Closing Time: quick insights from sales & marketing experts

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  Why isn't your CRO working? Emotional targeting is the missing piece, not button color -- with Talia Wolf 20.07.2026 20min

  Your landing page's button color isn't your conversion problem—your messaging is. Talia Wolf has spent over a decade helping high-growth B2B brands stop guessing at why CRO isn't working and start understanding the emotional psychology behind every buying decision. As the founder of GetUplift and author of the Emotional Targeting book, she's generated dramatic results for brands like Bitly, Amplitude, and Sprout Social—not by tweaking design, but by uncovering why customers actually buy. In this episode of Closing Time, Talia walks through her 3-step Emotional Targeting Framework: conducting research that reveals real customer pain points, auditing for emotional resonance, and building hypothesis-driven tests that improve touch points across email, ads, and sales conversations. Tune in to see how emotional psychology—not just design—becomes your real conversion strategy. Watch the episode on YouTube.   Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Explore Unbounce go-to-market solutions: https://unbounce.com/go-to-market-solutions/   Connect With:  • Talia Wolf: Talia's website // GetUplift // LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website
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  Quick wins for marketers ready to tap into AI video -- with Lemonlight's Hope Horner 15.06.2026 13min

  AI video is here, and it's already changing how marketers plan, produce, and scale content. Have you tapped into its potential yet? In this episode of Closing Time, Hope Horner, co-founder and CEO of Lemonlight, breaks down where AI video is creating real opportunities for marketers—and where human judgment still makes or breaks the final product. She explains how AI fits into the production process and shares use cases for teams looking for quick wins. For marketers today, AI is not a magic button that turns a prompt into a perfectly branded campaign-ready video. It is a faster path from idea to storyboard, from long-form content to social-ready clips, and from "too expensive to shoot" to finally possible. Hope explains what that looks like in practice, what still needs a human eye, and how marketers can start experimenting without handing over full creative control. Watch the episode on YouTube.   Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Explore Unbounce go-to-market solutions: https://unbounce.com/go-to-market-solutions/   Connect With:  • Hope Horner: Lemonlight // LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website
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  Why your outbound is missing the mark (it's not your reps, it's your strategy) -- with John Barrows 11.05.2026 30min

  Most reps skip straight to messaging. They write emails without knowing who they're targeting, when to reach out, or what the buyer actually cares about. Then they wonder why no one responds. The problem usually isn't the email itself. It's the lack of context behind it. That matters even more if you're using AI for outbound. The way you collect and organize CRM data determines whether AI becomes a force multiplier or a firehose for bad outreach. In this episode, John Barrows shares his Filling the Funnel framework, a five-step system for building a stronger outbound strategy from the ground up. It helps teams improve the CRM data that fuels productive outbound, including ICP, personas, trigger events, messaging, and contact strategy.   Watch the episode on YouTube. Download the outbound efficiency playbook for more advice from John Barrows and B2B sales experts: https://bit.ly/4v66X56    Start a free trial of Insightly CRM: https://www.insightly.com/14-day-trial/ Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw   Connect With:  • John Barrows: John's Website // LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website    
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  Are LinkedIn leads worth the cost? Rethinking your ad strategy to drive real pipeline -- with Philip Ilic 13.04.2026 15min

  If your LinkedIn leads are getting more expensive, the problem isn't always your budget—it's your ad strategy. In this episode of Closing Time, Val Riley sits down with B2B growth expert Philip Ilic to unpack one of the biggest questions facing marketers today: how to evaluate the true ROI of LinkedIn ads. Learn why cost per lead is often misleading, how top teams prioritize pipeline generation and lead quality, and what actually drives revenue from LinkedIn. Philip breaks down how to use LinkedIn as a content distribution engine, why thought leader ads outperform traditional formats, and how to connect paid, organic, and outbound to turn engagement into real pipeline.   Watch the episode on YouTube.   Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Explore Unbounce go-to-market solutions: https://unbounce.com/go-to-market-solutions/   Connect With:  • Philip Ilic: Kiin - LinkedIn ads agency // LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website
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  Implementing AI into your sales process? It only works when you have a playbook -- with Deepak Shukla 30.03.2026 18min

