marketing-sales-strategy

name	marketing-sales-strategy
description	Generate the marketing and sales strategy section for a bankable business plan, including segmentation, positioning, channels, pricing, funnel logic, and measurable go-to-market execution.

Marketing & Sales Strategy Skill

Overview

Generate Section 07 of the business plan: the marketing and sales strategy. Use this skill to show how the business will create demand, convert demand into revenue, and retain customers at sustainable economics.

Use When

• Use when drafting or revising the marketing and sales strategy section.
• Use when the business needs a concrete route from market awareness to repeat revenue.
• Use when customer acquisition, channel mix, pricing, and retention logic must be made explicit.

Do Not Use When

• Do not use without a clear offer and target customer baseline.
• Do not present a list of channels without conversion logic, budget discipline, or metrics.
• Do not rely on awareness tactics alone as a substitute for sales process design.

Required Inputs

• Product or service definition, target market, and competitive position
• Pricing model, channel constraints, sales model, and budget assumptions
• Country and audience context affecting buyer behaviour and media channels
• Any evidence on existing traction, acquisition costs, retention, or conversion rates

Workflow

1. Confirm the customer, offer, and commercial objective this strategy must serve.
2. Build the positioning, channel mix, and acquisition logic for the selected segments.
3. Define the sales process from lead generation to close, repeat purchase, and referral.
4. Attach budgets, KPIs, and expected economics to the plan.
5. If selling premium, high-ticket, luxury/affluent, executive, or enterprise offers, run meta-premium-go-to-market before finalising positioning, channel mix, lead generation, sales process, pricing, or retention.
6. If the strategy depends on a website, ecommerce, landing pages, SEO/content, online booking, portals, or web-based lead capture, run meta-website-investment-planning before finalising channel mix, website content, SEO, conversion assumptions, and budget.
7. When defining positioning copy, lead magnets, authority content, sales pages, outreach narratives, CTAs, or SEO/AI-search content, apply premium-commercial-writing.
8. Reconcile the strategy with capacity, pricing, and financial projections.
9. Flag where the plan depends on untested channel or conversion assumptions.

Quality Bar

• The strategy explains how leads are acquired, converted, retained, and measured.
• Channel recommendations fit the customer, budget, and country context.
• Sales logic and acquisition economics are commercially believable.
• The section supports the revenue model instead of sitting beside it.

Anti-Patterns

• Lists of social media channels with no buyer logic or budget.
• Sales strategies that assume demand appears without outreach, process, or ownership.
• Retention claims with no service, support, or loyalty mechanism behind them.
• Marketing costs or growth assumptions that conflict with the projections.

Outputs

• A finished or revised Section 07 marketing and sales strategy
• Channel, funnel, retention, and KPI logic tied to revenue assumptions
• Explicit commercial assumptions and follow-up questions for testing

Generate a comprehensive go-to-market strategy that shows exactly how the business will attract, convert, and retain customers.

Required Elements

1. Marketing objectives Specific, measurable goals (SMART format)
2. Marketing evolution stage Where the business sits on Kotler's 1.0-6.0 spectrum
3. Positioning statement How the brand is perceived relative to competitors
4. Marketing mix (4Ps / 7Ps)
   • Product Features, packaging, branding (reference section 03)
   • Price Strategy, model, and justification with competitive benchmarking
   • Place Distribution channels, sales locations, delivery methods
   • Promotion Channel mix with budget allocation and expected ROI
   • People Customer-facing staff and training (for services)
   • Process Service delivery process (for services)
   • Physical evidence Tangible proof of quality (for services)
5. Sales strategy and process How leads become customers, step by step
6. Customer acquisition funnel (AARRR) Metrics at each stage
7. Digital channel strategy Online presence, social media, content, SEO, paid
8. Guerrilla marketing tactics Low-cost, high-impact approaches for budget-constrained businesses
9. Marketing budget Allocation by channel with expected ROI
10. Customer retention strategy Loyalty, support, upsell, referral programmes
11. Key metrics and KPIs Dashboard of marketing performance indicators
12. Attraction-conversion-retention system How prospects become leads, customers, repeat buyers, and referrers
13. Lead generation magnet or equivalent hand-raiser The first low-friction offer that earns permission to follow up
14. Narrow-market focus The sharpest viable audience or beachhead segment the business can credibly win first
15. Growth system and experimentation logic The acquisition, activation, retention, referral, revenue, and product-learning loops that turn marketing from campaigns into a repeatable growth engine.
16. Premium/high-ticket sales logic where relevant Buyer profile, value proof, authority content, referral/outreach path, consultative discovery, proposal process, objection handling, follow-up cadence, VIP retention, and pricing discipline.
17. Website and SEO asset logic where relevant Website role, target pages, search intent, content authority assets, conversion paths, analytics events, launch distribution, maintenance, and realistic cost assumptions.

