# Growth Doesn’t Happen in the Last 6 Weeks of the Quarter

Earlier this year, RVLVR was honored to have Amy, a brand repositioning expert with multi-industry CMO experience, join the team as a strategic advisor. Each month, Amy will be sharing her insights here on our blog. If you missed the first one on challenges facing channel marketers, check it out now.

Author [Amy Protexter](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyprotexter/) | Strategic Advisor at [RVLVR](/content/site-root.html)

Published November 26, 2024

## Growth Doesn’t Happen in the Last 6 Weeks of the Quarter

One of the things that baffled me most when I joined a technology services company in the channel was the belief of many that spending a windfall of cash in the last six weeks of the quarter would produce serious, measurable growth. Really?

Even small- to mid-sized deals often took three to six months to close, and enterprise-level or more complex deals could last eighteen months or longer.

Often, a partner would approach our marketing team, checkbook in hand, looking for a 10:1 or greater ROI, all within six weeks.

That’s not only impossible, it’s a bad idea.

Sustained investment in marketing strategy is the most effective way to achieve growth and the ROI metrics you’re striving for. Here are four reasons why:

**Brand awareness and trust.** A continuous marketing presence keeps your company top-of-mind for potential customers. By building trust over time, there’s a better chance they will come to you when they’re ready to make a purchase, which isn’t always – and in fact, is rarely – going to be within six weeks.

**A steady stream of leads.** Sustained investment ensures that your team is generating a steady influx of leads and prospects, and building a pipeline of opportunities to nurture these customers, which in turn, results in higher conversion rates.

**Cumulative effects.** Marketing is an investment that compounds over time. It drives SEO improvement, builds brand recognition, grows your audience, and extends your reach. A stop/start approach can disrupt growth and lead to lost opportunities.

**Enhanced ROI.** A long-running campaign gives you more opportunities to optimize your strategy to improve performance. Leveraging the resulting data, you’ll be able to refine campaigns through A/B testing and other strategies to increase conversion rates.

Understandably, partners are focused on results, but smart marketers know that, like a tree, a lot is going on below the surface. It takes time to plant seeds, nurture growth, and build a broad root network that feeds and supports all of that beautiful green above. You might see some results in six weeks – and that can provide important guidance – but the real fruits come with time, patience, and persistence.