A short Q3 evaluation & Q4 checklist for B2B marketers
Matt Heinz
Next week is October. And Q4. The quarter before 2016.
Deep breath…..
Some questions to help you evaluate, prepare and execute:
- What adjustments have we made this year with positive results, and what does that mean for Q4 priorities and 2016 plan/budget?
- What adjustments haven’t panned out? How do we adjust or ramp those efforts down in Q4?
- What are the organization’s current priorities? How will those impact 2016 priorities and how do we get a head start on those in our Q4 priorities, plans, objectives?
- If our CFO asked for a 2016 budget tomorrow, what would we include? Should we test or trial or evaluate those in Q4 or at minimum October?
- Has our target customer changed? Do we understand the internal buying ecosystem and/or consensus required to get more sales or higher conversions? Do our marketing and messaging and sales enablement efforts support that?
- Are we measuring what matters? Are we proud of the metrics we present to the management team relative to revenue responsibility and sales pipeline contribution?
- Can I make a business case for everything we’re doing currently? Can I make a business case for the new dollars I need for Q4 and 2016? How do I demonstrate a clear path to revenue from marketing efforts – directly or indirectly?