Marketing Evolution Positioning (Kotler 6.0)

Position the business's marketing approach:

Era	Focus	Approach	When Appropriate
1.0	Product-centric	"Build it, they'll come"	Commodity markets
2.0	Customer-centric	Segmentation, targeting	Traditional service
3.0	Human-centric	Values, social responsibility	Social enterprise
4.0	Digital transition	Multi-channel digital	E-commerce, digital-first
5.0	Technology for humanity	AI, IoT, big data	Tech-enabled services
6.0	Immersive, phygital	AR/VR, metaverse	Gen Z/Alpha markets

State current stage and target stage (where the business aims to be in 3 years).

Pricing Strategy Options

Strategy	Description	Best For	Risk
Cost-plus	Cost + fixed margin	Simple products, low competition	Ignores customer value
Value-based	Price by perceived value	Differentiated products	Requires strong positioning
Competitive	Match or undercut rivals	Commodity markets	Margin pressure
Penetration	Low initial price	Market share capture	Hard to raise later
Skimming	High initial, lower over time	Innovation, early adopters	Invites competition
Freemium	Free base, paid premium	SaaS, digital products	Conversion rate risk
Subscription	Recurring revenue	Predictable cash flow	Churn management
Tiered	Multiple price points	Diverse customer segments	Complexity

Customer Acquisition Funnel (AARRR)

ACQUISITION   How do prospects discover usSection 
               Channels, CAC per channel, traffic volume
ACTIVATION    Do they have a great first experienceSection 
               Onboarding completion, time to first value
RETENTION     Do they come backSection 
               Day 1/7/30 retention, churn rate
REFERRAL      Do they tell othersSection 
               NPS, referral rate, viral coefficient
REVENUE       Can we monetise themSection 
               ARPU, CLV, conversion rate, expansion revenue

For each stage, specify: tactic, metric, target, and budget allocation.

Digital Channel Strategy Framework

Channel Selection Matrix

Channel	Best For	CAC Range	Time to Results
SEO / Content	Long-term traffic, authority	Low	6-12 months
Paid search (PPC)	Immediate demand capture	Medium-High	Immediate
Social media organic	Brand building, community	Low	3-6 months
Social media paid	Targeted reach, retargeting	Medium	Immediate
Email marketing	Nurture, retention, upsell	Very low	1-3 months
Influencer marketing	Trust transfer, awareness	Variable	1-3 months
Partnerships	Shared audiences, credibility	Low	2-6 months
PR / Earned media	Credibility, broad awareness	Low (time cost)	Variable

Content Marketing Strategy

Define for each content type:

• Purpose Awareness, consideration, or conversion
• Format Blog, video, podcast, infographic, case study
• Frequency Publishing cadence
• Distribution Where and how content is shared
• Measurement Traffic, engagement, conversions attributed

Guerrilla Marketing Tactics (Levinson)

For businesses with limited budgets, prioritise high-impact, low-cost tactics:

The 7-Step Guerrilla Marketing Plan

1. Define the purpose of marketing (what action should customers takeSection )
2. State the competitive advantage (why choose usSection )
3. Define the target audience (who specificallySection )
4. Choose marketing weapons (which channels/tacticsSection )
5. Define the niche (what narrow focusSection )
6. Set the budget as percentage of projected revenue
7. Commit to consistency (guerrilla marketing works through repetition, not volume)

Top Guerrilla Weapons for Small Business

• Fusion marketing Partner with non-competing businesses to share marketing costs
• Guarantee marketing Bold guarantees that reduce purchase risk
• Education-based marketing Teach prospects to position as the expert
• Follow-up systems Systematic post-purchase communication
• Referral programmes Structured incentives for customer-to-customer marketing
• Community building Create a tribe around the brand
• Testimonial collection Systematically gather and deploy social proof

Small Business Marketing Tactics (Jarvis)

For small businesses, incorporate Jarvis's three growth levers and practical marketing methods:

Three Ways to Grow Any Business

Every marketing plan must address all three levers simultaneously:

1. Get new customers Alliances, networking, PR, advertising, events, direct sales
2. Increase spend per customer Upselling, cross-selling, packaging, customer reviews
3. Increase purchase frequency Communication calendars, newsletters, loyalty, special offers

Highest-Impact Low-Cost Tactics

Tactic	Cost	Impact	Time to Results
Referral programme	Free-Low	Very High	1-3 months
Alliance relationships	Free	High	2-4 months
Word of mouth cultivation	Free	Very High	3-6 months
Networking (speaking at events)	Free-Low	High	1-3 months
Free consultations / health checks	Free (time)	High	Immediate
Customer review meetings	Free (time)	High	Immediate
Newsletter (email)	Free-Low	Medium-High	2-4 months
Article writing for publications	Free (time)	Medium-High	1-3 months
Press releases	Free (time)	Medium	Variable
Testimonial and case study collection	Free (time)	High	Immediate
Education-based marketing	Free-Low	High	2-6 months

