Your marketing efforts may be strong, but are you using your sales team to take them to the next level? Many industrial marketers overlook sales as a powerful extension of marketing. In this episode, we show you exactly how to build relationships with your sales team to amplify your marketing efforts.

In this episode, Wendy talks with, Luke Wittenbraker, Sales and Marketing Director at Mactech, about how building strong relationships with your sales team can significantly amplify your marketing efforts.

Luke’s career spans both disciplines, giving him a unique perspective on bridging the gap. One of his biggest insights? Marketers need to understand what truly motivates salespeople. While marketing teams often focus on content and campaigns, sales teams are driven by outcomes like revenue and incentives. When marketers frame opportunities in terms of potential earnings or pipeline impact, they immediately capture attention.

Luke emphasizes the importance of getting in the trenches with sales he advises marketers to attend trade shows, join conversations, and understand their day-to-day challenges. Just like marketers seek to understand customer pain points, they must also invest time in understanding their internal sales audience.

One standout example from Mactech is a simple LinkedIn engagement initiative. By encouraging sales reps to like, comment, and post content, Luke saw not only increased participation, but lasting behavior change. One team member even took ownership of posting regularly, extending the company’s reach organically.

Resources

• Connect with Luke on LinkedIn
• Connect with Wendy on LinkedIn
• Purchase the Industrial Marketing Digital Pass
• Register for the 2026 State of Marketing to Engineers Webinar
• Related Episode: Sales vs. Marketing

Missed the Industrial Marketing Summit? Wendy and Lee recap the biggest takeaways and behind-the-scenes moments from the event and even tease a few plans already in motion for 2027. Tune in to hear what industrial marketers can’t stop talking about this week.

In this episode, Wendy Covey and Lee Chapman debrief the recent Industrial Marketing Summit, sharing behind-the-scenes insights, key takeaways, and innovative strategies discussed at the event.

One of the most notable changes since last year’s summit was the dramatic increase in AI adoption among industrial marketers. While only about 10% of attendees reported using generative AI in their daily work the previous year, roughly 80% raised their hands when asked the same question this year. The discussion extended beyond experimentation to practical implementation, including custom GPTs, AI agents, and workflow automation.

Another major takeaway came from keynote speaker Rand Fishkin, who highlighted how buyer behavior is evolving in the era of generative search. Website sessions may be declining, but revenue continues to rise suggesting that traditional attribution models are becoming less reliable. Instead of focusing solely on traffic metrics, marketers should prioritize high-quality engagement and conversions from more informed buyers.

The Industrial Marketing Summit is already gearing up for its 2027 event, which Wendy and Lee said will be returning to Austin, Texas in late February. After another successful year, the team will review attendee survey feedback to refine the program and continue growing the conference experience. Planning will ramp up in the spring, with calls for presenters and sponsors expected around June. A notable addition for 2027 will be the introduction of the Industrial Marketing Summit Awards, designed to recognize standout work and innovation in industrial marketing. As the conference enters its fourth year, the goal is to build on its momentum while continuing to deliver a highly relevant, community-driven event.

Resources

• Connect with Lee on LinkedIn
• Connect with Wendy on LinkedIn
• Purchase the Industrial Marketing Digital Pass
• Register for the 2026 State of Marketing to Engineers Webinar

Chatbot technology has evolved dramatically in just the past few years. Powered by today’s large language models, what was once a clunky, frustrating tool is now transforming industrial websites into dynamic, conversational buying experiences while also giving marketers unprecedented visibility into what their buyers truly want to know.

In this episode, Wendy Covey sits down with John Greely, VP of Marketing at Navu, to explore a pressing question facing B2B marketers today: What is your website for anymore? For years, industrial and B2B websites followed a predictable formula. Drive traffic through SEO and campaigns, guide visitors through structured navigation, capture a form fill, and nurture from there. But as John explains, that formula is breaking down. Buyer behavior has shifted dramatically. Prospects are increasingly turning to AI tools and large language models for answers, often getting the information they need without ever clicking through to a website.

This shift forces marketers to rethink the role of their website. In industries where purchases involve significant investment and technical detail like infrastructure, manufacturing, or engineered products, buyers need fast, specific answers. Traditional navigation and even older chatbots often create friction rather than clarity.

John shares how modern AI-powered chat tools are transforming website experiences by making content conversational rather than purely navigational. Instead of digging through PDFs or layered menus, this technology allows visitors to ask detailed questions and receive precise answers pulled directly from approved site content.

This not only improves user experience but also surfaces valuable insight for marketers. The questions buyers ask reveal content gaps, misunderstood messaging, and emerging needs.

Key Takeaways

• Buyers no longer rely on websites as the primary source of truth.
• Many get answers from AI tools before ever visiting.
• Modern buyers expect to ask specific questions and receive direct answers.
• Content Is only valuable if it’s accessible.
  
  

Resources

• Connect with John on LinkedIn
• Connect with Wendy on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Navu
  
  
• Register for the Industrial Marketing Summit