When Should You Do a Marketing and Sales Audit?

Small business owners wear a lot of hats. You juggle operations, manage employees or freelancers, handle finances, and, of course, try to attract and retain customers. But when was the last time you took a step back and evaluated your marketing and sales efforts? If you’re scratching your head or thinking, “It’s been a while,” then it might be time for a marketing and sales audit.

A marketing and sales audit is like a routine check-up for your business—it helps you diagnose what’s working, what’s not, and where you might be wasting time and money. In this post, we’ll walk through when and why you should conduct a marketing and sales audit so you can keep your business on the path to growth and stop wasting money on marketing tactics that aren’t working for you anymore.

Signs It’s Time for a Marketing and Sales Audit

1. Your Sales Have Plateaued (or Dropped)

One of the clearest signs that you need an audit is if your sales numbers have stopped growing or, worse, have taken a nosedive. If you’re doing the same things but not seeing results, something isn’t adding up. An audit can help you identify the gaps in your marketing and sales funnel and provide insights into why potential customers aren’t making purchases or booking appointments.

2. Your Marketing ROI Is Unclear (or Nonexistent)

Are you spending money on ads, social media, SEO, text campaigns, or email campaigns but not sure if they’re actually driving sales? If you don’t have a clear idea of your marketing return on investment (ROI), it’s time to assess your strategies. A marketing audit can show you which efforts are paying off and which ones are draining your budget with little to no return.

3. You Haven’t Updated Your Strategy in a While

Marketing and sales trends shift constantly. What worked a year ago might not be as effective today. If your business is still relying on outdated methods (like cold calling without a digital strategy or running the same Facebook ads from 2018), an audit can help you modernize your approach.

4. You Have Lots of Potential Customers But They Aren’t Purchasing

Generating leads (potential customers) is great, but if they’re not turning into paying customers, there’s a disconnect somewhere. Your audit can analyze your sales funnel, identify where leads are dropping off, and offer insights into how to improve your sales.

5. Your Customers Aren’t Engaging

Do you notice fewer likes, shares, or comments on social media? Are your email open rates tanking? Are fewer and fewer folks coming to your classes or workshops? If customer engagement is low, your messaging or targeting might be off. A marketing audit can help you realign your efforts with your audience’s needs and interests.

6. You’re Entering a New Growth Phase

If your business is scaling up—expanding to new markets, launching new products, or increasing your marketing budget—it’s a perfect time for an audit. This ensures that your marketing and sales strategies align with your business goals and that you’re investing in the right areas.

What a Marketing and Sales Audit Includes

A comprehensive audit doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here’s what you should focus on:

• Brand Messaging and Positioning – Is your brand message clear and consistent across all platforms?

• Website Performance – Is your site user-friendly, mobile-optimized, and driving conversions?

• SEO and Content Marketing – Are you ranking for the right keywords? Is your content attracting and retaining the right audience?

• Social Media Strategy – Are you engaging your audience effectively on the right platforms?

• Paid Advertising – Are your ad campaigns cost-effective and yielding a good ROI?

• Email Marketing – Are your emails getting opened and leading to sales?

• Sales Funnel Analysis – Where are leads dropping off, and how can you improve conversions?

• Community Based Marketing - Are you incentivizing folks to write reviews and tell their friends about your business? Giving discounts to loyal customers or folks who bring friends to your business can make all the difference.

How to Conduct Your Own Marketing and Sales Audit

If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and audit your marketing and sales strategies, here’s how to get started:

1. Gather Your Data

Look at your website analytics, social media metrics, email performance, and sales reports. The goal is to understand what’s working and what isn’t.

2. Identify Your Best-Performing Channels

Where are your customers coming from? Which marketing channels are bringing in the most sales or leads? Double down on what works.

3. Analyze Your Weak Points

Are you getting a lot of website traffic but no conversions? Is your ad spend too high with little return? Pinpoint where you’re losing money or missing opportunities.

4. Talk to Your Customers

Sometimes, the best insights come straight from the source. Send out surveys, read customer reviews, or talk to your sales team about common objections and concerns.

5. Set Clear Goals for Improvement

Once you have a clear picture of what’s working and what’s not, set realistic goals to improve weak areas. Whether it’s increasing email open rates, improving ad performance, or refining your social media strategy, having measurable goals will help you track progress.

When to Bring in an Expert

While you can conduct an audit yourself, sometimes it’s worth bringing in an outside expert. A fresh perspective can help identify blind spots you may have missed—or coach you to see your business strategy from another angle, which can inspire new promotion ideas and sales growth. If you’re struggling with your marketing strategy, a marketing consultant or business coach (like me!) can help you optimize your efforts and maximize your budget. (You can book a time to chat marketing strategy with me anytime!)

Final Thoughts

A marketing and sales audit isn’t just a one-time event—it’s something you should do regularly to ensure your business stays on track. If sales are sluggish, customer engagement is low, or you’re spending money without seeing results, it’s time to hit pause and reassess.

By identifying what’s working, eliminating what’s not, and optimizing your efforts, you’ll create a marketing and sales strategy that drives growth and keeps your business thriving. So, when’s your next audit? If the answer isn’t “soon,” now’s the perfect time to start!