Accelerating Demand
Creation

Description

This rapidly advancing unicorn, encountered a roadblock when its lead quality and quantity began to decline, creating tension between the sales and marketing teams. This case study outlines how we built a robust Revenue Engine across a 167-member global marketing team to spark demand creation across all marketing and social marketing channels.

The Goals

• Improve Lead Quality: Ensure leads are ready for conversion

• Speed Up Demand Creation: Increase internal agility to capitalize on business opportunities

• Establish Clear Metrics: Create a framework of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for transparent performance tracking

The Approach

• Unite Marketing Strategy & Execution: Align and execute a global marketing strategy in tune with sales objectives, encompassing all marketing and social marketing channels

• Team Integration: Blend Inside Sales with the Global Marketing Team for a coordinated approach to demand creation

• Change Management Plan: Implement a plan to smooth the execution process and minimize operational hurdles

• Performance Tracking: Set and drive common KPIs across demand creation and inside sales to monitor and iteratively refine performance

Strategic Initiatives

• Revenue Funnel Redesign: Rebuild the revenue funnel with shared definitions between sales and marketing.

• Quantitative Lead Scoring: New model and funnel math for improved planning, and lead evaluation.

• Integration of Intent Data: Introduce intent data to Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) and Business Development Representatives (BDRs) for improved account intelligence and faster lead progression.

• Streamlined Handoffs: Create specific handoff protocols for priority leads, like demo requests, ensuring smooth transitions between marketing and sales.

The Results

1. New Lead Scoring: The new lead scoring model significantly improved lead quality.

2. Improved Teamwork: Streamlined processes and handoffs bolstered team coordination and readiness.

3. Growth Roadmap: Developed a growth plan harmonizing integrated marketing with Account-Based Marketing (ABM) strategies across all marketing and social marketing channels.

4. Pipeline Expansion: Achieved a 60% increase in pipeline growth, restoring sales confidence and building strong relationships.

Our four-month change management effort used both top-down and bottom-up communications for comprehensive team alignment. This two-way communication strategy encouraged co-creation among departments building in ownership early in the process.

Weekly check-ins with leadership across Demand Generation, Inside Sales, Product Marketing, Customer Marketing, Corporate Marketing, Partner Marketing, and Marketing Operations were a key success factor. We avoided the status trap. Instead, they became collaborative forums for shared insights and strategy refinement. As a united team, we ensured all pistons of the Revenue Engine were firing.

The strategies deployed significantly enhanced teamwork, streamlined workflows, and provided clear visibility. The unified approach to building a solid revenue engine transformed demand creation across marketing and social media channels resulting in a 60% boost in pipeline.