Alliance and Joint Venture Strategy

• Identify non-competing businesses that serve the same target customer
• Offer a free experience of your service so alliance partners can evaluate quality
• Formalise the arrangement with clear expectations and reciprocal commitments
• Co-host events, create joint packages, cross-promote to each other's customer bases

PR and Expert Positioning

• Write articles for industry publications using "How to" titles and tip lists
• Submit press releases for announcements, milestones, customer stories, and events
• Speak at conferences and networking events to position as the expert in a niche
• Build relationships with editors and journalists before pitching stories

Customer Retention System

• Build a 12-month communication calendar with planned touches each month
• Conduct annual customer needs reviews to uncover upsell opportunities
• Handle complaints as gifts: listen, apologise, exceed expectations, learn, and prevent recurrence
• Keep detailed CRM records and update at least annually

Marketing Evaluation Discipline

• Test and measure every marketing activity (ask enquirers where they heard about you)
• Rate each channel 1-5 for success and stop expensive activities with poor returns
• Track cost per lead and cost per acquisition per channel
• Hold monthly marketing review meetings with a structured agenda

Marketing Budget Framework

Budget Allocation by Stage

Business Stage	Marketing as % of Revenue	Focus
Pre-revenue / Launch	15-25% of projected revenue	Awareness, initial acquisition
Early growth (Year 1-2)	10-20% of revenue	Acquisition, activation
Scaling (Year 3-5)	8-15% of revenue	Efficiency, retention, expansion
Mature	5-10% of revenue	Retention, brand, market defence

Channel Budget Allocation Template

Channel	Monthly Budget	Expected CAC	Expected Customers	ROI Target
Paid search	$X	$Y	Z	A:1
Social ads	$X	$Y	Z	A:1
Content/SEO	$X	$Y	Z	A:1
Email	$X	$Y	Z	A:1
Events	$X	$Y	Z	A:1
Partnerships	$X	$Y	Z	A:1
Total	$X	$Y avg	Z	A:1

Growth Marketing Strategy Discipline (Jia)

Move beyond isolated growth hacks. State the business stage, customer-lifecycle coverage, growth ownership model, resource assumptions, and how strategy changes in downturn, boom, or stable conditions. Read references/growth-marketing-lifecycle.md for the full framework.

Sales Process

Gap Selling Principle (Keenan)

Every sale exists in the gap between the customer's current state (problems, costs, frustrations) and their desired future state (outcomes, capabilities, emotions). The bigger the gap, the more urgency to buy and the less price-sensitive the customer.

CURRENT STATE  THE GAP (your sale)  FUTURE STATE

For each customer segment, define:

• Current state: facts, problems, business impact, root cause, emotional impact
• Future state: desired outcomes, new capabilities, success metrics
• Gap size: quantified difference (monetary where possible)
• Gap validation: is the gap big enough to drive actionSection (price should be < 20-30% of gap value)

Your real competition is almost never another vendor it is the status quo (what the customer already does). Most deals are lost to "no decision."

B2C Sales Funnel

Awareness  Interest  Consideration  Purchase  Loyalty  Advocacy

B2B Sales Process (Schiffman Four-Step Model)

Step 1: OPENING (Prospecting, cold calls, initial contact)
    Objective: Get agreement to move into a meaningful interview

Step 2: INTERVIEWING (Discovery and information gathering  ~75% of effort)
    Objective: Gather enough information to build a tailored presentation
    Use do-based questions: what they do, how, when, where, with whom, why
    Your real competition is the STATUS QUO  what the prospect already does

Step 3: PRESENTATION (Proposal delivery)
    Objective: Present a plan that makes sense based on verified information
    Insert VERIFICATION step before formal presentation (preliminary proposal)
    Never present until: right person confirmed, budget discussed, timetable set

Step 4: CLOSING (Decision)
    "It makes sense to me  what do you thinkSection "
    If "no": take responsibility, ask where you went wrong, listen for "The thing is..."

For each stage, define: responsible person, tools used, conversion rate target, and average time in stage.

PIPA First Meeting Framework (Schiffman)

Structure every initial prospect meeting:

1. Present Brief 2-3 sentence company introduction ("Would it help if I told you a little about usSection ")
2. Interview Immediately transition to do-based questions (past/present/future of what the prospect does)
3. Present a next step Propose a specific next action with date and time ("Why don't I come back Tuesday at 2Section ")
4. Agreement Confirm the prospect agrees ("Does this make senseSection ")

Key rules: Never product dump. Listen more than talk (70/30 ratio). Take detailed notes. The prospect who corrects you is giving you gold. Use parable selling (reference past client success stories) to position next steps.

Sales Pipeline Ratios (Schiffman)

Track and improve continuously:

Ratio	What to Track
Dials to discussions	How many calls to reach one live personSection
Discussions to appointments	How many conversations to get one meetingSection
First to second appointments	How many first meetings advanceSection
Visits to sales	How many total meetings per closed dealSection
Average deal value	What is each sale worthSection

Pipeline attrition reality: When you close 1 sale from 20 prospects at a 1-in-5 ratio, you lose 5 prospects (not 1). You cannot ease up on prospecting after making a sale. Prospect every day without exception.

