Cultivating Long-Lasting B2B Relationships for Increased Customer Lifetime Value with Marcus Hemsley

Marcus Hemsley is the co-founder of Fountain Partnership - a Strategic Digital Marketing Agency and Google's Global Award Winner for Growing Businesses online. Fountain has a team of 41 who help a range of clients from well-funded start-ups to large corporate exceed their growth targets. They forecast upfront to minimise risk and optimise the full funnel to maximise ROI. They specialise in PPC, SEO, and conversion rate optimisation.

Marcus also founded the Million Tree Pledge, a non for profit that help SMEs take big action on the climate crisis. He is also a director of Reconnect, a company that helps Agency founders and their teams have less stress, avoid burnout, and make better business decisions.

Marcus is with us this week to examine how building long-term, empathetic relationships with clients can dramatically increase lifetime customer value. We also look at why shifting the focus from chasing new leads to nurturing existing ones can lead to more effective sales growth. From recognizing when to step back for the client's benefit, to the power of active listening, Marcus provides everything you need to know about fostering a trust-centric and profitable B2B sales process. This isn't just about closing sales—it's about opening doors to a future filled with referrals and partnerships that stand the test of time.

Topics covered during this episode include:

• How trust-based selling forms the core of B2B relationships.
• Why prioritizing lifetime customer value and ROI over immediate sales reduces cost per acquisition.
• How empathy and active listening serve as foundational elements for strong connections.
• Why stepping back when another provider is a better fit can lead to future referrals and trust.
• How effective opportunity qualification minimizes wasted effort on unlikely prospects.
• Why understanding the client's needs and challenges leads to better alignment and sales outcomes.
• The benefits of nurturing existing clients rather than pursuing new leads.
• Why every client interaction should be viewed as a step towards a sustainable business future.
• How recognizing cognitive biases towards new opportunities can refocus efforts on current client expansion.
• Why strategic decision-making is needed when allocating resources.
• How the principles of trust-based selling can be integrated into team practices.
• Why you need to exceed client expectations, show genuine interest, and do follow-ups.
• Why focusing on the bottom of the sales funnel can yield quicker results in pressing revenue needs.
• How reconnecting with past or dormant clients can unexpectedly revive business opportunities.

Marcus Hemsley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcushemsley/