Your guide to sales and marketing planning in 2023

Every business relies on sales and marketing efforts to achieve financial success. With a solid sales and marketing framework, growth is inevitable. Yet, you can’t have one without the other. The best way to utilize the perfect pairing of sales and marketing is through strategic planning. If you’re unsure where to start, this guide can help set you up for success in 2023.

Start tracking your data

To achieve success on any level, you must start tracking your data. Actionable insights are the missing link for companies that want to drive business outcomes from data. In sales and marketing, both are key to setting goals and targets. To start setting these goals, you must adjust your perception to reverse the funnel.

Reverse the funnel

When setting goals, it’s essential to reverse the funnel. This mindset adjusts your thinking to start with the end in mind. Here’s how it works:

• Start with your financial goal

The first step is to determine your financial goal. Let’s say you want $50,000 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR).

• Calculate the number of clients you need

To calculate the number of clients you need, you must understand the average customer MRR. In this example, your average customer MRR is $5,000. Take your initial MRR and divide it by your average customer MRR to determine the number of clients you need. Therefore, you need ten new clients.

$50,000 / $5,000 = 10

• Calculate the number of opportunities you need

You’ll need to dive into your previous sales to determine the number of new opportunities you need. Using your average win rate, divide that percentage by the number of new clients required. For this scenario, your average win rate is 25%. So, you’ll need 40 new opportunities to bring in the original MRR goal. 

10 / 0.25 = 40

• Calculate the number of leads you need

Finally, you’ll need to calculate the number of leads you need to meet each month's goal. If your average conversion rate is 5%, divide the number of opportunities required by 0.05. This will show you how many leads you’ll need. In this example, you’ll need 800 leads.

             40 / 0.05 = 800

Now that you know the number you need to hit your MRR, how do you plan to get those leads? Marketing, of course! A recent survey showed that 58% of MSPs don’t have a marketing plan, so setting yourself apart in the industry to achieve your business goals and bring in more leads is imperative.

Start with these two strategies

• Build your brand – Increase and improve the awareness and reputation of your brand and nurture relationships
• Generate leads – Bring in leads while knowing not everyone you talk to is a lead and, therefore, not a buyer

However, these strategies do not work independently—they are intertwined. To fully follow your marketing plan, you’ll need to keep both strategies at the forefront of your efforts.

Leverage your marketing channels

Determine what marketing channels you have available to you. What are you utilizing now? What channels can you add in 2023? Some examples include:

• Referrals
• Social media
• Content
• Email
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Virtual events
• In-person events
• Paid marketing

When choosing which channels to use, think about your past marketing efforts. Focus on what performed well historically and use that information to consider your approach today.

Keep in mind that marketing efforts are based on trial and error. What works for one MSP may not work for the next. Be mindful of this as you experiment with different channels and adjust accordingly. 

Create your marketing plan

• Select your channels

Think about the channels that you have available and pick which ones you plan to use.

• Consider the activities you can do with each channel

Will you send an email campaign to upsell current clients, blogs to improve SEO, webinars to position your business as a thought leader, or something else?

• Decide on the timing of each activity

Pick a month or quarter that you would like to run your campaign.

• Pull everything together into a marketing plan.

Your marketing plan should consist of the channels you will leverage, the activities you plan for each channel, and the timing of those activities.

The key to creating a marketing plan is making it work for you and your business. It doesn’t have to be overcomplicated. In fact, if you are starting out, keep it simple! Here's how.

Your 2023 marketing plan could be as simple as…

• Referrals

Create a more formal referral program with rewards for current customers that make referrals. Push campaigns out to clients to ask for referrals.

• Social media

Schedule a calendar of social media posts to bring traffic to your website. Test promoting the post with spend to see if that generates more leads.

• Email

Run an email campaign monthly to upsell current clients and stay ahead of your prospects. This can be set up as one-off emails or drip campaigns.

Whether you are a novice or a professional, start your 2023 strong with a sales and marketing framework that breaks down your metrics and sets you up for financial success.

Still trying to figure out where to start? We’d love to help! The ConnectWise Partner Program is your one-stop shop for immediate access to educational resources, in-depth training videos, marketing assets, go-to-market campaigns, and community-based events that will deepen your knowledge and expertise.