Growth orchestration

Get a grip on what's actually working and what needs course correction. Use data and experiments to make decisions instead of opinions. See how changes in one part of the system affect everything else. Random tactics don't compound, coordinated ones do.

Growth orchestration

Introduction

Growth doesn’t fail because teams lack effort, it fails because they focus on the wrong things. A strategy isn’t a document: it’s how you decide what to do next.

In this section, I’ll share the frameworks I use to help B2B teams prioritise their efforts, run experiments, and stay focused on what drives compounding growth.

You’ll learn how to set direction without guesswork and turn your growth system into a learning machine. Strategy is what keeps the chaos under control.

Foundation

Strategy and systems before execution. Framework and infrastructure that everything else depends on.

Compound growth

Compound growth

Meet Random Rick, Specialist Steve, and Solid Sarah. See why only one approach compounds. Understand how small improvements across 12 metrics multiply into significant results.

Customer research

Customer research

Uncover specific pain points, validate assumptions, and reveal what actually drives buying decisions. Run research that produces actionable insights, not just interesting quotes.

Build

Core deliverables targeting specific metrics. Each playbook improves one performance indicator systematically.

Quarterly strategy

Quarterly strategy

Run quarterly business reviews that assess current state, set ambitious but realistic goals, build actionable roadmaps, and define key results that keep everyone aligned.

Monthly review

Monthly review

Analyse monthly performance data across all four growth engines. Identify what is working, what is not, and make tactical adjustments using a structured decision framework.

Weekly scorecard

Weekly scorecard

Set up and run the weekly 12-metric review across all four growth engines. Structure the meeting, assign ownership, use traffic lights, and escalate issues that need attention.

Optimise

Ongoing improvement systems. Experimentation and automation that compound results over time.

Experimentation

Experimentation

Run tests across all growth engines using proper hypothesis formation, test design, and statistical significance. Build learning loops that compound improvements over time.

Automation

Automation

Identify repetitive tasks draining time and build workflows that run without you. Use HubSpot and Zapier to automate lead routing, follow-ups, notifications, and data entry.

Growth orchestration

resources

Tactical examples

Live documentation of running these frameworks for Solid Growth. What works, what doesn't, what I'm learning.

Personal productivity

Personal productivity

Plan your week with intention. Manage tasks with a system you trust. Stay out of inbox traps. Protect deep work time. Run better meetings. Close your week with a firebreak.

Tool selection

Tool selection

Select tools across your growth stack using clear evaluation criteria. Avoid common pitfalls, ensure integrations work, and build a system that scales with your business.

Dashboard setup

Dashboard setup

Build a reporting dashboard that tracks the 12 growth metrics across all four engines. Choose the right tool, structure views correctly, and make data actionable weekly.

Recommended tools

ClickUp

ClickUp

All-in-one work platform that combines tasks, docs, and dashboards powerful for teams who want everything centralised but be ready for complexity.

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10

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Asana

Asana

Task management that balances structure with usability, popular with marketing teams who need clean boards and timelines without complexity.

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11

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Trello

Trello

Straightforward kanban boards for visual task management easy to start, easy to share, best for light workflows that don't need heavy structure.

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5

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Figma

Figma

Collaborative design for interfaces and assets excellent for landing pages, ads, and prototypes when marketing and design need alignment.

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15

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Google Workspace

Google Workspace

Productivity suite combining email, docs, and storage familiar, reliable, and straightforward for teams who want tools that just work without fuss.

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6

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Loom

Loom

Screen recording for quick updates and walkthroughs faster than meetings, clearer than text, excellent for async teams and client communication.

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15

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LastPass

LastPass

Password manager storing credentials securely with team sharing and policies essential for security hygiene when teams share logins responsibly.

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4

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Notion

Notion

Flexible workspace for docs, wikis, and lightweight databases ideal when you need custom systems without heavy project management overhead.

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12

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Slack

Slack

Team messaging that speeds collaboration when used well but can create notification chaos works best with clear channel structure and etiquette.

