Hey there!
Happy Easter. I hope you’re able to spend some time with your family and simply enjoy the day.
A couple of things before we dive into today’s topic.
Predictable B2B Growth Podcast - I’ve relaunched my podcast. And, I really believe there are topics that will help with your business growth. Even the old episodes, as my strategies and tactics are typically evergreen.
Chaos to Clarity Interview - I don’t typically tell my whole backstory. Mainly because I forgot about some of it. But, if you want to hear how I went from World Champion athlete to a CMO… well, this is the podcast to listin to.
Help With Your Business - We all need help with our business. I’ve spent thousands of dollars on coaching throughout my career. And hiring an outside expert can help expedite hitting goals, and dodge challenges. If you want to chat, I’m here for you.
Ok… now back to our regularly scheduled newsletter.
Most teams just wrapped Q2 planning. Goals got set. Channels got picked. Targets got assigned. Everyone left that meeting feeling like the quarter was handled.
Here's what I'd push back on if I were in the room.
Most quarterly plans aren't wrong. They're just floating.
They sit on top of assumptions no one poked holes at. Assumptions about where pipeline comes from. Assumptions about what converts. Assumptions about which channels are actually doing the work versus which ones just look busy.
And when assumptions carry the weight of the plan, cracks show up… FAST. Usually around Week 5 or 6, when leadership starts asking why pipeline doesn't match the forecast.
That's not a strategy failure. It's a foundation failure.
Where Plans Usually Break
I see the same pattern with almost every team I work with.
The plan starts with one question: "What should we do this quarter?"
So the team builds a list. Run these campaigns. Try this channel. Increase outbound. Push more content. Hit this lead number.
That list might be reasonable. But it skips the harder question:
"What do we actually know about where pipeline comes from and how it converts?"
Because if you can't answer that clearly—by channel, by source, by stage—then the plan isn't informed. It's directional at best. And directional plans produce inconsistent results.
I've talked about this on the podcast before. How companies obsess over lead volume when what actually matters is sourced pipeline and conversion quality. The number of leads that enter the funnel means very little if you don't know which ones turn into revenue and why.
Most companies don't lack leads. They lack clarity on which leads matter.
What a Real Q2 Foundation Looks Like
If I were helping a team reset their Q2 plan right now, I wouldn't start by changing the tactics. I'd start by getting four things visible.
First, sourced pipeline by channel. Where are real opportunities? Not leads, opportunities, actually coming from? Not last-touch attribution theater. Directional truth. If 3 channels are running but one drives 70% of qualified pipeline, that changes every decision downstream.
Second, conversion by stage. What happens after a lead enters the system? Where do deals stall? Where do they accelerate? If your lead-to-opportunity rate is strong but opportunity-to-close is weak, you don't have a demand problem. You have a sales process problem. Those require very different fixes.
Third, cost per opportunity. Not cost per lead. CPL is a vanity metric in most B2B motions. It tells you how cheaply you can generate interest. It says nothing about whether that interest turns into revenue. Cost per qualified opportunity is where the truth lives.
Fourth, speed. How fast does a new lead get a real response? How long do deals sit in each stage? Speed problems masquerade as volume problems constantly. I've seen teams double their spend to "fix" pipeline when the real issue was 48-hour response times killing warm leads before a conversation ever happened.
That's the foundation. Not glamorous. But when it's in place, every tactical decision the team makes gets sharper. And, the quarter stops feeling like a guessing game.
Why This Matters More in Q2
Q1 is forgiving. Everyone's still figuring things out. There's psychological runway.
Q2 doesn't have that cushion. Leadership wants to see traction. The board wants numbers. And if the plan is built on channel assumptions from last year or lead targets that don't connect to revenue, the quarter gets uncomfortable fast.
The teams that navigate Q2 well aren't the ones with the most creative campaigns or the biggest budgets. They're the ones who built the foundation early enough to make real decisions. What to double down on, what to cut, and what to fix. All before the quarter got away from them.
The Simplest Place to Start
If you're not sure whether your Q2 plan has a real foundation underneath it, ask yourself 3 questions this week:
Do we know, specifically, where our qualified pipeline comes from?
Do we know what converts into revenue, not just meetings?
If something breaks in 30 days, do we know what to adjust and why?
If the answers are fuzzy, that's not a problem with the team. It's a problem with visibility. And visibility is fixable usually faster than people think.
You don't need a new strategy. You need a clearer picture of what's already happening so the strategy you have actually has a chance to work.
Let’s Do A GTM Audit
Want me to pressure-test your Q2 plan before the quarter gets away from you?
I offer a focused GTM Audit where I evaluate your pipeline sources, conversion paths, messaging consistency, channel performance, and sales handoffs. Then give you a clear, prioritized plan for what to fix first.
I only take on one new GTM Audit client per month, and I currently have one opening.
Reply to this email with "GTM AUDIT" and I'll follow up personally.
Talk soon,
– Javy
