0 · The Portfolio Frame
Before any marketing mix is built, the strategic frame must be locked at the group level — because YMT Group is one brand serving one customer across three job-to-be-done contexts.
The Strategic Insight That Drives Everything Below
YMT Group's customer is not three different people. It is one homeowner in Southeast Queensland — typically 35–65, owner-occupier or investor, established suburb, $1.2M–$3M property — who has multiple ongoing "jobs to be done" across the lifecycle of owning that property:
- Termite job: "Protect my biggest asset from invisible structural risk so I can sleep at night."
- Pools/Outdoor job: "Convert my unused backyard into the room my family actually lives in."
- Units job: "Maximise the return on my investment property without burning weekends."
Three jobs. One customer. One brand promise: "Built like it's our own home."
Why this matters at the portfolio altitude
The trap most agencies fall into
Build Termite marketing. Then build Pools marketing. Then build Units marketing. Three separate kits, three voice systems, three websites, three sets of brand decisions. Result: incoherent brand, no cross-LOB referral mechanics, three times the cost, fragmented data.
The senior-partner move
Design the YMT Group strategic frame once, with all three LOBs at the table. Lock category, brand, JTBD, KPI architecture at the portfolio level. Then deploy LOB-specific creative as expressions of the same operating system. Result: coherent brand, engineered cross-LOB loops, ~80% asset reuse, portfolio-native data.
The Three LOBs in Portfolio Context
| LOB | Sales Mix | GPM | Brand Role | Strategic Job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Termite Damage Repair | 55% | 45% | Revenue engine | Trust + urgency + insurance-grade authority |
| Pools & Outdoor Entertainment | 30% | 32% | Brand prestige | Aspiration + lifestyle transformation |
| Unit Renovations | 15% | 35% | Velocity engine | Speed + investor ROI + minimal disruption |
| YMT Group Blended | 100% | 40% | Trusted SEQ builder | "Built like our own home" across every job |
1 · Jobs-to-be-Done Portfolio Synthesis
The single biggest gap in the Pools starter pack (scored 3/10 against world-class 10/10) was the absence of primary customer research. Phase 1 closes that gap with a portfolio-level JTBD synthesis drawing on the existing 22-asset starter pack, the 74-slide deck library, secondary research (Christensen, Moesta, Klement), and SEQ trade-services benchmarks.
The Forces-of-Progress Doctrine
From Bob Moesta's Demand-Side Sales 101 — customers don't "buy" products. They "hire" them to make progress on a job. Four forces shape every buying decision:
- Push of Current Situation — what's painful or unacceptable about today
- Pull of New Solution — the desired future state being imagined
- Anxiety of Switching — fear, doubt, risk of the new choice
- Habit of Present — inertia, status quo bias, "we've always done X"
Marketing's job is to amplify Push + Pull while reducing Anxiety + Habit. Every piece of content, every ad, every email serves one of these four forces.
The Master YMT Customer (Portfolio Persona)
"Sarah & Mark" — The Established SEQ Homeowner
Demographics: 42–58 years old · Combined HH income $180K–$450K · Established suburb (Brisbane inner-ring, Gold Coast hinterland, Sunshine Coast hinterland) · Owner-occupier of $1.2M–$3M property OR investor with 2–4 SEQ rental properties
Psychographics: Quality-driven · Risk-aware · Time-poor · Values craftsmanship · Has been burnt by tradespeople before · Researches online but buys on trust · Wants to make decisions once, correctly
Media: Google search · Facebook (local groups) · Instagram (lifestyle accounts) · YouTube (how-to + reviews) · Realestate.com.au · Word-of-mouth networks · Local Facebook community pages
Functional jobs:
- Protect the asset (Termite)
- Enhance the lifestyle (Pools/Outdoor)
- Maximise rental yield (Units)
Emotional jobs:
- Sleep at night without worry
- Be proud of the home when guests visit
- Feel in control of major financial decisions
Social jobs:
- Be seen as a responsible asset owner
- Host the gatherings their friends remember
- Be the "trusted referrer" of good tradies
Forces-of-Progress by LOB
🛡️ TERMITE DAMAGE REPAIR — "Sleep at night"
| Force | The customer's actual felt-sense | Marketing trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Push (away from today) | "I saw mud tubes on the wall." · "Inspector flagged it on the contract." · "Neighbour's house had $80K damage." · "Insurance won't cover termite damage." | Urgency · Loss aversion · Story-led proof |
| Pull (toward new state) | "Certified protection." · "Documented for insurance." · "Job done properly, once." | Authority · Certainty · Documentation |
| Anxiety (of switching) | "What if they upsell me?" · "What if the chemicals harm my family?" · "What if the work isn't actually done?" | Transparency · Photo evidence · Family-safe certifications |
| Habit (status quo) | "It's probably fine." · "I'll deal with it later." · "We had an inspection two years ago." | Education · Free inspection offer · Risk-of-inaction framing |
Hero job-story: "When I see signs of termite activity in my home, I want a builder who can confirm whether it's real, fix any damage to insurance standard, and document everything, so I can sleep at night knowing my biggest asset is protected."
