The Five Stages of Small Business Growth

Are you tired of social media feeling like a numbers game? In this episode of Sequence Over Strategy, Michelle Warner shares how to transform social media into a powerful tool for building relationships that generate high-quality leads. She discusses why service-based businesses should shift from traditional traffic marketing to a more intentional, connection-driven approach. Michelle offers practical tips on creating authentic content that not only attracts the right clients but also establishes trust and builds lasting business relationships.Check out the full episode at TheMichelleWarner.com

Have you ever thought about how to generate leads that feel as powerful as referrals without waiting for them to come in? In this episode of Sequence Over Strategy, Michelle Warner breaks down how to engineer leads that act like referrals through relationship marketing. She explains why service-based businesses, in particular, need to move beyond traffic marketing and focus on creating meaningful, impactful first impressions that build trust and convert potential clients quickly. Michelle shares actionable insights on how to be proactive in building the relationships that matter most for your business's growth.Check out the full episode at TheMichelleWarner.com

Have you ever wondered why some marketing campaigns capture attention but fail to convert that interest into sales or lasting relationships? In this episode of Sequence Over Strategy, Michelle Warner emphasizes the pivotal role of engagement strategies in effective marketing. She discusses how businesses often excel at creating awareness but falter when it comes to engaging their audience, which is essential for converting interest into action. Michelle introduces her framework that prioritizes a clear marketing sequence: awareness, engagement, and then sales, stressing that each stage is interconnected.Check out the full episode at TheMichelleWarner.com

Have you ever considered the role of trust transfer in borrowing audiences for relationship marketing? In this episode of Sequence Over Strategy, Michelle Warner explores how establishing trust through collaboration can greatly enhance an individual's impact on new audiences. The key to success lies in whether the host understands and values the guest's expertise, facilitating a smooth trust transfer between the guest and the audience.Through real-life examples, Michelle contrasts successful collaborations, where the host is well-informed and invested, with less effective partnerships based on transactional motives. She highlights how to vet opportunities by assessing the potential for trust transfer and explains why working with collaboration-minded partners can lead to long-term value, even when the immediate audience fit may not be perfect.Check out the full episode at TheMichelleWarner.com

Many entrepreneurs find themselves asking, “Is my marketing working?” It’s a question Michelle Warner addresses in this episode of Sequence Over Strategy. Rather than trying to figure out if a strategy is failing or not, Michelle emphasizes the importance of sequence—the order in which marketing steps are implemented.Michelle explains how breaking marketing down into three steps—awareness, engagement, and sales—can provide a clear framework for diagnosing issues. Often, the problem lies not in your ability to sell, but in failing to target the right people in the awareness stage. If the wrong audience reaches your engagement stage, sales won’t follow, no matter how polished your approach is.By focusing on the sequence of actions, you can diagnose problems and determine whether adjustments in one step might improve the entire process. Instead of blindly tweaking your sales tactics, step back and ask: Am I engaging the right audience from the start?If you’re struggling to understand where your marketing falls short, start by breaking it down into these steps. The sequence will guide you to more productive solutions.Check out the full episode at TheMichelleWarner.com

Is your business missing the mark by not speaking to customers at the right level of understanding? Are you losing customers because your messaging is either too advanced or too basic for where they are? In this episode of Sequence Over Strategy, Michelle Warner unpacks the crucial concept of customer maturity and how it directly impacts your marketing success. She dives into why understanding exactly what your customers know and care about is the key to designing offers that truly resonate. You'll learn what customer maturity is and what it means for you and your business. You will also hear about how aligning your marketing, messaging, and product strategy with your audience’s maturity level can bridge the gap between what you offer and what your customers actually need.Check out the full episode at TheMichelleWarner.com

Is your business struggling with aligning its advanced products with an evolving customer base? In this episode of Sequence Over Strategy, Michelle Warner explores how a mismatch between your product sophistication and customer needs can lead to frustration and ineffective marketing. Learn how to address the common issue of feeling bored or frustrated with your clients by realigning your product, customer, and marketing strategies. Let’s discover how to navigate these shifts smoothly to keep your business model in harmony and set yourself up for continued success!Check out the full episode at TheMichelleWarner.com

Do you struggle to decide your marketing strategy? Do you know if you want to reach as many people as possible or just your target audience? Michelle Warner, a business designer and strategist, discusses a shift in her marketing strategy. Previously focused on one-on-one work and relationship marketing, she’s now transitioning to teaching more bootcamps, which requires a higher volume of leads. This shift means she needs to balance her marketing strategies, incorporating more traffic marketing alongside relationship marketing to align with her new product mix.Michelle explains the difference between relationship marketing (deep, authentic connections) and traffic marketing (mass outreach) and stresses the importance of aligning marketing strategies with your business model. She also highlights her involvement in Michelle Mazur’s summit, "Make Marketing Suck Less," which aims to help businesses find suitable marketing strategies.For more details and to join the summit visit:  https://drmichellemazur.com/eventCheck out the full episode at TheMichelleWarner.com 

What if the key to successful relationship marketing isn't about trading audiences, but about providing value that makes others look better in front of their audience? In this episode of "Sequence Over Strategy," Michelle Warner challenges the common misconception that audience size determines fair exchange when borrowing audiences. By reframing the value exchange as a way to help others achieve better results, Michelle shares examples from her own business to illustrate how focusing on value can lead to mutually beneficial relationships.Check out the full episode at TheMichelleWarner.com

What stage of small business growth are you currently in, and are you prioritizing the right actions for that stage? In this episode of "Sequence Over Strategy," Michelle Warner discusses the importance of understanding and aligning with the five stages of small business growth, with a special look at what happens when you prematurely outsource or automate your processes. From the importance of validating your business idea to finding product-market-founder fit and building a solid foundation, Michelle provides invaluable insights to help you steer your business in the right direction and avoid the pitfalls that entrepreneurs often fall into.Check out the full episode at TheMichelleWarner.com