Prospect Probability Tiers (Schiffman)

Prospect Type	Close Probability	Priority
Existing customer (upsell/cross-sell)	~50% (1 in 2)	Highest
Past customer (inactive)	~25% (1 in 4)	High maintain regular contact
New prospect (cold)	~5% (1 in 20)	Volume-dependent daily prospecting
Fallback prospect (previously rejected)	5-10% on revisit	Revisit every ~3 months

Relationship Progression Levels (Schiffman)

Level	Role	Vulnerability	How to Advance
1. Seller	Peddler (price-only)	Extreme any competitor beats you	Build repeat business
2. Supplier	Regular vendor	High still largely transactional	Deepen information about their business
3. Vendor	Trusted provider	Moderate advance warning of changes	Deliver consistently, build trust
4. Partner	Strategic ally	Low embedded in operations	Participate in planning, provide strategic input

Progress every significant account toward partner level over time.

Small Business Sales Tactics (Jarvis)

For service businesses and small B2B, use Jarvis's practical sales approach:

1. Warm introduction (letter/email before phone call)
2. Research call (qualify prospect, find decision maker)
3. Appointment setting (offer free consultation or assessment as entry point)
4. Build rapport (find common ground, match tone, show genuine interest)
5. Discovery (listen deeply, uncover the prospect's "pain" with targeted questions)
6. Tailored proposition (use their language, connect each need to a specific solution)
7. Winning proposal (2-3 pages: situation, objectives, solution, value, price, plan)
8. Follow-up (increases response 20-50%, maintain discipline until conclusion)

Key principle: Following up sales letters or direct mail increases response by 20-50%. Most businesses quit follow-up too early.

Persuasion-Based Sales Process (Wes Lee 10-Step)

A 3-phase, 10-step process for face-to-face, phone, or high-touch sales:

PHASE 1  INVOLVEMENT
  Step 1: Preparation (know client, competitors, objections)
  Step 2: Peak emotional state (transfer positive emotions)
  Step 3: Contact clients (law of averages, ask for referrals)
  Step 4: Build deep relationship (trust, mirroring, rapport)
  Step 5: Captivate them (6-step benefit formula, social proof)

PHASE 2  QUALIFY AND MAGNIFY
  Step 6: Qualify (WPNID: Wants, Pain, Needs, Income, Decision)
           + Identify client thought patterns (11 patterns)
  Step 7: Cultivate belief and test close (12 compelling reasons, 3 test close types)

PHASE 3  URGENCY
  Step 8: Make tangible (Direct/Exclaim/Visualise, sensory experience, assumptive posture)
  Step 9: Transform objections into commitments (5-step: Ignore  Listen  Repeat  Dig  Commit)
  Step 10: Create lasting relationship (prevent buyer's remorse, referral system, make buying simple)

Core principle: People buy on emotion and justify logically. Emotional and logical reasons to buy must overwhelm significant reasons not to buy. See references/persuasion-sales-process.md for the complete framework including qualification checklists, objection handling scripts, closing strategies, and referral systems.

Founder-Led Selling Stages (Kazanjy)

For startups, the sales team must evolve through stages skipping stages causes failure:

Stage	Team	Exit Criteria
1. Founder only	Founder selling alone	20-30 customers acquired and getting value
2. Founder + SDR + 2 AEs	First sales hires	AEs closing at founder's rate
3. Sales manager + team	Dedicated sales leader	Repeatable hiring and quota attainment
4. VP Sales + scaled team	Executive leadership	Predictable revenue engine

Anti-pattern: Hiring a VP Sales or "sales guy" at Stage 1. No one understands the product and market like the founder. The staffing plan must show stage-appropriate hiring.

Sales Velocity Formula (Goliger)

Sales Velocity = (Opportunities x Win Rate x Avg Deal Size) / Avg Sales Cycle (days)

Track this metric to measure pipeline health and forecast revenue capacity.

Key Marketing Metrics (Farris)

Performance Dashboard

Metric	Formula	Target
CAC	Total marketing spend / New customers	< 1/3 of CLV
CLV:CAC ratio	Customer lifetime value / CAC	> 3:1
Marketing ROI	(Revenue from marketing - Marketing cost) / Marketing cost	> 5:1
Conversion rate	Customers / Leads x 100	Industry benchmark
Churn rate	Lost customers / Total customers x 100	< 5% monthly
NPS	% Promoters - % Detractors	> 50
Share of voice	Brand ad spend / Category ad spend x 100	> Market share
CAC payback	CAC / Monthly margin per customer	< 12 months

StoryBrand Messaging Framework (Miller, 2017)

Before building a marketing plan, every business needs a clear message. Confusing messaging kills marketing spend. Use the StoryBrand SB7 Framework to create the BrandScript that drives all copy, website, and campaign work.

