Overview and excerpts of Chris Ciunci's recently published book, Marketing in the Trenches. Marketing in the Trenches discusses 25 practical and actionable tips for top-line business growth.

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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION CUSTOMER STORYTELLING
NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGY TEAM

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Introduction
• In my experience, I’ve found that the growth of a company typically has less to do with
traditional marketing tactics and more to do with initiatives outside of the standard
definition of marketing. It used to be that business owners would think to themselves,
“Since I need to grow, let me hire a couple of people and they can take care of that for
me. My marketing department will recommend such-and-such tactics, which will help us
achieve such-and-such results if we employ them.”
• Marketing has evolved, however, and organizations need to change their mindsets.
From my perspective, marketing is no longer something done by one department.
Rather, it now includes every department and every customer interaction. Your company
itself is a marketing engine, and breaking down the walls inside an organization can
ensure that everyone plays a role. This approach optimizes your team, your technology,
and your culture so that everyone is fully focused on the needs of your customers and
on structuring the right processes to address your customers’ pain points.
INTRODUCTION

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CUSTOMER
CUSTOMER

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Tip No. 1
“Know exactly when,
where, and how your
customer buys in order
to focus your marketing
with that moment in
mind.”
Know Your Customer
Knowing exactly what your customers want
helps you focus your marketing with their
needs in mind
Leverage customer advisory boards, client
events, DMPs, and Net Promoter Score
surveys to obtain customer insights
Develop customer “personas” so you can
speak to these different customer types in
the right way
The first step is knowing exactly who your customers are and what they like
CUSTOMER
CUSTOMER
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 2
“The traditional “sales
funnel' is officially dead.
You need to identify,
strengthen, and grow your
customer touch points in
order to be on top at the
moment of purchase.”
Map the Customer Decision Journey
Create a map of every touch point in a
customer’s evaluation process, from initial
consideration to post-purchase
Touch points may include: identification of a
need, Internet searches, a customer
service call, social media, customer
feedback, etc.
Ensure that each touch point is owned by
an individual or team
CUSTOMER
CUSTOMER
Identify, strengthen, and grow your available customer touch points
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 3
“Your customers have
a wealth of information
and choices. Retaining
them is more crucial
than ever – and more
profitable.”
Wow Your Customers
Retaining a customer costs 7-10 times less
than recruiting a new customer
A focus on retention transforms your
customers into evangelists for your brand
Focus on perfecting post-purchase touch
points in order to maximize customer
lifetime value
Add new post-purchase touch points such as
a follow-up call or Net Promoter Score survey
CUSTOMER
CUSTOMER
Obsess over the post-purchase stage of the customer journey
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 4
“By transitioning away from
low-value customers, you
can devote the right
amount of time, money,
and resources to acquiring
and retaining high-value
customers.”
Fire Your Least Profitable Customers
Segment customer accounts based on
profitability and lifetime value
Allocate resources proportionally to the
value of your customer accounts
Gracefully remove unprofitable clients from
your roster, but make the transition as
smooth as possible for them
Use your divestment data to improve
prospecting, and target prospects who look
like your high-value customers
CUSTOMER
CUSTOMER
Gracefully divest unprofitable clients in order to focus on high-value clients
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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STORYTELLING
STORYTELLING

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Tip No. 5
“The human brain
thrives on good
stories. This is very
good news for your
marketing effort.”
Tell a Compelling Story
Make sure that you know the “what,” “how,”
and “why” of your business’ story like the
back of your hand
Always begin with your “why” to draw
customers in and give them a personal
connection with your company
Tell a cohesive story across your company,
from your products to your HR policies
Let your “why” evolve with your company
CUSTOMER
STORYTELLING
Learn with your “why,” and then use your “how” and “what” to complete this picture
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 6
“Content marketing is
the way to build a
foundation of helpful
knowledge that will
separate your brand
from the crowd.”
Content is King
Content marketing costs 62% less than
traditional marketing – yet it excels at conversion
Create a content strategy & calendar to ensure
consistent posts across diverse media platforms
Craft accurate, quality content that includes
images and short summaries/headlines to
allow skimming on the go
Repurpose your content across platforms
CUSTOMER
STORYTELLING
Build a foundation of content to separate your brand from the crowd over the long term
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 7
“First, determine how
your organization stands
out from competitors.
Then, communicate and
support this difference in
any possible way.”
Hammer Home Your Unique Selling Proposition
Unique selling proposition (USP) = the
unique reason that your product or service
is superior to the competition
Your USP falls into one of three categories:
price, experience, or innovation
Formulate a USP and push it out across
your marketing messaging
“Walk the walk” and align your entire
organization with your USP
CUSTOMER
STORYTELLING
CUSTOMER
Develop a core differentiator – and own it
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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NEW MEDIA
NEW MEDIA

