B2B Rocks Paris 2019: Michael Falorni’s insights

Michael Falorni, Head of Enterprise EMEA at Intercom, shares his insights on B2B Rocks and gives you hints to develop a synergy between Sales and Marketing.

He will be speaking at the conference How to align B2B Sales and marketing for good?

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Can you introduce yourself briefly? What is your role at Intercom?

Michael Falorni:

I have worked in the Tech space for over 13 years both as an Entrepreneur, a Venture capitalist and an employee of mid to large companies (AdRoll, Google). I joined Intercom last May to head the Mid Market & Enterprise teams for EMEA, in charge of acquiring and growing our top accounts in Europe.

What does this event mean for entrepreneurs in the B2B sector?

Michael Falorni:

Events are always a great way to not only hear about larger trends but also to share best practices. In an ideal world, an entrepreneur attending B2B Rocks should be able to bring back some valuable and actionable tips that could be implemented in its venture. The B2B sector in France has grown extremely fast over the last few years and the success of a lot of French startups has been phenomenal.

What usually prevents Sales and Marketing to work smoothly together?

Michael Falorni:

Very often the lack of shared KPIs is a major objective for both entities to work together in an effective fashion. In the vast majority of businesses, Marketing and Sales would have their own metrics they will be evaluated upon without placing the customer in the equation. Unfortunately success against their own metrics doesn’t necessarily means greater good for the company. That being said, the help of technology has made cross-departments collaboration much easier over the last few years.

What is the one thing you would say is key to develop a synergy between Sales and Marketing?

Michael Falorni:

Definitely communication. I am a firm believer that a true team effort at all levels within an organisation is needed to develop a true synergy. Sales team should be attending Marketing teams’ meetings and vice-versa. At the end of the day, both units need each other's to look good. A Sales team will always need good Marketing leads to generate revenue and a Marketing team a solid Sales team to get sourced lead above the line.

What is Intercom’s highlight in 2019?

Michael Falorni:

We are a product led company and we shipped features and even new products (see product tours) at an incredible cadence in 2019. Another of our key highlight as a company is a move upmarket in terms of positioning.

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