Relationships are built through consistency, honesty, and a commitment to helping people succeed

Rebecca Cohen, VP of Strategic Accounts, APAC

If you’ve worked in B2B marketing or sales across APAC for any length of time, you’ll know this already: it’s a small world.

You see the same people move between companies. You reconnect at events. You’re introduced through mutual contacts. And over time, you build a network that isn’t just professional, it’s personal.

That’s why trust matters so much in our market.

In larger markets, you can sometimes get away with being transactional. You might win a deal based on a feature, a price point, or a short-term need. But in Australia and across our wider region, that approach doesn’t hold up for long. People remember how you show up. They remember whether you delivered. And they remember how you made them feel along the way.

Trust is the foundation

It’s the foundation of how I work.

I’ve been fortunate to build long-term relationships with marketers, agency partners, and sales leaders across our region. Those relationships aren’t built on a single campaign or a single conversation. They’re built over time, through consistency, honesty, and a genuine commitment to helping people succeed in their roles.

Because the reality is, the people we work with are under pressure.

Marketing leaders are being asked to deliver more pipeline, prove ROI, and justify every investment. Sales teams need leads they can trust with real in-market buyers. Making a change – whether that’s a new partner, strategy, or approach – can feel like a risk.

That’s where trust becomes critical.

What does success look like?

When I sit down with a customer, my priority isn’t to sell. It’s to understand. What are they trying to achieve? What’s working? What isn’t? Where are the gaps?

Just as importantly: what would success look like for them?

Sometimes that leads to a partnership. Sometimes it doesn’t. Either way, I want that person to walk away feeling like they’ve had a valuable conversation and not a pitch.

Because in markets like those across Asia, you don’t just build a reputation through what you say. You build it through what you do, consistently, over time.

That’s becoming even more important as our industry evolves.

Transparency and accountability

There’s a lot of noise in B2B marketing right now. New technologies, new platforms, new promises. AI is changing the landscape, and that’s exciting. But it also makes it harder for marketers to know who to trust.

I hear it all the time: “How do I know this will actually work?”

It’s a fair question.

For me, the answer always comes back to transparency and accountability. Being clear about how things work. Being honest about what’s achievable. And most importantly, staying close to the outcome: making sure the customer sees results.

Because at the end of the day, this isn’t about campaigns or channels.

It’s about people.

It’s about helping someone do their job better, feel more confident in their decisions, and ultimately succeed.

And in markets as connected as those across APAC, that’s what builds lasting partnerships.

Not just transactions. Trust.

Want to know more about how Demand AI and I can help your organization succeed? Contact me at rebecca.cohen@demandai.co.