Trust is what’s winning deals in today’s insanely saturated tech market. And what better way to figure out how marketers are building trust with skeptical buyers than going to the most skeptical industry of all to get all of their tips and tricks–cybersecurity.

Mark Huber sits down with Sam Langrock, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Recorded Future, to dive into why knowing their fears is the greatest way to win over their trust. And don’t worry, this isn’t just a theory session. Sam gives real examples of how Recorded Future uses customer evidence to win over skeptical buyers and level up their sales pitches. We’re also talking about the underrated power of short, punchy testimonials—and why they often beat out those long, traditional case studies.If you’re in sales or marketing, especially in industries where trust is everything, this episode is loaded with tips you can start using today.

What You’ll Get:

• How to use customer evidence to tackle buyer fear and skepticism
• Why cybersecurity buyers need more reassurance than other industries
• The key to creating impactful proof points and testimonials

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Mark’s first impression of Sam and his hockey instincts

(03:00) Why skepticism is the default mindset for cybersecurity buyers
(07:20) The opportunity cost of cybersecurity purchases and how to address it
(12:00) How customer evidence transforms sales conversations
(17:45) The future of customer evidence at Recorded Future
(20:50) Sam’s favorite Tom Wentworth story (it involves a mosh pit!)

Subscribe to Mark’s newsletter, Evidently: https://evidently.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Learn more about the customer evidence platform that B2B teams at Gong, HackerOne, Sendoso, and more trust at userevidence.com.

Mark asked Dave Gerhardt to play 9 holes of golf with him with the promise that he wouldn't ask him any questions he'd ever been asked before.

One catch: he’d be bringing a film crew.

Dave said game on.

This is The Long Game.

When we launched our original research report, The Evidence Gap, we thought we’d get 150 downloads in the first 30 days. The actual results? Blew that goal out of the water.

Original research is the secret weapon for cutting through the noise in B2B marketing. In this episode of The Proof Point, we dive into UserEvidence’s Evidence Gap Report with UserEvidence co-founder and CEO Evan Huck, exploring the growing need for credible proof in today’s high-stakes buying environment. The big takeaway? Marketers often think their content is crushing it, but sales teams and buyers see major gaps—especially in relevance and competitive differentiation. With budgets tighter than ever, buyers are looking for more than opinions—they want statistically backed proof that shows a solution works for their unique needs.

Listen to the full episode, and you’ll get a behind-the-scenes process of creating the report, including why testing your survey hypothesis is a lifesaver and how to frame questions for actionable insights. They make the case for going beyond generic case studies and testimonials to deliver content that’s specific, credible, and trust-building.

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introduction
(00:28) Why credible proof outshines opinions in B2B content
(01:12) What is the "evidence gap" and why it matters?
(02:04) The role of original research in modern go-to-market strategies
(05:24) Case studies vs. customer evidence
(08:43) Why marketers overestimate the impact of their content
(13:20) Designing surveys to uncover actionable customer insights
(17:05) How statistical evidence builds trust with skeptical buyers
(23:29) Why specific, relevant evidence is critical for closing deals
(39:37) Rethinking customer marketing: Beyond case studies and testimonials

Subscribe to Mark’s newsletter, Evidently: https://evidently.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Learn more about the customer evidence platform that B2B teams at Gong, HackerOne, Sendoso, and more trust at userevidence.com.

In this raw, brutally honest episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on The Proof Point’s first season with host Mark Huber, VP of Marketing, and newly minted Jillian Hoefer, Senior Content Marketing Manager at UserEvidence.

We’re sharing exactly how our metrics went (spoiler alert: our downloads plateaued), the tactics that worked (and the ones that definitely didn’t), and everything we’ve learned along the way. Think of this as an episode on content evidence, not customer evidence.

And yes, we’re telling you exactly what we wish we’d done differently, including a breakdown of our actual results. Plus, we’re giving you a sneak peek at what’s coming in Season 2: new tactics, better strategies, and—yes—real listener questions!

