Makena Finger Zannini: The Math of Sales and the Power of Operational Clarity

Makena Finger Zannini is a five-time founder and the creator of The Boutique COO, a business support agency helping small and medium-sized companies scale through backend operations, pricing clarity, and strategic systems. In a recent Idea Citizen Mentorsphere conversation, she shared tactical advice for founders who feel overwhelmed by sales and need a data-driven approach to growth.

Sales Is Math, Not Emotion

Makena's core philosophy is simple: sales is math. "How many people do I need at the top of my funnel? What percent get on a call? How many convert?" This framework helps founders detach emotionally from rejection and focus on metrics that drive results. She encourages founders to track everythingfrom outreach volume to deal loss reasonsto make smarter decisions and stay sane.

Pricing Mistakes Are CommonAnd Costly

One of the biggest issues Makena sees is misaligned pricing. Founders often underprice their services or create overly complex packages that confuse buyers. Her advice:

• Anchor pricing to market value and impact

• Offer one or two clear packages

• Include an hourly rate for custom projects

This clarity helps founders avoid putting marketing effort behind a "leaky ship" and ensures offerings are aligned with buyer expectations.

Tools That Scale Outreach

Makena recommends tools like Instantly for cold email outreach and Apollo for lead generation. These platforms help founders reach thousands of potential clients while managing deliverability and spam risks. She also emphasizes the importance of immediacy: "If someone is in-market, respond fast. Otherwise, theyll go to your competitor."

Qualifying Leads and Protecting Bandwidth

As her business matured, Makena began qualifying leads more rigorously. She looks for pattern recognition in early conversationsflags that signal whether a client will be a good long-term fit. Phone calls, not just emails, are part of her nurturing strategy. "In a digital world, live conversations help you vibe check and stand out."

Final Thought: Track, Test, Tweak

Makenas advice to founders is clear: be data-driven, simplify your offerings, and build systems that scale. Sales doesn't have to be emotional or mysterious. With the right tools and mindset, it becomes a repeatable processone that turns clarity into conversion.

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