-face interactions foster connections that virtual meetings often lack. However, in-person and online experiences shouldn’t exist in silos. A hybrid approach is essential in order to keep the convenience of virtual events while appeasing the folks who want to take things offline.
Key strategies for 2025 include:
- Integrating touchpoints: Ensure pre-event, during-event, and post-event communications are cohesive and personalized.
- Embracing micro-events: Smaller, local gatherings allow for more meaningful connections.
- Lead with networking: Make sure your attendees are gaining value from each event. Marketing and sales professionals are seeking meaningful interactions that lean into learning, new connections, and shared purpose.
Dylan shared insights from McKinsey, revealing that 78% of consumers are more likely to engage with companies that offer personalized content—a trend that applies equally to events. Your messaging needs to resonate with your prospects and customers, and audiences can see right through a generic response or automated follow up.
The personalization paradox
While increasingly demand personalized interactions with brands, there’s a catch: they’re reluctant to share the data that enables it. This "personalization paradox," highlighted in the Qualtrics 2025 Global Consumer Trends Report, presents a challenge for marketers.
How can brands offer tailored experiences without extensive customer data? It starts with:
- Focusing on human connections: Engage authentically, both online and in person. For example, when hosting events, follow up with personalized emails that reference specific conversations or shared experiences.
- Timing communications effectively: Avoid automated messages that feel disconnected from the customer journey.
Cross-functional collaboration: Bridging the gap between teams
A recent report from Databox surveyed more than 170 companies about their sales and marketing alignment and compiled some helpful takeaways, including the importance of integrated CRM:
- Shared visibility: Both teams access the same data, ensuring consistency.
- Collaborative content creation: Marketing and sales work together on assets that resonate with prospects.
- Regular meetings: Weekly or biweekly check-ins foster communication and accountability.
Integration doesn’t stop with just marketing and sales teams either; the Gartner Leadership Vision for Chief Marketing Officers report emphasizes the need for clear roles, shared processes, and unified goals across all departments. Marketing leaders have a unique opportunity to champion cross-functional collaboration by:
- Driving strategic clarity: Help teams understand how their work contributes to broader business objectives.
- Streamlining operations: Eliminate inefficiencies caused by disconnected tools and processes.
As Janet aptly put it, "If you’re looking at a process and thinking, ‘That’s just how we’ve always done it,’ that’s your first sign to revisit and improve."
Your call to action for 2025
So, what’s next? Tucker, Dylan, and Janet shared their calls to action for marketers and sales leaders:
- Break down silos: Create shared spaces for collaboration, whether it’s through CRMs, regular meetings, or joint planning sessions.
- Invest in operations: Seamless handoffs and clear communication are vital.
- Embrace human connection: Talk to your colleagues, your customers, and your community. Whether at an in-person event or through a simple email, authentic engagement makes all the difference.
As you plan for 2025, remember this: collaboration isn’t just about technology or processes. It’s about people. Let’s make this the year we come together to drive meaningful results. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more actionable insights across all areas of B2B marketing.
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