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Tip No. 8
“For marketers who want
to truly leverage today’s
new media, paid
marketing is actually the
least desirable route to
travel.”
Think “Owned, Earned, Paid”
“Interrupting” your customer through paid
media doesn’t cut it anymore
Leverage three distinct categories as you build &
enhance your brand: owned, earned, and paid
Owned media = the extensions of your brand
that you control (your website, Facebook page)
Earned media = the publicity and word-of-
mouth attention that your company earns when
its content is shared
CUSTOMER
NEW MEDIA
CUSTOMER
Diversify your media using owned, earned, and paid channels
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 9
“As traditional outbound
marketing strategies have
become less effective,
inbound marketing has
become the most effective
method of capturing new
business.
Think Inbound over Outbound
Inbound marketing delivers leads at a cost
per lead of 62% less than outbound
marketing
Produce interesting content that prospects
& customers see as worth reading and
sharing – and you will earn their attention
New inbound initiatives may include hiring
a freelance copywriter or investing in new
video, infographics, or webinar content
CUSTOMER
NEW MEDIA
CUSTOMER
Reach customers in the right way (while saving money) using inbound marketing
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 10
“As the first introduction
of most prospective
customers to your
company, your website
is the best place to
communicate what your
company does.”
View Your Website as Your Online Storefront
Up to 95% of qualified prospects use
company websites to research
Develop better website content, video &
design to increase conversion
Develop a strategy that drives website
traffic
Track the behavior of visitors to your
website using Google Analytics – and
optimize accordingly
CUSTOMER
NEW MEDIA
CUSTOMER
Invest in a credible, attractive, and easy-to-navigate website
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY

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Tip No. 11
“A virtual goldmine of
tools that can make
your marketing
instantaneously easier
has been produced
during the past
decade.”
Put the Right Technology in Place
Use marketing automation tools to
streamline your marketing & market
smarter
Leverage a customer relationship
management (CRM) platform to wow your
customers at a scalable level
Integrate your technology platforms to
maximize the benefit of your technology
investments
CUSTOMER
TECHNOLOGY
CUSTOMER
Leverage marketing automation and a CRM platform to market smarter
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 12
“The benefits of embracing
the data that you have
about both your customers
and your prospects are
clear; the challenge is
doing so in the most
efficient way.
Measure Everything You Market
Data offers valuable insights that can help
refine your interactions with customers,
improve the effectiveness of marketing,
and increase ROI
Introduce key performance indicators
(KPIs) such as return on ad spend (ROAS),
click-through rate (CTR), and cost per point
(CPP)
Identify key areas for improvement using
your KPIs
CUSTOMER
TECHNOLOGY
CUSTOMER
Use marketing analytics to make your marketing work harder
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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TEAM
TEAM

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Tip No. 13
“To maximize your company’s
growth, you need people
throughout the organization
with the right skill sets and
who are passionate and fully
engaged with the tasks at
hand.”
Surround Yourself with the Right People
Build the right teams by focusing on the
intangibles as well as expertise & skill sets
Develop a rigorous recruiting process that
prioritizes the qualities and values that
represent you company
Use consistent, constructive performance
reviews to keep your team strong & always
improving
CUSTOMER
TEAM
CUSTOMER
Invest in finding the right people, and it will pay off
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 14
“The motivation of your
team via internal
marketing builds a
sense of partnership
and purpose that is key
to your organization’s
success.”
Market Internally
Companies with engaged workers generate
up to five times higher shareholder returns
over a five-year period
Inspire your internal team to make an
emotional commitment to your organization
Tactics may include internal e-newsletters,
company events, & mentorship programs
CUSTOMER
TEAM
Ensure every employee knows about your
message, brand, and leadership principles
CUSTOMER
Show your team why the should love your company
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 15
“Word of mouth
continues to have
exceptional power. Tap
into the valuable
personal relationships
that your employees
bring to the company.”
Leverage Your Internal Team
92% of customers trust recommendations
from family and friends above all other
forms of advertising
View employees as a promising source of
referrals
Devise a formalized strategy for leveraging
your team’s connections
Train your internal team to think like
marketers
CUSTOMER
TEAM
CUSTOMER
Let your employees become your best brand ambassadors and a key marketing channel
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 16
“Companies that view
marketing and sales as
a symbiotic partnership
outperform their
competitors who view
them as separate
silos.”
View Marketing and Sales as One
57% of top performing companies have
highly aligned marketing and sales
functions
Have your marketing team do a deep dive
into your sales process
Establish a structure for consistent
communication & meetings
Integrate your marketing and sales
platforms
CUSTOMER
TEAM
CUSTOMER
Align and integrate your marketing and sales functions to unlock efficiencies
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 17
“Optimize your sales
force and make it a
marketing channel that
efficiently drives new
business and grows
revenue.”
Treat Your Sales Force as a Marketing Channel
View your sales force as an extension of your
marketing plan – and hold it to the same
standards as you hold your marketing channels
Standardize your sales process &
coordinate your sales force’s calendars
Set clear expectations and KPIs for
salespeople
Equip your sales force with the necessary
insights and marketing collateral to shine
CUSTOMER
TEAM
CUSTOMER
Turn your sales force into a robust marketing channel
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 18
“Outsourcing is a viable
way of filling
knowledge gaps and
accessing specialized
expertise.”
Your Staff Isn’t the Answer for Everything
Specialized expertise is difficult and costly
to develop internally
Outsourcing provides an average of 15%
reduction in costs (when used strategically)
Consider the balance of expertise on your
team and the strengths & weaknesses of
your company to determine if outsourcing
may be right for you
CUSTOMER
TEAM
CUSTOMER
Call in the experts when necessary
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 19
“Have you ever left a
meeting feeling
equally or more
confused than when it
began? If so, you’re
not alone.”
Time is Money
Unnecessary meetings cost U.S.
businesses a total of approximately $37
billion each year
Develop a company-wide strategy for time
management
Cut down on meetings, and be sure to
adhere to meeting agendas and establish
next steps when they are necessary
CUSTOMER
TEAM
CUSTOMER
Define expectations and standards to improve time-management and efficiency
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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STRATEGY
STRATEGY

