Today, it’s going to feel like I got sneaky. I’m seeing this trend so universally that it will feel like I put spyware on your computer. Here it is:

Your sales pipeline isn’t large enough and you’re doing marketing busywork instead of sales activities. 

Look, I said it’s universal. It’s me, hi. Somebody is reading this newsletter and thinking, “Where’s that proposal? Maybe you should pause these extended disco cut newsletters and get that done.” (That’s my head trash, but entirely fair if this was your reaction.) Spring and Summer 2024 kicked my ass in new and exciting ways. 

We all have times when life gives us detours, lemons, tsunamis. Enter your personal  variety of undesirable event that’s out of your control.

The good news is, for most of us, getting our sales back on track is a concise sprint, and the effort will be rewarded for several months. But you have to actually be doing sales activities.

Sales or marketing?

Pop quiz: which of these activities are sales?

• Posting on LinkedIn 

• Emailing your list

• Setting up a new offer landing page 

• Hosting a webinar

None of these activities is sales. Marketing is a one-to-many activity. Sales is a one-to-one activity. Marketing tells your story and invites people into the conversation. Sales turns people into customers who pay you. Most of you are focusing on marketing, and perhaps expecting it will do the sales for you. 

Inbound marketing is critical, but it’s a long-term play. Yes, your marketing might generate a hot lead who wants to pay you next week, or a quick burst of sales from your list. In sales terms, that’s called a bluebird. While I love a bluebird as a reward for the effort, it’s not a sustainable way to grow. 

Moving from unqualified lead to sale can take 3-18 months. Your marketing activities today -- of which you are probably doing enough -- will develop a robust pipeline for 2025 and beyond. So don’t stop marketing. This is a “yes and” situation.

If you need money immediately, contact existing customers. Whether it’s recurring sales or referrals, these are the highest percentage opportunities you have. If you work with larger companies, you’re set up and approved in their vendor systems. Reach out to them to check in. Find their extra budget. Make it easy for them to refer you.

If your sales are okay right now, but the next couple of months are murky, cultivate existing leads. Go back to your dormant, lapsed, past client, and closed/lost lists. Reach out to a few people each day until you identify enough qualified leads to fill in your sales gap. 

Same goes if your annual cycle is heavily dependent on Q4 sales. It’s a US presidential election year. Media noise and mental distraction will be high from October to early November. Start your conversations and outreach before we get into silly season. 

If you want growth in 3-18 months, ramp up inbound marketing activities. Generate lots of leads and start qualifying them. Work on outreach and list-building. 

Once you get your sales on track, block out time each week for dedicated sales work -- one-to-one outreach, meetings, proposals, contracts. Use a tracker. I use Pipedrive (with a hefty side of Zapier) for my inbound and renewal CRM, but your preferred CRM or even a spreadsheet or Airtable will work. Track your leads in a way that shows your most recent contact, the value of the potential sale, a status, and when you expect it to close. 

I’m committing to (1) suck it up and issue my apologies directly, (2) get those proposals out this week, and (3) contact at least 5 people in my “parked” list. If you aren’t sure where to start, identify five people you’ll contact by Friday with a quick check-in email. Just pick five and contact them with a simple, “Hey, you’ve been on my mind.” Before you know it, you’ll be back on track.

AMA Replay

We had a lively discussion in this month’s AMA, including some information sharing from our guests on setting new product marketing budgets, relying on Google, and future-proofing. (Hint: tell your preferred AI tool that you’re a five-year-old who wants an explanation. Evidently, this is not blocked by privacy rules.) 

Related to the future-proofing conversation, here are Joanna Bloor’s recommended resources:

• TLDR AI newsletter

• Decoder podcast 

• A16Z Podcasts 

Check out the replay here. And join us next on Thursday, September 12 at 10 AM PT.

Media Kit 

BloombergBusinessweek: Thanks to yards of locked product cases, I’ve become a Target drive-up customer. Are the gains from loss prevention (or “shrink”) greater than incremental sales deterred from the miserable shopping experience? 

TechCrunch: Google has been officially declared a search monopolist. (Duh.) The decision will be appealed, but Google will inevitably be required to do some amount of restructuring. In the AMA, the more immediate impact of Google Zero came up. If you’ve built your business on Google for SEO, content marketing, discovery, and/or lead generation, what does Google Zero mean for you? 

VML Insights: Do people really buy unbranded dupes on purpose? (It turns out yes, 33% of US adults and 70% of Gen Z admit it.) When does a dupe become a counterfeit? Is it even worth building a prestige brand anymore? All this and more from the Dupes Evolved report. 

USA Today: Did you experience a fraudulent or unauthorized withdrawal or transfer on Cash App? You may be eligible for up to $2,500 in damage claims. You must take action before November 18 to be considered in the $15 million settlement. More from the Cash App website. 

Dezeen: Got stinky feet? Just spray on a fresh sneaker. The Swiss shoe brand On has debuted a running shoe made of a sprayable material that takes just three minutes to assemble. While you can’t yet DIY at home, On now offers a circular sneaker subscription.