Undercover Marketing Consultant: Patrick McFadden’s Advice To Impact Small Businesses in 30 Days

Patrick McFadden

Drop me inside of a small business with 30 days or less to increase profits and I can tell you without any advance prep work that the first place I would look for low hanging fruit is the lead conversion process.


Let’s do a little basic business math to help you understand why this is so.



If a business is generating 100 leads a month and turning 10 (10 percent) of those leads into $1,000 customers — that’s $10,000 in business.


Let’s say I increase the leads generated through a marketing campaign by 25 percent. (Something that might require significant investment to do). The result is $12,500 in new business.


Now, let’s say I instead focus that same energy on turning more leads into customers and eventually more customers into repeat customers and referrals.


If through a couple of tweaks (that’s usually all that’s in order) I can get the lead conversion to go from 10 percent to 15 percent, the resulting new business would be $15,000.


Never mind that a focus on lead conversion would probably force you to focus on a better customer experience, which would result in more sales, more leads, and more referrals.


In fact, in my experience, the lead conversion and experience mindset usually allows an organization to increase both leads and sales without the additional expense of a lead generation campaign alone — meaning seriously multiplied profits.

By Patrick McFadden March 31, 2025
1. The Challenge: VMI was like many service providers — positioning their value around what they thought clients wanted : “Office furniture installation and assembly — let us handle creating your perfect workspace.” But the actual buyers — facility managers, project managers, furniture reps — weren’t looking for “perfect workspaces.” They were trying to avoid installation nightmares . Their real priority? ✅ Great installation days. ✅ No chaos. ✅ No missed deadlines. ✅ No angry phone calls from clients. 2. The Insight: After conducting stakeholder interviews under our marketing strategy consulting engagement , the Indispensable Marketing team uncovered critical feedback: “We need installers who maintain a professional site and follow instructions.” “We lose relationships when installations go badly.” “I need quotes back quickly or I can’t sell the job.” This wasn’t just about services , it was about trust, problem-solving , and professional reliability . So we reframed their differentiators not by what they did, but how they showed up : Same-day project quotes Problem-solving on-site Update protocol with clients Professionalism guarantee Lasting Impression Insurance 3. The Shift: We shifted the positioning from vague benefits to real-world, emotional triggers : Instead of: “Let us create your perfect workspace.” Now: “Get the perfect installation day, every time.” That subtle shift aligns with who’s actually buying (and who feels the pain when things go wrong). The end-user may care about the workspace. But the buyer cares about the install . 4. The Lesson for Others: If you’re selling a service, don’t describe what you do. Describe what the client wants to avoid or achieve — and who the real buyer is. Then, systematize what you’re already doing well and give it a name. Just like our team did with: “Same Day Quotes” “Lasting Impression Insurance” “Reliable Presence Protocol” 5. The Outcome Within weeks of updating their messaging and positioning: The company reported more qualified leads asking the right questions Furniture reps began referring them because they were “easy to work with and made them look good” They were shortlisted for larger, multi-phase projects due to increased confidence in their process But most importantly, they stopped competing on price — because they weren’t selling perfect workspaces anymore. They were selling peace of mind on installation day.
By Patrick McFadden March 8, 2025
Most marketing firms talk about tactics. We help our clients see the bigger picture.
By Patrick McFadden January 13, 2025
Discover how Google’s LSA update impacts kitchen & bathroom remodeling marketing. Learn SEO tips to attract leads and boost visibility in Richmond VA & beyond.
More Posts
Share by: