How Marketing Truly Drives Profitable Growth
Barbara Toens, Global CMO at Gantrex, brings her pricing PhD and global B2B experience to this in-depth discussion. She explains how marketing earns its C-Suite seat by ensuring every decision starts with deep customer understanding. Barbara shares best practices for VOC calls, cross-functional alignment, and transforming marketing from a cost center to a growth engine.
How Marketing Truly Drives Profitable Growth A Conversation with Barbara Toens, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Gantrex EPISODE 198 Steve MacDonald HOST:
Table of Contents • [2:04] Introduction to Barbara Toens • [30:03] Full Podcast Episode • [3:13] Episode Highlights Video • [2:34] Marketing’s Voice at the C-Suite Table • [3:07] Redefining Customer Insight From Familiarity to Understanding • [8:17] Navigating and Rebuilding the B2B Trust in Marketing • [4:53] How VOC Impacts Internal and External Business Alignment • [5:07] How Value-First Pricing Drives Business Growth • [1:16] Importance of VOC to Underpin Effective Pricing • [0:48] Confident Marketers Drive Strategy, Tactics, and Profits Forward • [0:55] Short - Redefining Customer Insight From Familiarity to Understanding
ABOUT Barbara Toens Barbara Toens, Global CMO at Gantrex, brings her pricing PhD and global B2B experience to this in-depth discussion. She explains how marketing earns its C-Suite seat by ensuring every decision starts with deep customer understanding. Barbara shares best practices for VOC calls, cross-functional alignment, and transforming marketing from a cost center to a growth engine.
FULL EPISODE “When marketing leads customer conversations, we transition from vendor to trusted long-term partner.” – Barbara Toens
[3:13] Episode Highlights Video
[2:34] Marketing’s Voice at the C-Suite Table “It’s so important to have the marketing voice at the executive table because we bring a distinct perspective and expertise. We ensure that all discussions and decisions are centered around the customer.” – Barbara Toens
[3:07] Redefining Customer Insight From Familiarity to Understanding “Having data to understand customer activities is essential, but it doesn't mean you truly know the customer; that's just what's visible on the surface. I see the role of marketing as going beneath the surface to uncover the motivations behind those customer actions.” – Barbara Toens
[8:17] Navigating and Rebuilding the B2B Trust in Marketing “If marketing steps in, we are guiding the customer conversations from the background and having the customer narrate their challenges, their story, and that’s number one to build trust.” – Barbara Toens
[4:53] How VOC Impacts Internal and External Business Alignment “We invited key sales managers to listen in on VOC calls; there was no finger-pointing, just insight. Ninety-five percent of them thanked us afterwards for actionable, customer-driven recommendations.” – Barbara Toens
[5:07] How Value-First Pricing Drives Business Growth “I'm a strong proponent of having pricing fall under marketing's responsibility because I see the entire approach as a marketing function and delivering what I call a virtual value circle. That value needs to be communicated, then delivered by sales, and most importantly, captured.” – Barbara Toens
[1:16] Importance of VOC to Underpin Effective Pricing “If you don’t take the time to understand the customer’s business and instead act on superficial data, you’ll wonder why you’re not succeeding or why you lose a customer after the first purchase.” – Barbara Toens
[0:48] Confident Marketers Drive Strategy, Tactics, and Profits Forward “Feel confident, especially as marketing colleagues, that we bring bottom-line impact and drive profitable sales by having full-scale knowledge and playing both tactical and strategic roles.” – Barbara Toens
YOUTUBE SHORT: “Having data to understand customer activities is essential, but it doesn't mean you truly know the customer; that's just what's visible on the surface. I see the role of marketing as going beneath the surface to uncover the motivations behind those customer actions.” – Barbara Toens
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