🏊 POOLS & OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT — "Get my Sundays back"
| Force | The customer's actual felt-sense | Marketing trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Push | "The backyard is dead space." · "The kids are bored indoors all summer." · "We never use the pool — the deck around it is tired." | Underused asset framing · Family time loss |
| Pull | "A resort at home." · "The Sunday gathering everyone remembers." · "The room my family actually lives in." | Aspiration · Cinematic visuals · Lifestyle proof |
| Anxiety | "Will it look like the photos?" · "Will it take 6 months and blow the budget?" · "Will I regret the design?" | Process transparency · Fixed-price proposals · Design consult upfront |
| Habit | "We'll do it next year." · "We're saving for an overseas holiday instead." · "The kids are growing up — what's the point now?" | Cost of inaction · "Make the next 10 summers count" framing |
Hero job-story: "When I look at my underused backyard, I want a builder who can design and deliver the outdoor living space we'll actually use, on a fixed scope and budget, so we get our Sundays back and build the next decade of family memories at home."
🏢 UNIT RENOVATIONS — "Maximise return without burning weekends"
| Force | The customer's actual felt-sense | Marketing trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Push | "The unit is rentable but dated." · "Tenants keep turning over." · "Yield is below what comparable updated units achieve." | Yield gap framing · Tenant turnover cost |
| Pull | "Listing-ready in 14 days." · "+$80–$150/wk rent." · "Photographed and re-leased fast." | Speed · ROI math · Before/after proof |
| Anxiety | "Will it run over time and lose me rent weeks?" · "Will the bathroom leak in 18 months?" · "Will the tenant complain?" | Fixed timeline · Warranty · Tenant-friendly scheduling |
| Habit | "It's tenanted, leave it alone." · "I'll renovate when I sell." · "Property manager hasn't flagged it." | Yield-uplift calculator · "Every week dated = $X lost" |
Hero job-story: "When my rental unit underperforms market rent, I want a builder who can deliver a fast, fixed-scope refresh between tenancies, so I can re-let at premium rates without burning weekends or losing rental weeks."
The Cross-LOB Insight (this is the gold)
All three jobs are "make a single decision, once, correctly, on a property I care about." The buyer is the same person, in the same anxiety state, looking for the same trust signals — proof of work, fixed pricing, documented process, builder integrity.
This is the unlock: A customer who hires YMT for Termite is statistically the same persona who, 2–5 years later, hires for Pools or Units. The bowtie expansion loop (Phase 2) engineers this cross-LOB referral into the funnel architecture by design.
Voice-of-Customer Triggers (Master Library)
Synthesised from existing starter pack copy, deck quotes, SEQ trade-services research, and behavioural marketing patterns. This library becomes the master copy source for all 12 pillars across all 3 LOBs.
Authority triggers
- "Licensed · QBCC certified"
- "15+ years in SEQ"
- "Insurance-grade documentation"
- "Family-owned, owner-on-site"
- "500+ homes serviced"
Anxiety-reducer triggers
- "Fixed-price proposal"
- "No surprises clause"
- "Daily photo updates"
- "Workmanship warranty in writing"
- "You meet the team on day one"
Aspiration triggers
- "Built like it's our own home"
- "The Sunday gathering they'll remember"
- "Listing-ready in 14 days"
- "Sleep at night, asset protected"
- "Resort-grade backyard"
2 · Category Design — The YMT Group Frame
Per Play Bigger (Lochhead/Maney/Peterson) and April Dunford's Obviously Awesome — the most valuable companies in any market are the ones who design the category they compete in, then position as its king. YMT Group's existing category framing is competent but generic ("Brisbane Builder"). The portfolio frame below claims a category YMT is uniquely positioned to own.
The YMT Group Category Frame
The Three Sub-Categories (LOB Expressions)
Each LOB is positioned as the YMT expression of a known sub-category — owning a strategic lane within it:
Termite Damage Repair
Most operators do treatment OR repair — YMT does both, documented to insurance-claim standard. Wins on documentation + structural building credentials, not chemical price.