The One-Liner (Most Important Piece of Copy)

"We help [CHARACTER] who [PROBLEM] [ACHIEVE RESULT / TRANSFORMATION]."

Every business plan must include a one-liner. Test: can anyone on the team repeat it in 30 secondsSection Does a stranger understand the offer immediatelySection

The BrandScript Structure

Module	What to Define
Character	One clear desire the customer has (connected to survival: money, time, status, meaning, belonging)
Problem	Villain + External problem + Internal problem (frustration/shame) + Philosophical problem ("it's wrong that...")
Guide	Empathy statement + Authority proof (testimonials, stats, awards, logos)
Plan	34 step process plan + optional agreement plan (commitments that reduce purchase risk)
Direct CTA	One clear action: "Buy Now", "Schedule a Call", "Apply Today"
Transitional CTA	Lead generator: free guide, checklist, or tool in exchange for email
Failure	3 consequences of not buying (loss aversion: losing hurts twice as much as gaining feels good)
Success	Specific before/after: what the customer has, feels, experiences, and their new status
Transform	From [current identity] To [aspirational identity]

Positioning Test

Customers ask two subconscious questions when encountering a brand: "Can I trust thisSection " (answered by empathy) and "Can I respect thisSection " (answered by authority). Both must be answered within seconds.

Brand-as-hero vs. brand-as-guide: If the marketing talks primarily about the company's achievements, awards, history, or passion it is positioned as the hero. Flip it: make those achievements proof that the guide can help the customer win.

StoryBrand Marketing Roadmap

Five website non-negotiables:

1. Offer above the fold (passes the grunt test in 5 seconds)
2. Obvious direct CTA (contrasting colour, repeated)
3. Images of successful customers (not buildings or team selfies)
4. Bite-sized breakdown of products/services
5. Minimal words cut ruthlessly

Email nurture sequence:

• Every 3 nurturing emails 1 offer email
• Nurture formula: problem plan to solve it life after resolution
• Offer formula: problem your product transformation direct CTA

Testimonials of transformation (5-question framework):

1. What was your problem beforeSection 2. What did you discoverSection 3. What specific result did you getSection 4. What would you tell someone hesitatingSection 5. How has your life/business changedSection

See references/storybrand-framework.md for the complete BrandScript template, Uganda villain examples, aspirational identity table, before/after grid, and blog angles.

Generation Process

1. Ask for: business model (B2B/B2C/D2C), price point, primary channels, budget range
2. Position on Kotler's marketing evolution spectrum
3. Define positioning statement, USP, and strap-line
4. Build complete marketing mix (4Ps or 7Ps)
5. Map the AARRR funnel with specific tactics and metrics at each stage
6. Design digital channel strategy with channel selection rationale
7. Include guerrilla tactics for budget-constrained scenarios
8. For small businesses: apply Jarvis's three growth levers, alliance strategy, PR plan, and communication calendar
9. Allocate marketing budget by channel with ROI expectations
10. Define retention and upsell strategy including customer review process and complaint handling
11. Define the gap for each customer segment (current state future state, quantified)
12. Design the sales process appropriate to business type (B2C funnel, B2B Schiffman four-step process, Jarvis service selling, Gap Selling discovery, or Wes Lee persuasion)
13. For B2B: define the PIPA first meeting structure, pipeline ratios, prospecting cadence, and relationship progression targets
14. For startups: identify founder-led selling stage, plan sales team scaling progression, define ICP
15. Set measurable KPIs for each channel and funnel stage (including sales velocity)
16. Include marketing evaluation system with test-and-measure discipline
17. For businesses with promotional budgets: apply Hahn's testing hierarchy (list offer headline format copy) to all paid campaigns; include break-even response rate calculation
18. For service businesses: include an inbound/pull marketing plan referral machine (4 steps), article/speaking loop, niche positioning statement, press release schedule
19. Create a StoryBrand BrandScript one-liner one clear sentence: "We help [character] who [problem] [achieve result]"
20. Write the messaging foundation confirm the BrandScript is complete: villain, external/internal/philosophical problems, guide empathy + authority, plan, direct + transitional CTA, failure stakes, success vision, and identity transformation arc
21. Position the strategy against the business and customer lifecycle, growth ownership model, and macro conditions
22. Specify the attraction engine, conversion sequence, retention cadence, and referral trigger rather than stopping at channel selection
23. For product-led, SaaS, AI, platform, or digital businesses, define the growth loop, event data model, experiment cadence, activation metric, retention cohort, and product-qualified lead logic before accepting revenue assumptions.

