Equipment retail and service company sees a 100-200% increase in marketing-qualified leads after working with an Authentic Fractional CMO™ on lead generation strategy.
“Having a scorecard and a roadmap approach has helped our team to see how they’re progressing and keeps us from living in the gap of information and feedback.”
Thor Hess, President, Southeastern Equipment Company
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Southeastern Equipment Company at a glance
- Company size: 250 employees
- Industry: Engineering / Architecture / Construction
- Business model: B2B, E-commerce
- Headquarters: Cambridge, Ohio
- Key initiatives: Marketing strategy, lead generation, marketing mentorship & coaching, marketing technology, SEO
The challenge
Southeastern Equipment Company, an equipment dealership, service, and rental company, had grown stagnant in its marketing and needed the wisdom of experienced marketing leadership to take its efforts to the next level while coaching and developing the existing team. Despite over 68 years of history and steady growth, the company’s marketing strategy remained rooted in traditional methods like brochures and print media, lacking clear direction and alignment with broader business goals.
After experiencing success with fractional CFO leadership, President Thor Hess explored the potential of fractional marketing leadership. Through a Google search, he discovered Authentic, whose EOS-based principles and long-term coaching and consulting mindset aligned with Southeastern’s needs. Impressed by their structured framework and focus on sustained team development, Hess saw an opportunity to modernize the company’s marketing while building internal strategic capacity by implementing a fractional resource.
The solution
To level-up Southeastern Equipment Company’s marketing strategy and build internal strategic capacity, the partnership focused on equipping the team with advanced tools, structured methodologies, and strategic leadership skills.
- Empowered the marketing director to transition from a managerial role to a strategic leadership position through coaching.
- Developed comprehensive strategies and implemented modern marketing tools and methodologies.
- Revamped SEO strategies to improve online visibility.
- Upgraded email and content management systems for enhanced communication and workflow.
- Refined marketing budgets to align with business goals and improve resource allocation.
- Focused on lead generation metrics such as marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) and sales-qualified leads (SQLs).
- Prioritized marketing efforts to eliminate noise and concentrate on driving measurable business outcomes.
- Adopted a collaborative and structured methodology (Authentic Growth™) to align marketing efforts with broader sales and business objectives.
“Everybody’s got an opinion about marketing – like wanting to sponsor a trade show or a kid’s sports team. Working with Authentic has helped us to focus on and prioritize our marketing efforts to cut down on the noise and focus on driving the outcomes that the business wants.”
Thor Hess, President, Southeastern Equipment Company
The results
The strategic improvements led to transformative outcomes, positioning Southeastern Equipment Company for measurable growth and sustainable success.
- Achieved and exceeded the annual lead generation target within nine months.
- Doubled the volume of marketing-driven leads compared to the previous year.
- Almost 50 percent increase in social media followers.
- Fostered a culture of data-driven decision-making, leading to improved lead flow, higher conversion rates, enhanced return on marketing investment (ROMI).
- Expanded the inside sales and marketing team to support sustained growth.
- Implemented a new CRM system to streamline operations and prepare for future scalability.
- Transitioned from general brand awareness to targeted digital marketing strategies that deliver measurable results.
- Positioned the company for continued innovation and success in its marketing efforts.
“I can safely say we’ve experienced a 100-200% increase from last year in marketing-qualified leads in our deal pipeline due to the work we’ve done on our marketing strategy and lead generation tactics.”
Thor Hess, President, Southeastern Equipment Company
This content is AI-assisted. At Authentic, we embrace innovative technology to enhance our work, paired with human expertise, rigorous editorial review, and transparency.
