Insights · 3 min read
Marketing audit for coaching and online education businesses: the 12 checks we run
Pignatari Marketing Innovations ·
When growth stalls, the cause is rarely one big problem. In our experience, it is usually three or four smaller ones, spread across the offer, the traffic, the funnel and the sales process. These are the 12 checks we run in every Growth Diagnostic, grouped in five areas, with the question behind each one and the warning sign to look for. You can use the list to audit your own business before talking to anyone.
- 01Specific promise
- 02Who it is not for
- 03Structure vs price
- 04One-channel risk
- 05Ad angle fatigue
- 06Entry point
- 07Application
- 08Booking → call
- 09Script in use
- 10Close rate by source
- 11Review system
- 12One weekly view
Why a checklist, and why this order
We start with the offer, because every later step depends on it. Then we follow the client's path: the channel they arrive from, the funnel, the sales call, and finally the proof that persuades the next client. A problem early in the path drags down every number after it, so later steps can look guilty when they are not.
Offer checks (1–3): promise, exclusions, price
Check 1Is the promise specific?
Can someone who has never heard of you understand, in one sentence, what they get and for whom? Warning sign: the promise needs a paragraph to explain.
Check 2Does the offer say who it is not for?
An offer that fits everyone attracts people it cannot help. Warning sign: sales calls full of people who "just wanted to know more".
Check 3Does the structure match the price?
Duration, support, format and guarantees should make sense for what you charge. Warning sign: prospects who like the programme but say it "seems expensive" for what is included.
Traffic checks (4–5): channels and ad fatigue
Check 4How dependent are you on one channel?
When one platform brings most of your leads, you carry a risk you do not control. Warning sign: one algorithm change or a suspended ad account would stop your sales.
Check 5Are the ad angles still working?
The same creative, run for months, gets easier to ignore, and each lead costs more. Warning sign: cost per lead rising steadily while the offer has not changed.
Funnel checks (6–8): entry point, application, booking
Check 6Does the entry point match the audience's awareness?
A cold audience needs to understand the problem before it hears the offer. Warning sign: cold traffic sent straight to a sales page or a booking form.
Check 7Does the application form filter out the wrong people?
A few well-chosen questions protect the sales team's time. Warning sign: many calls ending with "not a fit".
Check 8What happens between booking and call?
Days of silence lower the show rate. Warning sign: a show rate below 55%, or nobody knowing the number.
Sales checks (9–10): script and close rate
Check 9Is there a script, and is it used?
A script is the shared starting point that makes coaching possible. Warning sign: every closer "has their own way".
Check 10Do you know the close rate by person and by source?
Averages hide problems. Warning sign: a single close rate for the whole team, with no split by closer or by lead source.
Proof and measurement checks (11–12)
Check 11Is there a system for collecting reviews and results?
Social proof has to be built on purpose. Warning sign: satisfied clients who were never asked for a review.
Check 12Can you see the whole funnel in one weekly view?
Cost per lead, application rate, qualified rate, show rate, close rate. Warning sign: the numbers exist, but in five different tools and nobody puts them together.
What happens after the checklist
A list of problems is not a plan. The last step of a Growth Diagnostic is to rank what we found by two things: how much it costs you today, and how fast it can be fixed. The result is a written 90-day plan, in order. Some fixes take an afternoon, others need a quarter. The plan tells you which to start this week and which to schedule for the quarter.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run this audit myself?
Yes, and it is a good exercise. The hard part is being honest about your own offer and your own team. An outside view helps most on checks 1, 2 and 9.
How long does a marketing audit take?
Our Growth Diagnostic takes two to three weeks, including time to get access to your ad accounts, funnel data and recorded calls.
What do you need from us?
Read access to your ad and analytics accounts, your funnel pages, a sample of recorded calls and the last few months of numbers. Nothing is changed during the diagnostic.
What if the problem turns out to be the offer itself?
Then that is the first item in the plan. It is better to know before spending more on traffic.
Want the full checklist run on your business?
A Growth Diagnostic takes 2–3 weeks and ends with a written 90-day plan, which is yours to keep even if we don't continue.
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