Are you ready for this?
Take yourself through these questions to work out if Watertight Marketing is right for you, and if you’re right for us…
What kind of organisation are you?
We’re primarily focussed on commercial enterprises, but the approach has been successfully applied in the third sector.
The book is written with a for-profit commercial context in mind, where goods or services are being bought. It works for business-to-business and consumer settings, where the purchase decision is a considered one.
That said, Bryony’s early career was in the charity sector, and a number of our Certified Practitioners have experience in charity, governmental and not-for-profit organisations. We’ve also seen the methodology successfully applied for employer branding and cause marketing – it just takes a little more expert translation in those contexts.
Have you read the book?
And, could you see how it fitted your business?
Sounds obvious, but if the Watertight Marketing book didn’t make sense to you, working with us won’t either.
“It was a really structured approach to marketing that meant that we could organise our thoughts, to see the bigger picture. From this, we were able to break down long-term goals into specific actions that we can actually put into practice. As a result business grew three-fold within 12 months, and we’ve now hit £5m turnover.”
How do people buy the kind of thing you sell?
People come to buy from you through a considered process over a period of time.
Whether it’s business-to-business or a consumer offering, your customers will be weighing up their decision. It’s not one that’s usually made on impulse. It’s likely, but not essential, that they’ll then enter into an ongoing relationship with you after the first purchase. The more moments of pause in the path to purchase, the more we can help.
If what you sell is a one-hit-wonder that’s bought in the heat of the moment, and scratches an itch quickly… there’s not much we can do to help.
How big is your business?
The book was written with scaling seven-figure businesses in mind.
The methodology is comprehensive, and if you were going to implement it thoroughly you would be more likely to succeed with a team in place. Our direct consulting engagements are primarily with businesses with 25+ employees, usually with a sales team in place. Our Certified Practitioners also work directly with a similar profile client, as well as some smaller businesses. Micro or solo-entrepreneurs can successfully use the Watertight Webschool resources to dip into the bits that work for them.
Where are you in your business lifecycle?
The methodology works best in established businesses that want to scale.
The book and materials are written assuming that you are already in business and have an understanding of your audience and proposition. It also assumes a regular lead-flow and a functioning new business operation. We run our processes over what you already have to step things up. This is not written as a start-up marketing guide, but many less mature businesses have found it useful as a framework to build towards.
What’s your current marketing set-up?
We tend to find that marketing is either core, or non-existent, but either way you’re successfully selling stuff!
Businesses who find themselves drawn to Watertight Marketing tend to come with two, almost opposite, current set-ups:
- Marketing is already important and well-understood and they love the idea of having a core common language to make it part of the fabric of what they do. Finding us is like finding kindred spirits. Or,
- Marketing is not done in any formal way. In fact, they’d probably describe themselves as successful despite of their marketing, not because of it. They probably have a skilled sales team who fill in the gaps with their personal tenacity and experience. Finding us is often the result of a moment of realisation that it could be easier!
What level of support are you looking for?
We love getting hands-on over 12-24 months, but we can work with a lighter touch too.
Our core consulting engagements are full marketing transformation programmes over a minimum of 12 months. These work when you’ve made putting Watertight Marketing into your business a key strategic project for the year. These are usually led by the CEO or MD, who has their Board fully on-board with the focus.
Our Certified Practitioners will often work in a less immersive way, by working on specific focussed projects, as a retained part-time marketing director on your Board, or by delivering a training programme for your team.
Alternatively, you can set-up a company or individual learning account on Watertight Webschool, and work your own way through the courses and resources that we have there.
Do our values, characteristics and working styles match?
We’re long-term people, with an ethical approach, and an aversion to short-term gimmicks.
If you’re looking for a marketing company to get you leads right now, we’re not right for you. If you’re looking for tricks or hacks, we’re not right for you.
Getting people over the gap of effort and return is one of the biggest challenges we have. It would be so much easier to sell the ‘six figure secrets’, or a ‘marketing magic wand’. But, it’s dangerous nonsense. Anything that has true and lasting results takes time and patience.
Sure, it would be great if there was a shortcut… but, shortcuts that don’t also short-change the long-term results are vanishingly rare.
So, no quick fixes here I’m afraid. Just plenty of payback for those with persistence!
“Bryony took a company with no marketing or sales expertise on a journey of discovery. At the end of the process we had an effective, efficient marketing process, dove tailed with a sales approach that worked. What makes the approach stand out from the crowd of fluffy marketeers is direct linkage of effort to return, all marketing activity is carried out because it leads to improved sales, Watertight Marketing was a revelation and a relief.”
Commercial Karma
We believe in Commercial Karma; that treating people decently is the foundation of long-term success. We would never do, or advise others to do, something that we wouldn’t do ourselves in their position.
Integrity
We operate with integrity at all times; which means that we can always explain and feel comfortable with our motives and actions. We would never act in a way, or for a reason, that we wouldn’t be happy to explain publicly.
Growth & Challenge
We strive for ongoing personal growth, challenging ourselves and others to be the best versions of themselves; which means we invest time and money in self-awareness and personal development.
Community
We help build organisations that support happy, healthy families and communities; which means that we work in ways that enable outside interests and making a community contribution.
Thinking about working with us?
Considering a company learning account or transformation programme…
Please do book a time in the diary, or call us on 0117 325 77 25, to tell us more about your organisation so we can work out if and how Watertight Marketing might fit.