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Marketing and politics may seem like two completely different fields, but they share many similarities.
Both require a deep understanding of the audience, the ability to craft persuasive messages, and the importance of staying on brand.
Sara Strope, CMO at QuotaPath, knows this better than most, she began her career as a lobbyist in Washington DC, where she learned the skills that would later serve her well in the world of marketing.
In this article, we'll explore some of the key themes from Sara's interview with Alina Vandenberghe, focusing on QuotaPath's inbound marketing strategy, the importance of customer retention, the parallels between politics and marketing, and innovative compensation plans.
QuotaPath's marketing strategy is heavily focused on inbound marketing, with 80% of their pipeline coming from this approach.
One of the key motions that supports this strategy is the Product-Led Growth (PLG) motion, which involves offering free trials of their sales compensation platform.
She emphasizes the importance of making it easy for customers to sign up for the trial and to provide them with the support they need to get the most out of the platform.
Another important aspect of QuotaPath's inbound marketing strategy is their focus on organic search.
Sara explains that they have identified their target personas and created content that speaks directly to their needs and pain points.
By optimizing this content for search engines, they are able to attract potential customers who are actively looking for solutions to their problems.
"Organic search is a long game, but it's worth it if you can get it right." -Sara Strope
Sara also shared that two other inbound channels that have brought great ROI are peer review sites like
As well as their involvement in communities like
They will participate in webinars, and community slack channels, or even hop on the phone with community members to help them with compensation questions.
Having a presence on these sites and in these communities means that QuotaPath is able to effectively reach the multiple personas they serve and stay top of mind.
While customer acquisition is important, Sara emphasizes that marketing should play a role across the entire customer lifecycle.
"Marketing can't just be focused on getting people in the door. We need to be thinking about how we can help our customers be successful and grow with us." -Sara Strope
This means partnering with customer success, support, account management, and product teams to improve customer retention and identify areas for expansion and upsell.
One way that QuotaPath is working to improve customer retention is by making their platform more user-friendly.
They have identified pain points in the user experience and are working to address them.
Sara notes that "If we can make it easier for our customers to use our platform and to get the information they need, they're more likely to stick around."
Sara's background in politics has given her a unique perspective on marketing.
She notes that there are many similarities between the two fields, including the importance of staying on message and knowing your audience.
One of the key lessons that marketers can learn from politicians is the power of consistency.
"Some of the best politicians are the most consistent ones, who have a very strong point of view." -Sara Strope
This applies to marketing as well, where staying on brand and delivering a consistent message is key to building trust with your audience.
Another lesson that marketers can learn from politicians is the importance of knowing your issues and having a strong point of view.
Sara notes that "The more I listen to politicians, the more I understand how efficient they are at transmitting their messages."
Marketers can apply this same level of focus and clarity to their own messaging, ensuring that they are communicating the value of their product or service in a way that resonates with their audience.
Sara also shared that something marketers can learn from the political world is the power of community.
Sara also discusses the importance of innovative compensation plans in driving customer success.
QuotaPath has implemented comp plans that reward their team for having high onboarding NPS scores and for focusing on the long-term view of the customer.
This approach incentivizes the team to prioritize customer success and retention, which ultimately benefits the business in the long run.
As a marketer, Sara emphasizes the importance of communication skills, particularly writing skills.
"Because no matter what you're doing, whether you're doing product marketing or demand generation or brand, you have to be able to communicate your ideas to your peers. You have to be able to communicate and motivate, you know, internally and externally. And writing comes in all different forms and fashions, but having a willingness and desire and comfort in it, I think is really important." -Sara Strope
When asked about tips for CMOs taking over an existing team Sara emphasized:
She also notes that good marketers should have inherent curiosity and customer focus.
In conclusion, Sara Strope's experience in politics has given her a unique perspective on marketing.
She emphasizes the importance of inbound marketing, customer retention, consistency in messaging, and innovative compensation plans.
By focusing on these key themes, QuotaPath has been able to build a strong pipeline and grow their business.
Looking to the future, Sara sees continued growth in the PLG motion, as well as a focus on multi-year deals and rewarding ideal customer profiles.
As marketers, we can all learn from Sara's insights and apply them to our own strategies, ensuring that we are delivering value to our customers and building long-term relationships.
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