The Five Stages of Small Business Growth

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/sos

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/sos

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/sos

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/event

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/sos

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/sos

They say you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. What happens when you apply that line of thought to your business? It’s your network that determines your business’s worth. In this episode of Sequence Over Strategy, Michelle Warner discusses how to create and nurture strong networks and how specificity, involvement, and consistent communication will build deeper connections with the right people.Check out the full episode at TheMichelleWarner.com/sos

If you know you’re going to get new business after a keynote or other speaking event, should you also be getting paid for it? In this episode of Sequence Over Strategy, Michelle Warner takes this question head-on, and immediately starts digging down into what we really need to answer instead. Using listener Jay Acunzo's question as a case study, Michelle emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between when speaking serves as a marketing tool versus a paid product, and shares the tools you need to do it for your own work.Check out the full episode at TheMichelleWarner.com/sos

What does First Mover Advantage look like when we’re talking about marketing strategies? At first, it looks like a lot of well-earned success, but then the wave crests and what used to work doesn’t anymore. Today on Sequence Over Strategy, Michelle Warner is talking about how to identify when you’re benefiting from First Mover Advantage, and how to tell when it’s about to come crashing down, so you can get out, pivot, or change your expectations before it’s too late. Check out the full episode at TheMichelleWarner.com/sos

What job are you asking your marketing strategies to do for you? In this episode of "Sequence Over Strategy," Michelle Warner, a business designer and strategist, shares her decision-making process behind starting a podcast and why she doesn’t rely on it for awareness. Today’s question concerns transitioning from private to group coaching. Michelle highlights the importance of understanding the job you need your marketing strategies to do and how to align them with your business goals.Check out the full episode at TheMichelleWarner.com