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4.13

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Miro

Miro

Online whiteboard for mapping ideas, journeys, and plans excellent for async workshops and brainstorms when teams can't gather in person.

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8

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Coda

Coda

Document platform that combines text, tables, and automation like Notion but with stronger formulas and buttons for interactive playbooks.

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12

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Google Sheets

Google Sheets

Google Sheets is a cloud-based spreadsheet tool for data analysis, collaboration, and automation. It's free, works in your browser, and integrates with the entire Google Workspace ecosystem.

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15

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Awesome Screenshot

Awesome Screenshot

Awesome Screenshot is a screen capture and recording tool that lets you annotate screenshots, record screen videos with webcam overlay, and share visual feedback through instant cloud hosting.

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6

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Airtable

Airtable

Flexible tables meet databases, great for content calendars, asset libraries and light workflows that need structure and simple automation.

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24

per month

Pipedream

Pipedream

Code-friendly automation running Node.js workflows excellent when you need custom logic, API integrations, or automations that Zapier can't handle.

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45

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Process Street

Process Street

Workflow tool that turns SOPs into interactive checklists with forms and automation excellent for repeatable processes that need consistency.

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1000

per month

Zapier

Zapier

No-code automation connecting 5,000+ apps to move data and trigger actions excellent for quick wins when you need integrations that just work.

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20

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Make

Make

Visual automation platform with advanced logic and error handling more powerful than Zapier when you need control over complex, branching workflows.

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4.13

per month

n8n

n8n

Open-source automation with self-hosting ideal when you need complete control, want to own infrastructure, or have technical teams building workflows.

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24

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ChatGPT

ChatGPT

AI assistant for research, outlines, and drafts fast when prompted clearly, excellent for speed and idea generation in daily marketing work.

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20

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Freedom

Freedom

App and site blocker that helps protect focus time by pausing the noise across devices.

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3

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Inbox When Ready

Inbox When Ready

Email extension that hides your inbox by default so you can send and search without getting pulled into new mail.

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4

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Todoist

Todoist

Personal task app with quick capture, filters and calm design, great for managing work and habits.

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5

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SaneBox

SaneBox

Email assistant that filters noise and adds reminders so important mail surfaces when needed.

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7

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Notebook LM

Notebook LM

AI research tool indexing your sources excellent for briefing documents, analysing uploads, and getting answers from materials you provide.

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0

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MacWhisper

MacWhisper

On-device transcription for audio and video quick, private, and accurate for meeting notes and content without sending files to cloud services.

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4

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Claude

Claude

AI assistant for long-form writing and analysis better than ChatGPT for research, strategic docs, and working with uploaded files.

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20

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Fiverr

Fiverr

Freelance marketplace for quick creative work excellent for one-off tasks like design, video editing, or content when you need affordable help fast.

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Growth orchestration

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Growth orchestration

books

The Ultimate Blueprint

The Ultimate Blueprint

Keith J. Cunningham

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A practical summary of how businesses really grow. Clear levers, simple maths and actions you can take this quarter.

The road less stupid

The road less stupid

Keith J. Cunningham

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A punchy book on decision quality. Use thinking time, write assumptions and avoid expensive mistakes.

SYSTEMology

SYSTEMology

David Jenyns

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A step by step way to document and improve processes so the team delivers consistent results without heroics.

Hacking growth

Hacking growth

Sean Ellis

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A practical framework for experiments and insights. Build loops, run tests and adopt a cadence that ships learning every week.

Startup growth engines

Startup growth engines

Sean Ellis

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A tour of growth case studies. Identify engines, spot patterns and design experiments that fit your context.

Fix this next

Fix this next

Mike Michalowicz

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A decision tool for prioritising growth work. Diagnose where to act, then pick a small change that unlocks progress now.

The Goal

The Goal

Eliyahu M. Goldratt

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A novel that teaches constraint thinking. Apply it to backlogs, reviews and handoffs to speed delivery.

E-Myth Revisited

E-Myth Revisited

Michael Gerber

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A practical case for SOPs in growth teams. Design roles, write checklists and build a rhythm for continuous improvement.

