Podcast Summary: "From Silos To Revenue With Luis Baez"

Podcast: The Best SEO Podcast: Defining the Future of Search with LLM Visibility™
Host: Matthew Bertram (MatthewBertram.com, EWR Digital)
Guest: Luis Baez (Consultant, Sales & Revenue Expert)
Date: December 22, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Matthew Bertram sits down with Luis Baez, an accomplished sales leader and revenue consultant, to explore how breaking down silos between sales, marketing, and operations leads to increased organizational efficiency and revenue. The conversation is a deep dive into current agency challenges, the evolution of the sales-marketing relationship, LLM (Large Language Model) impacts on data and discovery, and the frameworks agencies can adopt to unify processes and scale predictably in the age of AI.

Key Discussion Points

1. The Changing Landscape: Breaking Down Silos

• Main Point: Sales, marketing, and operations are increasingly interconnected; separate “fiefdoms” and siloed data are roadblocks for growth.
  • “I step in and typically I see silos and I see chaos that is ensuing because of it.” — Luis Baez [06:22]
• There's a need for a top-down alignment on North Star goals, expectations, and a unified view of the customer journey.
  • Marketing introduces possibilities, sales consults and guides the journey. Both must collaborate for true customer-centric outcomes. [04:40]

2. Data Unification in the Age of LLMs

• Matt and Luis highlight the pain of data trapped in disparate platforms and the challenge for marketers and sales teams alike.
  • “With the advent of LLMs, the unification of unstructured data... the more you can help clean it up, the better it is for them.” — Matthew Bertram [07:54]
• Increasing need for internal data cleanliness and making business information easily accessible for both humans and AI models who will surface it to potential buyers.

3. Diagnosing & Transforming Organizations

• Luis describes his consulting process:
  • Begins by fostering “oxygen and space for listening” to overcome fear, internal politics, and assumptions. [11:09]
  • Focuses on holding up a mirror, prompting organizations to discover inefficiencies themselves instead of dictating changes.
  • “I'm re-educating them on their own business by just holding the mirror up and letting them see for themselves where the spinach is between their teeth.” — Luis Baez [11:09]

4. From Cheesecake Factory Menus to Michelin-Star Offers

• Common agency mistake: Offering too many services—being reactive to market demands—which confuses customers and affects profitability.
  • “Their menu looks like a Cheesecake Factory menu... It's not very clear what their area of expertise is.” — Luis Baez [17:03]
• Transition to a “prefix menu” approach: Curate and productize core offerings, standardize delivery, and become known for excellence in specific areas.

5. Productization and Revenue Operations

• Agencies must resist the urge to serve every client need; focus on a narrowed, premium offering backed by a repeatable process.
• Emphasis on implementing revenue operations (RevOps): Standardizing systems, reporting, and automations so that sales and marketing work in unison.
  • “The data is the data, anywhere you step into it has to be leveraged every step of the way.” — Luis Baez [25:45]

6. Leveraging AI & LLMs in Practice

• Use transcripts from sales calls, feed them into LLMs for analysis, and improve messaging, consultative skills, and marketing effectiveness. [25:20]
  • Automation, not just for efficiency, but for actionable insights on client interactions and process weak points.

7. Case Studies: Real Agency Turnarounds

• PR Agency Example: Disorganized contracts, delivery, and pricing fixed by implementing a CRM, identifying contract sweet spots, productizing services, and leveraging data for decisions.
  • Focused on repeatable results, clear client journeys, and scalable, predictable growth. [27:14]
• Emphasized partnerships and diverse revenue channels: Speaking, referrals, and being the “agency of record” expand reach.

8. Shifting Search and Buyer Behavior

• The new B2B customer is 75% through their journey before speaking with sales; they rely on LLMs, peer reviews, and brand searches.
  • “A customer is about 75% of the way there... you have to actually stop selling and you have to just focus on consulting.” — Luis Baez [33:34]
• The modern company website/blog is less about direct conversion and more about being a transparent, all-encompassing knowledge base for both customers and LLMs.

9. The Value of Human Connection in the AI Age

• Despite the AI boom, what customers seek is authentic human connection and trust.
  • "The most underestimated thing... is actually just human connection. I think people know that the text was AI generated... What we need is connection.” — Luis Baez [38:29]
• In-person experiences, consistency, and reputation matter more than ever among B2B decision-makers.

10. Tools and Tech Stack Recommendations

• No universal solution—fit depends on company needs and scale, but essentials include:
  • Cloud-based CRM (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce, Monday.com)
  • Revenue intelligence/call analytics (e.g., Gong, Fathom) for coaching and conversion improvement. [42:03]
  • Marketing/sales automation for outreach (Heyreach for LinkedIn, Instantly for cold email)
  • Overarching advice: Prioritize systems that deliver actionable performance data and facilitate human-to-human sales excellence.

Notable Quotes

• On Data Unification:
  “There’s just not a way to... connect these systems or to make the data and reporting available to the other teams. So there isn’t that cross-pollination... you need marketing and sales playing together on that same platform.” — Luis Baez [06:22]

• On Changing Agency Offerings:
  “We’ve got to go from the Cheesecake Factory menu to the Michelin star prefix menu. And that is the most difficult part. The rest of it, there’s a blueprint...” — Luis Baez [19:58]

• On Agency Transformation:
  “Let’s make sure that you are right-sizing the things that you offer... tie all this together into a signature framework or method.” — Luis Baez [18:25]

• On Customer Journeys Today:
  “Searching online is kind of like everywhere, right? Like you need to optimize everywhere.” — Matthew Bertram [35:18]

• On AI and Human Value:
  "I think we’re in the AI overload age... What we need is connection... There’s a rise in conferences and things like that on the B2B side.” — Luis Baez [38:29]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Introduction and Setting the Stage: [00:00 – 04:40]
• Breaking Down Silos & The Sales-Marketing Synergy: [04:40 – 07:54]
• Data Unification & Internal Organizational Change: [07:54 – 13:58]
• Diagnosing Problems and Facilitating Buy-In: [13:58 – 17:03]
• Agency Productization: Menus & Methodologies: [17:03 – 25:20]
• Revenue Operations and AI-driven Iteration: [25:20 – 27:02]
• PR Agency Case Study: [27:14 – 31:25]
• Discussion: AI, Human Experience, and Search Evolution: [31:51 – 38:29]
• Current Search Patterns & LLM Optimization Tactics: [33:34 – 36:32]
• Proven Frameworks: Revenue Recode & Booked Busy Paid: [36:32 – 38:05]
• Hidden Secrets & Future Focus on Human Connection: [38:20 – 39:34]
• Recommended Tech Stack and Tools: [42:03 – 45:08]
• Closing Thoughts and Guest Info: [45:18 – End]

Frameworks Mentioned

• Revenue Recode Method:
  Diagnose agency offerings, productize for scalability, standardize customer experience, and build signature processes.

• Booked Busy Paid™ System:
  Automates CRM note-taking, appointment reminders, and streamlines sales delivery while leveraging actionable data dashboards.

Final Insights

• The shift from siloed, scattershot agency services to standardized, data-driven offers is essential for sustainable growth in the AI era.
• Success now depends on mastering the interplay between transparent information, leveraging AI for process optimization, and delivering consistent, deeply human customer experiences.
• Agencies and companies should regularly “step out” of daily operations to holistically examine their funnels, data, and client experience end-to-end.