Matt Heinz on How B2B CMOs Manage & Hire Agencies

In this video, you’ll learn: 

• Matt’s Path to B2B Marketing
• The Importance of Setting Yourself Apart
• How to Choose a Marketing Agency
• How to Measure ROI with Your Agency Partners
• Rapid Fire Round: Matt’s Go-To Tools, Job Swap, and More!

Matt’s Path to B2B Marketing

Before we dive in, Matt, can you give us your brief elevator pitch on your background, how you founded Heinz marketing, and what got you into this B2B go-to-market space?

Matt Heinz: [00:00:30] The short story is this has been a giant mistake. This was not supposed to happen. I studied journalism and political science in college, and my first job out of school was as a reporter covering state government for a suburban Seattle newspaper. I went to Microsoft, went to a couple startups in Seattle, and then about 16 years ago decided to try to do my own thing. I saw ineffective marketing happening in complex sales situations - a lot of batch and send, random acts of marketing, and little coordination between sales and marketing teams. I knew there was a better way. Over the 16 years, the complexity of go-to-market motions and integrated teams has increased. The need for strategy, process, and playbooks to build predictable pipeline is still very much a reality for many B2B organizations.

What led you to make that pivot in your career and say you wanted to go out and do your own thing, and be more of a service provider in this space?

Matt Heinz: [00:02:25] It was trying to own my own destiny and have more control. I felt I had less risk and more control by doing my own thing versus staying in-house somewhere. If you have your own business, you have every choice. I started the business in November 2008, during the great recession, and my wife was pregnant with our first child. The good news was I had a couple of clients lined up, and my wife's a public school teacher with good benefits. It worked out okay, but it's a lot of work. The freedom, flexibility, and excitement make it worthwhile.

The Importance of Setting Yourself Apart

When you're working with clients and go-to-market leaders, the agency selection process can be pretty nuanced. What are some key learnings you've seen that indicate an agency might be a great fit for a particular client's needs? Or by contrast, it's probably not a great fit?

Matt Heinz: [00:04:44] If you're waiting until an RFP goes out or there's no relationship until they're ready to choose an agency, you're just a commodity at that point. Your best strategy is to be the most generous person in the room, sharing your expertise and building individual relationships with future buyers. If you are in an RFP situation, we have a "friendly audit" - a one-hour judgment-free review of someone's pipeline fundamentals. By showing your generosity and expertise without asking for much in return, you show that you'll be a thoughtful, productive partner.

How can a potential buyer of those services go into that conversation and demonstrate if this is going to be a good fit? What can the buying leader do to set that conversation up for success?

Matt Heinz: [00:07:17] Be transparent about your situation. Don't pretend everything's fine - you're seeking outside help because something isn't working or you need to expand beyond your current capacity. Focus on the agency's reputation and what precedes the relationship, not just their presentation. Leverage references, asking not just about the work but how they were to work with. Be open to the process, understanding that it's not always perfect the first time.

How to Choose a Marketing Agency

As companies evaluate the right provider for them, do you recommend looking first for industry specialization or more for specific functions like brand or demand? Where do you start that evaluation to narrow down potential providers?

Matt Heinz: [00:10:30] Start with clarity on your objectives. Figure out who is the best in the world at achieving those objectives. One mistake companies make is wanting one agency that can do everything - that's a unicorn. You benefit by having specialists do specialist work, whether based on industry or a specific job to be done. As a service provider, find your niche, lean into it, and be the best in the world at that work or outcome.

How to Measure ROI with Your Agency Partners

How should marketing leaders hold their agency partners accountable for metrics or KPIs? How do you work with clients to ensure the work is clearly demonstrating impact on their marketing goals?

Matt Heinz: [00:13:35] Clarity of objectives is crucial, not just what an agency will deliver, but what outcomes are expected. The working relationship and values fit are also important. We include our values and what we expect from clients in our proposal template. Treat it as a true partnership with clear outcomes and understanding of how you'll work together.

What best practices have you found for keeping that open, collaborative relationship going and fostering open communication and feedback, not just through onboarding but beyond?

Matt Heinz: [00:18:04] It's got to continue with separate cadences of conversations. Have production team meetings, but also check-ins with executive sponsors to discuss what's working, what's not, and any changes in the organization or market that could require pivoting. Have both horizontal and vertical layers of conversations to ensure you're on the right track and not missing important signals.

Rapid Fire Round: Matt’s Go-To Tools, Job Swap, and More!

If you could swap jobs with any marketer for a day, who would it be?

Matt Heinz: [00:21:10] The CMO of Netflix or Hulu. The diversity of programs and the creative, viral marketing opportunities in the consumer space would be super fun.

What's your favorite marketing tool that you can't live without?

Matt Heinz: [00:21:45] LinkedIn Sales Navigator. It's a daily opportunity to engage, encourage, and celebrate with marketing leaders in B2B. These small "value deposits" add up over time.

What's your go-to podcast that you're always tuning into?

Matt Heinz: [00:22:45] The Solid Verbal, a podcast about college football. It's informative but also quirky and fun.

About Matt Heinz, Founder of Heinz Marketing 

Matt Heinz is the Founder and President of Heinz Marketing, a B2B marketing firm that specializes in building predictable revenue pipelines for complex sales environments. With over 20 years of experience, Matt has become a recognized authority in demand generation, pipeline strategy, and sales acceleration. Known for his practical insights and no-nonsense approach, he helps businesses align their marketing and sales efforts to drive sustainable growth. Matt is also a sought-after speaker, author, and podcast host in the B2B marketing community.

Interviewed by: Katie Hollar, VP of Marketing at Clutch