by Carla A. Fleming | Oct 12, 2025 | Alignment, Business Strategy, CEO, CMO, Growth, Sales, Software
You’ve been in this meeting before. The Painful Present: When Consensus Feels Like Quicksand The topic? “Customer Strategy Alignment.” For two hours, everyone nods in agreement. Yes, we need more focus. Yes, our messaging should be consistent. Yes,... 
by Carla A. Fleming | Oct 8, 2025 | Alignment, CEO, CMO, Growth, Sales
4 p.m. The CRO just dropped a forecast bomb. Again. As CMO, your temples throb as you process the implications: The Painful Present: Product Management delivered a launch no one wanted. Customers were lukewarm about the last launch. The top Account Executive heard... 
by Carla A. Fleming | Oct 5, 2025 | Business Strategy, Growth, Marketing Strategy, Sales, Software, Strategy
2 PM. Another virtual customer meeting. Another “we’ll think about it cycle,” which you know is a no. Breaking this cycle is critical for CEOs to achieve revenue transformation. The Painful Present: Revenue stalled because your message sounds like noise. Purchasing... 
by Carla A. Fleming | Sep 28, 2025 | Business, CEO, Services, Software, Strategy
3 AM. Again. You’re staring at the ceiling, mind racing. The Painful Present: 🔥 Sales team turns every software pitch into a services conversation 🌋 Best clients “love you” but won’t buy your product 💣 Marketing still writing about... 
by Carla A. Fleming | Aug 24, 2025 | Business Strategy, CEO, CMO, Customer Success, Growth, Leadership, Marketing Strategy, Sales, Strategy
Luxury Experience Principles. What did I learn at the Waldorf Astoria that can impact B2B software? More than you think. According to Marketing Week, 68% of customers feel most brands have very similar communications and marketing messages. I’ve experienced this... 
by Carla A. Fleming | Aug 17, 2025 | AI, Business Strategy, CMO, Growth, Personalization, Sales
Did you know that almost 40% of B2B deals don’t close, as noted in the Challenger’s B2B Buyer Study? According to Gartner, 60% of deals lost are due to non-decisions. I believe forward-leaning CMOs must have a data insights strategy that separates... 
by Carla A. Fleming | Aug 11, 2025 | AI, Business Strategy, CEO, CMO, Growth, Personalization, Sales
B2B software firms are grappling with slower sales. Customers worry about making the wrong decision. I believe CMOs must build a data strategy to decode the B2B buying journey, creating a competitive advantage in the AI era. McKinsey notes gradual data collection can... 
by Carla A. Fleming | Jul 27, 2025 | AI, Business Strategy, CEO, Customer Success, Growth, Product Management, Product Marketing, Sales
Are you feeling stuck with your AI storytelling as a founder, entrepreneur, business owner, CEO, product marketing, or product leader? Does any of this sound familiar? 📍 Customers struggle to understand the value of your product’s AI features. 📍 CRO complains that the... 
by Carla A. Fleming | Jul 14, 2025 | Agentic, Agents, AI
During the most recent conversation with the taxi owner who picks me up from the train station to my parents’ house, she discussed how the AI implementation was going. She liked the automation aspect of it until she didn’t. What’s getting in the way... 
by Carla A. Fleming | Jul 6, 2025 | AI, Brand Badge, Business Strategy, Customer Badge, Personalization, Strategy
Did you know marketing firms are using 3-5 AI Agents, according to Gartner? While almost 80% of firms have adopted GenAI in at least one business function, it is just the starting point. I believe that if firms want to see significant benefits from AI, they must... 
