Keith Trimels
Verified Expert in Marketing
Marketing Expert
Cheyenne, United States
Toptal member since October 5, 2026
Keith is a freelance marketing and sales copy strategist with more than 25 years of technical and B2B technology storytelling experience. He specializes in creating high-impact strategy and content that translate complex insights into compelling narratives, establish brand authority, and connect with decision-makers and their technical experts. He's worked remotely since 2004 with clients on 6 continents.
Project Highlights
Education Highlights
Expertise
- B2B Marketing
- Brand Strategy
- Content Marketing Strategy
- Copywriting
- Digital Marketing Strategy
- Email Campaigns
- Lead Generation
- Marketing Strategy
Work Experience
Content and Marketing Strategist | Copy Chief
Engineer Your Copy
- Created sales positioning and proposal structure for IBM's zSystem launch, generating more than $1.0 billion in sales through compelling technology storytelling.
- Rebuilt a complete B2C eCommerce site using WordPress from the website through a digital marketing strategy, increasing annual sales by 430% YoY through authentic brand storytelling and optimized customer journeys.
- Designed and created brand strategy for a new global investment analyst/advisor in the highly regulated financial services industry.
- Created a 20-page thought leadership document and executive presentation for JPMorgan Chase's new global CIO, synthesizing complex and disparate IBM activities into a cohesive strategic narrative.
- Ghostwrote blockchain thought leadership blog series, translating complex distributed ledger technology into accessible narratives that positioned the client as an innovation leader while resonating with both technical and business audiences.
- Developed a cybersecurity-focused whitepaper for an IBM subject matter expert advising the FBI and the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) on critical infrastructure protection.
- Created dozens of executive presentations and sales pitches that synthesized complex technical offerings and portfolios into cohesive business narratives for C-suite audiences across financial services, technology, and enterprise sectors.
- Ghostwrote a 200-page narrative book capturing real-life childhood near a WWII German concentration camp, balancing historical accuracy and emotional resonance to capture an authentic voice across deeply human stories.
- Designed and created a complete GTM marketing and sales funnel for an M&A client. The project ran from lead gen to sales call and included podcast/social, landing page, website, email nurturing, etc.
- Created and built an entire customer re-engagement marketing funnel for an Australian industrial client, from lead gen to a 12-month ongoing engagement and education program mixing both digital and in-person channels.
Principal
IDT Group
- Led the design and development of dozens of in-person and e-learning courses for governments throughout the US, ranging from engineering applications, such as bridge inspection and RWIS, to instructor development (train-the-trainer).
- Spearheaded the instructional design efforts for a national rural highway safety center that served local transportation personnel, which included curriculum design, course design and development, and micro-learning deliveries.
- Led the design and development of an e-learning curriculum for HOA board members, including a comprehensive course for new board members and a library of continuing education courses on topics including finance, legal, writing, and contracting.
- Managed the design and development of the instructor development course (IDC) for the Wim Hof Breathing Method, and delivered the inaugural event in North America.
- Designed and delivered the global warranty update training course for IBM to geographies worldwide.
- Delivered over a dozen training courses across the US, including topics ranging from transportation safety and technology to finance and budgeting.
Western Regional Manager
Mixon Hill
- Wrote a winning proposal and managed a $2 million national database development project for the US government, managing a team of engineers and software developers.
- Led business development throughout the western US from Topeka, KS, to Hawaii.
- Led the development and successful test deployment of a prototype on-demand video monitoring system for transportation networks in reaction to the 9/11 evacuation in Washington, DC.
ITS, Safety, and Traffic Operations Engineer
Federal Highway Administration
- Provided training and consulting to state DOTs throughout the US on the application of technology to rural transportation applications.
- Led the development of a multi-state transportation technology deployment that covered 3 major interstate corridors.
- Provided federal oversight on highway construction projects throughout Wyoming, ranging in value from $100,000 to $20 million.
Supervisory Highway Engineer
Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Managed a 350-mile transportation network spread across two Native American reservations in central Arizona, including coordination with tribal councils/governments on each reservation.
- Developed a 5-year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), then worked with the tribal council and leadership to obtain council approval.
- Planned and administered an annual $1 million road maintenance budget, including all personnel management and performance evaluation.
- Worked as the engineer-in-charge on highway construction projects ranging from $100,000 to $6 million.
