A mentor once said to me: "We're always some degree of wrong."
I’ve carried this nugget of wisdom with me into every project I work on ever since. We’re not the buyer at the exact moment of purchase. But the closer we get to the buyer, the less likely we are to be really wrong.
This is why messaging strategies can't be one-and-done.
Buyers aren’t static, so your strategy can’t be either. Even messaging that is very close to “right” will drift towards “wrong” over time.
Messaging drift is especially problematic right now in B2B software and tech, where AI is moving fast and changing the landscape for many product categories (not to mention creating new pressures for software buyers). This is why I recommend:
Review your messaging strategy at least every 3 months.
Conduct a deeper strategy refresh at least every 12 months. This is when you’ll analyze call recordings, interview frontline teams and audit the competitive landscape. (Though the activities used to inform a deeper refresh vary by business. See the buyer proximity principle for what I recommend.)
Given the current state of everything, your reviews and refreshes may be triggered sooner.
Here's the thing many teams miss when they assess whether their messaging is right (or wrong):
You can’t depend only on closed-won to tell you if your messaging is working.
If you have a long buying cycle, relying on closed-won rates will make you wait too long to see where things need to change.
Instead, look at leading indicators:
Conversion rates at key moments in the buyer journey
Speed of qualification
Speed of movement through pipeline stages
Or even, more anecdotally, how quickly in-person conversations at events move from small talk to substance
These data points will tell you when messaging is drifting before your revenue numbers do.
'Til next week,
Carolyn
Off the clock…
🎥 I Am A Killer on Netflix. The true crime kick continues. S1E3 In Defense of Another offers a fascinating look at motivation, justification and the (flawed) justice system.
📕The Natural Shade Garden by Ken Druse. Spring is finally here. This is my go-to every spring as I try to rehabilitate our neglected shade garden. This book is a feast for the eyes as much as it is for a gardener’s imagination.
Before you go…
My firm (Boxcar) helps sales-led B2B software companies turn their proven sales motion into the messaging foundation that gives the whole team a clear path to generating more qualified leads.
Interested in working together? Reach out by filling this form.