Why influencer skills are becoming essential for B2B CMOs  | With Archana Dhankar of Proofpoint

Why influencer skills are becoming essential for B2B CMOs | With Archana Dhankar of Proofpoint

August 11, 2026 · 33 min · Season 1 · Episode 71

About this episode

Archana Dhankar discusses the importance of visibility and influence for B2B CMOs and provides practical strategies for building influence.

Most B2B marketing leaders aren't short on expertise — they're short on the confidence and the practised skill to be visible with it, whether that's in the room with their own board or out in public. Archana Dhankar, VP Marketing EMEA at Proofpoint, TEDx speaker and LinkedIn Top Voice, joins Joel Harrison to unpack what it actually takes to build that visibility, internally and externally, and turn it into real influence. ➡️ She breaks down the practical mechanics of building influence: a 2:1 ratio for balancing self-promotion against value-added content, a three-stage framework for knowing when visibility has become influence (likes, saves, and inbound interest), and why trust compounds differently on a public platform than it does inside your own organisation. She's also candid about the cost — the professional accountability, the late nights, the posts that flop despite your best instincts — and closes with practical advice for reluctant leaders and junior marketers on where to start. What you'll learn Why visibility and influence are not the same thing, and how to tell them apart The 2:1 ratio Archana uses to keep self-promotion from tipping into ego A three-stage framework…

People in this episode

Host: Joel Harrison

Guest: Archana Dhankar

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Organizations: Proofpoint

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