The Demand Audit
Core Argument: Before optimizing, diagnose. The Demand Audit systematically evaluates your current demand architecture across all four lenses and operational infrastructure. It reveals what is broken and what to fix first.
The Diagnostic Imperative
Most demand generation "optimization" is guessing. Something is not working. Teams propose solutions based on intuition, experience, or whatever article they read recently. Changes are made. Sometimes things improve. Sometimes they do not. No one is sure why.
The Demand Audit replaces guessing with diagnosis.
A comprehensive audit evaluates every component of demand architecture. It identifies specific gaps, quantifies their impact, and prioritizes fixes by expected return.
The Demand Efficiency Scorecard
The Demand Efficiency Scorecard is the comprehensive audit tool. It evaluates five dimensions:
- Lens 1: ICP Architecture (25 points)
- Lens 2: Message Engineering (25 points)
- Lens 3: Channel Selection (25 points)
- Lens 4: Execution Discipline (25 points)
- Infrastructure & Operations (bonus 25 points)
Maximum score: 125 points
Scoring Thresholds
| Score | Level | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 100-125 | Optimized | Demand is a competitive advantage. Maintain and scale. |
| 75-99 | Functional | Solid foundation. Address gaps for improvement. |
| 50-74 | Underperforming | Significant gaps. Fix before scaling spend. |
| Below 50 | Broken | Fundamental rebuild required. Stop spend until fixed. |
Lens 1: ICP Architecture Audit (25 points)
Assessment Questions:
1. ICP Definition (0-8 points): Is there a documented, comprehensive ICP that passes the List Test?
2. Targeting Implementation (0-8 points): Does actual targeting match the ICP definition?
3. ICP Match Rate (0-9 points): What percentage of leads exactly match ICP criteria?
Red Flags:
- Cannot articulate ICP beyond "decision-makers at growing companies"
- Targeting is "broad" because "we want reach"
- Sales complains that marketing leads are wrong fit
Lens 2: Message Engineering Audit (25 points)
1. Painkiller Test Score (0-10 points): Do primary demand assets pass the 4-element Painkiller Test?
2. Message-Market Fit (0-8 points): Has messaging been validated with ICP interviews or A/B testing?
3. Message Consistency (0-7 points): Is messaging consistent across channels?
Lens 3: Channel Selection Audit (25 points)
1. Channel-Stage Fit (0-8 points): Were channels selected based on stage-appropriate economics?
2. Channel Economics (0-9 points): Is CAC tracked and managed by channel?
3. Portfolio Diversification (0-8 points): Is spend appropriately distributed across channels?
Lens 4: Execution Discipline Audit (25 points)
1. Creative Excellence (0-9 points): Is creative platform-native, regularly refreshed, and conversion-optimized?
2. Operational Process (0-8 points): Are workflows documented and consistently followed?
3. Iteration Velocity (0-8 points): Is there continuous testing that outpaces creative decay?
Case Study: The Audit Transformation
A Remotir client (Series B SaaS, $8M ARR) engaged us to improve demand generation results. Initial audit score: 54/125 (Underperforming).
Key gaps identified: ICP not documented, feature-focused messaging, LinkedIn exceeding CAC ceiling, no creative testing, no attribution.
After 6 months of focused improvements: Score improved from 54 to 95 (Functional). DER improved from 0.8 to 2.4. CAC reduced 45%. Pipeline contribution increased 110%.
The insight: The audit identified that "we need more leads" was wrong. The problem was architecture. Fixing architecture produced more pipeline from similar spend.
Conclusion: Diagnose Before You Prescribe
The demand generation industry is full of prescriptions. "You need more content." "You should try ABM." Prescriptions without diagnosis are guessing.
The Demand Audit provides diagnosis. It reveals what is actually broken, how broken it is, and what to fix first.
Before your next demand initiative, audit.