Quality Criteria

• Strategy is specific to this business, not generic marketing advice
• Marketing evolution stage is identified with trajectory
• USP is specific, measurable, and differentiated from competitors
• Budget is realistic and allocated with ROI expectations per channel
• Sales process is defined step-by-step with conversion targets and pipeline ratios
• B2B sales includes PIPA first meeting framework, prospecting cadence, and relationship level targets
• AARRR funnel has specific tactics and metrics at each stage
• Online and offline channels are both considered
• Guerrilla tactics are included for budget-constrained scenarios
• All three growth levers are addressed (new customers, spend per customer, purchase frequency)
• Customer retention includes communication calendar, review process, and complaint handling
• Alliance and referral strategies are included for small businesses
• PR and expert positioning plan is defined for profile building
• Marketing evaluation system includes test-and-measure processes
• Metrics dashboard covers acquisition, retention, and revenue
• Attraction, conversion, retention, and referral logic are all explicit and commercially believable
• Gap analysis quantifies the current state future state gap for each customer segment
• Startup sales plans show stage-appropriate team scaling (not jumping from founder to VP Sales)
• Sales velocity formula is calculated for pipeline forecasting
• Lifecycle fit, growth ownership, and macro-condition adaptation are explicit
• Growth is presented as a system of loops, tests, metrics, and owners, not as a pile of campaign ideas
• Product-led or AI-enabled growth claims identify the user behaviour, data signal, experiment, and metric that will prove the claim
• All cost assumptions are stated and traceable
• StoryBrand one-liner is present and passes the 30-second repeat test
• Brand is positioned as the guide, not the hero customer is the hero
• BrandScript covers all three problem levels (external, internal, philosophical)
• Marketing copy identifies the villain and speaks to the internal frustration, not just the external fix
• Identity transformation arc is defined (From To)
• Any advertising copy uses the Benefit-Feature-Proof structure never leads with a feature
• AIDA + Conviction hierarchy is applied: attention interest desire conviction (proof) action
• Promotional plan includes inbound/pull tactics (referrals, speaking, articles, press releases) not only paid advertising
• For service businesses: a referral system and niche positioning statement are included
• Direct response elements (direct mail, WhatsApp broadcast, SMS) follow tested architecture: list, offer, letter, reply device

