Decoded Strategies

Decoded Strategies builds marketing and retention strategies for tech-focused companies to help fuel growth. When you’ve got the right words and know how to use them to hook customers (new and old), they’ll stick around for the long run.

Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer

OneGuide

I provide marketing and brand messaging strategy to startups and VCs through OneGuide, an expert platform that connects high-growth companies with experienced functional advisors.

Areas of Expertise: Marketing & Sales Strategy Creation, Marketing & Sales Execution, StoryBrand Workshops, Lead Generation & Lead Nurturing

Advisor

UC Irvine

Member of Advisory Board in the University of California, Irvine Division of Continuing Education - Customer Experience Program. Participating as a Board Advisor and as a speaker, mentor and panelist, helping guide curriculum and content for customer experience professional development and certification.

Board Member, Customer Experience Program

Glofox

Glofox is the premiere gym and member management SaaS platform. I served as global exec responsible for Onboarding, Customer Success and Tech Support, managing 20+ staff and driving expansion revenue, NPS and customer retention.

Global Vice President of Customer Success & Lifecycle Marketing

NationBuilder

Serving as Head of Support, Growth, Customer Engagement & Digital Marketing, I oversee the entire user journey - from acquisition to retention- facilitating opportunities to best engage, grow and retain customers. This includes KPIs such as increasing lead gen, conversion funnel optimization, managing to new customer retention, reducing customer & MRR churn, growing existing customers and upsell opportunities.

Vice President of Customer Success & Growth Marketing

Working closely with the President and CEO, I lead and facilitate work of the Executive Team, ensuring alignment with established business priorities and objectives. I launched the Objectives and Key Results (OKR) framework to the entire company from implementation through full scale adoption, attaining executive-level buy-in of the new process. We attained 100% adherence from staff within first quarter.

Chief Of Staff (Executive); Head of Marketing & Customer Success

Served as Head of Customer Success, overseeing tech support, account management, lead generation and inside sales teams. We successfully transitioned customers onto new software and pricing models, while maintaining customer retention targets, growing monthly recurring revenue significantly.

Director of Customer Success

Sr. Enterprise Account Executive

JCBEA:  Jefferson County Business Education Alliance

Co-founded and served as Executive Director of new 501c3, developing a collaborative nonprofit partnership of business, chambers of commerce, economic development, educational institutions and community organizations created to enhance career and college prep opportunities for youth

Executive Director

Colorado Scholarship Coalition

Provided overall leadership and strategic direction to growth of the organization, doubling size of the Board of Directors and increasing annual revenue by 50%

Community College of Aurora

Managed development and implementation of cross-sectoral health program.  Cultivated strategic community partnerships. Advised students on admissions, financial aid and academic practices.  Tracked and documented goals, milestones and outcomes for program assessment.

Program Manager

Kaplan

Executive Assistant to the President

Michigan State University

Program Assistant 

Marketing & Retention Strategies for Tech Companies | Chief Strategy Officer @ Decoded Strategies | Female Founder | Marketing & Customer Success Exec | Startup Advisor

I’m the Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer for Decoded Strategies, a marketing and retention strategy firm focused on accelerating growth for tech focused companies. Previously, I served in a variety of positions including VP of Marketing, VP of Customer Success and Executive Chief of Staff at VC-funded software companies. 

I’m a high energy, relationship-focused executive with significant experience in customer success, growth marketing and business operations strategy in technology and social impact sectors. The interplay between team building and driving business objectives is deeply important to me, and I strive to serve as a catalyst to drive large scale transformation by creating innovative approaches to growth and customer experience challenges. 

As a facilitative leader, I'm keen to create the conditions for people to thrive in their work, help customers achieve their goals, and ultimately drive the successful growth of a company. 

If you’re a brand new startup and need help jump-starting your revenue engine, or are several years in and stuck on how to increase retention, shoot me a note and let’s talk. 

I had an amazing time chatting with Rob Jeppsen a few weeks ago all about the power of storytelling in sales.

Everyone knows they need to be a good storyteller... but what does that actually MEAN?

Here's what it's not:
-It's not about telling a story of something that happened to you
-It's not about making your company seem bigger or cooler than it is
-It's not about manufacturing an emotional response from your audience

What to hear what storytelling in sales IS all about?
Check out my episode on The Sales Leadership Podcast:

Annie Mosbacher

Marketing Strategies for Tech Companies | Chief Strategy Officer @ Decoded Strategies, Marketing Advisor @ OneGuide | ex-NationBuilder, ex-Glofox | Aspiring Master Quilter

What are some best practices for storytelling in sales?

How can The Sales Leadership Podcast help me improve my sales skills?

Open video: Annie Mosbacher, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder of Decoded Strategies: CAPTIVATE Your Customers with Storytelling on salesleaderpodcast.fireside.fm

Annie Mosbacher, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder of Decoded Strategies: CAPTIVATE Your Customers with Storytelling

Exclamation points are an art.  
Especially for women. 
 
Every single email I write - I do a final "exclamation point edit."  
Are there too many? Can't come off as too bubbly (or worse... ditzy). 
Too few? Gotta be careful about sounding unfriendly (there's another for that). 
 
I wouldn't say I'm resentful of my exclamation point game.  
I'm an enthusiastic person, so sometimes I like to add a little extra pop to a sentence! (see what I did there?)  
But it is an extra layer of thought and care that I, as a woman, feel I need to put into my communication.  
 
Respect the art of a well-placed exclamation point. Or three. 
 
#femalefounder #messaging #copywriting

How can exclamation points impact communication?

What challenges do women face in communication?

Why is it important to respect communication styles?

The best revenue leaders I know are gobbling up insights right now.

The world of go-to-market is changing and evolving faster than most can keep up with.
The market is weird and hard.
Tools are changing.
AI is AI.

Learning from each other is the way we all grow and evolve with the times.

So I'm thrilled that Ayush Poddar gave Decoded Strategies a shout-out in his most recent Startup GTM newsletter.

Check out his insights below around how to scale with partner-led growth and insights on how to pursue community-led growth in a way that actually sticks. Really interesting insights in here.

Oh, and also, a lovely shout-out for the Decoding Story-Based Marketing Podcast!

Thanks for the shout-out Ayush!

https://lnkd.in/gJg7Hihg


#leadership #AI #B2Bmarketing

How can I pursue community-led growth in a way that actually sticks?

Open article: Prospect’s experiential journey through Community-led Growth in B2B - Part 2 of 2 by startupgtm.substack.com • 1 min read

Prospect’s experiential journey through Community-led Growth in B2B - Part 2 of 2

One of the biggest energy burns I see on sales teams is when sales reps have to create messaging on their own.  
 
It's one thing to have a broad understanding of what a product does. 
But it's another thing entirely to understand how to communicate effectively about a product in the right way to the right audience at the right time.  
 
I've seen even the most sophisticated sales teams have an incredible onboarding program, great resources and coaching support...  
 
But not equip their team with messaging they can use across all their sales efforts.  
 
Every salesperson needs a messaging guide. 
If everyone has the same messaging to pull from, that helps reps avoid burning energy coming up with the big ideas on their own. 
 
Instead, they can use that energy to source creative ideas for how to close deals, how to drive opportunities forward, etc. 
 
Imagine what that extra energy could turn into. 
5 more deals closed a quarter? 
10?  
Is it worth it? 
You bet it is.  
 
Equip your sales team with messaging. 
Win-win all around  
 
#sales #salesmessaging #contentmarketing

How important is sales messaging for sales teams?

What impact does effective messaging have on sales teams?

Why is a messaging guide crucial for sales reps?

Please. For the love of all things.
Do NOT make these big story-telling mistakes.

At this point, everyone kind of knows they have to be good storytellers.
But what actually IS a good story?
How should you leverage story in marketing and sales?

Without a clear, shared definition of storytelling- as it relates to marketing and sales- people fill in the gaps.

And typically go about it the wrong way.

Here's what to avoid when approaching storytelling:

1/ Sharing an anecdote that happened to you in attempt to humanize yourself
2/ Trying to manipulate or elicit an emotional response for the sake of emotion
3/ Desperately working to make your company or product sound bigger or more impressive

Instead: use a storytelling formula like the Hero's Journey to serve as a communication template.

Humans love stories, and we recognize story formulas.
So if you're looking for a way to really connect with someone, communicate with them in a way they WANT to be communicated with.

Craft your messaging into a story.
Make your customer the hero of that story.
And establish a shared language that kickstart rapport building with your leads.

#storytelling #messaging #storybrand #creativity

How can I use the Hero's Journey in my marketing strategy?

How can establishing a shared language help in rapport building with leads?

I know I'm not the only one who feels this... 
 
The economy is TOUGH right now and we all need to do more with less. 
 
This is annoying to me because, personally, I like to do MORE WITH MORE.  
But that's not the time we're living in.  
 
Budgets are tighter. Sales quotas are a little crunchier to reach. Teams have to be leaner.  
 
So what do we do when we still need to hit aggressive sales goals, but we don't have the marketing spend we want?  
 
