Master B2B Friday 15

This week, Master B2B's Andy Hoar is joined by Master B2B contributor Jared Blank to talk through Andy's new Paradigm B2B eCombine tool that helps practitioners select the best eCommerce platforms to investigate for their business. Plus, why are so many businesses giving up being a public company and going private nowadays? Check out the eCombine here.

Author and executive Dr. Lisa Palmer shares learnings from her new book, "Show AI - Don't Tell It: Build Buy-In with Visual Storytelling." In her research she found that there are 3 key reasons why executives get "stuck" when considering their AI strategy, and she offers a framework for how to get "un-stuck" and unlock AI's potential within your company. Dr Lisa's Advisory Firm Buy Dr. Lisa's book

The stock market has punished the shares of research firms Gartner and Forrester because of the possible impact of AI on their revenues. But it's not so clear that AI can replace everything research analysts do. Former analyst Andy Hoar walks through what analysts actually do in their roles, and which parts of their jobs will be - and won't be - impacted by AI.

Brands have failed to rein in unauthorized distributors who re-sell their products on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. Is there nothing they can do to protect themselves? We speak with attorney Jon Groza from the firm KJK about how manufacturers and brands can maintain control of where their product is sold. More about Jon Groza Master B2B Forum Master B2B Nexus

This week Brian Beck attended the Amazon Accelerate seller conference and came back to share the key themes that he took away from the event: 1) AI AI AI (and also AI) 2) Fulfillment is now a strategic pillar for the company 3) Will they commercialize their analytics capabilities? 4) 1p vs 3p is now a war

This week, Andy & Brian look at whether there is a future in so-called "composable commerce" or if both tech providers and buyers need to adapt. Should retailers be in the business of building tech? And do tech providers need to re-think their approach and offer solutions that offer a mix of pre-built modules and flexibility? Or is this all the wrong way of thinking about it?

This week, Andy & Brian look at whether the current trend of flattening organizations will actually be good for businesses. They discuss concerns that managers will find it impossible to oversee a team of 15 on their own, and what happens when junior employees are not able to spend sufficient time with their managers. Who will do the development? (Obviously it'll be ChatGPT.)

This week, Andy and Brian talk through a recent MIT report that found 95% of AI projects fail. They discuss the barriers to success - specifically that the challenges aren't technical, they're strategic and cultural. And they walk through the 3 "un's" - these projects are often undefined, unfocused and unmeasured. Finally, they discuss the best practices they've learned working on their own AI initiatives.

Andy & Brian speak with American Eagle's Tim Ahlenius about how systems integrators are adapting to the new world of AI. They discuss the need for systems thinking - understanding how different systems fit together and how changing one piece affects the whole - and how AI can help speed up parts of implementation projects, while requiring a different set of skills to ensure success. American Eagle

This week, Andy & Brian speak with former Grainger, Caterpillar, and Rexel executive John Pehler about how he has transitioned from being a full-time Chief Digital Officer in B2B companies to building a series of part-time gigs into a career.

This week on the Friday 15, Andy & Brian talk about the changing structure of the workforce and how gig roles will become increasingly prominent in B2B eCommerce, and how people will change their approach to working and build careers where they’re doing multiple jobs on a gig basis. Then they share how they’re embracing this change in their own careers. Notes: Master B2B Nexus Master B2B Forum The WSJ article about CEOs cutting jobs.

This week on the podcast, Andy & Brian speak with Ed Fenton, the Vice President of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation at wholesale distributor Graybar, about what it’s like for senior executives to search for a job in the age of AI. Ed talks through six key lessons he learned from his own six month job search.

Andy and Brian walk through the results of Andy's Paradigm B2B Combine reports on eCommerce platforms, and they discuss strategies for preparing for a platform selection. Download the Midmarket Report Download the Enterprise Report

Key takeaways from this week's episode: Home Depot continues expanding into B2B, leveraging its digital strengths and logistics infrastructure. B2B eCommerce teams are significantly smaller than their B2C counterparts, often due to legacy thinking. 88% of the Master B2B community believes B2B eCommerce teams are too small. Many B2B companies lack foundational digital roles like merchandisers or CMOs. Understaffing can lead to lost revenue, poor customer experience, and missed market opportunities. B2B companies must rethink how they structure and resource eCommerce teams to compete in today’s digital-first world.