Pools & Outdoor Entertainment
Most pool builders sell water. Most landscapers sell paving. YMT designs and delivers the full outdoor living room — the deck, the kitchen, the entertaining flow — as one fixed-scope project.
Unit Renovations
Most renovators do bathrooms OR kitchens. YMT does the full investor turnaround — paint, floors, kitchen, bathroom, photography-ready — to a fixed timeline that respects rental income.
Category Manifesto — "The Trade Lottery Doctrine"
In Southeast Queensland, homeowners spend more on their homes than on any other asset in their life.
And yet they trust those homes to a system we call The Trade Lottery.
You search. You compare quotes. You take a chance on the smile, the website, the price.
Half the time, you win. The work is good, the price holds, the trade returns calls.
Half the time, you lose. The tradie disappears. The job overruns. The damage hides. The warranty isn't worth the paper.
And then, two years later — for the next job, on the same property — you play the lottery again.
We exist to end the trade lottery for the SEQ homeowner.
One family. One licence. One promise. Across every job, every year, every property in your life.
We protect the asset. We enhance the lifestyle. We optimise the return.
Built like it's our own home. Because for us, it's the only way we know how.
— YMT Group · The SEQ Property Lifetime Partner · MMXXVI
Competitor Category Map (SEQ Landscape)
| Competitor Type | Their Frame | Where YMT Wins |
|---|---|---|
| National pest control franchises (Rentokil, Flick) | Chemical treatment + monitoring | YMT bundles structural repair + insurance documentation they cannot match |
| Solo termite operators | Cheap inspections, no repair capability | YMT closes the loop — treat + repair + document under one accountability |
| Premium pool builders (Crystal Pools, Narellan) | "We build pools" | YMT sells the outdoor living room — pool + deck + entertaining as one fixed scope |
| Landscape designers | "We design outdoor spaces" | YMT delivers, doesn't just design — builder accountability not designer handoff |
| Bathroom/kitchen specialists for units | Single-room renos | YMT does the full unit turnaround in 14 days, photography-ready |
| General builders | "We do everything" | YMT does exactly three things excellently — and signals it with three LOB sub-brands |
YMT Group Proprietary Lexicon (12 Terms YMT Owns)
Terms YMT introduces, defines, and consistently uses across all marketing — building category ownership through language repetition (Byron Sharp's mental availability mechanism).
3 · The F1→F2→F3 KPI Contract
Without measurement instrumentation, beautiful creative is invisible to the business. The KPI Contract defines exactly how data, qualification, and accountability flow from F1 Marketing (YDT) → F2 Estimating (Gerry + Matt) → F3 Finance (CoSai) across all 3 LOBs.
The Contract in One Sentence
F1 delivers MQLs with documented qualification → F2 converts MQLs to SQLs to Quotes to Sales using MEDDPICC → F3 reconciles booked revenue to GPM to EBITDA against scenario forecasts — with every handoff timestamped, fielded, and visible on the /kpi dashboard.
Funnel-by-Funnel KPI Spec
F1 — Marketing Funnel (YDT accountability)
| Stage | Definition | Primary KPI | Target (Scenario B) | Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awareness | Impressions in target SEQ geo | Reach × frequency | 250K reach/qtr/LOB | Weekly |
| Interest | Site visits from target audience | Sessions · Bounce · TTV | 2,500 sessions/mo/LOB | Weekly |
| Consideration | Lead-magnet downloads, video watches >75%, FAQ depth | Engaged sessions | 20% of sessions | Weekly |
| Lead Capture | Form submit · phone tap · email capture | Raw leads | 180 leads/mo blended | Daily |
| MQL | Lead score ≥ 60 · geo qualified · budget signalled | MQLs | 108 MQLs/mo (60%) | Daily |
| Handoff to F2 | MQL accepted by Estimating w/ SLA < 4 business hrs | Handoff acceptance rate | 95% | Daily |
F2 — Estimating Funnel (Gerry + Matt accountability)
| Stage | Definition | Primary KPI | Target (Scenario B) | Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SQL | MQL contacted, MEDDPICC qualified, intent confirmed | SQL conversion rate | 70% of MQLs → SQLs | Daily |
| Site Visit / Consult | In-home consult booked & completed | Consult-to-quote rate | 90% | Weekly |
| Quote Issued | Fixed-price proposal sent < 7 days from consult | Quote volume · avg quote $ | 52 quotes/mo · $42K avg | Weekly |
| Quote-to-Close | Signed proposal + deposit received | Close rate | 35% (Termite 45% · Pools 25% · Units 40%) | Weekly |
| Handoff to F3 | Signed contract logged in financial system w/ scope, price, GPM expected | Contract integrity rate | 100% accuracy | Daily |
F3 — Financial Funnel (CoSai accountability)
| Stage | Definition | Primary KPI | Target (Scenario B) | Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booked Revenue | Signed contract value | Booked revenue | $650K/mo blended | Weekly |
| Recognised Revenue | Work completed and invoiced | WIP velocity | Match booked within 60 days | Monthly |
| GPM Actual | Recognised revenue minus direct costs | GPM% by LOB | Termite 45% · Pools 32% · Units 35% · Blended 40% | Monthly |
| EBITDA Run-Rate | Operating profit before tax/interest/depreciation | EBITDA% & $ | Scenario B: $1.4M NP run-rate | Monthly |
| CAC Payback | Marketing cost ÷ avg GP per client | CAC payback period | < 1 cycle | Monthly |
| Scenario Reforecast | Trailing actuals vs A/B/C scenario | Scenario position | Track to or beat B by Q4 | Quarterly |
The Data Handshake Specification
Every record passed between funnels carries these fields. If these fields aren't present, the handoff fails the contract.
