Uniting revenue teams with Michelle Urwin

Michelle Urwin, EVP of Marketing at Skai, joins the Radically Transparent podcast to share how marketing and sales leaders can align teams under a unified revenue strategy. She provides sharp insights on breaking down silos, optimizing go-to-market plans, and redefining metrics that drive growth and efficiency.

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Episode summary

Have you ever wondered if breaking down the walls between sales and marketing could be the actual game-changer for organizational growth?

In this episode of Radically Transparent, Michelle Urwin, EVP of Marketing at Skai, shares her insights on creating real collaboration between these key teams. She dives into the challenge of siloed teams and the need for go-to-market alignment. She talks candidly about how ensuring each team works in unison is one of her biggest professional hurdles.

Michelle even breaks down how silos often emerge, making it tough for organizations to function as one cohesive unit. Michelle emphasizes throughout the show how redefining roles and responsibilities that foster a true “One Revenue” mindset is key, where sales, marketing, and product teams are aligned and focused on shared goals.

She also explains how returning to marketing basics is crucial for building a scalable go-to-market strategy. A key takeaway from this episode is Michelle’s fresh approach to measurement. She highlights the importance of shifting away from traditional metrics and adopting a more even revenue contribution model, providing the support teams need to succeed.

Hot topics

Navigating Siloed Teams: Michelle discusses the challenge of diverse teams working cohesively despite silos, advocating for a “One Revenue” mindset to align sales, marketing, and product teams toward shared goals.
Scalable Go-to-Market Strategy: Emphasizing the importance of returning to core marketing principles—like defining target audiences and using ABM and inbound/outbound marketing strategies—Michelle dives into the value of building a flexible and scalable go-to-market strategy that supports long-term growth.
Innovative Measurement and Sales Enablement: Michelle shares her approach to rethinking measurement by adopting a ⅓ sales, ⅓ marketing, and ⅓ revenue contribution model while highlighting the important role of sales enablement and product marketing in driving organizational success.

Meet Michelle

Skai‘s Global VP of Marketing, Michelle Urwin, has spent the past decade overseeing innovative customer and partner marketing, demand generation, brand marketing, corporate communications, and industry events in partnership with top advertisers, agencies, publishers, and advertising technology platforms.

A recognized international expert in retail media and omnichannel marketing, she created and hosts Skai’s highly popular original video series “Retail Media Thursdays,” which features the most influential leaders from across the dynamic commerce media space. Before Skai, she held a senior role at Ogilvy in the UK.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can B2B organizations effectively break down sales and marketing silos to achieve unified revenue growth?

Michelle Urwin emphasizes adopting a 'One Revenue' mindset, which involves explicitly aligning sales, marketing, and product teams towards shared objectives. This strategy necessitates redefining roles and responsibilities to foster genuine collaboration and optimize go-to-market plans for a cohesive organizational approach.

What are the core principles for building a scalable B2B go-to-market strategy?

Building a scalable go-to-market strategy, according to Michelle Urwin, requires a return to fundamental marketing principles. This includes meticulously defining target audiences and leveraging essential strategies such as Account-Based Marketing (ABM), inbound marketing, and outbound marketing to support sustainable long-term growth and adaptability.

How should B2B companies redefine marketing and sales metrics for a more accurate revenue contribution model?

Michelle Urwin advocates for a shift away from traditional metrics towards a more equitable revenue contribution model. She suggests a framework where sales, marketing, and product each contribute ⅓ of the revenue. This innovative approach provides a clearer picture of collective success and better supports the efforts of all contributing teams.

What defines the 'One Revenue' mindset and why is it crucial for B2B growth?

The 'One Revenue' mindset unifies sales, marketing, and product teams under common goals, effectively dismantling departmental silos. This approach is crucial for B2B growth because it ensures all key functions work in unison, fostering cohesive strategies, improving operational efficiency, and driving collective organizational success towards a single revenue objective.

Beyond alignment, what other critical functions support organizational success in a unified revenue strategy?

In addition to team alignment, Michelle Urwin highlights the vital roles of sales enablement and product marketing. These functions are critical for providing sales teams with the necessary tools, resources, and training, while also ensuring product value is effectively communicated to the market, thereby driving overall organizational success within a unified revenue strategy.