Setting Up the Revenue Cycle Modeler to Optimize Tracking via Success Path Analyzer

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

I posed this question to support earlier this week and haven't heard back, so thought maybe some of you geniuses out there would have some advice. 

I am currently redefining our organization's Revenue Cycle Modeler and I have a few clarifying questions that I can't seem to find answers for in the videos and resources. 

My Model is based on the Demand Waterfall 2.0. I'd like to create my transitions based on change in lead status (triggers for the actual changes in lead status will be managed outside of the modeler). 

At it's simplest, it looks like the model below, based on lead status (we use lead status on both lead and contact SFDC records, so that’s not an issue).


 
I like the simplicity of this model, but in reality, leads may transition from early stages like MIL status and MEL status directly to sales stages (like SAL). Can the success path analyzer measure transitions that aren’t on the revenue cycle modeler?
 
If the transitions aren’t on the model, will the success path analyzer at least still accurately measure in-flow and out-flow of each stage? 


I’m also curious about best practice for setting up the transitions. If I use triggers for "data value change, lead status = X", do they need to be specific to each transition (i.e. also include the previous value)? For example, the transition from MEL to MQL: can I use the trigger “data value change, lead status, new value = MQL” or do I have to also include “previous value = MEL”?

Thank you in advance, 

Amanda

[Edward_Masson · Accepted solution]

The success path analyzer only measures the direct transition (the green path) but you can measure in-direct transitions in RCE between stages regardless if the stage is in the success path. You can also create report in RCA on this too just not fancy ones.
 

If your business model moves early lead stage to MQL, you need to capture it with an arrow to MQL. This is considered an in-direct because it did not flow through the success path. 

In RCE there are filters of Direct transition and in-direct transition to measure leads/contacts moving form stage to stage etc.

You don’t need to have a previous status, you just need the new status. Your lead is already in a stage and your creating a trigger activity that when that current lead status change to the NEW status, add them to the next stage.

[Josh_Hill13]

Ed's got it right.

you will need a host of skip arrows to capture the transition between an early stage and Opportunity, for example. It looks messy, but it's ok.

But in my experience you want to be careful that your trigger flows handle the right transitions such that if you are MQL and go to SAL, you need  your trigger to say "Lead Status Changed to X, and Stage=MQL"

Otherwise you risk moving people at the wrong time. 

Sure, if the transitions worked by themselves, then this isn't as big a deal.

[Anonymous]

I'm so glad you all posted this, because I'm having very similar concerns, and finding advice on this topic is difficult. Can I please have you clarify two statements:

Ed: "If your business model moves early lead stage to MQL, you need to capture it with an arrow to MQL."

So this means that you should account for every possiblility that a lead can move from one stage to another regardless if the stage is non the success path or a detour?

Josh:  "But in my experience you want to be careful that your trigger flows handle the right transitions such that if you are MQL and go to SAL, you need  your trigger to say 'Lead Status Changed to X, and Stage=MQL'"

Are you saying this if you are controlling your stage changes outside of the Modeler, say in an external program?

A final question concerning both, Is it possible to set up an external program to handle every transistion scenerio and not rely on the modeler transistion rules (arrows)? If so, do you still need to set up a transition arrow for every scenerio, and are there adverse affects on reporting to be concerned about?
 

[Anonymous]

This is a great discussion. Thanks for the clarifications. Subscribing.

[Anonymous]

RECAP OF MY MODELER

I took the advice given and set my modeler up using transition arrows for every possible advancement on the funnel, with great success. This was necessary to prevent leads from getting stuck in a revenue stage.

This is the simplified view I present to my marketing and sales teams: 

This is the actual modeler set up in Marketo:

I have set up our internal processes so lead status aligns to funnel stage. Each transition arrow will have a trigger for a data value change, attribute = lead status, new value = end stage. For example, the transition arrow that moves a lead from revenue stage MIL to revenue stage OPP looks like: trigger for data value change, attribute = lead status, new value = OPP - Open Opportunity.

There is no need to put previous lead status value or current revenue stage because the lead is already in that stage. 

This is a great, simple to use model, that allows lead and contact SFDC records to move through the same funnel (with all the wonderful metrics provided by the success path analyzer), easy visibility, and easy funnel stage marketing. It also enables us to do better account-based statuses; if there is an open opportunity on an account, all attached contacts have the same status. 

Happy to answer any questions you may have. 

Amanda

[Anonymous]

Wow, thank you for responding, Amanda, and with some great information. You made me feel much more confident about how I'm building our model. To be clear, you are handling all stage changes in the model itself, correct? And not using any support from outside campaigns? I know some people control their model via an external program. I am wondering the benefits of that and how it would be done or should be done.

Michael

[Anonymous]

Hey Michael,

All of our revenue stage changes are handled via transitions in the modeler. Those transitions are based on changes in lead status. I just wanted to emphasize the difference. 

Lead status (one field in Marketo that's mapped to a lead status field on the SFDC lead record and a custom lead status on the SFDC contact record) is altered via external campaigns (i.e. scoring, events, SFDC triggers, etc). 

I did this because the criteria for shifts in lead status (i.e changes in our scoring mechanism or new direct-to-sales CTA programs) are constantly being reiterated as we optimize our processes. 

The funnel itself, however, does not change so the revenue stage transitions (based on changes in lead status) can be inputted in the model and not thought about again. It's much cleaner this way.

Amanda

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the great conversation. I am wondering if any of you advice or could share anything about how you set up your Assignment Rules for your model? I'm having a hard time finding best practices for this. I understand it only applies to new leads coming in from Salesforce? But that's unclear to me as well.