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Tip No. 20
“Studies show that
marketers who have
formalized plans
achieve their goals more
efficiently and more
cost-effectively than
those who do not.”
Start with a Detailed Marketing Plan
Businesses that use strategic marketing
plans are 12% more profitable than
businesses that do not
Evaluate and prioritize your company
needs, strengths, & weaknesses - and
allocate your budget accordingly
Craft an annual marketing blueprint with
detailed calendars for each initiative
CUSTOMER
STRATEGY
CUSTOMER
Set clear goals and create a detailed marketing blueprint to get you there
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 21
“A combination of solid
strategy and detailed
execution is
mandatory in order to
achieve superior
returns.”
Execution, Execution, Execution
Use the same obsession to detail when
executing your strategy as when developing it
Assign deadlines and responsibilities for
each stage of every initiative (consider
using Gantt charts to do so)
Align the implementation of your strategy
both horizontally and vertically
Be prepared to adjust your strategy in real
time
CUSTOMER
STRATEGY
CUSTOMER
Over-invest in implementation to reap the full benefits of your strategic vision
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 22
“In terms of marketing
tactics, doing a little
bit of everything is
almost as bad as
doing the wrong
things.”
Set the Right Priorities
Don’t try to be everything to everyone
Use your marketing plan to guide your
investment of time and money
Set fewer priorities, but focus on
implementing them perfectly
Ensure that your entire team is aligned with
your company priorities and placing those
objectives above all else
CUSTOMER
STRATEGY
CUSTOMER
Set priorities early in order to ensure focused, productive initiatives
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 23
“Long-term thinking is
crucial to building brand
awareness and value:
So is the short-term
thinking that drives
profits and cash flow.”
Plant Short-Term Seeds While Building for the Long Term
Long-term marketing investments generate
value over time even though they may not
drive revenue immediately
Long-term strategies establish brand
awareness and value
Short-term strategies trigger the sales that
are needed now
Balance the two to achieve your desired
growth
CUSTOMER
STRATEGY
CUSTOMER
Balance the need to generate profit now with building a long-term foundation for growth
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 24
“Branding creates a
distinct and lasting
image in the mind of
the consumer whereas
marketing is the
delivery and promotion
of that image.”
Understand the Difference Between Branding vs. Marketing
Strong brands are built daily through your
employees and their interactions with
prospects, customers and partners
From day one, all of your actions and
decisions are part of your brand
In contrast, marketing is how you
communicate your brand to the world
Today, the power of your brand becomes
more important with the rising influence of
earned media
CUSTOMER
STRATEGY
CUSTOMER
Branding is your company’s DNA: your values, culture, mission, and principles. Great
companies always start with brand
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Tip No. 25
“Complacency is your
worst enemy, and average
effort seldom moves the
needle. Work harder, set a
faster pace, and run
alongside your team as
your business transforms.”
Hustle: Your Secret Weapon
You should be packing 11 hours in an 8-
hour work day
Make every moment count and seize every
opportunity, and you’ll see rapid and
sustained growth
Set the right example, and those under you
will do the same
Work fast, but never at the cost of quality
CUSTOMER
STRATEGY
CUSTOMER
Hustling starts with you, so be ready to put in the hours and energy to make it happen
In the Trenches Takeaway:

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Bonus Tip
“Marketing is a powerful
engine for growth and
success. Stay fully
invested in your
company’s vision in
order to achieve
superior returns.”
View Marketing as an Investment – Not an Expense
Marketing is an investment that should be
viewed over the long term
If you only focus on ROI-backed initiatives
you will be losing out on the power of the
intangible.
“Marketing and innovation are revenue
drivers whose end result is a new customer
- all other activities are an expense” –
Peter Drucker
CUSTOMER
STRATEGY
CUSTOMER
Change your “expense” mindset or be ready to become left behind
In the Trenches Takeaway: