Phil Risher explains why more marketing spend won't save a struggling business. A buyer spent $30,000 on ads and got $1,000 back. The real fix: track your booking rate, closing rate, and lead-management process, then optimize the whole funnel.
$30,000 (USD)
$1,000 (USD)
2026-01-24
I was on a call earlier this week and a guy had recently bought a business and he was frustrated with marketing companies. He had just spent $30,000 on marketing and he only saw $1,000 in return. And he was frustrated, notably. So you spent $30,000, you got $1,000. But I dug in a little bit and I asked him, what's your booking rate, your leads to actual book jobs? He didn't know. I asked him what his lead management plan was. So when a lead comes in, how are you staying top of mind and reaching out to these people? He didn't have a plan. I asked him what his average ticket was. He didn't know. I asked him what his closing rate was, estimate to close. He didn't know. He was at a loss. Marketing will get you so far, but if you don't know the numbers of your business, it's really hard to figure out. Is it a marketing problem? Is it a sales problem, Is it a lead nurture problem? Once you start asking the right questions and optimizing the entire funnel, that's when you unlock real growth in your business.
