An interview with Pragadish Kalaivanan, Lead Generation and Content Manager, US at Toucan

How did you end up at Toucan and what problem does Toucan solve for its clients?

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I sought to experience diverse tech cultures beyond the US, and Toucan, with its base in Paris, was an ideal match. Toucan aims to democratize data by making it accessible and understandable for all business users. This addresses the issue of data being secluded in 'ivory towers', enabling everyone in an organization to contribute to data-driven decision-making.

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As the Lead Generation and Content Manager, US, what are your main responsibilities at Toucan?

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My role is divided into lead generation and content creation. For leads, I collaborate with vendors and the sales team to meet or exceed our sales qualified opportunities targets. On the content side, my focus is on producing SEO-driven content like blogs, quizzes, and infographics for top-of-funnel awareness, and detailed bottom-of-funnel materials to aid the sales process.

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‍How do you lead your team to organize and improve the marketing-sales process to increase sales and enhance the customer experience?

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Leadership starts with aligning team goals with overarching company objectives through quarterly OKRs. Each department within my team has clear targets, fostering a sense of contribution to the broader mission. We bridge marketing and sales by linking marketing bonuses to sales outcomes, encouraging seamless inter-team cooperation.

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What is the overarching revenue-focused strategy of Toucan, and what key elements does it encompass?

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Our strategy revolves around a well-defined Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). By focusing on where we excel and win, we optimize our resources and messaging. Inbound clients outside the ICP are high-intent, ensuring efficient use of our efforts for both core and opportunistic markets.

What is an efficient marketing technique you've implemented that you think is underutilised?

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We emphasize bottom-of-funnel (BOFU) content over extensive social media efforts for B2B. Many overlook content that aids in closing deals, focusing instead on broad awareness. At Toucan, we ensure our sales team has the right tools through a content hub. Also, we're selective with social media, ensuring each platform has a clear purpose and measurable outcomes.

Has your LeadGen team experimented with cold outbound strategies like cold email? What were the outcomes?

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Yes, we've tried both automated and manual cold outreach. Automated emails didn't fare well, lacking personalization. However, a manual approach, combining marketing and sales with personal outreach, showed significantly better engagement by making the interaction feel less generic and more tailored.