Case Study: 30% Cost Reduction, 50% More Leads. With Marketing Automation

Client Overview

• Industry: Leadership Education

• Services: Leadership training and development programs

• Audience: Executives, corporate leaders, HR professionals

• CEO: Shane Phillips – Known for his expertise in leadership education

Project Start Date: March 2022

Note: Results shown here reflect the first 2–3 months of working together.

The Challenge

Shane Phillips, CEO of The Phillips Group, came to us with a big task: reduce costs and improve engagement. While he had an email list of over 50,000 contacts, his existing automation was outdated, resulting in low performance. Key issues included:

• Outdated Automation Structure: The automation system didn’t leverage the latest AI technology, making it impossible to launch advanced, targeted campaigns.

• Limited Trigger Options: Shane needed automation that could activate based on specific actions, like how long someone viewed a video on YouTube. His current platform couldn’t support this.

• Low Email Engagement: Despite a large contact list, his email open and reply rates were below industry benchmarks, limiting his lead generation efforts.

Fast Forward to Now

In just a few months, our work has delivered measurable results:

• 30% Reduction in Operational Costs: Streamlining processes and automation cut costs by nearly a third.

• 20% Increase in Email Reply Rates: Emails are now getting more responses, improving engagement with the audience.

• 50% Higher Conversion Rate from Email Marketing: More emails are converting to pipeline leads, creating a healthier sales funnel.

Our Goals

For this project, our primary goals were clear:

• Overhaul Automation: Redesign Shane’s automation system with smart, AI-driven triggers, especially for video views, to engage his audience more effectively.

• Boost Engagement and Conversions: Increase open and reply rates to get more qualified leads from email marketing.

Secondary goals included:

• Cut Costs by 30%: Use AI-driven automation to reduce manual work and operational expenses.

• Seamless Marketing and Sales Connection: Integrate Shane’s CRM with his sales system, automating lead scoring and routing.

Our Approach and Implementation

We broke down the project into three actionable phases:

Phase 1: Auditing and Restructuring Automation (Months 1–2)

We started by doing a complete audit first, then based on the finding we decided to completely redesigning the automation setup, implementing AI and smart triggers. This new system allowed us to launch campaigns based on specific engagement, like the duration of YouTube video views, resulting in more targeted outreach.

When it come to automation, we always map out everything into a board, we often use Figjam, draw the map there and discuss it with the client over a meeting.

Phase 2: Boosting Email Engagement (Months 2–4)

To tackle low open and reply rates, we revamped Shane’s email approach with personalized content, based on engagement data. Additionally, we implemented lead scoring, which prioritized high-quality leads for immediate follow-up.

One of the key challenges was tracking video engagement. Shane has an extensive video library, and he often includes videos in his emails. However, his previous setup wasn’t configured to monitor how much of each video was viewed.

We changed that by enabling triggers based on video engagement. Now, when a contact watches 50% or more of a video, they’re tagged, automatically receiving a new, more personalized follow-up sequence.

This setup allows us to send targeted messages to the most engaged viewers, enhancing connection and relevance.

Phase 3: CRM and Sales Team Integration (Ongoing)

Finally, we connected Shane’s marketing CRM directly with his sales team. This integration enabled automated lead scoring and routing, making sure the right leads went to the right team members quickly, improving response times and tracking.

Results and Impact

Our efforts have driven substantial results for The Phillips Group:

• 30% Reduction in Operating Costs: Streamlined automation and processes have cut costs by a third.

• 20% Improvement in Email Reply Rates: The smarter, AI-driven triggers have led to a 20% increase in replies, building stronger connections.

• 50% Increase in Conversion Rate: Email campaigns now generate 50% more pipeline leads, adding qualified prospects to the sales funnel.

How We Communicate with Clients

We make communication easy and transparent by managing everything in one place: Asana.

From the start, we break down each project into clear, actionable tasks with detailed descriptions of what each step involves.

Once set up, we add the client to Asana so they can easily track our team’s progress, provide feedback, or ask questions at any time.

Most client team members are added, too, so they have full visibility into the workflow, creating a simple, organized space for real-time updates and collaboration.

Want Results Like This?

Looking to save on marketing costs, boost your email engagement, and transform your processes? Book a 15-minute call with us today to discuss how we can help your business achieve similar results!