References

• Marketing metrics and formulas: See references/marketing-metrics.md for comprehensive marketing measurement formulas, ROI calculations, channel attribution, and performance benchmarks from Farris
• Growth and digital strategy: See references/growth-strategy.md for AARRR funnel deep-dive, growth loops, digital channel playbooks, content strategy frameworks, and social media marketing approaches
• Guerrilla and small business tactics: See references/guerrilla-tactics.md for Levinson's guerrilla marketing weapons, fusion marketing, education-based marketing, guarantee strategies, and low-budget high-impact approaches
• Persuasion and sales process: See references/persuasion-sales-process.md for Wes Lee's 10-step professional persuasion sales process, 3-phase sales framework (Involvement/Qualify & Magnify/Urgency), WPNID qualification framework, 11 client thought patterns, 5-step objection transformation process, test closing techniques, closing strategies, referral systems, and customer psychology/buying triggers
• Small business marketing tactics: See references/small-business-marketing-tactics.md for Jarvis's 9-step marketing plan framework, three growth levers, niche selection criteria, USP development process, alliance and joint venture strategy, referral systems, PR and press release formula, expert positioning, cold call framework, proposal structure, communication calendar template, CRM discipline, marketing evaluation checklists, and low-cost high-impact tactic rankings
• Sales strategy and methodology: See references/sales-strategy-schiffman.md for Schiffman's four-step sales process, PIPA first meeting sequence, do-based questioning framework, prospecting and cold calling methodology (nine principles), pipeline ratio tracking, relationship selling levels (seller/supplier/vendor/partner), fallback prospect recycling, verification step, preliminary proposal technique, "does this make sense" closing approach, and sales process checklists
• Gap selling methodology: See references/gap-selling-methodology.md for Keenan's problem-centric selling framework, nine truth bombs of selling, current state/future state gap analysis, five-layer discovery question framework, gap equation, objection reframing through discovery, gap prospecting message templates, and sales forecast validation using gap analysis
• Startup sales playbook and scaling: See references/startup-sales-scaling.md for Kazanjy's four founder-led selling stages, Goliger's ICP definition framework, buyer psychographics, sales model selection (direct/inside/channel/self-serve), sales narrative structure, prospecting sequences, demo best practices, sales velocity formula, sales team hiring sequence, compensation structures, scaling stages from zero to UGX 5B+, customer success as revenue driver, health scoring, and sales outsourcing decision framework
• Customer acquisition and growth: See references/customer-acquisition-growth.md for Get/Keep/Grow customer relationships framework, Sales Roadmap (who influences/recommends/decides/sabotages), Organisation & Influence Maps, Product Positioning Statement (Moore template), Content Circle Framework, Five-Question Marketing Plan, Experiment-Based Marketing with 30-day cycles, email list building progression, and Law of 100 from Blank & Dorf (2012) and Kagan (2024)
• Social business and brand content strategy: See references/social-business-brand-strategy.md for the three-media model (paid/earned/owned), Hero Content Narrative framework, content channel strategy and tiers (Uganda context: Facebook/WhatsApp/Instagram/YouTube/radio), brand story inputs (9-factor model), content governance workflows, crisis escalation matrix, Social Business Value Creation Model, editorial governance checklist, employee advocacy principles, and content organisation structures from Brito (Pearson, 2013). Read when building a digital marketing strategy, brand story, or content plan for any Uganda business.
• Unconventional small business strategy: See references/small-business-unconventional-strategy.md for the Underdog Principles framework (Positioning/Proximity/Purpose), differentiation through experience (aesthetic/social/boundary interactions), value-based pricing step-by-step, Customer Decision Journey mapping, CAC analysis, Trust Equation (credibility/reliability/intimacy/self-orientation), Land and Expand upsell/cross-sell framework, bottleneck analysis, capacity utilisation, and redefining success from Kaza (Ideapress, 2025). Read when advising on differentiation strategy, pricing, customer loyalty, upselling, or operational efficiency for small businesses.
• Growth strategy framework Seven Degrees of Freedom (Umbrex, 2025): See references/growth-strategy-playbook.md for the complete Umbrex Growth Strategy Playbook growth mandate archetypes (protect/accelerate/expand/transform), time horizons (now/next/later), growth ambition scorecard (North Star + KPI tree), growth engine diagnosis (baseline decomposition, unit economics heatmap, cohort analysis, customer journey mapping, competitive context, constraint heatmap), McKinsey Seven Degrees of Freedom framework with degree briefs and proof standards, structured option generation methodology (ideation session design, mini-option format, one-page option memo template, confidence labels, quality gate), core growth options (pricing/packaging/leakage removal, lifecycle NRR levers, channel performance, commercial productivity), adjacent growth options (segment/channel adjacencies, geographic expansion, offer extension), option evaluation framework and portfolio design principles, test-and-learn stage-gate model, growth operating system governance, stakeholder alignment, and Uganda/EA adaptations (pricing architecture, mobile money, EAC regional expansion). Read when building a growth strategy, generating growth options, evaluating which markets/segments/channels to pursue, or designing a growth-led business plan section.
• Lifecycle-aware growth marketing: See references/growth-marketing-lifecycle.md for Rose Jia's growth marketing discipline business lifecycle fit, customer lifecycle fit, growth organisation design, resource allocation, and adapting growth strategy for downturn, boom, or stable economic conditions. Read when turning scattered tactics into a durable growth system or when a client wants long-term growth rather than one-off campaign ideas.
• Customer retention strategy and economics (Umbrex, 2025): See references/customer-retention-playbook.md for the complete Umbrex Customer Retention Playbook retention economics (GRR, NRR, LTV/CAC, CAC payback, logo churn), 10-step stakeholder alignment, 5-tier retention segmentation (structural/economic/behavioural/relationship/strategic), Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) 5-pillar framework, High-Value Account (HVA) template, 22 prioritisation matrix (Grow/Protect/Nurture/Streamline quadrants), customer journey mapping (5-stage spine), onboarding best practices, NPS/CSAT design, health score model, early warning indicators, 3-tier risk playbook (Watch/At-Risk/Critical), escalation path (Stages 14 with SLAs), Value Realization Framework, SMART KPI and Success Plan template, QBR 10-step guide, account coverage models (Pod/Named Portfolio/Tech-Touch), renewal pipeline process, upsell 11-step guide, cross-sell playbook, customer advocacy programme framework, and Uganda/EA adaptations. Read when designing retention strategy, onboarding processes, renewal management, account segmentation, customer health scoring, or cross-sell/upsell programmes for any business plan.
