Every Saturday morning we share some of our favorite B2B sales and marketing posts from around the web last week (so it’s fresh!). We’ll miss a ton of great stuff, so if you found something you think is worth sharing please let us know.
Soak up one of the last lazy weekends of summer with a few standout reads for CMOs—covering common pitfalls, deal pauses, brand in the age of AI, and a little Ann Handley wisdom to top it off.
6 of the Biggest Marketing Pitfalls for CMOs – and How to Course-Correct by James Pintsak at DemandGen Report
This piece is worth a read if you’ve ever felt your team is spinning its wheels. It calls out six traps CMOs often fall into—like chasing too many priorities, working in silos, or waiting for “perfect” before launching—and offers simple fixes. The takeaway: focus on a few clear goals, test and learn quickly, and lean on fresh perspectives to keep marketing moving with impact.
Why the Last Year Has Been the Biggest Challenge for CMOs by Greg Jarboe
This read lays out how recent turbulence like shifts in consumer habits, relentless tech change, budget pressure, and a hyper‑competitive digital landscape has made being a CMO suddenly feel like steering through a perfect storm.
Mastering the Silent B2B Deal Pause by Carla A. Fleming
This one dives into a silent reality every CMO faces: nearly 40% of B2B deals stall. About 60% of lost deals aren’t because you were outmatched, but because the buyer simply decided not to decide. The article gives you a smart game plan to treat those “hibernating” deals not as failures, but as signals worth reengaging.
CMOs Must Protect Their Brand in an AI-First World by Jessica Apotheker
This one’s a reality check: in an AI-driven landscape, your brand’s distinct voice is more fragile than ever, with AI enabling copycats to flood the market effortlessly. The playbook? Lean into the things only humans can do—creativity, values-driven messaging—and back it up with sharpened insights so you don’t get lost in the noise. It’s about leading with brand intent, not letting AI erode who you are.
When to Use AI: Lessons From My Fave Library by Ann Handley
Ann says it best in this charming library tale that shows how AI and human creativity aren’t adversaries but teammates. She reminds us: let AI speed up the tedious stuff, but lean on your uniquely human flair to truly connect. It’s a light-hearted nudge that the secret sauce still lives in our own authentic voices, even in an AI world.
Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for reading! If you have B2B news sources you rely on we’d love to hear about them. Please share them with us.
The post B2B Reads: CMO Challenges, Stalled Deals, Course Corrections and the Humanness of AI appeared first on Heinz Marketing.
