Claim OwnershipClosing Time: quick insights from sales & marketing experts
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Closing Time is a weekly podcast with insider tips and insights for go-to-market leaders. In each episode, you’ll meet a luminary in the sales, marketing, or customer success field and get actionable tips and tactics to elevate your game. Each 15-minute episode will go deep on skills to close deals, see the latest on marketing tech, or check out trends to elevate the customer experience.
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Are MQLs dead? Marketers have relied on generating Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) for years, using them as a critical metric to measure success. But treating all MQLs the same is a mistake. John Short, CEO of Compound Growth Media, joins Chip House in this episode of Closing Time to talk about the paid media strategies that drive MQLs. He’ll also talk through how the source of your MQLs results from the level of intent and how bucketing them differently is the key to conversions. Watch the episode on YouTube. Want to stock your bookshelf on us? Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests. Connect With: • John Short: LinkedIn • Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn • Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Trying to be everything to everyone rarely works in B2B sales. Many teams start with a horizontal sales strategy—going after anyone who could use the product, across any industry. And that can work… until it doesn’t. When reps start losing momentum, getting buried in research, or struggling to differentiate, it’s often because they’re spread too thin. In this episode of Closing Time, we welcome back Todd Caponi—author of The Transparency Sale and The Transparent Sales Leader, and a well-known speaker and advisor in the sales world. Todd shares how firmographic sprints in sales can help your reps build confidence, drive momentum, and sell like true industry experts. Todd talks through when might be a good time to hone in on a vertical, how to train your reps, and how it impacts your entire organization. Watch the episode on YouTube. Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Todd Caponi: Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Are you ready for the next generation of search? AI search is coming…now. About 2.5% of searches are currently run on sites like ChatGPT, but the experts say that number will grow exponentially—and fast. Marketers need to know what GEO is and how to optimize for AI search to stay ahead. This week on Closing Time, we welcome Anthony Chiaravallo, CEO of Vallo Media, to talk us through the steps to adapt current content, generate new AI-friendly assets, and ensure your strategy is future-proofed for both GEO and traditional SEO. Watch the episode on YouTube. Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Anthony Chiaravallo: LinkedIn // Vallo Media • Val Riley: LinkedIn • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
What happens when a fast-growing consulting firm removes the bottlenecks in their marketing workflow? For Viva Executive Assistants, the results were dramatic: a 6x increase in landing page output and a 7.5% increase in conversion rates. In this customer edition of Closing Time, host Melinda Prescher, Senior Director of Product and Customer Marketing at Unbounce and Insightly, sits down with Dania Maduro (Senior Executive Assistant) and Desiree de Leon (Organic Growth Manager) from Viva to unpack their story. Viva’s small but mighty marketing team cut landing page build times from eight weeks to minutes, scaled output without relying on developers or agencies, and used A/B testing to refine messaging for different audiences. With the agility to pivot quickly and integrations that streamlined their stack, they reduced wasted spend and boosted overall marketing efficiency. Watch the episode on YouTube. Try Unbounce for free (no credit card required): https://bit.ly/46dwxej Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Viva Executive Assistants: LinkedIn // Website • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Can a sales mindset shift unlock better performance? According to today’s guest on Closing Time, the answer is a resounding yes. Join Jaime Diglio, Founder of The WIN Room, as she breaks down how sales leaders can move their teams from the WAR Room (working against revenue) to the WIN Room (“What I Need” to succeed). Jaime has taken the TEDx stage, coaches students at Harvard Business School, and now she’s here to share practical ways to build confidence, clarity, and lasting performance in sales teams. Learn how to recognize negative “WAR words,” strengthen your reps’ self-awareness, and create a culture where every seller leads with confidence. Watch the episode on YouTube. Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Jaime Diglio: LinkedIn // The WIN Room • Val Riley: LinkedIn • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Ready to make the leap from W-2 to 1099? As the global macroeconomic environment continues to shift, gig work is becoming more and more common. And if you’ve got experience, you’re in a good place because fractional executives are in demand. On this episode of Closing Time, join Sangram Vajre from GTM Partners as he walks through how his consultancy can help experienced sales, marketing and customer success leaders build a fractional GTM business. He covers the biggest obstacles, how to land your first five clients, and the steps to build long-term success. Watch the episode on YouTube. Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Sangram Vajre: LinkedIn // GTM Partners • Val Riley: LinkedIn • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Most marketers understand the basics of attribution. First touch. Last touch. Maybe even multi-touch. But here’s the thing: there are seven different attribution models—and each one tells a slightly different story about what’s driving your conversions. Larry Todd, who leads the team at LeadsRx by Unbounce, has spent years helping marketers figure this out. He’s seen firsthand how attribution can transform decision-making—and how the wrong model can skew results. In this Closing Time episode, Larry will break down the 7 types of marketing attribution models, explain how they work, their pitfalls, and when to use them. Get a demo of LeadsRx's multi-touch attribution software today: https://bit.ly/4dziJv2 Watch the episode on YouTube. Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Larry Todd: LinkedIn // LeadsRx • Val Riley: LinkedIn • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
All sales leaders want to make good sales hires. But what defines “good?” In this week’s episode of Closing Time, Kevin Gaither, CEO of InsideSalesExpert.com, reflects on a tough moment in his career—laying off more than 50 sales reps—and how it shaped his approach to hiring B2B sales reps. He’s identified 6 essential traits that predict long-term success in sales. Join Kevin and host Val Riley in this episode to not only learn what those traits are, but also get real interview questions you can use to identify them in your next hire. Watch the episode on YouTube. Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Kevin Gaither: LinkedIn // Get Kevin's interview guide • Val Riley: LinkedIn • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Inbound and referral leads can fuel growth in B2B—but when your team masters outbound sales, results can skyrocket. But is outbound still possible in a post-pandemic world? This week on Closing Time, Marcus Chan says absolutely. As a sales coach who’s led teams of 100+ and generated $70M in weekly pipeline, Marcus knows what it takes. We’ll dig into the outbound mindset, plus the training and leadership strategies that turn “cold into sold." Watch the episode on YouTube. Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Marcus Chan: LinkedIn // Venli Consulting • Val Riley: LinkedIn • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Working in sales leadership at a bootstrapped company is much different than a PE or venture-backed company. Bootstrapped means “unfunded”—built using the founder’s own resources and revenue from the business, not outside capital. This week on Closing Time, Louie Bernstein shares the real pros and cons of leading sales in this environment—from the scrappy creativity it demands to the resource limitations you’ll face. We’ll break down what to expect, how it compares to funded companies, and how to decide if a bootstrapped role is the right next move for your career. Watch the episode on YouTube. Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Louie Bernstein: LinkedIn • Val Riley: LinkedIn • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
When you think of influencers on social media, Instagram and TikTok likely come to mind. But big growth is happening with influencer marketing on LinkedIn—the new 'global watercooler' for B2B brands. In fact, influencer marketing is now considered 'essential spend,' showing exponential growth as more B2B companies embrace it. In this episode of Closing Time, meet Aneesh Lal, head of Wishly, the #1 LinkedIn creator agency. He explains why LinkedIn influencer marketing is thriving in 2025, how to identify the right creators, structure partnerships, price deals, and measure impact. Watch the episode on YouTube. Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Aneesh Lal: LinkedIn // The Wishly Group • Val Riley: LinkedIn • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
LinkedIn video is an untapped goldmine for executives and go-to-market leaders looking to build trust, amplify brand reach, and engage customers, teams, and prospects. While text and photos have their place, video is where true thought leadership and authenticity shine. In this episode of Closing Time, Val Riley welcomes Devin Reed, CEO of The Reeder and LinkedIn content expert, to share how leaders can harness video to drive business impact and strengthen company reputation. From strategy to execution, Devin shares practical tips to help leaders show up authentically—and effectively—on LinkedIn. Watch the episode on YouTube. Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Devin Reed: LinkedIn // The Reeder • Val Riley: LinkedIn • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Do you speak CFO? It’s a skill every marketer needs to master—fast. There’s often a gap between marketers who want to invest in brand (because they know it works) and CFOs who need to see clear metrics tied to that spend. Drawing that line isn’t always easy, but this week’s guest on Closing Time is here to help. Patrick Cumming of KlientBoost shares five practical tips to help marketers justify brand spend and communicate its value using the metrics and language CFOs care about most. Watch the episode on YouTube. Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Patrick Cumming: LinkedIn // KlientBoost • Val Riley: LinkedIn • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Did you know that up to 72% of a salesperson’s time is spent on admin tasks instead of selling? You’ve heard a lot of ideas about how AI will disrupt the sales profession—but what about the real, practical ways it can actually help your team sell more? In this episode of Closing Time, Val sits down with Gaurav Bhattacharya, CEO of Jeeva.ai, to break down how AI can help flip that stat in your favor. Gaurav shares real-world examples of how AI can move your reps away from manual busywork and get them back to what they do best: closing deals. Watch the episode on YouTube. Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Gaurav Bhattacharya: LinkedIn // Jeeva.ai • Val Riley: LinkedIn • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Time kills deals. We all know it. Yet, in 2025, slow-moving pipelines and endless sales cycles are more common than ever. Buyers have more power, more options, and more reasons to delay decisions. But what if you could flip that dynamic and move deals forward faster? Nick Cegelski, founder of 30 Minutes to President’s Club and author of Cold Calling Sucks, has mastered this art. He shared seven practical ways—from securing same-day next steps to holding pre-discovery calls with stakeholders—sellers can speed things up, accelerate pipeline velocity, and close more business. Nick’s team at 30MPC also co-authored The Ultimate Guide to Managing Your Pipeline. Download your copy to keep your pipeline hygiene on point — and turn a cleaner, stronger pipeline into more closed deals: https://www.insightly.com/30mpc/ Watch the episode on YouTube. Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Nick Cegelski: LinkedIn // 30 Minutes to President's Club • Val Riley: LinkedIn • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Gen Z sales reps are entering the workforce fast—and sales leaders need to be ready. By 2030, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that Gen Z will make up 30% of the U.S. workforce. If you’re not managing a Gen Z seller yet, it’s only a matter of time. In this episode of Closing Time, we sit down with Tony Morando, Chief Sales Officer at World Emblem. Tony has climbed the sales ranks over two decades and now leads a multigenerational team spanning the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. He shares what he’s learned about onboarding, mentoring, and retaining Gen Z sales reps—plus tips for creating a team culture where every generation can thrive. Watch the episode on YouTube. Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Tony Morando: LinkedIn // World Emblem • Val Riley: LinkedIn • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
The North American economy is uncertain, so what should your agency be doing to stay profitable and keep growing? In this episode of Closing Time, we sit down with Jon Morris, founder of Fiscal Advocate, a firm that helps marketing agencies make smarter financial decisions through real planning—not just bookkeeping. Jon shares the offensive and defensive strategies every agency should be using to navigate today’s unpredictable market. From identifying what’s really stalling growth to maximizing cash flow and investing wisely, this conversation is packed with insights to help agency owners weather the storm and come out stronger on the other side. Watch the episode on YouTube. Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Jon Morris: LinkedIn // Fiscal Advocate • Val Riley: LinkedIn • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Email fatigue is real—and it’s hitting B2B marketers hard in 2025. With inboxes flooded by AI-generated outreach, outdated content, and automation overload, it’s no wonder open rates are tanking. So what can you do to stand out and stay relevant? In this episode of Closing Time, we’re joined by Jack Kosakowski, CEO of Creation Agency (U.S.), who shares 7 practical tips to revive your marketing email nurture strategy. From smarter segmentation to more tactical content and tech stack hacks, this episode is packed with actionable ideas to help you build emails people actually want to open. Your email list is a competitive advantage—if you treat it like one. Watch the episode on YouTube. Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Jack Kosakowski: LinkedIn // Creation Agency • Val Riley: LinkedIn • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Do you know the scroll rate or the engagement rate on your landing pages and website? Google does, and they are using those metrics to determine how you show up in search results. In this episode of Closing Time, Jennifer Denney of Elevated Marketing Solutions talks about the key metrics on your website and landing pages, and how improving them can lead to an improved user experience, lower cost-per-click, and more visibility in search. Plus, she unpacks Google’s latest update and what it really means for marketers trying to get more from their paid media campaigns. Watch the episode on YouTube. Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Jennifer Denney: LinkedIn // Elevated Marketing Solutions • Val Riley: LinkedIn • Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Product-led growth thrives when customers can explore, try, and succeed—without ever needing to talk to sales. But designing that seamless, self-serve experience? That’s the hard part. In this episode of Closing Time, Geoff Coutts sits down with Dave Boyce, Executive Chair and EVP of Product at Winning by Design, to explore how AI is transforming the PLG motion. From AI-guided demos and onboarding to post-sale copilots and intelligent product recommendations, they discuss how AI can fill in the gaps where human support once lived. Dave also shares why the “self-service happy path” is essential for any PLG strategy—and what product leaders need to build before layering in AI. If you’re looking to scale more efficiently and put more power in your users’ hands, this one’s for you. Watch the episode on YouTube. Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect With: • Dave Boyce: LinkedIn // Winning by Design • Geoff Coutts: LinkedIn • Insightly: Website // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
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