Cold Outbound Is Dying. Trusted Voices Are Replacing It.
Elaine Zelby of TOFU is building a GTM engine that runs on influence, intent, and actual buyer behavior first, not forms or sequences. Here’s what I learned.
I just recorded a podcast with Elaine Zelby, co-founder of TOFU and someone who’s helping reshape how B2B marketing actually works today.
She’s done the VC thing, the operating thing, and now she’s building her business around one big shift: your best buyers aren’t showing up through form fills or cold sequences. They’re showing up because someone they trust pointed them your way.
We got into what that means for modern GTM — and how TOFU is helping teams turn influence and intent into pipeline.
Here’s my take on the discussion.
1. Buyers are doing their homework in private — not in your funnel
“The number one place people go when they’re trying to figure out what tools to use is a Slack community. Or they’re texting their friend and being like, ‘Hey, have you ever heard of X?’”
Elaine said this early and often in the discussion. Most marketers still think buyers discover products by clicking ads or reading eBooks. But most real research now happens in places you can’t see — text threads, group chats, private Slacks.
My take:
We see this with our own clients. Great brands show up in both searches and conversations. Some of this can be done with smart media strategy but really, a lot of it is up to the brand.
If you’re not part of the circles where buyers are already asking for help, you’re invisible. And if your whole GTM motion depends on catching someone at the exact moment they raise their hand, you’re late (note - 95% of B2B buyers aren’t even in market at any one time).
2. Influence isn’t necessarily a channel — it’s more of a system
“You have to build credibility and trust. You can’t just say something once and have someone believe you.”
This is where a lot of B2B teams get stuck. They run influencer campaigns like ad buys… post a few things, sponsor a webinar, hope it moves pipeline. But trust doesn’t work that way.
My take:
I’ve made this mistake too, treating influence like a “thing” instead of a muscle. But the people who drive demand today show up consistently with a clear point of view.
They don’t need to be loud. They need to be believable.
The brands winning trust right now are doing it through people AND polished content, but they are definitely indexing on actual humans sharing actual beliefs. Over time this model works.
3. Good signals are better than good guesses
“People say the dark funnel is this big black box. But there are ways to see signals — like someone who comments on your post five times or keeps coming back to your site. That’s a signal.”
TOFU is trying this kind of behavior in their own marketing — not just leads, but interest. Elaine calls them “in-market moments,” and they’re often small, quiet things that happen before anyone’s ready to buy.
My take:
This is where marketing is headed. The best teams are surely working on tailored sequences. They they are also watching for for patterns.
Someone who reads three posts, shares one, and revisits your product page? That’s not a cold lead. That’s a play waiting to happen.
Signals give you a reason to start a conversation that feels earned, not forced.
4. New buyers, new rules
“Millennials and Gen Z don’t trust digital. They don’t click on ads. They’re not responding to cold outreach. They don’t want to be sold to.”
Elaine pointed out something a lot of teams are feeling but haven’t fully adapted to: the next wave of buyers doesn’t play by the old rules. They don’t respond as well to polished nurture streams or demand gen gimmicks. They trust people, not companies.
My take:
This isn’t a future that’s already here.
These new buyers grew up with spam filters, algorithm fatigue, and a reflex to ignore anything that smells like a sales pitch. But they do follow voices they trust. They do join Slack groups and ask for recs. They do pay attention when someone they respect shares something real.
So if you’re not building credibility in those circles or equipping your execs and influencers to show up there, you’re missing the moment.
The format has changed. So has the audience. It’s time GTM caught up.
5. AI helps you spot what matters — not decide what to do
“AI helps you synthesize information… but strategy is still human-led.”
Elaine’s perspective was clear: AI is a tool, not a strategist. It helps you connect dots faster, but it’s still on you to decide what to run, when to run it, and what message actually works.
My take:
Couldn’t agree more. We’re using AI across our work at Mighty & True, not to replace people, but to reduce friction. My mantra is
Frameworks - Systems we’ve built for tech marketing over the last 10+ years
AI Assist - Having AI use those frameworks to “assist” humans with context (see next)
Humans with Context - We still need smart humans with a lot of context to use our frameworks and AI assist to build smart strategy.
This creates clarity at speed. AI helps you surface signals and line up the right play — but only if the strategy is already sharp.
Final Thoughts
Most GTM teams say they want influence and trust, but they’re still operating like it’s 2014.
They’re optimizing sequences, tweaking paid channels, and chasing MQLs like the old rules still apply. What Elaine’s building is a reminder that the real shift is in behavior.
Buyers trust people, not brands. They ask friends, not forms. And the teams who figure out how to meet them there — with signal, consistency, and real presence — are going to win.
Simple as that.
🎧 Listen here: Tech Marketing Rewired Podcast
🔥 Tech Marketing Rewired is for B2B and tech CMOs rethinking how brand, demand, and AI actually work together. If that’s you, subscribe and send it to a friend.
Want help building this kind of GTM? → mightyandtrue.com