In the latest episode of Sales Leaders Talk, we talked to Stanislav Bajanik, Head of Marketing and Digital Transformation Specialist at O2 Business Services . He discusses how marketing and sales in the B2B world are increasingly merging into a single entity, which O2 calls MarcomSales – an agile workflow combining the work of salespeople, marketing teams and AI agents. We talked about how the speed of data analytics and the ability to react instantly to customer needs gives companies a competitive advantage, and why for Stanislav, growth is mainly a process of learning and finding new ways.
How do you think marketing and sales are connected today?
What has been working in B2C for years is gradually making its way into B2B – the digitisation and automation of processes, the use of data and algorithms (including AI) for analysis, assistance or the creation of hyper-personalised offers. The key challenge is to reconcile these technologies with the work of salespeople, who will always be irreplaceable in some segments. This requires a new perspective on the roles of marketing and sales. A hybrid ecosystem is emerging where these functions overlap and complement each other – marketers need to become more skilled marketers and marketing becomes part of sales. At O2 Business Services, we call this approach MarcomSales – an agile structure in which marketing and sales processes are integrated into one.
Where do you see the biggest synergies?
On the one hand, in the speed of campaign deployment, and on the other hand, in the instant data analysis that allows you to adapt activities to the current situation and customer needs.
What do you enjoy most about growth and how do you define it?
Discovering new opportunities – both business and personal. For me, growth is first and foremost a process of learning, exploring and finding new paths.
What technologies or tools are you currently using?
The scope is broad – from office and creative applications, to project management and communication tools, to analytics platforms and AI. I’m also experimenting with custom AI agents. I’m interested in UI/UX development, so I’m a big fan of interface design. Today, I start 80% of my work on mobile and finish about 60% of it. That’s also why I’m testing different mobile devices – I made the switch from Apple to Android mainly to integrate AI into interfaces (Gemini AI, Galaxy AI). I believe a personal AI assistant on mobile is already practically a reality. As a telco player, I realise that we need to learn to use technology wisely.
Why is sales and marketing still an exciting topic?
Because it’s about orchestrating a complex MarcomSales workflow. At the same time, new technologies open up opportunities – even smaller companies from Slovakia can go global at relatively low cost. It’s the next wave of democratization of business. The fact that today I can reach a potential customer in South America or Asia from Bratislava almost instantly and without knowing the language is a huge change.
Has your view of the customer changed?
Yes and no. The customer must always come first. What has changed, however, is that B2B clients today don’t expect a classic salesperson, but a partner who understands them and delivers value. Technology is important, but the human factor – the “human touch” that the customer perceives and appreciates – remains crucial.
How do you work with data?
We collect and analyze data from the different phases of marketing and sales, from simple excel to BI dashboards. However, in the future this will not be enough – the speed of response to new challenges will require a MarcomSales workflow with linked data and AI agents that will automate both processes and decision making. This is the journey we are currently working on.
What helps you to make decisions?
Experience, the right data and critical thinking. At the same time, I listen very carefully to colleagues and clients – they are all experts in their fields and I learn a lot from them. I believe it’s a win-win.
What role does personal brand and authenticity play?
In B2B, the human – the salesperson or account manager – is still the key element. Trust is naturally associated with people, not technology. A company is people and customers are people. In our segment, building trust is often the first and necessary step to any further discussion.
Which campaigns or projects do you consider the most successful?
I don’t see one campaign as the most important – each one has taught me something. Today, I consider the launch of the pilot phase of the MarcomSales workflow, where we are combining AI with the work of marketers and testing highly personalized micro-campaigns, to be a big success. We’re learning how to work with data in a new ecosystem and I think we’re leaders in this. But the biggest success is the team – I’ve met great partners, like Katka Simkova and the CloseRocket team, with whom we are doing great things not only in Slovakia.
What is the biggest challenge in today’s sales/marketing world?
Each company will need to create and maintain its own MarcomSales workflow – connecting technology to people without losing the ability to be a trusted partner. Because even in the digital world, it’s still primarily about people and for people.
