Best Quarter Ever: Reducing Budget Waste by 50% While Growing Sales 27.6%
The Story
An auto repair shop management software company faced a critical crisis in fall 2023. Marketing investments resulted in declining lead rates and 7% conversion to sales, with up to 80% junk leads and unacceptable CAC. As the market became more competitive, they urgently needed to prove market viability with only one quarter to turn things around.
What we did
Fractional Head of Marketing plus paid search experts partnered with leadership team
Optimized paid search campaigns within 30 days - overhauled messaging, keywords, and targeting to filter only auto repair shop owners
Revamped landing pages to showcase company value proposition and allow self-guided exploration
Launched content strategy centered on CEO thought leadership via whitepaper and webinars
Built social media program with 75% content from cornerstone assets, shifted from promotional ads to value-add content
The Edge Impact
Record sales quarter - Q1 2024 was best quarter in company history with 27.6% increase over 2023 average
Improved lead quality - unqualified leads decreased from 80% to 20%
Improved close rates - MQLs to Deals Closed Ratio increased to 23.5% (from 6.95% in 2023)
48% reduction in cost per lead
161 prospects engaged, 88 net new contacts, 13 closed deals attributed to content in 12 weeks
30% reduction in SEM budget while achieving best sales quarter
“In just 30 days, IEC reduced our budget waste by 50% and increased the quality of opportunities. As a result, Q1 2024 was our best quarter ever, and we were able to sell the company at a much higher valuation. They work fast to get results not just from marketing but our sales organization. They’re not just consultants, they’re real partners in the success of our business.”
