How to build a B2B growth machine

Growth isn't about tactics, it's about systems. A growth machine consists of 6 interconnecting parts. Explore the free resources here, or learn the full system in my B2B course.

Do it yourselfLet us build it
Do it yourselfLet us build it

  • Topic

    Growth leadership

    How do you make all four engines work together instead of in isolation?

  • Topic

    Lead generation

    How do you get the right people to notice you without burning budget?

  • Topic

    Marketing funnel

    How do you turn website visitors into qualified discovery calls on autopilot?

  • Topic

    Sales pipeline

    How do you help your sales team close more deals with less friction?

  • Topic

    Lifetime value

    How do you keep happy customers that keep buying from you?

Growth comes from 12 interconnected metrics

12 metrics feed the 4 engines above and, taken together, set revenue. Whether you're aware of them or not, these numbers already run your funnel.

Think of them as a world map of growth: with this overview, it's much easier to find your way through B2B growth. Many of the 1,500 marketers I've trained, tell me the model helps them to get an overview of growth.

Growth example
Revenue
€10,000
A. Qualified traffic
2,270
1. Impressions
191,072
2. Click rate
1.61%
3. Engagement rate
74%
B. Marketing funnel
1.85%
4. Lead capture rate
7.89%
5. Activation rate
30%
6. Booking rate
78%
C. Sales pipeline
9.52%
7. Qualification rate
67%
8. Proposal rate
43%
9. Win rate
33%
D. Contract value
€2,500
10. Invoices / contract
1.50
11. Units per invoice
7.00
12. Avg. unit price
€238.10

The magic of compound growth

Lift all 12 metrics with 10% and something magical happens: the results don’t just add up (120%), but they multiply (214%). In simple terms: you get growth for free.

This is called compound growth. This is the same as compound interest on your savings account. Even Einstein admired it’s power:

Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it ... he who doesn’t, pays it.
Albert Einstein

Apply the same maths to your funnel and 12 small improvements turn into 214% growth. Who doesn’t want free growth?

Growth example
Revenue
€31,380+214%
A. Qualified traffic
3,021+33%
1. Impressions
210,179+10%
2. Click rate
1.77%+10%
3. Engagement rate
81%+10%
B. Marketing funnel
2.46%+33%
4. Submission rate
8.67%+10%
5. Activation rate
33%+10%
6. Booking rate
86%+10%
C. Sales pipeline
12.68%+33%
7. Qualification rate
73%+10%
8. Proposal rate
47%+10%
9. Win rate
37%+10%
D. Contract value
€3,328+33%
10. Invoices / contract
1.65+10%
11. Units / invoice
7.70+10%
12. Avg. unit price
€261.90+10%

Growth engines

  1. Module 1 · Growth foundation

    Growth foundation covers your brand positioning, website tracking, and CRM setup. The systems that make every other growth effort measurable and repeatable.

    What needs to be in place before any growth tactic actually works?

  2. Module 2 · Demand generation

    Demand generation drives the top of your funnel. Choosing the right channels, crafting messages that resonate, and building a system that puts your brand in front of buyers consistently.

    How do you get the right people to notice you without burning budget?

  3. Module 3 · Marketing funnel

    Everything between the first click and the sales handoff. Landing pages, email nurtures, and remarketing working together to capture and warm leads until they're ready to talk.

    How do you turn website visitors into qualified discovery calls on autopilot?

  4. Module 4 · Sales pipeline

    The system that turns qualified leads into signed contracts. Discovery calls, proposals, follow-ups, and the assets that keep deals moving instead of stalling.

    How do you help your sales team close more deals with less friction?

  5. Module 5 · Revenue per customer

    Maximising the value of every client relationship. Retention, upselling, and pricing. The growth that compounds without new acquisition costs.

    How do you keep happy customers that keep buying from you?

  6. Module 6 · Growth leadership

    The leadership layer above your four engines. Setting the strategy, maintaining the operating rhythm, and running experiments that drive continuous improvement.

    How do you make all four engines work together instead of in isolation?

About Ewoud Uphof

Since 2010, I've used this system to drive results for my own companies and clients

For 15 years, I've been building growth machines that drive predictable revenue. I've done it for my own businesses and for B2B companies across different industries. Now you can learn how to build it yourself, or let me build it for you.

Read my story

  • Advisory board member

    Decathlon
    At Decathlon Netherlands, I advise the e-commerce team each quarter on growth. The role allowed me to validate my growth framework at enterprise scale while also delivering training over several years.

    2018 - present

  • Growth teacher

    The Talent Institute
    Co-created the first growth training in 2015 and taught every cohort for the next decade. Delivered workshops to hundreds of marketers and refined frameworks through their questions and experiments.

    Dec 2015 - Dec 2025

  • Fractional Head of Growth

    Kees de Boekhouder
    At Kees de Boekhouder, the largest independent bookkeeper in the Netherlands, I introduced a structured growth rhythm. Within five months revenue was back on target.

    May 2024 - October 2024

  • Fractional Head of Growth

    Ligo
    I supported Ligo, a legal tech scale-up preparing for acquisition, by redesigning the customer journey and improving automation in HubSpot. The work reduced churn and improved client retention.

    Nov 2023 - March 2024

  • Interim conversion specialist

    Bridgefund
    At BridgeFund, one of the fastest-growing scale-ups in the Netherlands, I first improved website conversion through structured testing. Afterwards, I mentored their in-house marketer to embed CRO capabilities.

    May 2024 - October 2024

  • Fractional Head of Growth

    Yaya
    In an interim role, built growth operations for Yaya’s e-commerce team. Introduced weekly dashboards, optimised paid acquisition, improved conversion through A/B testing, and prepared the ground for a smooth transition to a permanent manager.

    May 2016 - Dec 2016

  • Co-founder & Head of growth

    Polaris Growth
    Grew the agency into a scalable B2B services company by building the inbound funnel, leading sales, and expanding the team to 11 while maintaining strong client relationships.

    May 2016 - Dec 2016

  • Co-founder Pipedrive agency

    Replicable
    Co-founder of a Pipedrive-focused B2B CRM agency. Built the inbound funnel and lead generation engine that helped position the company as one of only two Pipedrive Premium agencies in the Netherlands.

    Oct 2020 - May 2024

  • Fractional Head of Growth

    Hotelgift
    Responsible for growth at HotelGift, building a team and driving experiments across paid acquisition, conversion optimisation and retention to lift bookings and repeat use.

    Jun 2016 - Jul 2017

  • Experimentation lead

    NU.nl
    Brought A/B testing to NU.nl, one of the Netherlands’ largest news sites. Created an optimisation roadmap, ran research and tests, and helped establish an internal experimentation agency that still drives decisions today.

    May 2016 - Dec 2016

Testimonials

Founder

Compact yet powerful course! The Solid B2B Growth course offers a comprehensive and structured approach to understanding marketing from a global company's perspective. It provides clear guidance on balancing key priorities and actionable steps to initiate effective strategies.

FAQ