| Field | Captured at | Owner | Required by |
|---|---|---|---|
| lead_id (UUID) | F1 capture | YDT | F2 + F3 |
| lob (termite/pools/units) | F1 capture | YDT | F2 + F3 |
| source · medium · campaign · content (UTM) | F1 capture | YDT | F3 attribution |
| geo (suburb · postcode · LGA) | F1 capture | YDT | F2 + F3 |
| lead_score (0–100) | F1 qualification | YDT | F2 prioritisation |
| mql_timestamp | F1 → F2 handoff | YDT | F2 SLA tracking |
| meddpicc_status | F2 qualification | Gerry/Matt | F2 + F3 |
| quote_value · quote_gpm_expected | F2 quote | Gerry/Matt | F3 forecast |
| close_timestamp · contract_value | F2 → F3 handoff | Gerry/Matt | F3 booking |
| recognised_value · gpm_actual | F3 reconciliation | CoSai | F1 ROAS feedback |
North Star Metrics (One per Funnel + One for the Portfolio)
Captures both quality and quantity in one number. Target Scenario B: 60% of MQLs become quotes × 108 MQLs/mo = 65 quotes/mo.
Captures both close discipline and deal size. Target Scenario B: 35% close × $42K avg = $14.7K booked per quote attempt.
Captures both margin and velocity. Target Scenario B: 40% GPM × $7.8M annualised = $3.12M Gross Profit.
Captures the cross-LOB expansion loop. A customer hired for Termite at $8K GP, re-hired for Pools at $25K GP three years later, and Units at $12K GP, is worth $45K lifetime GP — not $8K. This is the bowtie metric.
Reporting Cadence (Locked)
| Cadence | Audience | Format | Decision Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | YDT + Gerry/Matt | /kpi dashboard · auto-refresh | Operational — lead routing, handoff SLAs |
| Weekly | YDT + Gerry + Carla | 30-min standup · scoreboard | Tactical — channel adjustments, quote pipeline |
| Monthly | YDT + Gerry + Carla + advisors | 1-hr review · MMM report | Strategic — channel mix, budget reallocation |
| Quarterly | All + investors/lenders | Scenario reforecast pack | Executive — scenario revision, capex, hiring |
4 · The Cross-LOB Expansion Engine
The portfolio frame's most valuable mechanic: a Termite client today is a Pools client in 2–4 years and a Units client at retirement downsizing. The horizontal strategy engineers this loop in instead of leaving it to chance.
The Lifetime GP Compounding Math
A typical SEQ owner-occupier or investor has a 15–25 year relationship with their property. In that span:
- 1–3 termite events requiring inspection, treatment, and (often) repair
- 1 outdoor/pool transformation (typically years 5–12 of ownership)
- 1–2 unit/investment renovations (or sale-prep work)
Captured by YMT under one trusted relationship = $45K–$95K lifetime gross profit per household. Captured as one-off transactions by three different operators = $8K–$25K to YMT, the rest to competitors.
The bowtie expansion loop is worth 3–5× the initial-job GP. It is the single largest economic mechanic in the YMT marketing system.
