4 min read  | Buyer Persona

Understanding your buyers – Why high growth companies are thinking horizontally

Most companies start by filling senior vertical functions like sales and marketing first, but is this the right approach? And when should you bring in an agency? 

What we’ve learned while working with tech companies over the past 10 years, is that product innovation is only one part of the puzzle. Our most successful clients are innovating on multiple fronts simultaneously – from profit models to channel diversification and organizational design. In the early days of growth, would starting with horizontal leadership combined with a more junior team actually deliver faster traction and revenue? 

Here are some things to consider over the next 12 months  

Siloed thinking can kill companies, particularly start-ups. 

While the traditional funnel model of marketing generating leads to hand over to sales close may still work in some circumstances, for the majority of companies traditional channels are increasingly saturated and buyers are increasingly wanting to drive the purchase process their way. 
 
At Aamplify we like to zoom out because we know from experience that the world has changed. Whether there is pain around handoffs or challenges with conversion – we know that the right mix of marketing can benefit the entire customer lifecycle. But the big question is where to start! 
 

Think about how you acquire, engage, retain and monetize 
 
Starting with purpose is important because it helps to frame in everyone’s mind why we are doing what we do. When we think about how we acquire a customer, our entire mindset changes – it makes us question how well we actually know the customer, and whether we need to do more buyer research. It also acts as a unifying force to bring marketing, sales, success and product together to solve these strategic challenges. When something is a “marketing thing” or a “sales problem” it’s hard to get to the root of where the challenge is arising, and how best to solve it at an organizational level. 
 
If you can’t get to the core of why buyers aren’t converting at the rate you’d expect, spending more money on marketing, sales, success or product is like pouring money into a leaky budget. This is the first thing to solve. 
 

It’s expensive to hire, so bang for buck is important 
 
For established companies, it’s clear that both the vertical and horizontal are essential to grow. But if you’re just starting out, you may find that hiring leaders that can operate across the whole lifecycle first might enable you to free up some cashflow, connect the dots and spin the flywheel faster. 
 
Having a clear view of your whole customer lifecycle from a 1-to-many and a 1-to-1 viewpoint means that as you build traction and revenue, you can get the best value for money from new hires and external agencies. It becomes very clear what their purpose is and how they will shift the dial. 
 

There is no one size fits all model when you’re building teams or working out how best to manage your growth strategy and revenue operations. What is clear is that someone needs to own the most important question and everything that flows from it – “how do your buyers buy?” 

Working out how your buyers buy involves qualitative research, and often it’s hard to find the time to carry this out internally. Talk to us about how we can augment your team and bring new insights from your most recent buyers. Website Services

Sometimes one conversation can ignite a spark that challenges your thinking.

Book a call with Aamplify, we're ready to light the fire.