How the ARISE™ Execute Stage Powers Customer Acquisition

The ARISE™ framework, developed by Paul Sullivan, founder of Digital BIAS, is a comprehensive go-to-market (GTM) operating model designed to streamline and enhance the process of bringing products and services to market. 

Using 15-plus years of earned, consulting and applied experience in tech and services businesses, he crafted the approach using globally recognised and powerful product marketing, sales and customer success optimisation frameworks. 

The acronym ARISE™ stands for Assess, Research, Ideate, Strategise, and Execute, each representing a critical phase in the GTM strategy. Paul sees the approach as a growth model enabling scaling tech and service firms to consistently iterate on their go-to-market strategy as they grow and pivot, shipping new features and products. 

He says this is important because markets change as products mature, use cases shift, and micro and macro environments change, and having a proven business model helps. By delivering ARISE™ directly into your HubSpot CRM as a ticket pipeline, you can measure how fast you optimise your GTM and return to reuse the frameworks as your company scales.

Among these, the Execute stage is pivotal in customer acquisition, transforming research, creative ideation and strategic plans into actionable outcomes.

Understanding the ARISE™ Execute Stage

The Execute stage is the culmination of the ARISE™ framework, where all prior efforts in assessment, research, ideation, and strategising come to fruition. This phase involves implementing the strategies and plans developed in the earlier stages, ensuring that the product or service effectively reaches the target market. 

The key components of the Execute stage include:

1. Operational Implementation: involves deploying marketing campaigns, sales strategies, and customer engagement activities. It ensures that all tactical plans are executed efficiently and aligned with the overall GTM strategy.
2. Resource Allocation: Proper resource allocation, including budget, personnel, and technology, is crucial to supporting the strategy's execution. This ensures that all necessary tools and teams are in place to drive the initiatives forward.
3. Performance Monitoring: Continuous monitoring and analysis of performance metrics are essential to gauge the effectiveness of the execution. This includes tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) such as customer acquisition cost (CAC), conversion rates, and return on investment (ROI).
4. Feedback and Iteration: Gathering feedback from the market and making necessary adjustments to the strategy is a critical aspect of the Execute stage. This iterative process helps refine the approach based on real-time data and insights.

The Impact on Customer Acquisition

The Execute stage is instrumental in driving customer acquisition for several reasons:

1. Bridging Strategy and Action: The Execute stage ensures that the theoretical aspects of the GTM strategy are effectively implemented by translating strategic plans into actionable steps. This bridge between strategy and action is crucial for reaching potential customers and converting them into actual buyers.
2. Targeted Marketing Efforts: Execution involves deploying targeted marketing campaigns designed based on the insights gathered during the Assess and Research stages. These campaigns are tailored to address the specific needs and preferences of the target audience, thereby increasing the likelihood of customer acquisition.
3. Optimised Sales Processes: The Execution stage focuses on optimising sales processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. This includes training sales teams, refining sales pitches, and utilising customer relationship management (CRM) tools to manage leads and track progress.
4. Enhanced Customer Engagement: Effective execution involves engaging with customers through various channels, including social media, email marketing, and direct outreach. This multi-channel approach helps build relationships with potential customers and nurture them through the sales funnel.
5. Data-Driven Adjustments: The continuous monitoring and feedback mechanisms in the execution stage allow for data-driven adjustments to the strategy. This ensures that the approach remains relevant and effective in acquiring customers, even as market conditions and customer preferences evolve.

Whilst these main groups explain the reasoning, on the ground where your grassroots teams operate, they constantly seek ways to acquire new customers, improve the customer experience and optimise customer acquisition channels. The desired outcome from ARISE is an expanded customer base, which will help deliver if you employ the right people and sales and marketing tactics.

At BIAS, we refer to inbound marketing, Demand Generation, ABM, etc., as tactics that help you deliver on the business strategy.

Recap

The Execute stage of the ARISE™ framework is a critical component in the customer acquisition process. It drives the successful acquisition of customers by ensuring that strategic plans are effectively implemented, resources are optimally allocated, and performance is continuously monitored.

It bridges the gap between strategy and action, enabling businesses to reach their target audience, engage with potential customers, and convert them into loyal buyers. As such, the Execute stage is indispensable for any organisation looking to achieve sustainable growth and success in the market.

How does the ARISE™ Execute stage differ from the ARISE™ Strategise stage?

The Execute and Strategise stages of the ARISE™ framework differ significantly in their approach to customer engagement:

The Strategise Stage

The strategic stage focuses on developing comprehensive strategies and plans for engaging with customers. It involves:

• Defining Target Audiences: Identifying and segmenting the ideal customer profiles to target based on research findings.
• Mapping Customer Journeys: Creating detailed customer journey maps to understand touchpoints and opportunities for engagement.
• Crafting Engagement Tactics: Developing tactics and campaigns to foster customer interactions, such as content marketing, social media, email nurturing, and loyalty programs.
• Aligning Resources: Allocating the necessary resources, including personnel, budget, and technology, to support the engagement strategies.

The output of the Strategise stage is a well-defined, comprehensive plan that outlines how the organisation will engage with customers at various stages of the customer lifecycle.

The Execute Stage

While the Strategise stage focuses on planning, the Execute stage is all about putting those plans into action. It involves:

• Operational Implementation: Executing the engagement tactics and campaigns outlined in the strategy, such as launching marketing initiatives, deploying sales processes, and implementing customer support programs.
• Enabling Customer Interactions: Facilitating actual interactions with customers through various channels, including digital platforms, in-person events, and customer service touchpoints.
• Performance Monitoring: Continuously tracking and measuring the effectiveness of engagement efforts using predefined key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics.
• Iterative Optimisation: Analyzing performance data, gathering customer feedback, and making data-driven adjustments to refine and optimise the engagement strategies and tactics.

In the Execute stage, the rubber meets the road, translating strategic plans into tangible actions that drive customer engagement, foster relationships, and ultimately contribute to customer acquisition and retention.

The Strategise stage lays the foundation for customer engagement by developing comprehensive plans. In contrast, the Execute stage brings those plans to life through operational implementation, facilitation of customer interactions, performance monitoring, and continuous optimisation.

Hopefully, these articles have helped you understand the power of the ARISE™ framework, and you can see the value in building an operating model for your business that 

• Assesses your current state, pre or post-launch
• Researches the market, competition and customer feedback
• Ideates at scale in line with business goals and objectives
• Strategically breaks down the research and ideas into a laser-focused plan of action
• Executes the plan with pre-applied tests and experiments before starting the flywheel again