Truth, Lies and B2B Growth

The B2B website playbook that will drive pipeline in 2026

The B2B website playbook that will drive pipeline in 2026 In this episode of Truth, Lies & B2B Growth, we challenge the declaration made by some marketing experts that the B2B website is dead. We argue why this is a lazy narrative that misses the real shift. The B2B website is not becoming redundant. But its role is changing fast as AI search, zero-click and social-first consumption reshape how buyers discover and evaluate suppliers. So to make your website a true conversion engine, you need a new playbook. It’s true that the old website-as-a-brochure model is losing value. Buyers are now getting a picture of your business from AI, social content and the wider dark funnel. By the time they land on your website, they are often further through the buying journey. They are not looking for educational resources. They are looking to evaluate your solutions, validate your capabilities and find resources to help them complete their buying jobs. The practical takeaway is not to rebuild everything overnight. It is to evolve your website to enable your buyers to increasingly self-serve. You need to help them assess your fit, build confidence and take the next steps in their journey. This means stronger proof-points, indicative pricing, calculators, configurators, conversational experiences and more personalised, interactive outputs. Things to look out for: * Why the B2B website is not dead, but its role is changing * How AI search and zero-click behaviour are reshaping website traffic * Why buyers now arrive later and more informed * The shift from information and education to validation and enablement * What the dark funnel means for website strategy * Why brochure websites are becoming less effective * The rise of indicative pricing, calculators and configurators * Why modern websites need to create output, not just publish content * The three audiences every modern website now has to serve: buyers, search and AI agents * Why this is an evolution over time, not a one-off redesign

SaaS GTM secrets unlocked for complex B2B sales, with Dave Boyce

In this episode of Truth, Lies & B2B Growth, Craig Taylor sits down with Dave Boyce, a SaaS builder, go-to-market (GTM) operator and long-time PLG advocate. Dave is also the author of Freemium. Together they unpack why SaaS has been forced to modernise GTM faster, and what B2B service firms selling complex deals can steal, adapt and apply right now. Dave’s core point is that we are back at “square zero” as AI reshapes how buyers discover, evaluate and make decisions. Self-serve expectations keep rising, even when the sale is complex and multi-stakeholder. That creates a new standard for speed, clarity, and proof long before a sales conversation. The practical takeaway is not “do more content.” It is to build a measurable GTM system. Dave explains why you need instrumentation and a clear data model across the full Bow-Tie, from first engagement through to impact, renewal, expansion and advocacy. Once you can see how buyers and customers move, you can run focused experiments, double down on what works, and retire what does not. He also shares a useful lens from a private equity conversation: the need for a “Chief Figure It Out Officer.” In other words, drop the arrogance, stay curious, and design the new playbook faster than competitors. Things to look out for: * Why SaaS is ahead on modern GTM, and what is transferable to B2B complex sales * “Square zero” and how AI is changing discovery and decisioning * Self-serve in complex sales, what it really means in practice * The Bow-Tie model, and why post-sale is now a growth engine * Instrumentation and a GTM data model so experiments are measurable * How to run smarter tests, double down, and kill what is not working * Where authority now comes from, including third-party proof * “Generosity” that converts, using diagnostics, frameworks, and models * Advocacy loops that turn customers into pipeline * What to copy from SaaS, and what to ignore in complex B2B services

When hiring a Fractional CMO makes sense (and when it doesn’t) with Sam Butterworth

In this episode, we look at the pros and cons of bringing in a Fractional CMO (fCMO) and how to avoid it becoming an expensive hiring mistake. The discussion will help CEOs get clear on what’s really needed. We cover what a good Fractional CMO looks like and when you might be better off hiring a more hands-on marketer instead. Sam and Craig also touch on: • Why CEOs often resist the hard truths in marketing • The pitfalls of fCMO engagements • Why some who try to become fCMOs don’t succeed • How to “hybridise” marketing ops with the right internal/external mix

Selling HubSpot to Sales, Service and your Board in 2026: A CMO’s Guide

In this episode, we explain the genuine value of HubSpot CRM as a unified customer platform and discuss how to effectively position it within your wider business. This podcast will help B2B CMOs get buy-in from Sales and Service Teams to adopt HubSpot as a fully integrated solution. We highlight the core HubSpot benefits, such as data accuracy and AI readiness, while also addressing the common challenges in its implementation and ongoing management.

Why legacy B2B marketing strategies are killing your growth

In this episode of ⁠⁠‪@truthliesb2bgrowth‬⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@truthliesb2bgrowth] we talk through why growth has plateaued for many B2B firms. We explore the seismic shifts driven by AI and changing buying behaviour, and how they are impacting marketing strategies. Almost overnight, many B2B marketing functions have found themselves stuck in legacy mode. As a result, their tactics are seeing diminishing returns - fewer leads, reduced ROI and less and less impact on pipeline. We’ve made this episode to help CEOs understand what’s happened and what they can do to start playing catch-up. We look at the key external trends, why B2B marketers are struggling and share the modern approaches to marketing that work in the AI-era.In this episode, you’ll learn: The Strategic Shifts: * How the dark funnel has made your buyers invisible: LinkedIn, YouTube, Reddit & network communities are where buyers go to educate * Authority and trust has shifted to people, not companies: founders and experts now trump faceless corporate brands * Why short-term campaigns have given way to long-term programmes: consistent, compounding programmes with constant iteration - aligned to the 95:5 buyer reality * How buyers are self-serving further: which means its key to show up in their research with useful buyer-enablement content * Fragmentation gives way to orchestration: CRM-first platforms enable  humans and AI to collaborate with structured and unstructured data * SEO evolves to AEO: optimise for LLMs by building their trust, if you want to be sourced in their answers * Content formats shift: prioritise short-form video, podcasts and peer insights where buyers actually consume them * Websites become buyer-enablement hubs: offer assessments, ROI tools, demos and interactive or conversational experiences personalised to each visitor * Generic outbound loses impact: switch to precision, signal-based engagement powered by CRM and AI * CRMs become smart and AI-enabled: auto-enrich data, surface real-time intent and drive hyper-personalised outreach at scale The Tactical Shifts: * SEO evolves to AEO: optimise for LLMs by building their trust, if you want to be sourced in their answers * Content formats shift: prioritise short-form video, podcasts and peer insights where buyers actually consume them * Websites become buyer-enablement hubs: offer assessments, ROI tools, demos and interactive or conversational experiences personalised to each visitor * Generic outbound loses impact: switch to precision, signal-based engagement powered by CRM and AI * CRMs become smart and AI-enabled: auto-enrich data, surface real-time intent and drive hyper-personalised outreach at scale