One of our clients, an insurance agency, was looking for ways to improve their sales process from online leads. They were definitely experiencing growth but it wasn’t always clear what efforts were driving it. Was it the leads themselves, the nurturing process, a great product niche, or something else?

Would an expansion of marketing efforts keep yielding the same results? How should they deploy resources of time and money to keep the growth going? Were the efforts they were spending time on making the difference?

The Challenge

Many companies struggle to understand the true connection between their marketing spend and revenue generation. The “middle” of the marketing funnel – the steps between initial customer acquisition efforts and final sales – often remains a black box, hindering effective resource allocation and optimization. Our client faced this very challenge, lacking a clear view of how their marketing activities were impacting their bottom line.

Given the complexity of insurance sales, finding these answers is not easy. However, it is critical to keep growing.

Our Approach

Simplified Solutions Consulting began by asking a fundamental question: “How do you make money?” Through in-depth discussions, we gained a deep understanding of their customer acquisition process and identified the clear endpoints: marketing spend and revenue streams.

We employed a unique method – building “waterfalls” – to visualize the entire customer journey. These visual representations mapped out the steps between initial marketing efforts and final sales, uncovering hidden connections, areas where prospects dropped out of the funnel, and potential areas for improvement. This approach involved:

  • Connecting the Dots: We identified and mapped the activities occurring between marketing and sales, ensuring all touchpoints were captured. It also served to provide us with a mutual understanding of what was happening today and common language to use when discussing the business.
  • Measurement and Analysis: We established metrics to measure the effectiveness of each activity, revealing what drove success and where potential inefficiencies existed.
  • Continuous Improvement: As the waterfall expanded, we identified opportunities for optimization, exploring missing elements and areas requiring further investigation. We also dug deeper into each area, providing the details that roll up to the big picture.

The Solution

The “Performance Waterfall” provided our client with a clear and dynamic picture of their marketing-to-sales funnel. It became a a key touchstone each month to measure results and drive in-depth discussion. With this in hand they were finally able to:

  • Connect marketing spend to concrete outcomes: This newfound transparency allowed them to understand how each marketing dollar directly impacted revenue generation.
  • Identify key performance indicators (KPIs): Equipped with clear data, we established relevant KPIs to track progress and measure the effectiveness of future marketing initiatives.

In the first six months of working together, monthly revenue increased 303% while gross margin increased 9% and keeping marketing expenses relatively flat. We were also able to increase average policy revenue by 218%.

Is your marketing funnel a mystery? Do you need help linking marketing spend & sales efforts to revenue? Let Simplified Solutions Consulting help you unlock its secrets and drive measurable growth. Contact us today for a free consultation!