Welcome to the era of B2H w/ Matt Lyman

The Front Lines

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Matt Lyman.

VP of Marketing · Flosum

Matt Lyman is a marketing leader with nearly 20 years of experience across operations, demand generation, account-based marketing (ABM), and integrated campaigns. He thrives on turning bold ideas into revenue-driving strategies, with a focus on getting the right lead to the right person at the right time—with the right context. For Matt, what some call marketing magic is really a smart mix of data, timing, and a little luck. Passionate about funnel optimization and cross-functional collaboration, Matt ensures sales teams are fully equipped to exceed their goals. He’s a firm believer in mentoring and empowering teams, constantly testing new messaging and strategies, and never settling for “good enough.” Outside of his marketing work, Matt channels his commitment to diversity, inclusion, and accessibility through R.I.D.E. 4 ALL, a non-profit he runs to promote inclusive recreation for people of all abilities. When he’s not solving marketing puzzles, you’ll likely find him out on two wheels, enjoying a long bike ride.

Guest

Matt Lyman

VP of Marketing

Company:

Flosum

Location:

Greater Seattle Area

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In this episode of The Marketing Front Lines, we speak with Matt Lyman, VP of Marketing at Flosum. Matt brings a unique perspective to B2B marketing, having evolved from bankruptcy collections to theater background into marketing leadership. His philosophy centers on "business-to-human" (B2H) marketing—recognizing that even in B2B environments, you're always selling to people, not companies. Through his experience across multiple industries, from financial services to DevOps, Matt has developed a flexible, person-centric approach that emphasizes emotional connection and authentic engagement over traditional enterprise messaging.

Topics Discussed:

Building a person-centric B2B marketing philosophy
Breaking through conservative industry mindsets with creative campaigns
Balancing multiple buyer personas and decision-making units
Testing emotional and humorous content in B2B environments
Learning from deal losses to improve messaging and positioning
Managing marketing priorities across different product lines
Drawing inspiration from B2C emotional marketing tactics

Six takeaways from this conversation.

Actionable for DEV founders

Adopt Business-to-Human (B2H) Marketing
Move beyond traditional B2B vs B2C distinctions by recognizing you're always selling to people. Even enterprise buyers have emotions, interests, and cultural touchpoints. Matt advocates for understanding the human element behind every business decision, which opens up opportunities for more engaging and memorable marketing approaches.
Use Cultural Moments as Marketing Opportunities
Don't let industry conservatism prevent you from leveraging cultural touchstones. Matt's March Madness campaign idea was rejected because "enterprise people don't do March Madness," but millions of brackets filled out annually prove otherwise. Strategic use of sports, entertainment, and generational references can break through noise when aligned with your audience's interests.
Test Emotional Content in B2B Channels
Social media platforms offer safe testing grounds for more creative, humorous content. Companies can experiment with personality-driven messaging, memes, and cultural references on LinkedIn, Twitter, or industry-specific communities to gauge audience response before scaling to broader campaigns.
Learn More from Losses Than Wins
Systematically analyze lost deals to identify messaging gaps, product positioning issues, or competitive weaknesses. Matt emphasizes that understanding why prospects say no provides more actionable insights than celebrating wins. This intelligence should directly inform product marketing, sales enablement, and content strategy.
Balance Personas Through Data-Driven Resource Allocation
Rather than trying to equally serve all buyer personas, use historical performance data to determine where to focus resources. Allocate based on which personas get you in the door versus which ones actually buy, while continuously testing and optimizing underperforming segments.
Know Your Product's Limitations and Strengths
New marketing leaders should spend significant time understanding not just product features, but internal perceptions, competitive positioning, and real-world customer feedback. This includes reviewing sales calls, customer interviews, and competitive analyses to identify authentic differentiators rather than relying on marketing collateral.

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