  Companies are rushing to adopt AI in their sales process, but very few are prepared for what it takes to implement it successfully. In this episode of Closing Time, Val Riley sits down with Deepak Shukla, Founder of LemStudio and AI automation expert, to talk about what actually needs to happen before you start implementing AI. They get into how teams are using AI today—handling inbound lead qualification, drafting emails, booking meetings, and prepping for calls—and why those use cases often fall short without a documented playbooks (rules, workflows, and edge cases) that train your LLM.   Deepak shares his process for rolling out and monitoring AI implementation, where automation is delivering real value, and where AI still needs a human in the loop. If you're thinking about introducing AI into your sales workflow, this episode will give you a grounded look at what works, what doesn't, and how to approach it confidently. Watch the episode on YouTube.   Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw   Connect With:  • Deepak Shukla: // LemStudio // Website // LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website 
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  The three stages of founder-led sales and the path to scaling your startup -- with Lou Shipley 16.03.2026 16min

  Founder-led sales is one of the most important skills a startup founder can develop. Before you hire sales reps, build a revenue team, or create a formal sales process, founders are usually the ones closing the first deals and learning what customers actually want. In this episode of Closing Time, Val Riley sits down with entrepreneur and Harvard Business School sales lecturer Lou Shipley, author of Unlikely Entrepreneurs, to break down the three stages of founder-led sales and how founders can transition from personally winning early customers to building a scalable sales organization. You'll learn why founders should close their first 15–20 customers, how to avoid common mistakes when hiring your first salesperson, and what changes when your startup begins scaling a sales team.   Watch the episode on YouTube.   Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw   Connect With:  • Lou Shipley: Lou's Unlikely Entrepreneur book // LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website 
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  The B2B landing page strategy every paid media team needs -- with Tas Bober 26.02.2026 17min

  If your CPL is climbing, the fix probably isn't more budget or more campaigns—it's better destination pages.  In this episode, you'll learn the B2B landing page strategy every paid media team needs to turn clicks into qualified pipeline instead of wasted traffic. Val Riley sits down with B2B landing page expert Tas Bober, Founder of The Scroll Lab, to break down her "Core Four" framework designed to support how modern B2B buyers actually make decisions. Discover why buyers rarely convert in a single step, how sending paid traffic to a homepage kills momentum, and why managing dozens of hyper-specific landing pages drains resources without improving results. Tas explains how to earn the conversion with clarity and credibility first, then guide buyers toward the right next step—whether that's exploring use cases, evaluating comparisons, reviewing pricing, or booking a demo. Watch the episode on YouTube. Download Tas' Core Four toolkit: https://bit.ly/4s6UfRo Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw   Connect With:  • Tas Bober: LinkedIn // The Scroll Lab • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website
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  The agency growth blueprint: Found Search Marketing's high-velocity landing page strategy 16.02.2026 15min

  Scaling a digital agency isn't just about winning more clients. It's about building systems that help existing clients perform better—faster, more consistently, and without constant friction. That's the approach Found Search Marketing has taken as it's grown into a fast-moving agency managing hundreds of landing pages and significant media spend across competitive industries like higher education and healthcare. At the center of that system is Unbounce. In this Customer Spotlight episode of Closing Time, Caroline Stoner, Director of User Experience at Found Search Marketing, shares the agency growth blueprint her team uses to scale impact through a high-velocity landing page strategy, experimentation at scale, and conversion rate optimization (CRO) that drives real performance gains. Caroline breaks down how Found Search Marketing operationalizes A/B testing across hundreds of landing pages, supports complex qualification flows without slowing conversions, and removes development bottlenecks so teams can move faster and deliver better results for clients.   Watch the episode on YouTube.   Try Unbounce for free (no credit card required): https://bit.ly/46dwxej   Connect With:  • Found Search Marketing: LinkedIn // Website • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website 
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  Thinking about a career change into sales? Expert advice for reinvention in 2026 -- with Katia Vlachos 19.01.2026 17min

  Is 2026 your year for a career change into sales? And what if that next chapter offers more flexibility, income potential, and ownership over your future? In this episode of Closing Time, we explore why sales is emerging as a powerful option for career reinvention—especially for women considering a midlife career change or looking for a more autonomous, growth-oriented path. Val is joined by reinvention coach Katia Vlachos, author of Uncaged, to unpack what really drives a career pivot, the benefits of changing direction, and the internal barriers—like fear, identity, and confidence—that often hold people back. Watch the episode on YouTube.   Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Explore Unbounce go-to-market solutions: https://unbounce.com/go-to-market-solutions/   Connect With:  • Katia Vlachos: Website // LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website 
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  Paid media strategy 2026: Surviving rising CPCs and budget shifts in SaaS -- with Jonathan Bland 12.01.2026 20min

