Overview
Boson Protocol enables the tokenization, transfer and trade of any physical thing as a redeemable NFT.
The team behind the project has solved the hard tech problems of tokenizing, twinning and trading physical items as NFTs, so that sellers can focus on creating innovative decentralized commerce experiences for their customers.
Starting in April 2023, I joined the team as a fractional Growth Manager working with the sales, product and marketing teams. I was tasked with building a robust and scalable lead generation engine; one which would help them engage sellers and creators across a range of industry segments, outlining the value that Boson can add in accessible terms, and getting them onboarded with minimal friction.
Challenges
Product/ Market Fit
In aiming to be an all-in-one solution, Boson caters for a wide range of industry sectors and use-cases. While this flexibility is a strategic strength when it comes to scaling, it does make it more difficult to identify early adopters. It was unclear which cohort of sellers would be most receptive to Boson’s value proposition, or how they could be engaged.
Limited Awareness of Web3
Despite the huge potential of Web3, Boson found that a lack of understanding among its target audience formed a significant barrier to adoption. There’s a large conceptual gap to close over the course of a sales journey, and resources to support that learning curve were limited.
A Leaky Funnel
With only manual communications and management infrastructure in place around lead generation and nurture, sales teams were often unable to capitalise on opportunities. Pipeline management and optimization had never been systematically addressed, and many warm leads were being lost.
Limited Capacity
To compound matters, Boson’s sales team were already running at capacity. In the absence of a lead qualification or a clearly-defined nurturing process, too much of their time was being spent on administration, and not enough on engaging high-potential prospects.
Approach
Awareness
At the top of the funnel, our primary focus was on building awareness of the huge commercial opportunity Web3 presents. We embarked on a comprehensive education campaign, including webinars, in-depth reports, and case studies. We highlighted success stories from industry leaders like Nike and Dior, demonstrating how Web3 can unlock new revenue streams for sellers. This programme allowed us to reach and engage a large pool of potential sellers, and formed an effective platform for Boson’s value proposition.
Nurture
Working closely with the teams, we built a series of CRM automations aimed at keeping prospects engaged, further educating them about Web3 commerce, and the benefits of partnering with Boson. Rigorous reporting mechanics around sales and lead generation allowed us to refine these tactics over time, dramatically reducing lead churn.
Building a Resilient Growth Engine
We identified three key initiatives:
1. Refining the value proposition
We adopted an iterative approach to building out Boson’s messaging. Through rigorous testing and refinement, we aimed to zero in on a clear and compelling narrative, explaining in accessible terms why Boson is an ideal partner for sellers keen to venture into the Web3 space.
2. Tuning the engine
To support our acquisition programme we needed to get robust lead generation and outbound marketing infrastructure in place. Leveraging advanced reporting and automation tools, we were able to reach out to potential sellers proactively, populating the sales pipeline with high-quality leads, and tracking them through every stage of the process.
3. Empowering business development
We needed to equip Boson's sales team with the resources they needed to manage their time effectively, and present a compelling business case to new leads.
Results
I was able to help the team identify 49,000 relevant prospects, from which we generated more than 500 high-quality leads and managed a funnel that led to more than 60 new sellers. My efforts thus far have unlocked over $300,000 of projected on-platform gross merchandise value.