• StoryBrand SB7 Framework: See references/storybrand-framework.md for the complete BrandScript (character/problem/guide/plan/CTA/failure/success/transformation), one-liner formula, villain framework, three levels of conflict (external/internal/philosophical), guide positioning (empathy + authority), identity transformation table, before/after grid, StoryBrand Marketing Roadmap (website 5-step, lead generator, email nurture + offer sequence, transformation testimonials), Uganda/EA villain and aspirational identity examples, and 5 blog angles from Miller (HarperCollins, 2017). Read when building any marketing message, brand positioning, website copy, email campaign, or one-liner for any business.
• Sustainability marketing and green positioning: See references/sustainability-marketing-positioning.md for three sustainability marketing archetypes (Communicative/Opportunistic/Transformational), the three-layer purpose test, anti-greenwashing patterns table, five Uganda/EA green market segments (premium urban, institutional buyers, export markets, development partner supply chains, mass market), sustainability marketing channels, premium pricing framework (organic 2040% premium evidence), and EUDR export compliance alert (deforestation-free requirement for coffee, cocoa, timber exporters from December 2025) Source: Leleux & van der Kaaij (2019) and Sustainability Today (2022). Read when building a sustainability-differentiated brand, targeting premium or export markets, or verifying green marketing claims against greenwashing standards.
• DIY advertising and copy production: See references/diy-advertising-copywriting.md for Hahn's Advertising Contract (3 elements), Five-Step Message Hierarchy (AIDA + Conviction with failure-point diagnosis), Benefit-Feature-Proof structure, print ad and radio script production checklists (with Uganda FM station table), Direct Mail Package Architecture (5 components with WhatsApp/SMS equivalents), Direct Mail Letter checklist, Trade Show Booth checklist, Testing Hierarchy (list offer headline format copy; break-even formula), direct mail list strategy (RFM segmentation, hotline names), Yellow Pages / Google My Business display guide (Barry Maher's 10 Deadliest Mistakes), website copy principles, and Uganda/EA media mapping table (radio reach 73%, M-Pesa list, Facebook micro-testing from UGX 20,000) Hahn & Mangun (2003). Read when writing promotional copy, planning a direct mail or radio campaign, preparing for a trade fair, or designing any advertisement.
• Premium commercial writing layer: See ../premium-commercial-writing/SKILL.md, especially references/commercial-persuasion-patterns.md and references/seo-ai-search-visibility.md, when converting the strategy into positioning copy, premium messaging, lead magnets, sales pages, outreach, CTAs, blog angles, website content, or AI-search-friendly authority assets.
• Competitive intelligence for marketing win/loss, shadowing, CSF, corporate reputation: See ../06-competitive-analysis/references/competitive-analysis-methods-fleisher.md for Win/Loss Analysis (structured post-sales debriefs to diagnose why deals are won or lost adapted for Uganda's relationship-based sales culture), Shadowing (competitor shadow market plan methodology), Critical Success Factors Analysis (8 identification techniques for CSFs that drive customer decision-making), Corporate Reputation Analysis (Reputation Quotient, media monitoring, stakeholder perception mapping), and Competitive Positioning Analysis Source: Fleisher & Bensoussan (FT Press, 2007). Read when diagnosing a declining win rate, building a competitive marketing intelligence programme, or establishing what customers actually value in this industry.
• Inbound marketing, PR, and self-promotion: See references/inbound-pr-self-promotion.md for Edwards & Douglas's Marketing Pyramid (pull model invest from word-of-mouth down), Referral Machine (4-step system), Networking Follow-Up System (card sorting, 90-day calendar), Article Marketing Loop (7-step write-publish-speak cycle), speaking as a marketing strategy (free-to-fee sequence with Uganda venues), press release inverted pyramid structure (5 paragraphs + newsworthiness criteria), feature story pitch (100-word letter rule, media kit contents), niche specialist positioning (generalist trap + positioning statement formula), special reports (5 "how-to" headline triggers), newsletter system (60/20/20 content formula), joint ventures and strategic alliances, relationship maintenance tactics, self-promotion identity tools (USP, naming, picture business card), daily marketing rhythm ("marketing hour"), Uganda/EA synthesis table, and combined 90-day low-budget promotion plan Edwards, Edwards & Douglas (1991); Pinskey (1997). Read when building an inbound marketing strategy, planning a PR or media campaign, designing a referral system, or creating a self-promotion plan for a service business.
• Kennedy/Brunson direct-response frameworks: See ../book-extractions/kennedy-no-bs-sales-success-extraction.md (23 Strategies, 6-Step Sales Process, Takeaway Selling, Positioning-Not-Prospecting, Lead Generation via "Welcome Guest Process"), ../book-extractions/kennedy-ultimate-sales-letter-extraction.md (28-step long-form, Power of a Sequence, Creative P.S., Hidden Benefit), and ../book-extractions/brunson-dotcomsecrets-ignite-extraction.md (Secret Formula, Value Ladder, 3 traffic types, 7 phases of a lead, Star-Story-Solution 35-beat script, Perfect Webinar, Soap Opera + Seinfeld email sequences). Read when building the sales section for a direct-response-driven business — info-products, coaching, masterminds, high-ticket services, info-marketing, e-commerce funnels, webinar-driven offers. Pair with meta-pricing-strategy for the pricing side of the same frameworks.
• Magnetic marketing system design: See ../book-extractions/kennedy-magnetic-marketing-extraction.md for the Message-Market-Media triangle, lead generation magnet discipline, attraction-conversion-retention architecture, micro-agreement sequencing, and systematic referral logic. Read when a plan has channels but lacks a commercial system.
• Niche-first startup positioning: See ../book-extractions/godin-startup-school-extraction.md for narrow-market focus, remarkability, tribe logic, and anti-generic positioning. Read when the offering sounds broad, undifferentiated, or aimed at "everyone".
• Growth, profit, disruption, and deeper-thinking systems: See ../../book-extractions/growth-profit-disruption-systems-extraction.md for growth engineering, remarkable growth systems, profit levers, transformation, creativity, AI/product growth loops, experimentation, and dashboard discipline. Read when a plan needs a repeatable growth engine, product-led growth, AI-enabled growth, profit improvement, or disruption strategy rather than isolated marketing tactics.