One of the big questions of the moment in AI is whether we are experiencing a REvolution or an Evolution when it comes to whether new technologies will enhance the decisions eCommerce practitioners make in their day-to-day roles, or whether it will soon take over many of the decisions practitioners make. Join Andy Hoar, Brian Beck, and HCL's Brian Gillespie as they try to bust the myth that AI be making all of our decisions for us. The Mythbuster discusses: – Can Agentic AI agents build dynamic experiences on the fly based on multiple factors (e.g., weather, inventory demand, etc.) for buyers? – Will all the elements of experience design be automated? – Have we reached the end of complex, cumbersome pricing rules because pricing will be dynamic? – Are we getting to a point where AI understands the context of human relationships? Check out all the Master B2B events at MasterB2B.com.

When we surveyed B2B practitioners, we learned that they have chosen not to invest in mobile, even though their B2C counterparts have long ago made the shift to focus on mobile. We heard that 34% of B2B companies have less than 5% of their sales on mobile, while 18% don’t even track mobile sales. In this podcast, Andy and Brian talk about some of the reasons why mobile is on the back burner, and why this is a huge missed opportunity for most companies. Learn more about our upcoming events and the practitioner Forum at MasterB2B.com

In B2B eCommerce practitioners are all asking the same question: how do I get my products to show up in search results when people are searching on an AI tool like ChatGPT or Perplexity? The answer, it seems, is to create authority around your listings, and in this podcast Andy Hoar and Brian Beck discuss exactly how to do that.

Andy and Brian dig into the new (and mysterious) world of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and what that means for how B2B eCommerce companies that are looking to drive traffic to their websites (which is, of course, all of them). How will it replace their SEO efforts (if at all?) They share 5 emerging GEO best practices: - AI answers reduce clicks (AI provides the answer up front) - Semantic relevance rules: focus on topics, not just keywords. - Expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness (EAT) now more important than anything else - Structured, scannable content wins - Visibility is more important than ranking: Success now includes being mentioned in AI outputs, not just appearing in top search results. For more Master B2B resources and events, visit http://www.masterb2b.com And for practitioners, we offer the Master B2B Forum, a free community exclusively for B2B eCommerce practitioners. Learn more at http://www.masterb2b.com/forum

Andy & Brian offer six criteria for how B2B eCommerce practitioners should select a system integrator when they are embarking on a commerce technology project. The Friday 15 is presented by Master B2B Nexus, your personal B2B digital lifeline.. Visit us at http://www.masterb2b.com/nexus

This week - Andy and Brian debate whether someone looking to implement a new eCommerce platform should choose their system integrator first, or whether they should select their technology first. And whether that's the right question to be asking at all... Visit us at masterb2b.com to see all our upcoming events and to join our Forum.

Andy & Brian talk through their key takeaways from the dozen executive roundtables they held with B2B eCommerce practitioners across the country.

Andy and Brian recap the key themes from B2B Online in Chicago, including what it means when younger executives take over senior roles in a company, and how practitioners are talking about tariffs. Learn more about Master B2B, the online forum and NEXUS at MasterB2B.com.

Andy and Brian recap their on-stage debate from B2B Online where they wrestled with whether private equity is ultimate good or bad for B2B companies. Is it true that PE firms never invest for the long-term? Is it true that your career is at risk if your company is bought by a PE firm? Are there benefits to having a PE owner? Visit our website to learn more about Master B2B.

Andy & Brian talk about whether B2B companies are correct when they say that they view Amazon as a foe. Brian makes the case that Amazon will only continue to steal market share in B2B, and the best way to understand what they're doing is to be on the site selling yourself. See all the Master B2B events and see how to join the online Forum at MasterB2B.com.

This week - Andy and Brian walk through the results of a survey they conducted at the Master B2B Summit where they asked B2B eCommerce executives where they'll be investing next...they're surprised at what answers were missing.

