Chapter 9 CRM and Content: Two Ingredients for Early Startup Success Hitting the Pay-Per-Lead Wall Picture this scenario: You’ve closed a round, you’re doing some hiring, and as it turns out, you’re killing it with lead generation from paid search. They’re only costing a few dollars each and are working their way through the nurture cycle and into sales as opportunities. I’ve been there. That feeling is the definition of glorious. But almost every startup hits the inevitable pay-per-lead wall — a period when cash is tight and one of the first things that gets clawed back is the marketing budget. Given the choice between turning off Amazon Web Services, laying off engineers, or cutting back on AdWords, the loser is often too obvious. Cutting the marketing budget leads to a trickle-down effect. Less leads purchased means fewer opportunities for the sales team to work. Fewer opportunities means your pipeline shrinks. Soon, that results in fewer sales closing and ultimately, less revenue than forecasted. Now, more cuts have to be made and the downward spiral begins. Generating content early on can help exacerbate these losses. Being strategic about blog posts and other types of content as part of an overall inbound and organic strategy means that when the cash crunch looms, there are still organic leads coming in the door. There won’t be as many, but organic leads tend to be higher converters than most types of paid leads, so you’ll still have something to feed your sales team when money gets tight. Do this, and you’ll avoid hitting the dreaded pay-per-lead wall. Setting Yourself Up for Growth Out of context, CRM platforms and content may not seem related. But it all has to do with leads — how you’re tracking those leads, and how you’re ensuring that you never have an empty funnel. Content will help you when cash is tight, and adopting a CRM system will allow you to navigate the sales cycle through ups and downs with sophistication, organization, and efficiency. Don’t write off these two ingredients for early startup success. Adopt both a CRM solution and a content strategy early on, and you’ll be poised for growth and success.