Buy back your time

Buy back your time

Dan Martell

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A straight guide to reclaiming hours. Define your buyback rate, document tasks and build small systems that pay back every week.

Disciplined Entrepreneurship

Disciplined Entrepreneurship

Bill Aulet

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Step by step approach to define customers, test value and design a go to market path that leads to repeatable revenue.

Clockwork

Clockwork

Mike Michalowicz

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A clear way to design responsibilities and handoffs. Use time maps and simple dashboards to remove bottlenecks and protect focus.

Slow productivity

Slow productivity

Cal Newport

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A humane approach to output. Plan seasons, protect focus and deliver work that matters at a sustainable pace.

Work The System

Work The System

Sam Carpenter

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A plain approach to system thinking. Write procedures, make small fixes and keep operations tidy as you scale.

The One Thing

The One Thing

Gary Keller

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A method for ruthless focus. Ask the focusing question, block time and protect momentum on the work that matters most.

Traction

Traction

Gino Wickman

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A practical operating system for small teams. Install a cadence, set priorities and create accountability that sticks.

Scaling Up

Scaling Up

Verne Harnish

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Practical tools for scaling a company. Use rhythms, scorecards and priorities to keep a growing team aligned.

Rework

Rework

Jason Fried

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Short essays that challenge default habits. Focus on product, talk to customers and cut pretend work.

Lean Startup

Lean Startup

Eric Ries

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A disciplined approach to experiments. Define hypotheses, design MVPs and learn before you scale.

Pyramid Principle

Pyramid Principle

Barbara Minto

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A method for clear writing and slides. Lead with the answer, group logic well and make recommendations easy to approve.

Principles

Principles

Ray Dalio

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A set of tools for clearer thinking and teamwork. Create principles, run post mortems and make better decisions together.

Getting Things Done

Getting Things Done

David Allen

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Capture, clarify and review without friction. Keep projects moving with weekly reviews and clear next actions.

Lean Analytics

Lean Analytics

Alistair Croll

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Pick the One Metric that Matters for your stage. Build lean dashboards and use data to decide the next best move.

Essentialism

Essentialism

Greg McKweon

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Rules for choosing fewer, better projects. Protect time, set trade offs and align efforts with clear goals and measures.

Good Strategy Bad Strategy

Good Strategy Bad Strategy

Richard Rumelt

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A sharp test for strategy quality. Diagnose, choose guiding policies and design actions that compound over quarters.

Digital Minimalism

Digital Minimalism

Cal Newport

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How to reduce low value tools and feeds. Practical steps to tidy notifications, choose channels and free up time for impact.

Deep Work

Deep Work

Cal Newport

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A playbook for concentration in modern teams. Set focus blocks, reduce context switching and build a culture that values deep work.

The 4-Hour work week

The 4-Hour work week

Tim Ferriss

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A pragmatic look at delegation, automation and lifestyle design. Keep the useful parts, skip the hype, ship more value.

Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits

James Clear

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Turn habit theory into daily practice for marketers. Simple cues, tiny wins and scorecards that help teams deliver consistently under pressure.

Company of One

Company of One

Paul Jarvis

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Lessons for keeping work simple and profitable. Focus on retention, systems and selective growth that preserves quality.

Building a Second Brain

Building a Second Brain

Tiago Forte

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How to store research, briefs and ideas so you can reuse them later. A calm framework for notes that supports experiments and content.

The 80/20 Principle

The 80/20 Principle

Richard Koch

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Use Pareto thinking to pick channels, ideas and customers. Cut the long tail and double down on what works.

Checklist Manifesto

Checklist Manifesto

Atul Gawande

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Why checklists work, where to use them, and examples for launches, experiments and migrations. Keep quality high and stress low.

Growth orchestration

wiki

Positioning statement

Define how you're different from alternatives in a way that matters to customers to guide all messaging and ensure consistent market perception.

Go-to-market strategy

Plan how you'll reach customers and generate revenue by choosing channels, pricing, and sales models that match your product and market reality.