A special for Friday 15 subscribers: Master B2B's Andy Hoar speaks with VTEX founder and co-CEO Mariano Gomide about the company's decision to leave the MACH Alliance, and how he sees the eCommerce software industry changing in the coming years. This is a really interesting conversation about the future of the eCommerce platform ecosystem, how systems integrators fit into it, and whether the forces that control the industry can ever change.

This week on the Friday 15, Andy and Brian speak with Trent Guyer, the VP of Marketing and Digital at Grasshopper Mowers, a family-owned manufacturer of mowers, about how to build a successful career at a family-owned business. Learn more about Master B2B at masterb2b.com.

This week on the podcast - Andy and Brian look at how B2B eCommerce companies are thinking about investing in new hires in the coming year, and the challenges they may face when looking to bring on new talent.

This week - Andy and Brian dig into a thought-provoking article (link below) asking whether organizations should even have an AI strategy and the reasons why it may be better if they don't. Mentioned in the podcast: Rushing into an AI Strategy? The Master B2B Nexus Program

Master B2B held its 3rd annual Mindshare Summit in Chicago recently, and Andy & Brian went over some of the key takeaways from the event including these 4 focus areas: Building a digital organization Successful digital business models Data, analytics & data cleanliness (Of course) AI Stay up to date on all Master B2B events at http://www.masterb2b.com

We're all recovering from the Master B2B Mindshare Summit this week, so in lieu of a new Friday 15 episode we're bringing you a recent Fireside Chat that Brian Beck conducted with Jeff Reichert, Kimball Midwest's Director of eCommerce & Digital Marketing, and Eli Cooley, President of Industrial Data Associates, about how manufacturers and distributors can approach fixing their dirty product data.

This week on the podcast, Andy & Brian look at site search, and how today's site search solutions meet the needs of B2B eCommerce practitioners. Plus, Andy shares some takeaways from the Site Search Combine he conducted, where he looked at the strengths and weaknesses of site search vendors. For more info on the Combine (and to get a copy of the report), visit ParadigmB2B.com.

When you measure the cost to acquire a customer, should you use narrow measures that only include the direct costs associated with getting a new customer, or should you go broad and include every cost used in your sales and marketing? In B2B, the customer journey is extremely complex so we'd expect that measuring the cost to acquire a customer to be equally complex. This week, Andy & Brian talk about the challenges of getting CAC measured correctly in B2B. Be sure to rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. For upcoming events and to sign up for the Master B2B Forum, visit us at MasterB2B.com.

This week on the podcast, Andy & Brian talk about whether companies should think about their digital transformation as a project (that has a beginning or an end) or a program (which is an ongoing strategy for running the business). They talk through the main reasons for failure, and how companies can change how they approach digital transformation (hint: for every operational person, you'll need 1 HR person...), plus more ideas for creating successful digital transformation strategies. For upcoming Master B2B events, visit us at MasterB2B.com.

This week on the podcast, Andy & Brian talk through who should sit on the buying committee when the eCommerce team is considering making a new technology purchase. When we asked our community what they thought, we heard many people say that "everyone" should be on it (which feels like a cop-out) or that the most important member was the operations team. But Andy & Brian share why they think finance and sales are underrepresented, and what problems are caused when they're not invited to the table. Check out the upcoming Master B2B events on our website.

Andy and Brian wrap up Metrics Month with a look at Customer Lifetime Value, and whether it's the best measure of eCommerce success. Spoiler alert: there is no one best measure of eCommerce success. But there are several best measures, and in this episode they share which ones.

This week on the Friday 15... Andy and Brian speak with Deidre Peters, Head of Digital eCommerce at Boston Scientific about how they measure the impact of eCommerce on their entire business. She shares insights in the metrics they look at, and how they were able to tell the full eCommerce story to senior leadership.

This week on the Friday 15, Andy & Brian dig into why so many companies rely on digital penetration to measure whether their online initiatives are successful. Plus, they share ideas from practitioners about why digital penetration doesn't reflect the value of the online business, and other ways they measure whether their digital business is carrying its weight. Learn more about Master B2B at masterb2b.com.

