Interview with Elsa Dithmer from Auvik

Often, the path that we take defines who we are. Your experience speaks volumes about your journey, from Lifetime Fitness to VP, Demand Gen at Auvik. How has this journey shaped you into becoming the leader you are today?

My journey has been defined by my eagerness to take on challenges, a commitment to excellence, and a heartfelt enthusiasm for learning. I’ve embraced every opportunity with an open mind, taking a ‘no job is too small’ approach, and always striving to do my best while finding ways to make the journey fun and engaging. At Lifetime, for example, I was promoted to supervisor of the child care center and made it my mission to find ways to make the end of shift cleaning process more enjoyable by divvying up responsibilities evenly, taking on the bathroom cleaning and adding in award systems. It may have been a small job but it made a difference!

This mindset has shaped my leadership approach today—one that encourages curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to step outside of comfort zones. I expect and inspire my team to adopt the same philosophy: be proactive, be helpful, and continuously seek knowledge. Success comes from a combination of effort, adaptability, and having fun along the way.

Elsa, you were the director of Global Sales Development. The experience a marketer can gain from sales is monumental. What are some things you learned or surprised you that helped you drive marketing outcomes?

I first managed the BDR team at Planview, which was an outbound team for an enterprise product, and I now lead the BDR team at Auvik, which is an inbound team for a much more transactional model. One thing for sure, being a BDR/SDR is one of the most challenging yet impactful roles in an organization—one that both sales and marketing cannot afford to undervalue.

My time in sales development has deepened my appreciation for the effort required to engage prospects and convert leads into meaningful conversations. I feel strongly that the BDR team needs to be ready to meet the customer where they are by being available and responsive to every inquiry. This experience taught me that great marketing is not just about generating demand; it’s about ensuring that every lead is acted on as quickly as possible and nurtured with the right level of engagement.

B2B Marketing teams are now realizing the value of emotional experiences. But, as the decision-making process becomes a group project and not a solo play, how do you connect with different viewpoints emotionally to get them on the same page?

At Auvik, it’s instilled in us from the beginning, starting with our brand positioning, that we must start with the ‘golden circle’ or the ‘why’. I believe this is invaluable when getting people to align on anything. When people understand the deeper purpose behind an initiative, it allows for full commitment and clarity by all stakeholders from the beginning. Whether it’s an internal team or external decision-makers, I work to ensure that the broader impact of our efforts is well communicated. By tying every initiative back to business outcomes, customer needs, and a common vision, we can create an emotional connection that aligns various perspectives and drives collective action.

Directing the prospects’ full-funnel experience is vital for success. However, there are many pitfalls that marketing teams can fall into. In your experience, what are some overlooked pitfalls that affect the buyer’s journey?

I think the most overlooked pitfall is not prioritizing ‘speed to lead’ to all areas of the buyer’s journey. It is so important to meet the customer where they are – right place, right time, all the time! Failing to get in touch and stay in touch with the buyer during their journey is detrimental to the sales cycle. Buyers expect quick responses, seamless transitions between marketing and sales, and consistent engagement that keeps them informed and nurtured. Delayed follow-ups or disjointed messaging can lead to lost opportunities and frustrated prospects who can quickly turn to competitors for a more cohesive experience.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Lead quality. It’s been a hot topic for a while now. Businesses are frustrated with the quality they are generating. Why do you think this has been such a persistent problem in the industry?

The million dollar question! I will say that I learned early at SolarWinds that it is so important to stay consistent with your agreed upon MQL/SQL sources between marketing and sales. We were always very strict that product downloads were the only leads sales would follow up on. Although at times it limited our marketing efforts, it did keep us focused and consistent in terms of leads and their quality.

At Auvik, in the last year or so, we have shifted our focus toward high-intent leads and meetings, ensuring that we are prioritizing those most likely to convert first and foremost. With this effort, refining our qualification processes, leveraging data insights, and maintaining alignment with sales, we’ve been able to mitigate frustrations surrounding lead quality and maximize conversion potential.