Project History
IBM zSystem Launch Proposal
- Over $1 Billion — Topline Revenue
IBM was preparing for zSystem (mainframe) launch and was looking for a way to allow sales teams to create a customized proposal depending on the customer’s needs. The final proposal needed to effectively convey brand messaging and key sales points regardless of the components, the sales team members, or geography.
I designed a modularized proposal system that allowed the sales teams to create a custom proposal from the buffet of possible hardware, then guided IT teams in creating the technology structure to enable the sales teams to create a customized proposal through point and click. I then led content creation for the proposal modules, including creating over 80% of the content, followed by leading the system test prior to launch, completing the entire process in 2-3 months.
IBM sales details are proprietary, so exact numbers aren’t available, only ranges. This proposal system was used to generate 60%-80% of zSystem sales on topline revenues of $1.7 billion for the zSystem line globally during launch year.
Cirino's Bloody Mary Mix
http://www.cirinosbmm.com- 430% YoY — Revenue Growth
The client’s website was dated, and their eCommerce business channel was not performing as well as their in-person channels. So the client asked for a eCommerce strategy, along with a digital rebrand strategy, that would lift sales.
I developed an entire eCommerce strategy and customer journey from the ground up. I redesigned the Cirino’s digital brand, along with the entire WordPress website and eCommerce store, then worked with my design team to rebuild the entire website and Shopify store for both retail and wholesale ops. I then designed and executed a re-engagement strategy for their dormant email list, along with an ongoing email marketing strategy and full eCommerce store abandoned cart, welcome, and order sequences. I then worked with my team to design a Facebook lead gen system using ManyChat and Facebook Live.
I produced email open rates that consistently exceeded 40% and engagement that translated into in-person events, all ultimately leading to a 430% YoY increase for the brand’s eCommerce channel.
JPM Chase Global CIO Dossier
- 8% — Account Value Growth
IMB’s sales team for the JP Morgan Chase account was preparing for the new, incoming global CIO of JPMC. To maintain and grow the account value, they had scheduled an initial meeting with him in his first week, and wanted to share a comprehensive overview of the IBM/JPMC relationship so they could maintain or grow the account value.
I worked with the sales team to understand their account status as well as their internal goals for the upcoming year. I then researched the JPMC global CIO as well as his team, and built a custom persona for the document. I then designed a document structure that captured the story of the IBM/JPMC relationship, the business value to JPMC, as well as appropriate technical detail for the CIO and his technical team, completing the 20+ page dossier project in 3 weeks.
Not only did the account start off well, IBM’s sales team was able to increase the 9-figure value of the account by 8% over the following year.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering
Arizona State University - Tempe, AZ, USA
Certifications
Professional Engineer
State of Wyoming
Certified Master Trainer
National Highway Institute
Professional Engineer
State of California
Skills
Core
Email Marketing, Copywriting, Marketing Strategy, Brand Strategy, Brand Marketing, Lead Generation, Email Campaigns, Content Strategy, Content Marketing Strategy, Content Marketing, Content Creation, Digital Marketing Strategy, Social Media, Agile, Digital Marketing, Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), Go-to-market (GTM) Strategy, Social Media Strategy, Funnel Marketing, Funnel Optimization, Marketing Campaigns, B2C Marketing
Platforms & Tools
LinkedIn Profiles, Asana, Linkedln, Monday.com, Adobe InDesign, Canva, Claude
Business Models
B2B
Technical
HTML
Other
Microsoft Office, Storytelling, White Papers, Adult Learning, Online Learning, Instructional Design, Client Management, Project Budget Management, Budget Management, Training, Sales Strategy, Launch Strategy, B2B Lead Generation, B2B Marketing, Market Research, Ghostwriting, Exercise & Fitness, Technical Writing, Technical Training, WordPress, Engineering, Email Design, Project Management, Visual Learning Design, Learning Management Systems (LMS), Government, Information Technology, Offline Marketing, Business Development, Proposals, Construction, Windows, Website Design, UX Design, eCommerce Design, Creative Strategy, Growth Strategy, Negotiation, Creative Problem Solving, Sales Enablement, Strategic Communication & Messaging, Demand Generation, Email Optimization, Marketing Optimization, Brand Positioning, Hootsuite, AI Content Creation, Content Management, Figma, Jira, Basecamp, Hotjar, ChatGPT, Gemini, YouTube, ManyChat, Shopify, Articulate Rise, Zapier, Articulate Storyline, Design, Public Speaking, Surveying, Performance Planning, Facebook, eCommerce, Growth Marketing, Buffer, Consumer Branding
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