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The Early Q1 Checkpoint: What to Measure, What to Fix, What to Double Down On

The Early Q1 Checkpoint: What to Measure, What to Fix, What to Double Down On

33rd Edition: Through the Funnel (Marketing News & Jobs)

MarketingHQ
January 20, 2026

News From MHQ to You 📰

We're three weeks into Q1.

How's it going?

If you're feeling behind, frustrated, or like nothing's moving fast enough, you're not alone.

Q1 always starts slower than we want:

Budgets are still being released
Teams are ramping back up
Decision-makers are catching up from the holidays
Goals that will require bending the laws of physics to achieve

But the problem can go from bad to worse when marketing teams wait until the end of Q1 to check if their plan is moving the needle.

By then, there's no time to course-correct.

The teams that win Q1 don't wait 90 days to evaluate. They check in early (at ~21 days) and adjust while there's still time.

This is that checkpoint.

Let's figure out what's working, what's broken, and what needs to change while you still have 70+ days left in the quarter.

Part 1: What to Measure (The Signals That Actually Matter)

Not all metrics are created equal at the 3 week mark.

Some are leading indicators that tell you where you're headed. Others are lagging indicators that only confirm what already happened.

At this stage, you need early signals, not final scores.

✓ Leading Indicators (What to Watch Now)

1. Pipeline Velocity (Not Just Volume)

Don't just count how many deals entered the pipeline. Ask:

How fast are they moving through stages?
Are deals stalling at a specific point?
Is average deal size trending up or down?

Why it matters: Slow velocity in week 3 means stalled deals in week 10. Fix it now.

What to do:

Pull a report: Avg days in each pipeline stage (MQL → SQL → SQO → Closed)
Compare to last quarter
If it's slower, dig into WHY (follow-up speed? qualification issues? messaging?)

2. Sales Follow-Up Speed

Marketing can generate perfect ICP-fit leads showing clear intent, but if Sales isn't following up, none of it matters.

Check:

What % of leads are contacted within 24 hours?
What % are contacted within 48 hours?
What % are never contacted?

Why it matters: Leads contacted within 24 hours convert 7× better than those contacted after 48 hours.

What to do:

If follow-up is slow, this is a Sales execution problem, not a marketing problem
Set up a daily lead handoff meeting (10 minutes, standup-style)
Enforce SLAs ruthlessly

3. Lead Quality (Not Just Lead Quantity)

Are you generating the RIGHT leads, or just MORE leads?

Check:

MQL → SQL conversion rate (should be 25-35%)
SQL → SQO conversion rate (should be 15-25%)
Source quality: which channels produce the highest-converting leads?

Why it matters: If conversion rates are low, you're wasting Sales time and your budget on unqualified volume.

What to do:

Tighten lead scoring criteria
Cut or pause low-performing channels
Double down on channels with high SQL conversion

4. Campaign Engagement (Early Warning System)

Don't wait for pipeline to tell you a campaign isn't working. Look at engagement NOW.

Check:

Email open rates, click rates (compared to baseline)
Content download rates
Webinar/event registration vs attendance
Ad CTR and conversion rates

Why it matters: Low engagement in week 3 = low pipeline in week 8.

What to do:

Kill underperforming campaigns NOW (don't wait for month-end)
Test new messaging, creative, or CTAs
Reallocate budget to what's working

5. Sales Feedback Loop

Your sales team knows what's resonating (and what's not) before your dashboard does.

Ask them:

Are leads showing up prepared or confused?
What objections are you hearing most?
Which campaigns/content are prospects mentioning?
What's missing from our messaging or positioning?

Why it matters: Sales is on the front line. They see problems before you do.

What to do:

Set up a 30-min feedback session with 3-5 reps this week
Adjust messaging, content, or targeting based on what you hear

✗ Lagging Indicators (Don't Panic About These Yet)

These matter, but they won't tell you much at the 3-week mark:

Closed-won revenue: Too early. Deals take months.
Total pipeline generated: Misleading without velocity and quality context.
Website traffic: Doesn't predict pipeline unless tied to conversion.

Don't ignore these, but don't overreact to them in week 3.

Part 2: What to Fix (The Problems Hiding in Plain Sight)

If you're seeing warning signs in the leading indicators above, here's how to fix them.