Product-led growth

Drive acquisition and expansion through product experience where users discover value before sales conversations and upgrade based on usage.

Growth engine

Build self-reinforcing systems across demand generation, funnel conversion, sales pipeline, and customer value that create continuous momentum.

Data warehouse

Store raw data from all business systems in one place to run analyses and build reports that combine information across marketing, sales, and product.

Activity tracking

Log emails, calls, and meetings automatically to understand what drives deals forward and coach reps based on actual behaviour rather than guesswork.

Growth plateau

Diagnose and break through stagnation by identifying which business mechanisms have reached capacity and require new approaches.

Growth hacking

Deploy fast, low-cost experiments to discover scalable acquisition and retention tactics, learning through iteration rather than big bets.

Pirate metrics

Track your user journey through Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Referral, and Revenue to identify which stage constrains growth most.

Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)

Set ambitious goals and measurable outcomes that cascade through your organisation, creating alignment and accountability for strategic priorities.

Cohort analysis

Group customers by acquisition period to compare behaviour patterns and identify which acquisition channels and time periods produce the best long-term value.

Growth marketing

Apply disciplined experimentation across the entire customer lifecycle, optimising every stage through rapid testing and data-driven iteration.

Marketing stack

Organise the tools that capture leads, nurture prospects, and measure performance to automate repetitive work and connect customer data across systems.

Constraint

Identify and leverage limitations as forcing functions that drive creative problem-solving and strategic focus.

Workflow automation

Connect triggers to actions across systems so repetitive tasks happen automatically and teams can focus on work that requires judgement instead of admin.

Cookie

Store information in browsers to track user behaviour across visits and enable personalised experiences without requiring login for every interaction.

Compound growth rate

Calculate your true growth trajectory by measuring the rate at which your business grows when gains build on previous gains over multiple periods.

Founder-led growth

Build distribution through your personal brand and network where your expertise and story attract customers who trust you before your company.

API

Enable tools to exchange data programmatically so you can build custom integrations and automate processes that vendor-built integrations don't support.

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

Document your repeatable processes in clear, step-by-step instructions that ensure consistency, enable delegation, and capture institutional knowledge.

Hypothesis testing

Structure experiments around clear predictions to focus efforts on learning rather than random changes and make results easier to interpret afterward.

Growth mindset

Cultivate belief that skills and results improve through deliberate effort, treating setbacks as learning opportunities rather than fixed limitations.

Contact management

Organise customer and prospect information to track relationships, communication history, and next steps without losing context or duplicating effort.

P-value

Interpret experiment results to understand the probability that observed differences occurred by chance rather than because your changes actually work.

Control group

Maintain an unchanged version in experiments to isolate the impact of your changes and prove causation rather than correlation with external factors.

Conversion tracking

Measure which marketing activities drive desired outcomes to allocate budget toward channels that actually generate revenue instead of vanity metrics.

Event tracking

Capture specific user actions in your product or website to understand behaviour patterns and measure whether changes improve outcomes or create friction.

Growth drivers

Identify the fundamental factors that directly cause business expansion, concentrating resources on activities that generate measurable results.

Competitive advantage

Identify what you do better or differently that competitors can't easily copy to defend margins and win customers consistently over time.

Sales qualified lead velocity

Track how fast your pipeline of ready-to-buy leads grows to forecast sales capacity needs and spot when lead quality or sales efficiency changes.

Last-touch attribution

Assign full conversion credit to the final touchpoint before purchase to identify which channels close deals but miss earlier influences that started journeys.

A/B testing

Compare two versions of a page, email, or feature to determine which performs better using statistical methods that isolate the impact of specific changes.

Growth lever

Focus resources on high-impact business mechanisms where small improvements generate disproportionate results across the entire customer journey.

Sample size

Calculate how many users you need in experiments to detect meaningful differences and avoid declaring winners prematurely based on insufficient data.

Referral marketing

Turn satisfied customers into active promoters who systematically bring qualified prospects into your pipeline at near-zero acquisition cost.

