Listen instead on your Monday Morning Drive:

In my coaching calls, one conversation comes up more often than any other: marketing challenges.

It makes sense. We spend our days getting shows done, but nothing about rigging a stage or mixing audio translates to marketing expertise.

Shopping for marketing services is overwhelming. No two marketing agencies do the same thing, and “marketing” covers a vast field of strategies and tactics.

Thankfully, when you look at your business, you can distill your marketing needs down to a simple checklist that’ll help you identify your ideal marketing partner.

Identify the Real Problem

You need more business. But we’re sophisticated enough to know it’s not just about volume — it’s about quality. You need better customers, stronger margins, and improved compatibility with your operational strengths.

It’s dangerously easy to fall into the trap of chasing revenue, but your lack of ideal customers isn’t a chasing problem — it’s an attraction problem.

Don’t hunt down any buyer with a pulse. Use marketing to create a magnetic pull for the right kind of business.

Define Your Ideal Customer

But what is the right kind of business? Who do you actually want to attract? Not who you’ve settled for in the past, but your ideal client.

Is it a large agency? An internal corporate meeting planner? An independent producer? An association?

While there’s no universally “right” answer, there are significant differences in how you attract each type of client. You can target multiple ideal customers, but focus on one to start — specifically, the most valuable one for your business.

Most companies know this answer. They might get distracted by large projects or chase revenue out of necessity, but when pushed, they clearly articulate their ideal client profile.

Create the Right Interface

Here’s where many companies stumble: They suddenly get an influx of leads and immediately route them to someone whose primary job is taking orders.

Leads aren’t ready to place orders. If you immediately connect them with an account manager solely focused on getting an RFP and writing an estimate, the process breaks down. Leads need nurturing, not closing.

Think carefully about who’ll interact with these potential clients. You need someone who can determine whether a lead needs further cultivation or is ready to be handed over to an account manager for buying discussions.

Choose Your Fuel

The “fuel” — or lead generation method — you need depends on your ideal customer’s behavior patterns.

Let me break this down into three common scenarios:

Scenario 1: Congregation Clients

You have an advantage if your ideal customers tend to gather at specific places (like meeting planners at industry conferences). These prospects are findable and searchable and often have clear professional titles.

While digital marketing can help introduce you, I’d prioritize business development here, i.e., hiring someone comfortable in these spaces who can build relationships and nurture opportunities.

Scenario 2: Independent Spirits

You need a different approach for target buyers like independent producers or small agencies who don’t typically congregate.

These prospects often want to talk with someone who’ll be involved in their projects. Find account executives who excel at outreach and transaction management — a rare but valuable combination.

Scenario 3: C-Suite Decision Makers

You need consultative business development to target high-powered executives who oversee meeting planners or hire agencies.

This approach focuses on solving problems bigger than the show you’re getting done. While this model isn’t relevant for 90% of live event companies, it’s vital for those in full-service production.

Digital Foundations Matter

Regardless of your chosen approach, you need a strong digital presence.

When prospects research you — whether they heard about you at a conference or through a colleague — your online footprint needs to validate their interest and help them envision your working relationship.

The Implementation Secret

Most of my readers need both fuel (lead generation) and interface (lead nurturing), but they make the mistake of trying to combine them. They want to hire a successful salesperson with existing accounts who will also generate new business.

This rarely works.

Instead, start with the interface. Begin by mining and nurturing the leads you already have. This immediately improves your conversion of existing opportunities and generates valuable market intelligence to help you (or your third-party marketing partner) develop better fuel for future growth.

The beauty of this approach is that you can start today. You don’t need to wait for the perfect marketing strategy or a complete overhaul of your processes. Begin with what you have, learn from it, and grow systematically from there.