In this episode, David Ellis and Stacey Cruickshanks reveal the exact marketing strategy they're using to achieve 30 high-ticket sales in Q1 2025—double their usual rate. They break down LinkedIn demand generation, content strategy, and paid advertising while answering audience questions about scaling B2B sales.

Whether you're a founder, marketer, or consultant, this episode provides real-world, data-backed insights to help you grow your business.

David Ellis is a B2B marketing expert specialising in demand generation and high-ticket sales strategies. With extensive experience in LinkedIn advertising, content marketing, and scalable growth systems, David helps businesses drive inbound leads and increase revenue.

• Target: 30 sales in Q1 2025 (double the usual rate)
• Strategy: Increase marketing spend while maintaining conversion efficiency
• Success Metrics: Cost per demo, customer acquisition cost, and closed deals

• Builds trust and credibility by being transparent
• Helps refine the strategy with real-time feedback
• Positions B2B as an industry thought leader

• 80% of leads come from LinkedIn (organic & paid)
• Focus on demand generation instead of direct selling
• Promote valuable, authority-building content
• Use paid ads to amplify high-performing organic content

• Content should be consistent but not repetitive
• Stick to 4-10 core messaging pillars
• The goal is brand recall—when buyers are ready, they think of you

• 80% of content should be educational
• 20% should drive action (case studies, testimonials, direct CTAs)
• The less you ask, the more you earn—focus on trust-building

• Cold audience (40%) → Awareness content
• Warm audience (40%) → Trust-building content
• Hot audience (20%) → Conversion content (case studies, CTAs)

• Organic builds long-term authority but is algorithm-dependent
• Paid ads guarantee visibility and scale successful content
• Best approach? Use both together for maximum impact

• Paid ads amplify results and target ideal customers
• Focus on platform-specific content for each channel
• YouTube, Meta, and TikTok require unique content strategies

• 250K+ impressions per month are needed for significant impact
• More exposure → More leads → More sales

• Identify pain points & desired outcomes of your target audience
• Share unique insights to differentiate yourself
• Engage with your audience and start conversations

• Google Ads: Great for problem-aware buyers who are ready to purchase
• LinkedIn: Best for building brand trust and long-term demand
• Best approach? Use both together—Google for conversions, LinkedIn for demand

• LinkedIn strategy does not translate 1:1 to other platforms
• YouTube requires video-optimized content
• Meta & TikTok can be used for retargeting

• Connect with David Ellis on LinkedIn for insights & Q&A
• Follow for weekly content on B2B growth...

In this episode of Building in Public, David Ellis and Stacey Cruickshanks discuss the latest updates on their ambitious Q1 goal: securing 30 new sales.

Joining from the French Alps while on a two-week snowboarding trip, David shares how he balances work and time off, the marketing experiments driving growth, and why his sales process is delivering a 6X return on ad spend.

David Ellis is a B2B growth strategist and founder with a strong track record of scaling businesses through demand generation and high-converting marketing funnels.

His expertise lies in helping companies build predictable revenue streams through strategic marketing investments.

• Works remotely while maintaining productivity
• Stresses the importance of setting clear boundaries for work and personal time

• Goal: 30 new sales in Q1 2025, doubling the usual target
• Marketing spend has increased proportionally to drive results
• Early success: £9,000 spend generated £63,000 in revenue (~6X return)

• Scaling too soon without the right infrastructure can damage client relationships
• Took 18-24 months to refine service delivery before ramping up sales
• Recent hires and process improvements now allow for expansion

• 31 sales calls booked in January
• 7 new sales closed, with additional prospects still in the pipeline
• High show-up rate (90-95%) due to effective lead qualification
• 40-50% close rate, which suggests pricing may even be too low

• Switched LinkedIn profile CTA from Visit Website to Book a Call
• Early results show a lower cost per demo and increased call bookings
• Could signal a shift in B2B marketing where direct call booking outperforms traditional website lead nurturing

• Primary KPI is cost per demo to track efficiency of marketing spend
• Sales calls are structured as consultations rather than hard sells
• Data-driven approach ensures continued optimization of marketing efforts

Building in Public is a podcast that takes you behind the scenes of scaling a B2B business, sharing real-time insights, experiments, and lessons from the trenches. If you're a founder or marketer looking to grow sustainably, this show is for you.

In this seventh episode of Building in Public, David Ellis shares his real-time experience of scaling a B2B business while openly discussing challenges, successes, and lessons learned.

Stacey Cruickshanks, Head of Content at beetu.be, joins the conversation, pushing David to dive deeper into sales metrics, marketing spend, and the impact of demand generation.

They revisit the ambitious Q1 goal of signing 30 new high-ticket clients and assess progress so far. David explains how their marketing system is performing, what metrics they track, and why he's still personally handling sales calls as the CEO.

He also discusses their data-driven approach to increasing ad spend, the challenges of predicting revenue growth, and why their creative strategy avoids direct sales pitches.

As part of their commitment to transparency, they announce an upcoming Live Building in Public episode, where listeners can join, ask questions, and engage directly.

David Ellis – Founder and CEO, building a B2B business in public. Sharing transparent insights on marketing, sales, and scaling strategies.

At the start of the year, David and his team set a goal to sign 30 new high-ticket clients in Q1, essentially doubling their usual 15 per quarter. They committed to sharing this process publicly, tracking progress, and discussing real results.

So far, their marketing system is performing well. They set a target to spend £10,000 per month on marketing but are ramping up gradually. In January, they planned to spend £7,000, generate 26 demo calls, and keep the cost per demo at around £275. By the time of recording, they had 25 demo calls booked and a cost per demo of £277—right on track.

The only lagging metric is new sales, though David explains this is expected due to the delay between marketing spend and closed deals. They have already signed five new sales this month, totaling £62,000 in deal value. He remains optimistic that the groundwork laid in January will pay off in the coming months.

One unexpected factor has been repeat customers. Several clients returned to purchase additional services, prompting a discussion about whether the goal should be "30 new clients" or "30 new sales." While new customers were the original focus, revenue growth remains the ultimate measure of success.

David admits he doesn’t have an exact number for his average sales cycle length but knows it varies widely. Some prospects sign up immediately after a demo call, while others take months to return. The benefit of a demand generation approach is that many buyers complete their decision-making process before ever reaching out.

In terms of quality, their sales calls have been highly targeted, with a strong show-up rate of over 90%. Unlike traditional lead generation funnels, where up to 30% of booked calls don’t happen, their approach ensures they speak with engaged and qualified prospects.

Despite being the CEO, David still handles all sales calls himself, dedicating about 7 hours per week—nearly 25% of his time—to these conversations. He sees this as an essential part of staying close to customers, understanding their needs, and refining their approach. Eventually, he will transition sales calls to a team member, but for now, it remains a priority.

To scale effectively, they follow a structured decision-making framework for marketing spend. If cost per demo is below target, they increase the budget significantly. If it's on target, they make smaller adjustments. If it rises above target, they assess creative performance and conversion rates before making...