  Rising ad costs and tighter performance expectations are forcing SaaS marketers to rethink their paid media strategy in 2026. On this episode of Closing Time, Jonathan Bland, paid media strategist and co-founder of Omni Lab, breaks down the paid media trends shaping the year ahead—from rising CPCs and shifting Google Ads economics to what's actually working on LinkedIn ads for SaaS. Covering seasonal pricing dynamics, creative formats like thought leader ads, and when it makes sense to rethink channel mix altogether, this conversation offers practical guidance to help digital marketing leaders plan for 2026 with confidence. Watch the episode on YouTube.   Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Explore Unbounce go-to-market solutions: https://unbounce.com/go-to-market-solutions/   Connect With:  • Jonathan Bland: omni lab Consulting // LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website 
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  Master your brand storytelling in 2026: Proven frameworks, real examples, and the role of AI -- with Park Howell 05.01.2026 20min

  Brand storytelling is becoming one of the most critical growth levers for B2B marketers—and in 2026, it's being reshaped by AI. In this episode of Closing Time, we're joined by brand storytelling expert and author Park Howell to break down what brand storytelling really is, why it matters more than ever, and how B2B marketing leaders can use proven frameworks to stand out in an increasingly automated world. Park introduces his simple but powerful ABT (And, But, Therefore) framework, explains how storytelling builds trust and emotional connection, and shows how it can be applied across landing pages, messaging, and go-to-market strategy. We also explore how AI is influencing brand storytelling in 2026—what it can accelerate, where marketers need to stay human, and why understanding storytelling fundamentals is essential before handing the work to AI. Watch the episode on YouTube.   Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Explore Unbounce go-to-market solutions: https://unbounce.com/go-to-market-solutions/   Connect With:  • Park Howell: StoryCycle Genie // LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website 
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  Sales and marketing misalignment: How RevOps and culture can help fix it -- part 2 with Jeff Davis 15.12.2025 23min

  Sales and marketing misalignment is one of the biggest (and most expensive) problems facing modern go-to-market teams. It slows down deals, creates internal friction, and leads to inevitable revenue loss. In this episode of Closing Time, we are joined for a second time by the author of Create Togetherness, Jeff Davis, so he can finish sharing the final two of his five big ideas around sales and marketing alignment: why RevOps is responsible for creating one source of truth and how culture is the foundation for sustainable alignment. Jeff breaks down what has changed in the modern buying landscape—and why GTM teams can no longer afford to operate in silos. If you're navigating misalignment, struggling to scale your revenue engine, or looking to strengthen sales and marketing collaboration, this episode is for you. Watch the episode on YouTube.   Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Explore Unbounce go-to-market solutions: https://unbounce.com/go-to-market-solutions/   Connect With:  • Jeff Davis: Create Togetherness // LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website 
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  Three brands, three GTM motions, one playbook: Inside Unbounce's multi-brand paid media strategy -- with Unbounce's Alexa Tsongranis 08.12.2025 18min

  Running a paid media strategy for one brand is tough. Running it for three—with entirely different go-to-market motions—is a whole new level of complexity. In this special internal spotlight episode of Closing Time, Val Riley sits down with Unbounce's Senior Manager of Digital Marketing, Alexa Tsongranis, to unpack how her team of one built a unified playbook for scaling paid media across Unbounce, Insightly, and LeadsRx. From shared infrastructure and flexible frameworks to unified measurement and data-driven decision-making, Alexa shares how operational clarity and focus help her run three distinct paid programs—without reinventing the wheel each time. Watch the episode on YouTube.   Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Explore Unbounce go-to-market solutions: https://unbounce.com/go-to-market-solutions/   Connect With:  • Alexa Tsongranis: LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website 
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  The 4 levers of B2B sales negotiation that protect margin and build trust -- with Todd Caponi 01.12.2025 22min

  B2B sales negotiation doesn't have to feel like a high-pressure personality shift the moment a customer says "yes." Too often, sellers tense up, change their tone, and fall back into outdated tactics—but today's guest on Closing Time says there's a better way. In his new book Four Levers Negotiating, sales leader and speaker Todd Caponi shares his practical framework that transforms the negotiation phase into a natural extension of the sales process. Todd shares immediately actionable negotiation strategies that protect margin while strengthening long-term customer relationships. If you've ever wished negotiation felt more like value-based selling and less like a tug-of-war, this episode will change how you prep, present, and close—on every deal, big or small. Watch the episode on YouTube.   Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw   Connect With:  • Todd Caponi: Todd's Four Levers Negotiation book // LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website 
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  How to launch a high-impact B2B field marketing strategy without blowing your 2026 budget -- with Jonathan Kazarian 17.11.2025 18min