Problem 1: Pipeline is slow or stalled

Symptoms:

Deals sitting in the same stage for weeks
Low SQL → SQO conversion
Sales says "deals are stuck in legal/procurement/budget approval"

Root causes:

Weak qualification (wrong ICP, bad timing, no budget)
Unclear next steps (no mutual action plan)
Missing stakeholders (only talking to one person in a committee)

Fix it:

Tighten ICP targeting (stop marketing to companies that can't buy)
Require Sales to identify economic buyer + champion before moving to SQL
Build mutual action plans (what happens next, by when, who owns it)

Problem 2: Sales isn't following up on leads

Symptoms:

Leads going cold
Low contact rates
Sales says "leads aren't good quality" but isn't calling them

Root causes:

No accountability/SLA for follow-up
Sales doesn't trust lead quality
Too many leads, not enough reps

Fix it:

Implement a 24-hour follow-up SLA (publicly tracked)
Set up a daily standup: "Here's what came in yesterday, here's who's calling them today"
If Sales genuinely can't keep up, reduce lead volume and improve quality

Problem 3: Campaigns aren't converting

Symptoms:

High traffic, low conversion
High email opens, low clicks
High ad impressions, low leads

Root causes:

Weak CTA or unclear value prop
Wrong audience targeting
Friction in the conversion process (too many form fields, broken links, confusing landing pages)

Fix it:

A/B test CTAs and headlines
Simplify forms (ask for less upfront)
Check mobile experience (most B2B traffic is mobile now)
Review targeting: are you reaching the right titles, companies, industries?

Problem 4: You're spending on the wrong channels

Symptoms:

High spend, low return
Leads from certain channels never convert
Cost-per-SQL is 2-3× higher than target

Root causes:

Inertia (you've always done it this way)
Vanity metrics (traffic looks good but doesn't convert)
Lack of attribution clarity

Fix it:

Pull cost-per-SQL by channel
Rank channels by efficiency
Pause or cut the bottom 2-3 performers
Reallocate budget to top performers

Part 3: What to Double Down On (The Things Actually Working)

Don't just fix problems. Amplify what's working.

1. Your Best-Performing Channels

If a channel is driving high-quality SQLs at reasonable cost:

Increase budget by 20-30%
Test new audiences or creative within that channel
Document what's working so you can replicate it

Example:

Paid search converting at $400/SQL? Expand keyword list.
LinkedIn ads driving Director+ engagement? Increase spend and test new personas.

2. Your Best-Performing Content

If certain assets are consistently mentioned by prospects or driving conversions:

Promote them more aggressively
Repurpose them into other formats (blog → video → infographic → email series)
Use them in outbound sequences

Example:

Case study driving 40% of demo requests? Feature it in every email, ad, and sales deck.

3. Your Best Sales-Marketing Alignment Moments

If certain processes or touchpoints are working smoothly:

Formalize them
Scale them across the team
Protect them from getting deprioritized

Example:

Weekly pipeline review with Sales is driving better follow-up? Make it non-negotiable.
Event follow-up process converting at 25%? Run more events.

Part 4: The Mid-Q1 Action Plan (What to Do This Week)

Here's your checkpoint checklist. Block 2 hours this week and work through it.

Pull the Data (30 minutes)

MQL → SQL → SQO conversion rates
Avg days in each pipeline stage
Cost-per-SQL by channel
Lead follow-up speed (% contacted in 24/48 hours)
Campaign engagement rates (email, ads, content)

Identify Problems (30 minutes)

Which conversion rates are below target?
Which channels are underperforming?
Where is pipeline stalling?
What's Sales saying about lead quality?

Make Decisions (30 minutes)

What campaigns/channels do you PAUSE?
What campaigns/channels do you AMPLIFY?
What processes need to be fixed (follow-up, qualification, etc.)?

Communicate Changes (30 minutes)

Email your team with 3 things:
1. What's working (celebrate it)
2. What's changing (and why)
3. What you need from them
Schedule a 15-min sync with Sales leadership to align on fixes

The Bottom Line

Q1 isn't won or lost in the first 3 weeks.

But the decisions you make NOW determine whether you're scrambling in March or coasting into Q2 with momentum.

The teams that win don't wait for the end of the quarter to course-correct.

They check in early. They fix problems fast. They double down on what's working.

You're 3 weeks in. There's still time.

Pull the data. Make the call. Adjust the plan.

Let's finish Q1 strong.

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