Does anyone have a work around for a wait until the x of the month in a wait step?

[Anonymous]

OK. I know this is a lot of random testing, but I THINK I've cracked the code. If the wait step begins in the on a day other than the last day on a month with 31 days, it will end on the same number day. BUT if the wait step begins on the last day of a 31 day month and the next month is less than 31 days, then it considers a month to be 31 days. At least this is what it seems like the logic is. Now there are some obvious outliers and lags where the wait step can end anywhere from 4 minutes to 8 hours (and 31 hours in the first example) after the begin time. See below for my tests.

·         Example 1 (+1 day 7 hrs 44 min)
o   Recycle Timeframe to 1 month – Mar 1, 2013 @ 4:14pm
o   Remove from Flow – Apr 2, 2013 @ 11:58pm
·         Example 2 (+4 min)
o   Recycle Timeframe to 1 month – May 1, 2012 @ 10:59am
o   Remove from Flow – Jun 1, 2012 @ 11:03am
·         Example 3 (assuming 1 month = 31 days, +7 hrs 22 min)
o   Recycle Timeframe to 1 month – Jan 31, 2013 @ 1:13am
o   Remove from Flow – Mar 3, 2013 @ 8:35am
·         Example 4 (assuming 1 month = 31 days, +7 hrs 30 min)
o   Recycle Timeframe to 1 month – Jan 31, 2013 @ 1:14am
o   Remove from Flow – Mar 3, 2013 @ 8:44am
·         Example 5 (assuming 1 month = 31 days, +11 min)
o   Recycle Timeframe to 1 month – Oct 31, 2012 @ 8:01am
o   Remove from Flow – Dec 1, 2012 @ 8:12am
·         Example 6 (assuming 1 month = 31 days, +3 hrs 24 min)
o   Recycle Timeframe to 1 month – Oct 31, 2012 @ 2:51pm
o   Remove from Flow – Dec 1, 2012 @ 6:15pm
·         Example 6 (+2 hrs)
o   Recycle Timeframe to 1 month – Feb 22, 2013 @ 4:54pm
o   Remove from Flow – Mar 22, 2013 @ 6:54pm
·         Example 7 (+3 hrs  52 min)
o   Recycle Timeframe to 1 month – Feb 20, 2013 @ 11:24am
o   Remove from Flow – Mar 20, 2013 @ 3:16pm

[Anonymous]

Thanks for this info Rick!  If would be great if some of this insight could be added to the documentation on the Wait flow action.

[Michelle_Tizian]

Thanks Rick. 

[Michelle_Tizian]

Quick question guys, so I implemented what you suggested above Elliot, But instead of a static list, I'm using a smart list because I'm pulling leads who converted from different campaigns for the main drip campaign that's batched on the 20th, and the leads will only go through the flow once, and in the wait steps, the first batch of leads will move to another smart list until they are done.  

So my main question is, while the main drip campaign is running, at anytime, can I make a change to the smart list? Also I noticed that the smart list that's being used for this drip campaign has a paper clip icon on the upper right hand side.  I'm assuming that it means that it's attached to an active campaign?  Am I right or am I seriously wrong?

[Anonymous]

This should work as long as your smart lists have a "Not Was Sent Email" filter in each smart list that will ensure that leads that were in that list and were sent the email are "removed" from the smart list, so they won't qualify for it again.  New leads would be added to your first smart list whenever they qualify during the month.  You can change the smart list to include more or fewer leads, but don't remove the "Not Was Sent Email" filter.

The paper clip means that your smart list has been cached and you need to refresh the cached list to see the latest results as described at the bottom of the Cached Lists help article.  In the Does Marketo automatically create cached smart lists? discussion item, I commented "Tech support indicates that In the January release, they implemented a feature where if you export a list, Marketo will automatically cache the list, but it should not persist if you edit the filter or refresh the list."  Also, in the Auto-refresh of a cached smart list discussion item, Marketo indicates that "when campaigns are using membership of these cached smart lists as a criteria in the smart list, the campaign will re-count the membership of these smart lists. However, this won't refresh the smart list itself." 

[Michelle_Tizian]

Thanks again Ellliot! One last question, so for this main sales cycle campaign (20th batch schedule) does it even make sense to track status progression if different leads are coming in monthly? Our sales people are actually trying to convert the leads to paid customers on the first lead nurture campaign that brings them to the sales cycle campaign.  The main lead nurture has the following status: 

sent
open
click link
TMK Left voicemail
TMK Reached
trial request
TMK Follow up Left voicemail (convert to sales)
TMK FOllow up Reached (convert to sales)
Purchased
Declined

I thought maybe for the sales cycle campaign that it probably should track the following progressions below:
Click link (contiue to subscribe)
TMK Follow up Left voicemail (convert to sales)
TMK FOllow up Reached (convert to sales)
Purchased
Declined

So did you ever run a campaign within a program that didn't track any status progressions? My boss just wants to be able to see what's happening in one screen, but there's multiple campaigns that all flow into the main sales cycle and I thought that maybe the main sales cycle campaign is the way to go to track everyone flowing from the campaign.  But then again, after 4 months the leads are removed from the list, and new leads would be coming into the sales cycle campaign.  Hmmm. Help?

[Anonymous]

It is certainly not a requirement that you have a progression status for anything other than perhaps the ultimate success.  However, if your program is synched with a SFDC campaign, and your sales team references that more granular progression status / campaign member status values may be of value to them. 

Below is an example of the preogression status values that we use in a telemarketing program that includes a sequence of emails and calls.  This program has people added to it every day.

Need to Contact
Sent Email - 1
Email 1 Bounced
Opened Email - 1
Clicked Email - 1
Call 1
Sent Email - 2
Opened Email - 2
Clicked Email - 2
Call 2
...
Connected
Gone - Bogus Info
Interested
Not Interested
Referred
Unsubscribed
Converted

The progression status values repeat for up to 8 emails and calls.  Because we have these, the reps can look at the campaign member status and instantly see where the lead is in the campaign.  Also, the telemarketing manager can look at the summary graph (screen shot below) and see where the campaign is at any point and identify choke points.

[Michelle_Tizian]

Hi Ellott,

Thanks your progression status for the above for the telemarketers is actually good.  It will a good model for one of our campaigns.  It just occured to me, that in my smart list for my main sales cycle that I filtered out people who have a status progression of purchased, but if they are in the process of receiving their 3rd email in the flow?  Should I create a separate campaign that would remove them from the flow? or add a wait step in the current sales cycle flow that if status changes to purchase remove from flow? Will it really remove them from the flow?

[Anonymous]

Just before the Send Email flow action, we have a Remove from Flow flow action with a Choice that checks if the status has changed (e.g. "purchased") and if so removes them from the flow (Campaign: this campaign); otherwise, the Default Choice is "-- Do Nothing --".  It really removes them from the flow :0)

[Michelle_Tizian]

Thank you! thank you Elliott!