We structure our metrics into two distinct categories: funnel metrics and sales-marketing alignment metrics. On the alignment side, we're particularly focused on lead velocity and quality. From the first half to the second half of 2024, we tripled our growth rate of sales-accepted leads, dramatically accelerating our pipeline development. In the first quarter of 2025, we tripled that number again. This means we have to maintain rigorous tracking against our growing target lists, some focusing on specific verticals, ERP systems, audiences, partner relationships, and more. When any sales rep reports challenges engaging with specific targets, marketing quickly steps in to respond with alternative, creative approaches to engage these contacts. This agile approach ensures sales and marketing remain focused on our carefully curated targets, with 90% of our effort dedicated to strategic accounts. We've implemented robust reporting systems in Salesforce, including a 'self-sourced' campaign tracking system that helps us monitor progress by sales in developing both new leads and existing contact engagement. This allows us to give credit where it's due and maintain transparency and accountability in our pipeline development. Our executive leadership recognizes the importance of marketing's influence throughout the customer journey. Marketing and sales review our shared progress formally each week with our CEO, in addition to maintaining ongoing informal discussions throughout the week to ensure everyone stays aligned with our strategic objectives.

Our approach recognizes two distinct groups within each account. The first is the C-suite decision-makers – typically a very tight group supporting the individual that will ultimately sign the contract. The second comprises other stakeholders and influencers, often at the director level or within specific departments like AP. We maintain a workflow-driven nurture program to keep these influencers educated about our value proposition and thought leadership. This dual-track engagement recently proved crucial in an education sector deal with a partner where we addressed specific concerns from an AP department stakeholder about their own job security. By developing targeted content showing how our solution would elevate the stakeholder’s role and free them up for more strategic responsibilities, we successfully accelerated the deal to closure. We did this by creating a compelling ‘wheel of opportunities’ highlighting value-added activities the stakeholder could focus on instead of manual, fraud-prone daily AP payment operations – important things like process improvement, strategic planning initiatives, and compliance audits. The message was clear: our solution wasn't about eliminating work, but elevating roles to more strategic, knowledge-based responsibilities. This approach proved particularly valuable and timely as it took place in the fourth quarter when our partner needed to close remaining deals before year end. It also demonstrated the importance of developing distinct sets of assets and content that speak directly to specific concerns and perspectives at different stakeholder levels.