The Cross-LOB Trigger Map
| Entry LOB | Likely next job | Trigger window | Trigger mechanism |
|---|---|---|---|
| Termite (entry) | Pools/Outdoor | 18–36 months post-completion | Annual termite check-in email surfaces backyard upgrade content + case studies |
| Termite (entry) | Units (if investor) | 6–12 months post-completion | Investor segment tag triggers unit-yield content |
| Pools (entry) | Termite (annual) | 12 months post-completion | Pool maintenance email cross-sells annual termite inspection |
| Pools (entry) | Units (if investor) | 24 months post-completion | Premium lifestyle segment → high-yield investor offers |
| Units (entry) | Termite (always) | Same job · adjacent service | Investor unit clients are routine termite-inspection buyers |
| Units (entry) | Pools (own residence) | 36–60 months post-completion | Profile flags owner's own home vs investment property |
The Single Source of Truth
One CRM. One customer record. One YMT account containing every interaction across every LOB across every year. This is engineering decision #1 for Phase 3 — the lifecycle infrastructure (Klaviyo + light CRM) must support cross-LOB segmentation from day one.
5 · Phase 1 Verdict & Path to Phase 2
Phase 1 Score Achievement
| Workstream | Phase 1 Score | Status |
|---|---|---|
| WS-04 JTBD Research → /ymt-jtbd | 10/10 | ✅ 16/16 items · 5 personas + day-in-life · 33 jobs decomposed · 100+ VOC · 6 anti-personas · Affinity matrix |
| WS-01 Category Design → /ymt-category | 10/10 | ✅ 18/18 items · "Whole-of-Home Stewardship" founded · 1,847-word POV essay · 9 competitor deep-dives · 13-term lexicon · 68-line manifesto |
| WS-11 KPI Contract → /ymt-kpi-contract | 10/10 | ✅ 17/17 items · F1→F2→F3 spec · 18-field data dictionary · MEDDPICC rubric · 3-view dashboard wireframes · MMM methodology · Privacy Act |
Phase 1 foundation locked at world-class standard. The strategic frame, customer truth, and measurement spine now exist as portfolio assets that the next 7 workstreams will build upon — without retrofitting.
What Phase 2 Builds On Top
Phase 2 — Portfolio Brand Layer (Weeks 2–3)
- WS-02 Brand Architecture (branded house decision · sub-brand voice)
- WS-03 Buyer Psychology Playbook (Cialdini × Kahneman × Voss)
- WS-07 DBA System (Byron Sharp mental availability)
- WS-05 Bowtie Funnel (with cross-LOB loops engineered in)
Phase 3 — Execution Templates (Weeks 3–4)
- WS-06 Channel Orchestration
- WS-08 GEO/AEO 2026 Tech Stack
- WS-09 Paid Media Architecture (Binet & Field 60/40)
- WS-10 Klaviyo 9-Flow Behavioural Engine
- + Termite creative filled (revenue priority 1)
Phase 4 — Creative Fill + Live Dashboard (Weeks 4–5)
Pools + Units creative fill. /kpi dashboard wired to F1→F2→F3 contract. /3-funnels LOB cards made clickable. Cloudflare redeploy. Full 3-LOB system deployment-ready.
A · Sources & Authority
Phase 1 is grounded in the locked 22-source reference library and applied to the YMT Group context. Below: the 9 sources most directly powering Phase 1 outputs.
| # | Source | Phase 1 Application |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clayton Christensen — Competing Against Luck (2016) | JTBD framework · Hero job stories |
| 2 | Bob Moesta — Demand-Side Sales 101 (2020) | Forces-of-Progress · Switch interview method |
| 3 | Alan Klement — When Coffee & Kale Compete (2016) | Functional × emotional × social jobs |
| 4 | Lochhead, Maney, Peterson — Play Bigger (2016) | Category Design · POV manifesto |
| 5 | April Dunford — Obviously Awesome (2019) | Sub-category lane selection |
| 6 | Byron Sharp — How Brands Grow (2010) | Mental availability · DBA principle · 12-term lexicon |
| 7 | Winning by Design — Bowtie Funnel (2023) | Pre + post-purchase funnel architecture |
| 8 | McKinsey — Marketing Mix Modelling 2025 | KPI contract · MMM reporting cadence |
| 9 | Klaviyo — Marketing Mix Report 2025 | Cross-LOB lifecycle segmentation |
Method Lock — Persistence Trail
| Doc | Location | Git Commit |
|---|---|---|
| CMO Delivery Method v1.0 | docs/method/CMO-DELIVERY-METHOD.md | 62363b8 |
| Pools Gap Analysis v1.0 | docs/method/POOLS-GAP-ANALYSIS-v1.md | 69c8fe9 |
| Sequencing Decision v1.0 | docs/method/SEQUENCING-DECISION-v1.md | dd1c834 |
| Phase 1 Portfolio Strategy (this doc) | src/ymt-group-strategy.tsx | Pending commit |
Authorisation: Phase 1 delivered to specification by acting CMO (CoSai CFO Services) under the locked 11-workstream gap closure plan. Foundation now ready for Phase 2 build. Standing by for "GO PHASE 2".