The #1 way you can stretch your marketing dollar is by prioritizing your brand messaging.  
 
You've got to put your resources and your time into marketing initiatives that benefit multiple levels of your organization.  
And if you take the bite-size, but important step of creating a solid and effective brand message, that will create fuel for: 
- DemandGen content 
- Sales collateral 
- Employee hiring & retention  
- Lead Nurturing content 
- Team alignment 
 
If your business is tightening belts... 
1. You're not alone 
2. You can still make big moves and do more with less

What are some best practices for creating effective brand messaging?

What is demand generation content and how can it benefit an organization?

What is lead nurturing content and how can it benefit an organization?

One of my first professional mentors taught me: 
 
"Don't let perfect be the enemy of good." 
 
As a born-and-bred perfectionist, this was HARD to live by. But I have found it to be one of the most clarifying north starts to guide my career. 
 
But... this could lead down a dangerous road. 
To be driven by "checking things off a list." 
To do the things the "gurus" tell us to do." 
To set aside critical thinking and just push papers.  
 
Which all leads to average outputs and average outcomes.  
 
So there's an important flip side to this.  
"Don't let average be good enough." 
 
I'm seeing this play out a lot with companies leaning too heavily on AI-generated content.  
 
Without some element of critical thinking in your marketing strategy, you end up abdicating some of your biggest, most strategic decisions to AI. 
 
It can be so tempting as a marketer to get into the "checking things off the list" zone because it doesn't require much critical thinking.  
I get it- critical thinking is hard, and it zaps energy. 
 
But whether you're just shoving aside that critical thinking, OR abdicating key decisions it to a "guru best practice" or AI... these all lead to the same thing. 
 
Average strategies, average content, and average results. 
 
#AI #contentmarketing #messaging #marketing

What are some best practices for critical thinking in marketing?

How can AI-generated content impact marketing strategy?

How can relying too heavily on guru best practices affect marketing outcomes?

We are absolutely passionate about Brand Messaging and here's why: We firmly believe that clear, concise Brand Messaging is the ultimate game-changer for businesses aiming to dominate in a saturated market. 
 
Nothing gets us more pumped than seeing our clients thrilled about their messaging! It's not just our goal—it's our obsession! 
 
#messaging #marketing #B2Bmarketing

What are some best practices for effective brand messaging?

One of the core tenets of great brand messaging is to position your brand as the Guide your customer is looking for, with empathy and authority.  
 
But our clients often STRUGGLE with this one. Specifically, the empathy part.  
It doesn't come easily to everyone.  
 
Are some people more naturally empathetic than others?  
I mean, yes. I love being friends with those people.  
 
But that's not exactly what we're talking about when it comes to Empathy in your brand messaging.  
Don't overthink this one. 
 
This is all about identifying the problem your customer is going through. 
Thinking about how that makes them feel. 
And then reflecting to them that you get it.  
 
You don't need to be an Empathy Superstar to nail Empathy in your brand messaging.  
 
Listen for the right stuff. 
Thoughtfully reflect it back.  
And position yourself as the Guide they're looking for. 
 
#podcast #empathy #messaging

Why is empathy important in brand messaging?

We absolutely live for working with new clients and showing them the power of clear concise brand messaging!  Feedback like this makes our hearts sing Decoded Strategies!!  
 
#messaging #creativity #digitalmarketing

How important is clear concise brand messaging?

🌟 Empathy Is The Secret Sauce to Building Authority 🌟 
 
Having an outstanding product is one thing, but it's empathy that truly resonates with your audience. 
 
Empathy is the bridge that connects your brand with your customers on a deeper level. It's what makes your authority not only credible but also relatable. 
 
#messaging #marketing #digitalmarketing #empathy

What are some best practices for showing empathy in the workplace?

One of the biggest energy burns I see on sales teams is when sales reps have to create messaging on their own.  
 
It's one thing to have a broad understanding of what a product does. 
But it's another thing entirely to understand how to communicate effectively about a product in the right way to the right audience at the right time.  
 
I've seen even the most sophisticated sales teams have an incredible onboarding program, great resources and coaching support...  
 
but not equip their team with messaging they can use across all their sales efforts.  
 
Every salesperson needs a messaging guide. 
If everyone has the same messaging to pull from, that helps reps avoid burning energy coming up with the big ideas on their own. 
 
Instead, they can use that energy to source creative ideas for how to close deals, how to drive opportunities forward, etc. 
 
Imagine what that extra energy could turn into. 
5 more deals closed a quarter? 
10?  
Is it worth it? 
You bet it is.  
 
