If you have a system for delivering content to a lead that moves them along until they are ready to buy, then congratulations.
Really.
You’re one of the few businesses using a sales funnel to convert the leads who weren’t ready for your pitch (If you haven’t started a funnel yet, it’s not too late to start).
Don’t celebrate just yet, though, because there’s bad news. You’re still losing sales.
You’ve gathered prospects, turned them into leads and have been pumping them full of awesome content.
Now it’s time to start cashing in by optimizing the late funnel segment of your marketing efforts.
Let’s go over a couple of things.
Gathering fresh and targeted leads is the fuel that drives your business.
Without new business contacts, your sales team won’t have anyone to pitch and revenue will dry up.
Anyone who markets products and services to other businesses understands this, but what about the leads that aren’t ready to buy?
I’m guessing you’ve seen the term “growth hacking” floating around here and all over.
After all, it is one of the biggest buzzwords going on out there…
Blah.
Look, “growth hacking” is great and it (sometimes) works.
But the fact of the matter is…
Would you vote for Donald Trump if the election was today?
(Don’t answer that just yet.)
If you need a competitive advantage with your marketing, that yields a whole lot more leads and sales…
…It might surprise you that there are “growth hacks” you can learn from Trump.
You don’t have to agree with anything he says. You don’t have to like him.
But you’d be crazy not learning from him.
You can pick up a few growth marketing strategies and tactics to use. If you’re willing to look beyond the “noise” of it all.
This is applicable for any entrepreneur, executive or marketer.
Let’s look at Trump’s “growth hacks” and what you can learn.
Have you ever run into street hustlers?
They either try to sell you something, or get you to spend money on a card trick or whatever else.
You could learn a thing or two from them.
In general, hustlers and con men make for great stories and movies but…
…Their “tricks” involve shady ethics at best and criminal activity at worst.
Still, you could really learn something – as long as you stay on the ethical side of it all.
Few teams will have as much impact on your marketing as sales as a Growth Team will.
If you want to see exponential and predictable results from your marketing, you need one.
Getting that is more about timing and context than anything else.
For that, your team will make it or break it.
So, how and when do you build one?
Let me ask you something.
And I want you to be completely honest.
The question to you is: Do you know how your customers buy?
I don’t mean if you know the features and benefits of your software – I’m sure you do.
And I don’t care if you know how to answer every objection.
No, all that’s par for the course – but I’m interested in knowing if you know how, why, and when your customers purchase your software.
Do you know what you’re doing with your marketing?
Do you know the “How” and “When” of implementing growth marketing strategies and tactics?
If your work revolves around increasing leads and sales, the struggle is not about “If” you should use high-growth marketing, but more about “When” you should.
For many, the challenge facing anyone responsible for achieving growth via marketing is understanding where you are right this moment – and acting accordingly.
As a CMO, VP of Marketing, or anyone in Marketing, it’s not a question of “If” or “How” anymore, it’s a question of “When”.
You’re not going to win the “marketing lottery” with a campaign that generates hockey-stick growth.
You will probably never go “viral” or be a YouTube sensation.
The days of global vitality is largely over, as channels are becoming more fragmented and niche, while simultaneously disappearing.
For a B2C company, you don’t want to go viral anyway – you want bursts of growth that gives you momentum and vitality does not.
For a B2B company, your target market is not big enough – and that’s a good thing.
But you can, actually, achieve “hockey-stick” growth.