Table of Contents
ROI of Sales Funnel: A Step-by-Step Guide to Projecting Your SaaS Marketing Funnel
Introduction
If you’re a Marketing leader, it’s crucial to continually plan future hires, initiatives, and campaigns for success. One effective way to do this is through the use of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), which help gauge your team’s success. However, deciding how many leads to sign up for can be challenging, and many Marketing leaders struggle with this. Setting overly high projections can lead to failure and loss of credibility, while setting too low estimates can hinder company growth.
To set ambitious yet achievable goals for your Marketing team, you need to project your funnel based on real data. This guide will provide a step-by-step process for collecting the necessary information and methods for successfully projecting your funnel. By using this guide and the provided template, you can align your Marketing efforts with your company’s growth goals.
Step 1: Measure Your Funnel
Accurate measurement of your Marketing and Sales funnels is the foundation for projecting your funnel. The more detailed and accurate your data is, the better your forecasts will be. Start by gathering the total number of objects in each stage of the Marketing and Sales funnels on a monthly basis for the previous year.
Depending on the size and structure of your company, there are two basic ways to gather this data:
- Use a CRM or other software to automatically track and measure your funnel stages.
- If you don’t have access to a CRM, manually track and record the number of objects in each stage on a regular basis.
Step 2: Determine Your Key Forecasting Metrics
There are several key metrics that heavily influence your Marketing projections. These metrics include:
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Company revenue targets: This metric provides a north star for your projections and ensures Marketing aligns with the company’s overall goals.
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Funnel conversion rates: These numbers determine the number of leads needed to progress through each stage of the funnel. Small changes in conversion rates can significantly impact your Marketing outlook.
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Average contract value (ACV): ACV is the average recurring revenue collected per contract in one year. It helps determine how many deals need to be closed to reach a revenue goal.
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Sales cycle length: This metric measures how long it takes for leads to convert into paying customers. It impacts the number of leads required to generate in a given year.
Step 3: Project Your Funnel
Once you’ve collected the necessary historical data and determined your key forecasting metrics, it’s time to project your funnel. There are two methods you can use, depending on the availability of historical data and the reliability of your attribution system.
Method 1: Use Historical Data
This method is ideal if you have access to accurate historical funnel data. It involves projecting your data forward based on assumed growth rates from new Marketing initiatives and optimizations. To use this method, fill out the provided funnel projection template with your historical data and growth assumptions.
Method 2: Use Estimated Data
If you don’t have historical data or an established attribution system, you can still project your funnel using estimates. Fill out the provided MQL Projections template with your assumptions and make adjustments as you gather more data.
It’s important to note that these projections are estimations and should be used as starting points for conversations with your Sales and executive teams. Data attribution systems are not perfect, and projections may vary from actual results. Use these projections as goal-setting tools and adjust your assumptions as you collect more data.
Conclusion
By following this step-by-step guide and using the provided templates, you can successfully project your SaaS Marketing funnel. Accurate projections help align your Marketing efforts with your company’s growth goals, set achievable targets for your team, and maximize your ROI. Start measuring and tracking your funnel today to gather the necessary data for forecasting. Remember to regularly update your projections as new data becomes available.
For more information and resources on B2B SaaS Marketing, visit reputable external links such as funnelpreneurs.com and Kalungi.