In our first Friday 15 of the new year, we talk about everyone's favorite beginning-of-the-year topic: budgeting! Specifically, how do you work with your CFO to get the budget you need. The CFO's job isn't to tell you "no" - their job is (in part) to manage how cash is spent. As a digital executive, your job starts with understanding how your CFO thinks about the world. Andy & Brian share ideas about how to build better rapport with your CFO so you can grow your side of the business.

We're sharing the recent Webcast we hosted offering our B2B eCommerce predictions for the coming year. Plus, we brought some special guests along to help us predict the future of hiring, analytics, CS, and much more! Download a copy of the 2025 B2B eCommerce Predictions Report here.

We've surveyed B2B practitioners about their priorities for next year, and we wanted to share the results with you... It's our last Friday 15 podcast of the year, and we can't wait to share more episodes with you in January. Check out our upcoming events: http://www.masterb2b.com

This week on the Friday 15, Andy & Brian discuss whether workers are afraid to be honest about their AI usage at work. We've heard senior team members talk openly about how they're using AI to be more efficient, but are junior employees perceived as lazy if they use these new tools?

The Friday 15 crew is off for Thanksgiving, but we wanted to share our recent Un-Webinar where we discussed who should own Gen AI in the business? In this Un-Webinar, Master B2B’s Andy Hoar & Brian Beck will debate whether ownership of this new technology belongs with the IT and Tech group or whether it should reside inside the business units. We’ll hear hard-hitting debates about these questions: If Generative AI is just a new technology, why wouldn’t ownership of it live with all other technologies? If Gen AI is just an enabler, why wouldn’t it live with other tools like CRM, which typically are managed by business units? Is Gen AI still too risky to live anywhere other than the IT group, which is tasked with being up-to-date on technology risks? Does it really depend on how Gen AI is being used within the organization? Aren’t there some use cases where IT would be the best steward and others where the business would be the best place for ownership?

Andy and Brian attended the B2B Online event in Orlando, and they'll catch you up on all the key themes they heard during the event. They'll touch on AI, also on AI, and maybe even AI. But also tips on how to convince the CFO to invest in digital.

This week on the Friday 15, Andy & Brian talk about the advantages and disadvantages of B2B organizations taking a cost-centered approach to investment. While there are certainly benefits of focusing on cost (risk reduction, for example), when we polled our community 83% said that a cost-focused approach negatively impacted competitiveness. How should companies balance the need for running a predictable business with the need to continue to invest in innovation?

With all the changes in how marketers track their digital marketing spend, we wanted to know how B2B marketers are dealing with this issue. In this episode, we speak with Dan Stepchew, the Digital Marketing Director at Zest Dental Solutions, about how he's shifting his digital spend and how he's changed how he tracks the efficacy of his campaigns.

This week on the Friday 15 podcast, Andy & Brian talk about how much channel conflict fears should impact your distribution strategy (in short, it shouldn't.) They dig into 7 ways to sell direct while managing the conflicts: - MAP and sales channel agreements - Public vs private pricing (pricing exposed behind logins or inside custom catalogs) - Assortment variations by channel - Being mindful of who is selling - Taking control in marketplace channels - Provide digital assets and analytics to channel partners - Channel monitoring and enforcement.

This week on the Friday 15 podcast... Andy & Brian discuss whether Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the holiday season more broadly drive sales in B2B. Andy shares how the season is like the Super Bowl where even if your television network isn't showing the Super Bowl, it's going to impact you in one way or another. That said, we hear from one practitioner who says that they've tried holiday promotions to no avail.

This week on the Friday 15, Andy & Brian talk about the marketing challenge B2B companies have with attracting younger workers, and some of the strategies that have worked. “The issue is a messaging problem, it’s not a reality problem. B2B offers many of the things that Gen Z is looking for - B2C talks about it, but B2B actually offers what this generation wants.” They discuss how companies have tried advertising with NASCAR, building relationships with local colleges, winning "best place to work" awards and more...

On the Friday 15 Podcast, Andy & Brian talk about the challenges B2B companies have hiring junior staff out of college. Are B2B companies able to offer the opportunities that Gen Z'ers want? And if so, why don't members of Gen Z know that?