Content has always played a pivotal role in driving buyers into the funnel. We can go as far as to say that content is the experience itself before the sale. But how can content become more than just a piece- when does it become an asset?

When a piece of content has legs! I love when content can be repurposed into many different types. This supports my ‘meet the customer where they are’ mentality. I want content that can be consumed in multiple ways – a long form, a summary/bulleted list, a webinar, a podcast, a video! Let’s spread the message loud and far and be available in places and formats that allow for mass consumption no matter how you like to consume your content. High-value content—whether in the form of thought leadership, case studies, or interactive tools—should provide actionable insights that empower buyers. When content is well-optimized, highly relevant, and consistently delivers value, it establishes authority, nurtures prospects, and ultimately accelerates pipeline velocity.

Auvik has a great product. The CIO and CISO of an organization will quickly grasp the implications of your product. However, how do you create the same impact for decision-makers who are not as tech-savvy as you would want them to be?

We recognize that our audience consists of both ‘tryers’ and ‘buyers’—those who prefer a hands-on experience and those who rely on research and insights to make informed decisions. To bridge this gap, we offer a range of options, from product trials for those who want to explore its capabilities firsthand to demos, videos, and educational content for those seeking a clearer understanding before engaging. By providing flexible ways for prospects to interact with our product, we ensure that each stakeholder, regardless of technical expertise, can see the value in Auvik in a way that resonates with them.

The blog on Auvik’s website is exceptional. It’s almost like a complete playbook for managing your IT stack better, and that’s just the tip of your content iceberg. Presenting such high-level information for free is rare these days. Can you tell us a bit about the idea behind it?

Thanks for noticing our blog – we work really hard to keep it live and relevant! At Auvik, our mission is to provide frictionless IT, and that commitment extends beyond our product—it’s embedded in everything we do, including our content strategy. We believe that education and knowledge-sharing should be accessible to all IT professionals, regardless of whether they are customers or prospects, easily. Our blog serves as a trusted resource where industry experts can gain insights, best practices, and strategic guidance. By fostering a culture of learning, we strengthen our relationship with the IT community and reinforce our position as a go-to authority in the industry.

The non-linearity of the B2B buyer has forced marketing teams to curate every touchpoint to perfection. This is to gain predictability. But, time and again, marketing has proved to be uncertain. What role does demand Gen play in navigating this uncertainty with confidence?

Oh, I think Demand Gen can play a big role in eliminating any sense of uncertainty by, of course, being consistent, but also communicative if things don’t go as planned. I don’t think there is such a thing as ‘over-communication’ when it comes to Demand Gen campaigns and outcomes. People hate to be surprised, and the best way to avoid that is to keep everyone in the loop.

I encourage my team to get creative and test things but also be honest with the results and make decisions quickly. Our CMO at Auvik, Susanne Rodriguez, really helps with this by encouraging us to test things to ‘prove her wrong’ – it’s become a really fun challenge and even better to have the bragging rights when a test wins!

The GTM group that you started for women is an inclusive project. Organizations talk about diversity and equality, but how often it ends up as an activity and not a lived philosophy. How can amazing ideas be found and incorporated while eliminating any preconceived notions about them?

Okay – I am very passionate about Women’s Networking groups but I think a little background may help. I am one of four daughters, and our father has always worked in the corporate world. He was such a hard worker and I attribute a lot of my drive to him. All of my sisters and I are now working in the corporate world and this is huge thanks to his guidance, network, and support. I feel so lucky to have this resource, but it quickly came to my attention that not everyone has this, and it is truly harder for women to climb the corporate ladder without a strong network.

I’ve now made it my mission to create a safe space for the women in my life, both personally and professionally, to discuss all things related to women in the workplace. I find that creating the space, showing up and being authentic ultimately fosters an environment that women can grow, network and be unapologetically ambitious!