“We need more leads.”
It’s a familiar refrain in the CMO playbook, and it’s visible, measurable, and often the fastest way to show impact. But what if we told you that the greatest opportunity for strategic marketing leadership isn’t at the top of the funnel, but after the deal closes?
Most B2B tech marketing organizations are built for acceleration—designed to generate attention and convert it into pipeline. But somewhere along the way, the post-sale experience was handed off, and Marketing goes right back to the top of the funnel.
However, for marketers willing to take a stand, there is a powerful opportunity for CMOs to expand their impact, not just by generating demand, but by deepening value with the customers they’ve already earned and empowering the teams that support them.
From Transactions to Trust
Many years ago, I saw Rob Fuggetta, author of Brand Advocates, at a digital marketing conference (it was the early 2010s), and he said it best:
“Your brand is no longer what you say it is. It’s what your customers say it is.”
That’s the real work of marketing today. Not just storytelling, but experience-shaping. And it doesn’t have to stop at closed won. In fact, the moment a customer signs is the moment, wewould argue, that your most important marketing begins.
Because the truth is, no one is more believable than a successful customer. No ad campaign can compete with a peer referral. No case study is more compelling than a real-time LinkedIn post from someone who believes in your product.
And yet, many marketing strategies stop short of activating that trust.
The Opportunity Hidden in Plain Sight
As marketers, we all have our target audiences, and your current customers should be a part of your strategy to increase your customer lifetime value (CLV) and strengthen brand loyalty. This group trusts you and has chosen you for a reason. They are an opportunity waiting to be your most efficient growth engine. They have the potential to be a source of expansion, referrals, insights, and brand credibility.
And when we treat those relationships with intention, not just retention or expectation, we create a virtuous cycle with increased advocacy from customers who feel valued, increased lifetime value from customers who see ongoing benefits, and more strategic alignment with customers on insights about the market and product needs. And all of these add up to retaining customers.
According to Bain & Company, improving customer retention by just 5% can increase profits by 25–95%1. Fuggetta’s research shows brand advocates are 50% more likely to influence purchase decisions2. And reducing customer acquisition costs (CAC) starts with making the most of what you already have3.
But beyond the numbers, it’s about strategic impact.
This is where CMOs can step forward—not just as pipeline drivers, but as cross-functional leaders who identify an opportunity to provide a better customer experience through smart marketing.
Why Now?
It’s not that CMOs have ignored customer marketing. It’s that most haven’t had the space or support to lead it.
We’ve been rewarded for short-term impact. We’ve inherited fragmented teams. We’ve navigated internal politics.
But that’s changing. With shifts in the market and the impact of AI on all aspects of work, the customer experience will be as important as ever. CMOs must collaborate with Customer Success to meet the increasing expectations of customers and continue to build trust and foster loyalty. This type of positive growth is fueled by affinity, not just acquisition.
The CMOs who recognize this shift—and build strategies to support it—will have a significant impact on business metrics and, in the process, elevate both their function and their leadership position.
Coming Up in Part 2
Now that we know the opportunity and the why, how do we actually implement a customer marketing strategy? In Part 2, we’ll share four strategic ways to activate your customers through education, community, and advocacy. From Big Valley’s point of view, these aren’t “nice to haves.” They’re fundamentals to a successful marketing program and business.
For now, we’ll leave you with this:
Customer marketing isn’t just a retention strategy. It’s your reputation, reach, and relevance, all compounding over time. And for CMOs ready to lead holistically, it’s one of the most rewarding places to invest.
Footnotes
- Reichheld, F. F., & Schefter, P. (2000). The Economics of E-Loyalty. Harvard Business Review.
- Fuggetta, R. (2012). Brand Advocates: Turning Enthusiastic Customers into a Powerful Marketing Force. Wiley.
- Invesp, Customer Acquisition vs. Retention Statistics, https://www.invespcro.com/blog/customer-acquisition-retention/