Equip your sales team with messaging. 
Win-win all around  
 
#sales #salesmessaging #contentmarketing

How can a messaging guide help sales reps?

What are some best practices for creating effective sales messaging?

In the world of business, the initial moments with your customers are golden opportunities.  
 
🌟Every click they make is a chance to reinforce the value proposition of your offering.  
 
Nurture those first moments, for they hold immense potential to convert skeptics into loyal advocates. 
 
#messaging #marketing #digitalmarketing

How can businesses convert skeptics into loyal advocates?

How important is a strong value proposition in business?

What are some tips for nurturing customer relationships?

graphical user interface, text, application, chat or text message

Bad messaging is my nemesis. I fight it every day.  
 
Lacking a brand message is bad messaging. 
Confusing your customers is bad messaging.  
Making your brand the hero of the story, and not your customer, is bad messaging. 
 
Why am I obsessed with fighting bad messaging?  
Because the impacts on a business suck.  
 
In the short-term, you're looking at: 
- Low website conversion rates 
- Low email response rates  
- Frustrated employees who all describe your brand differently  
- Misaligned teams (which leads to resentment and decreased productivity) 
 
In the long-term, we see: 
- Hesitant investors 
- Decreased revenue  
- Customer churn 
- Employee turnover  
 
And ultimately... closed doors.  
We see it all the time. We hate it. And we are doing everything we can to stop that from happening to incredible brands that sell products that make people's lives better.  
 
Please please please, don't let bad messaging be the thing that takes you down. I want you to be the one that makes it.

What are the long-term impacts of bad messaging on a business?

How can clear brand messaging reduce customer churn?

What are some best practices for clear brand messaging?

Brands are usually really good about communicating their authority (stats, case studies, awards, testimonials, track record of success).  
 
But there's a problem when you lead with authority.  
You haven't earned the right to be heard.  
 
But you know what does?  
Empathy 
 
When you communicate to your customers that you understand their problem, that you care, and that you're committed to helping them solve it... They actually want to hear about your authority. 
 
In other words: Empathy is what makes authority palatable.

What are some examples of showcasing authority in branding?

The two biggest mistakes brands make when it comes to infusing empathy into their messaging: 
 
1. Skipping it altogether  
2. Overthinking it and making it a bigger deal than it is 
 
Keep it simple, baby.  
 
Example: 
What's your customer's problem?  
They need to embrace Zero Trust as an organization, but the path to get there is complex and nebulous.  
 
How does that make them feel?  
Daunted and worried about making a misstep  
 
How do you empathize with them? 
We know how overwhelming the Zero Trust journey can seem at the beginning.  
We can help. 
 
BOOM. Empathy. High fives all around.

How can brands infuse empathy into their messaging?

How can I make the Zero Trust journey less overwhelming?

We often over complicate business metrics leading to fatigue, but if there is one metric we recommend you don't tire of, its Customer Churn. 
 
#leadership #sales #metrics

Why is Customer Churn an important metric for businesses?

What are some best practices for measuring Customer Churn?

What are some leadership strategies for reducing Customer Churn?

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Naming the problem you solve for your customers is essential.

This is how you turn your product from a nice-to-have to a must-have solution.

Unfortunately, a lot of companies get this part of their messaging wrong.
Or worse yet... they don't talk about the problems they solve for customers. 

Which... is a big PROBLEM (no pun intended).

Here are 3 ways you can pivot your messaging strategy to make sure you're clearly communicating the problem you solve, and positioning your product as a necessity:

1/ Position your customer as the hero of your story- not your brand

As humans, we all see ourselves as the hero of our own stories. So if you position yourself as the hero of the story, your customers might look away. We're not looking for another hero. We're looking for someone to help US win the day. 

2/ Clearly communicate the tangible, face-value problem your product solves

What you SELL is not the problem you solve
What your product DOES is not the problem you solve
How you make your customers FEEL is not the problem you solve

Make sure you have a clear way to communicate the tangible problem you help solve for customers.

3/ Be the solution to one very specific problem in the market

Your product might solve lots of problems. But you need to be known in the market for solving one very specific problem. 

Now, that problem probably leads to a lot of pain points.
That's like the symptoms that tell us when we're sick.

So talk about those pain points.
Press on the consequences if they aren't resolved.

But go all in on one primary problem you want to be known for solving in the market.

At the end of the day, if there are no consequences for not solving a problem...

People will not solve that problem.
So position your brand as the Trusted Guide who is there to help your Hero (your customer) solve those problems and win the day. 

#contentmarketing #messaging #marketing

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