  Events are back and bigger than ever. Whether you're new to events or scaling an existing program, this episode is packed with tips to launch or improve your field marketing strategy in 2026. Accelevents CEO Jon Kazarian joins Closing Time to share a practical, modern take on B2B event marketing, including why micro-events and intimate dinners are outperforming saturated digital channels. You'll learn how to test your first event, partner with other brands, and build engaging sidecar events that fuel long-term pipeline—not just quick leads. Jon also breaks down real cost-per-head benchmarks, show rates, and the tactics top B2B teams use to create memorable, connection-driven experiences. Watch the episode on YouTube.   Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw   Connect With:  • Jonathan Kazarian: Accelevent's website // LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website 
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  The ecommerce holiday marketing strategy to drive more sales in Q4 -- with Webistry's Jonathan Naccache 10.11.2025 21min

  A strong holiday marketing strategy can make or break your Q4. November and December drive over $1 trillion in ecommerce spending, with conversions spiking up to six times higher during the Cyber Five. But with ad costs rising and competition at an all-time high, marketers need to move fast and optimize smarter. In this episode of Closing Time, Val chats with Jonathan Naccache, Co-founder and President of Webistry, a performance marketing agency that helps brands win on Meta. Jonathan shares how to design high-performing holiday campaigns—from choosing the right mix of static and video ads, to building mobile-first landing pages, to structuring campaigns that scale throughout Q4. Watch the episode on YouTube.   Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw   Connect With:  • Jonathan Naccache: Webistry's website // LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website 
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  CRM implementation best practices that drive sales efficiency and maximize ROI -- with CRM consultant Vanessa Hunt 03.11.2025 22min

  Getting CRM implementation right is one of the biggest levers for improving sales performance and efficiency. Yet many teams struggle to select the right system and see a fast return on investment. In this episode of Closing Time, CRM consultant Vanessa Hunt shares proven CRM implementation best practices that help companies boost ROI, improve CRM adoption, and reduce the total cost of ownership. She also breaks down the latest CRM trends shaping 2025 and 2026—from smarter integrations to the growing role of AI in CRM—and explains how sales leaders can future-proof their tech stack for the years ahead. Watch the episode on YouTube.   Start a free trial of Insightly CRM: https://www.insightly.com/14-day-trial/ Download the CRM research report: https://www.insightly.com/right-sizing-your-crm-report/ Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw   Connect With:  • Vanessa Hunt: Vanessa's Website // LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website   
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  Sales and marketing alignment: What it really takes to operationalize it -- part 1 with Jeff Davis 27.10.2025 20min

  Sales and marketing alignment is one of the most persistent challenges for go-to-market leaders. While most teams say they're aligned, the reality often looks different—with missed opportunities, broken handoffs, and a lack of shared accountability. In this episode of Closing Time, Val sits down with Jeff Davis, author of Create Togetherness, to unpack the first three big ideas about sales and marketing alignment: building it as an operating system, fixing the business design flaws that discourage collaboration, and understanding the "misalignment tax" that silently erodes revenue. Jeff shares how leaders can move beyond quick fixes and start designing alignment into the DNA of their go-to-market strategy. Watch the episode on YouTube.   Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw   Connect With:  • Jeff Davis: Create Togetherness // LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website 
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  How to boost Google ads ROI with landing page message match -- with Barry Buckman 20.10.2025 19min

  You've built a great ad campaign—but if your landing page doesn't match your ad message, you're losing conversions before they even start. In this episode of Closing Time, Barry Buckman joins us to explore how landing page message match—the alignment between your ad copy and landing page content—can dramatically boost conversion rates. A long-time Unbounce power user, Barry helps digital marketers adapt to Google's latest ad policy update and shares the importance of A/B testing every ad-landing page for optimal ROI. Plus, he'll unpack the challenges of training new digital marketers and how his SEMulator tool helps them practice real-world tactics without burning ad dollars. Watch the episode on YouTube.   Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw   Connect With:  • Barry Buckman: SEMulator // LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website 
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  Lead handoff mistakes that are leaking revenue (and how to plug them) -- with Adam Lundquist 13.10.2025 15min

  You've done a great job getting landing page visitors to convert—but what happens after the form fill? The lead hand-off between marketing and sales is often where revenue leaks begin.  In this episode of Closing Time, Val Riley sits down with Adam Lundquist, founder of Nerds Do It Better, to share practical strategies for improving your post-conversion flow, optimizing your connection rate, and turning more leads into closed-won deals. Whether you're in marketing, sales, or RevOps, you'll learn how to plug funnel leaks, automate faster follow-ups, and create a smoother lead hand-off process that drives measurable growth. Watch the episode on YouTube.   Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw   Connect With:  • Adam Lundquist: Nerds Do It Better website // LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn  • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website