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In Episode 137 of the CAS Podcast, we sit down with Kelly Lawrence of Lawrence Innovation to explore what it means to build a real, actionable Marketing Playbook—one that evolves with your business and drives sustainable growth. While recent episodes have focused on tools like identifying your ideal customer, sales conversations, and ecommerce, this episode pulls it all together into one cohesive strategy: your Playbook.

What Is a Marketing Playbook?

A Marketing Playbook is a living document—a strategic guide that defines:

● What you’re selling

● Who you’re selling to

● Why they want it

● How to communicate your message

● What your sales team (or you) should say and do to close the deal

Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or leading a growing team, this Playbook becomes your training manual and reference point, helping you stay consistent, focused, and ready to scale.

Why Every Business Needs One

Every business—regardless of size—can benefit from a structured Marketing Playbook. But that playbook will look different depending on your stage:

✅ Bootstrap Businesses (Self-Funded Startups)

You’re doing everything yourself. Your playbook is your roadmap to clarity and consistency. It helps you define:

● What to post online

● How to talk to potential customers

● Where to invest your limited time and resources

✅ Big Starters (Under $1M in Sales)

Now you might have a small team or partner. Your playbook trains them to:

● Speak your brand’s language

● Understand your products and customers

● Handle objections and build trust

✅ Mid-Sized Businesses ($1M–$5M)

At this level, scale is the goal. A clear playbook ensures your brand remains consistent as more hands touch marketing and sales. It defines:

● Messaging

● Marketing channels

● Customer pain points and solutions

✅ Larger Businesses ($10M+)

You need a playbook that aligns departments and sets expectations. It’s about brand alignment, refined customer journeys, and repeatable systems.

Building Your Marketing Playbook: Step-by-Step

Kelly Lawrence shares a practical approach to crafting a winning playbook.

1. Ask the Big Questions

Start with the fundamentals:

● What do you want to sell?

● Who are you selling it to?

● Why do they want it?

● What makes your product unique?

2. Conduct Research

Validate your assumptions with real data:

● Ask potential customers what they would pay

● Determine how many units they’d purchase

● Identify what they dislike about current options

● Gauge their excitement

📊 Example:

If 70% of people say they’d pay $30 and 90% would pay $20—use this data to price and market effectively.

3. Analyze Costs & Profitability

Break down:

● Cost to make and deliver

● Advertising and sales costs

● Market size and potential revenue

● Monthly and yearly income potential

This step ensures your idea is not just appealing—but profitable.

4. Define Results & Reassess

After research:

● Should you launch the product?

● What new insights did you discover?

● Are there any pivots you need to make?

5. Create the Playbook

Pull it all together:

● Share your findings

● Explain the customer’s pain points

● Show how your product solves them

● List common objections and responses

Now you have a guide that can be used for:

● Training new team members

● Writing ads, emails, and product pages

● Staying on message across all platforms

Your Playbook Is Never Finished

This isn’t a one-and-done task. Your playbook should evolve as your business grows, customer needs change, or new products emerge. Revisit it often. Keep it sharp. Make it your marketing GPS.

🎧 Don’t miss this deep dive with Kelly Lawrence—packed with strategies, mindset shifts, and a fresh way to look at growth.

🔗 Connect with Kelly: Kelly Lawrence on LinkedIn

More Episodes to Build Your Playbook

If you missed the previous foundational episodes, now’s the time to catch up:

● Episode 135 – Identifying Your Ideal Customer

● Episode 101 – Marketing Plan: Picking Your Niche

● Episode 102 – Advertising and Marketing to Your Niche

● Episode 17 – Know Your Numbers: Value of a Customer

● Episode 18 – Know Your Numbers Part II