Accelerating Startup Growth with Terminus CEO Tim Kopp

CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast

Account-based marketing (ABM) is a targeted B2B strategy that focuses sales and marketing resources within a specific market. Terminus, a leading account-based marketing platform, has a goal of moving from an ABM company to a platform of record — but how does a startup evolve as it expands from its home turf all the way to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia? In this episode, Michael sits down with Terminus CEO Tim Kopp to discuss how he leans on his past experiences working for global companies like Coca-Cola and ExactTarget to inform this process. In addition to providing an overview of the work Terminus specializes in, Tim offers his experts tips for startups to apply when accelerating their own growth.

Fish with a spear gun instead of a net

Tim explained that for the team at Terminus, their overall marketing philosophy is focused on targeted campaigns, personalization, and relationship building. He believes in the power of highly targeted, customized messaging that’s tailored to reach a specific audience. Rather than casting a wide net, Tim suggests gaining a firm grasp of your audience from the get go and demonstrating your understanding of their business needs, desires, and goals to build a strong relationship and trust right away.

Put people first

One of Terminus’ number one growth differentiators has been emphasizing the importance of people and culture. Leaning on that angle, Tim attributes putting people first as a competitive advantage in their industry. Over his years as a business leader, he’s learned that what worked in the past won’t necessarily work going forward, so creating a culture of consistent growth, improvement, and execution is key.

Learn from the best

One of Tim’s final tips was to find other people who are succeeding in similar roles and industries to learn their tricks of the trade. Although many of us are working remotely and it can be more difficult to find time to connect, he recommends exchanging notes with some of the best and brightest from within your organization and beyond. Not only will this help to expand your network, but it will also ultimately serve to strengthen your own business acumen.

CIBC Innovation Banking is a trusted financial partner to entrepreneurs and investors. Get in touch with our team at cibc.com/innovationbanking.

This episode of The CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast was produced by Quill.