Minimum viable test

Design experiments that answer specific questions with minimum time and resources to maximise learning velocity without over-investing in unproven ideas.

Drip campaign

Send a series of scheduled emails that educate prospects over time to stay top-of-mind without overwhelming them with aggressive sales pitches.

North Star Metric

Choose one metric that best predicts long-term success to align your entire team on what matters and avoid conflicting priorities that dilute focus.

Statistical significance

Determine whether experiment results reflect real differences or random chance to avoid making expensive decisions based on noise instead of signal.

Partner-led growth

Scale through partner relationships where other companies distribute your product to their customers in exchange for commissions or reciprocal value.

Buyer persona

Document your ideal customer's role, goals, and challenges to tailor messaging and prioritise features that solve real problems they actually pay for.

Product-market fit

Achieve the state where your product solves a genuine, urgent problem for a defined market that's willing to pay and actively pulling your solution in.

Sales-led growth

Win customers through direct sales conversations where reps guide prospects from discovery to close with personalised solutions and relationship building.

Total Addressable Market (TAM)

Estimate the maximum revenue opportunity if you captured 100% market share to size your opportunity and prioritise which markets to enter first.

Unit economics

Analyse profit per customer to determine if your business model works at scale before investing heavily in growth and customer acquisition.

Email sequence

Automate multi-touch email campaigns that adapt based on recipient behaviour to nurture leads consistently without manual follow-up from reps or marketers.

Deal stage

Define pipeline progression steps to standardise how reps advance opportunities and give managers visibility into where deals stall or convert unexpectedly.

Pipeline coverage

Calculate how much pipeline you need relative to quota to ensure you generate enough opportunities to hit revenue targets despite normal conversion rates.

OMTM (One Metric That Matters)

Focus your entire organisation on the single metric that best predicts success at your current growth stage, avoiding distraction and misalignment.

Sales tech stack

Assemble tools that manage pipeline, automate outreach, and track performance to help reps sell more efficiently and managers forecast accurately.

Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)

Track predictable yearly revenue from subscriptions to measure business scale and growth trajectory in B2B SaaS and recurring revenue models.

Customer data platform

Unify customer data from every touchpoint to create complete profiles that power personalised experiences across marketing, sales, and product.

Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

Track predictable monthly subscription revenue to monitor short-term growth trends and make faster decisions than waiting for annual revenue reports.

Value proposition

Articulate the specific outcome customers get from your solution to communicate why they should choose you over doing nothing or using alternatives.

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

Calculate the total cost of winning a new customer to evaluate marketing efficiency and ensure sustainable unit economics across all channels.

Multi-touch attribution

Distribute conversion credit across multiple touchpoints to recognise that customer journeys involve many interactions and channels working together.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

Select metrics that reveal whether you're achieving strategic goals to track progress and identify problems before they become expensive to fix.

Attribution model

Assign credit to marketing touchpoints that influence conversions to understand which channels work together and deserve budget in multi-touch journeys.

First-touch attribution

Credit the channel that introduced prospects to your brand to measure awareness efforts and understand which top-of-funnel activities start customer journeys.

Inbound Marketing

Attract prospects through valuable content that solves real problems, building trust and generating qualified leads who approach you.

Lead velocity rate

Measure the month-over-month growth in qualified leads to predict future revenue and catch pipeline problems before they impact revenue three months later.

Integration

Connect tools so data flows automatically between systems to eliminate manual entry, keep records current, and enable sophisticated workflows across platforms.

Net Revenue Retention (NRR)

Track revenue growth from existing customers through expansion and contraction to prove your product delivers increasing value over time.

Stakeholder Management

Navigate competing priorities and secure buy-in by systematically understanding, influencing, and aligning internal decision-makers toward shared goals.

Trigger

Define events that start automation workflows so the right message reaches people at the right moment based on their actual behaviour not arbitrary timing.

UTMs

Track campaign performance precisely by appending parameters to URLs that identify traffic sources, mediums, and campaigns in your analytics.

Churn rate

Measure the percentage of customers who stop paying to identify retention problems and calculate the true cost of growth in subscription businesses.

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