In a recent interview, host John Golden talked with Chris Peer, the founder and CEO of Sinc Show, a top B2B online marketing agency. Chris has over 30 years of experience in marketing, sales, and client communication. He also wrote a book called The Great Eight Pillars: ROI-Driven Marketing for Manufacturing Companies. His goal is to help marketing teams prove their value and shift from being seen as a cost to a revenue-generating force.
The Challenge of Proving Marketing ROI
Many businesses struggle to prove the return on investment (ROI) from their marketing efforts. Marketing teams are often seen as a cost rather than a valuable asset. Sales teams and executives sometimes question whether marketing really drives revenue.
Chris wrote his book to help marketing departments show their impact. Although originally focused on manufacturing, the methods apply to any B2B business. Instead of focusing on specific tactics like SEO, he emphasizes the need for a strong marketing system.
Building a Marketing System
Chris explains that many companies don’t see strong ROI from marketing because they lack structure. Sales teams have clear processes and goals, but marketing is often treated as a set of random activities.
To fix this, Chris created eight key pillars to help businesses get real results from their marketing efforts.
The Eight Pillars of ROI-Driven Marketing
1. Set Clear Goals
Marketing should have specific revenue goals, just like sales teams. Businesses should know how much revenue marketing is expected to bring in.
Tip: Set SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Track the number of qualified leads and conversion rates.
2. Develop a Strong Strategy
A marketing strategy should be more than just a list of tactics. It needs to include a deep understanding of the audience, messaging, and channels for engagement.
Tip: Create a clear plan that outlines your audience, key messages, content strategy, and marketing channels. Update it regularly to stay relevant.
3. Build the Right Team
Many companies hire generalists for marketing. While this can work, it’s often better to have specialists for different areas like SEO, content creation, or analytics.
Tip: Identify skill gaps in your team. If needed, hire experts or freelancers to fill those gaps.
4. Refine Your Messaging and Branding
A strong brand message helps businesses stand out. Customers should clearly understand why they should choose your product or service over competitors.
Tip: Develop a strong value proposition and use customer stories to build credibility.
5. Turn Your Website Into a Lead Machine
Your website should do more than just provide information—it should actively generate leads.
Tip: Add lead capture forms, call-to-action buttons, and landing pages. Test different versions to see what works best.
6. Track the Right Metrics
Too many businesses focus on vanity metrics, like website traffic or social media likes. Instead, they should track metrics that show real business impact.
Tip: Use tools like Google Analytics or HubSpot to track conversions, customer acquisition costs, and lead quality.
7. Invest in the Right Technology
A well-integrated technology stack helps businesses streamline marketing efforts and make data-driven decisions.
Tip: Evaluate your current tools. Make sure they work together and support your marketing goals.
8. Use Templates and Guidelines
Efficiency is key. Having templates for emails, social media posts, and branding can save time and keep messaging consistent.
Tip: Create templates for common marketing tasks. Develop guidelines for branding and messaging to maintain consistency.
The Importance of the Right Team
Many companies expect one marketing person to do everything. This approach can lead to burnout and poor results. Chris suggests using a mix of full-time employees, freelancers, and specialists to create a well-rounded team.
Tracking the Right Data
Marketing teams often focus on surface-level metrics. Chris urges businesses to track meaningful data, like the number of sales-qualified leads and conversion rates. This helps show the real impact of marketing on revenue.
Navigating the Tech Landscape
With new AI tools emerging, businesses need to be smart about technology adoption. Chris warns against chasing every new tool and advises companies to focus on tech that truly supports their strategy.
Why a Strong Value Proposition Matters
A business needs a clear reason why customers should choose them over competitors. This is where storytelling and customer feedback become important. Companies should regularly gather insights from customers to refine their messaging.
Conclusion
Chris emphasizes that businesses must build a structured marketing system to show real ROI. By focusing on the eight pillars, companies can turn their marketing efforts into revenue-generating strategies.
John thanks Chris for his insights and encourages listeners to explore Sinc Show’s resources, including templates and tools for improving marketing effectiveness.
By following these strategies, marketing teams can prove their value and help drive long-term business success.
Our Host
John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.
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