What You’ll Get:

• The proof of Season 1: What worked, what didn’t, and why
• Why distribution, not creation, is the key to scaling podcast content
• Our top takeaways for improving Season 2 with some sneak peeks

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Why proof beat opinions every time
(01:50) Jillian’s evolution from podcast partner to UserEvidence marketer
(06:30) Breaking down The Proof Point’s season one wins
(12:10) Lessons learned: Distribution pitfalls and the magic of relationships
(20:00) How to think about “killing your marketing darlings”
(24:30) How UserEvidence leverages podcast content beyond downloads
(31:00) Tackling the challenge of LinkedIn’s algorithm
(36:40) What the shift of strategy means for Season 2
(42:00) The power of in-person interviews for engaging podcast content
(50:10) Listener Q&A

Subscribe to Mark’s newsletter, Evidently: https://evidently.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Learn more about UserEvidence: userevidence.com

Kyle Coleman, CMO of Copy.ai, joins The Proof Point to share his refreshing take on the future of the SDR role and the impact of AI on go-to-market teams. Kyle, who began his career as an SDR, shares why so many companies get the SDR model wrong and how AI can be integrated without compromising the authenticity of customer evidence.

From "SDR AI sandwiches" to avoiding “spam cannons,” this episode shows how AI can enhance—not replace—the SDR role by providing actionable insights and trustworthy customer evidence that supports meaningful sales conversations.

Subscribe to Mark’s newsletter, Evidently

Learn more about the customer evidence platform that B2B teams at Gong, HackerOne, Sendoso, and more trust at userevidence.com.

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:28) Why proof, not opinions, drives go-to-market success

(02:20) Kyle’s role at Copy.ai – redefining sales tools

(04:33) Copy.ai’s workflow magic: podcasts to blog posts

(05:33) Tackling “go-to-market bloat” with streamlined solutions

(07:17) Bridging SDR skill gaps with AI efficiency

(09:39) Kyle’s wildest SDR fail – lessons learned

(10:05) AI SDRs? Why buyers want human connections

(11:27) The future SDR: more strategy, less spamming

(13:08) How Copy.ai helps execs meet strategic goals

Bitly’s CMO, Tara Robertson, shares her customer-centric playbook for transforming Bitly from a link shortener to a full connections platform. From leveraging QR codes to merging physical and digital experiences to using customer evidence, Tara explains how Bitly’s retention-focused marketing impacts every user touchpoint. This episode shares insights on building authentic customer connections while highlighting the metrics that matter in the B2B landscape.

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:15) Tara’s journey from Sprout Social to Bitly

(03:02) Building a customer marketing playbook at Sprout

(04:27) Measuring retention and adoption with sub-KPIs

(06:37) Bitly’s new direction

(07:54) QR codes to 2D barcodes

(09:39) Expanding Bitly’s target market - SMBs to enterprise

(11:29) Showcasing use cases to support varied customers

(13:24) Using customer stories to build trust

(17:02) Overcoming challenges in gathering authentic evidence

Subscribe to Mark’s newsletter, Evidently: https://evidently.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Learn more about the customer evidence platform that B2B teams at Gong, HackerOne, Sendoso, and more trust at userevidence.com

The TL;DR

Are you struggling to build trust with your buyers? Allyson Havener (TrustRadius) and Mark Huber (UserEvidence) break down the B2B buying disconnect between buyers and marketing and sales efforts—including some helpful tips to apply to your own marketing strategy to help close that gap.

What’s working in B2B marketing:
DATA-BACKED PROOF
Original research and transparent data are key to building credibility and trust with skeptical buyers who are demanding upfront pricing and product claims before purchasing.

What’s not working in B2B marketing:
SUGAR-COATED "PROOF"
Focusing too much on traditional bottom-funnel tactics without addressing what buyers genuinely want reduces trust and transparency. Pushing overly optimistic marketing narratives without real proof causes buyer mistrust. (And can ultimately lead to decision-making paralysis.)

Grab TrustRadius’ original research report
Grab UserEvidence’s original research report The Evidence Gap

Key Takeaways:

• Address the disconnect between B2B buyers and sellers: There’s a significant gap between what buyers want and how sellers and marketers approach them. Buyers prioritize upfront pricing, peer reviews, and minimal sales pressure, while vendors often overlook these preferences.
• Trust is critical in the sales process: B2B buyers are skeptical, especially with the influx of tech options. Transparent communication, real customer evidence, and accurate ROI data is crucial to overcoming buyer hesitation.
• Original research fuels effective marketing strategies: Both TrustRadius and UserEvidence used their research reports as the cornerstone for content creation, social proof, and marketing messaging—illustrating how data-driven insights can shape a year’s worth of marketing materials.
• Brand trust is key in narrowing choices: Buyers typically start their search with 2-3 potential vendors and often stick with their original choice, underscoring the importance of establishing brand trust early in the buyer’s journey.
• Align marketing and sales for deal acceleration: In complex B2B sales, particularly with large enterprises, aligning sales and marketing strategies is essential to shorten the sales cycle and ensure consistent messaging across all touchpoints.

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Welcome to the show
(01:20) How data fuels marketing strategies
(06:22) The B2B brand trust crisis
(07:57) Disconnect between buyer expectations and vendors
(10:33) Buyers, sellers, marketers are not on same page
(12:20) Buyers’ demand for upfront pricing, not secrecy
(13:29) Buyer preference: Peer reviews over pushy sales
(23:13) Why do buyers stick with original vendor choice?

The TL;DR

Struggling with "checkbox marketing" and creating content that actually connects with your audience?

Mark Huber (UserEvidence), Brendan Hufford (Growth Sprints), Jess Cook (Island), and Brooklin Nash (Beam Content) break down building a content POV that resonates.

What’s working in B2B marketing:
PURPOSE-DRIVEN CONTENT
Creating a POV that focuses on solving real customer problems, not just pushing your product, builds lasting trust and engagement. Don’t create content that just pushes your product.

What’s not working in B2B marketing:
STICKING TO A CONTENT CHECKLIST Relying on the same old content formats and routines without a clear, compelling POV is causing teams to miss out on real engagement. It’s time to move past "checkbox marketing" and create content that truly matters.

Key takeaways:

• Go beyond checkbox marketing: It's not about doing everything on the list. Instead, focus on creating purposeful content that solves real problems. Checking boxes won’t position your brand as a trusted partner, but creating content with intention will.
• Strong POVs drive engagement: When your POV is clear and speaks to your audience's challenges, it drives engagement and builds trust. Those long-term relationships then create more lasting value.
• Solve problems, not just pitch products: Your content shouldn’t always be about your product. When you lead with the problem your audience is facing, you open up more opportunities to build genuine connections.
• Leadership buy-in is critical: Getting leadership aligned with a content strategy that goes beyond metrics is crucial. When leadership trusts in the long-term vision, it’s easier to step away from safe, metrics-driven content.
• Listen to your audience first: The best content starts with understanding your audience. Whether through direct feedback or collaboration with internal teams, insights from your audience guide the way to more relevant and impactful content.

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:10) Why B2B marketing teams play it safe
(03:06) The problem with checkbox marketing
(05:48) Developing a POV with clear imperatives
(11:34) How a focused message attracts the right audience
(13:24) Balancing high-level concepts and tactical insights
(17:49) Top-down vs. bottom-up approaches to content strategy
(34:16) Building your POV around customer insights
(37:22) Driving cross-team content with a unified strategy
(40:01) Breaking content into key themes and pillars
(46:37) Standing out in a crowded market with distinct messaging
(48:37) Final thoughts on crafting impactful content