Why do most marketing strategies fail?
Because no one is truly accountable.
If you're building a business, you've probably experienced this: you start strong with marketing, maybe even dabble in video or blogging, but somewhere along the way, things stall. Not because you lack good ideas or a solid product. Most often, it's because the accountability just isn't there.
That's exactly where our CEO, Bob Ruffolo, started the conversation in this episode of Endless Customers. "Most marketing actually fails because of a pure lack of accountability," he said. And wow, did that strike a chord. Because it's true. We've seen this over and over again, working with companies of all shapes and sizes.
Marketing doesn’t fall apart because people don’t care. It falls apart because no one’s keeping the flywheel turning. The meetings get pushed. The videos never get edited. The content calendar gathers dust. Sound familiar?
It’s not about ambition. It’s about rhythm. Execution. And most importantly, accountability.
In this episode, Bob sat down with me to pull back the curtain on the real engine behind long-term marketing success. Spoiler alert: it's not just about tactics. It's about having a repeatable system that actually gets things done.
We got into the roots of why marketing efforts so often lose momentum. We talked about how EOS gave IMPACT the structure we needed to scale and how that same logic led to the evolution of "They Ask, You Answer" into something even more powerful: Endless Customers.
If you’re a business leader trying to make sense of marketing in 2025, or just tired of half-finished plans and vague strategies, you’ll want to keep reading. This isn’t fluff. It’s the playbook we live by.
For Bob, EOS isn’t just a framework. It’s a philosophy that’s helped shape everything from internal processes to client delivery. Developed by Gino Wickman and popularized through the book Traction, EOS gives business owners a way to actually run their companies with intention.
"It's a system for how you run your business," Bob explained. It focuses on six core components:
It gets the right people in the right seats and lets them delegate and elevate.
At IMPACT, EOS was something we embraced early on. But like many companies, we drifted. We got loose with it. Then, a couple of years ago, we recommitted to making it a core part of how we operate. That decision changed everything.
Why? Because EOS is built on discipline and structure. It creates clarity around roles, responsibilities, and goals. It makes sure that when you say you're going to do something, it actually happens. And that’s exactly what many businesses lack when their marketing strategies fall flat.
"You want results? You need structure," Bob emphasized. "That’s why I love systems like EOS and the way Endless Customers is set up."
EOS does more than improve accountability. It helps leadership teams get aligned. It transforms vague aspirations into tangible, trackable goals. It breaks down company-wide objectives into bite-sized, manageable chunks that teams can actually tackle. It’s like turning a giant jigsaw puzzle into a clear map where every piece has a purpose.
That’s what made it so natural for us to tie EOS and Endless Customers together. The cadence of 90-day planning. The emphasis on scorecards. The expectation that people don’t just show up, they deliver. For clients already working in EOS, plugging in Endless Customers feels like adding jet fuel to an engine that’s already running.
“We’re just helping them move faster with more precision,” Bob said. “Same language. Same rhythm. Same results.”
If you’ve followed IMPACT for a while, you know "They Ask, You Answer" has been our DNA. But as the market evolved, we realized it was time to take the next step.
That’s where Endless Customers comes in. And yes, it’s built on the same trust-first principles that Marcus Sheridan has been teaching for years. But now, those principles are embedded into a system designed for scale.
"We renamed it from 'They Ask, You Answer' to 'Endless Customers' because to an unaware audience, 'They Ask, You Answer' doesn’t mean anything," Bob said. "Endless Customers is much clearer."
The goal was simple: make it easier for businesses to adopt and stick with the approach. With clearly defined phases, scorecards, and alignment sessions, Endless Customers turns big ideas into daily action.
"When we first met Marcus, it was a lightbulb moment," Bob recalled. "We had this great culture and team, but something was missing. His system was the missing link."
That missing link turned into a five-year collaboration, culminating in the Endless Customers book and a coaching system that works hand-in-hand with EOS.
But the transformation didn’t stop at branding. Bob and the team took the best parts of "They Ask, You Answer", like The Big 5TM content topics and obsession with building trust, and combined them with the structure and discipline of EOS. The result is a marketing and sales system that not only works but is measurable, repeatable, and scalable.
"The principles haven't changed," Bob noted. "People still want to know price, problems, comparisons, reviews, and the best of. That’s what the Big 5 is all about. What’s changed is how we help businesses actually deliver that consistently over time."
And that consistency is where Endless Customers shines. It's not just about knowing what to do. It's about building a company culture where the right things actually get done, every week, every quarter, every year.
Marketing ideas are everywhere. What’s rare is the discipline to follow through. That’s where accountability steps in.
"We used to be a 'do it for you' agency," Bob admitted. "We’d write the articles, publish them, and hope they worked. For some clients, it did. For many, it didn’t."
The clients who thrived? They were the ones who embraced coaching. They owned their strategy, stayed engaged, and took the work seriously.
"We realized our best clients were the ones in coaching programs," Bob said. "That’s when we moved all-in on training and empowerment."
What changed? The relationship. Instead of being service vendors, IMPACT became strategic partners. That shift meant clients were no longer passive recipients of marketing plans; they became active participants in their own growth.
It starts with Alignment Day, a company-wide workshop that sets the tone. From there, businesses work in 90-day cycles with a coach, using a scorecard they measure their progress to see what's working and what's not.
That cadence creates real cultural change. Companies stop “winging it” and start making decisions based on clarity and purpose. Accountability isn’t just about checking boxes; it’s about building habits that stick.
It’s all about creating rhythms. Systems. Predictability. That’s where growth lives. And that’s why this shift isn’t just tactical, it’s transformational.
Let’s talk about alignment. Endless Customers was intentionally designed to feel familiar to EOS practitioners.
If you're already doing EOS, the transition is seamless. You’re used to quarterly planning, setting rocks, and tracking scorecards. Endless Customers uses the same approach, just applied to marketing and sales.
"We’ve modeled it off EOS," Bob said. "If you’ve done a quarterly session in EOS, we do the same thing with marketing. We figure out what our priorities are for the next 90 days, and we hold each other accountable."
The overlap is real. EOS gives you structure for running your business. Endless Customers gives you structure for growing it.
Endless Customers borrows the familiar cadence of EOS:
This rhythm creates a steady drumbeat for growth. Teams move forward in 90-day sprints, just like they do in their EOS planning cycles. That muscle memory makes adoption smoother, faster, and more effective.
Every 90 days, we revisit the Endless Customers Scorecard. It’s a hard look at how well your team is executing across five core areas: content, sales, culture, website, and tech. It provides clarity. Stripping away the guesswork and replacing it with objective metrics. Are you producing content that addresses The Big 5? Are your sales and marketing teams aligned? Is your website actually building trust, or just sitting there?
And when everyone, from the CEO to the content manager, is working from the same playbook, that’s when momentum builds. That's when results compound. That's when the system clicks.
What's next for IMPACT?
Our mission is to help 1,000 businesses become the most known and trusted brand in their space using Endless Customers. We’re focused on getting to 100 active clients in the near term, and we’re building the infrastructure to scale.
It’s been a big shift. After the book launch, we realized just how outdated some of our materials were. Some of our website content dates back to 2014. Yikes. We’ve been working hard to align everything with our current vision.
"We didn’t realize how much content still said 'They Ask, You Answer'," Bob admitted. "We had to change our entire marketing strategy."
Now, we’re laser-focused on working with the right clients. That means people who value coaching. People who want to learn. People who are already doing EOS or a similar system.
If that’s you, or someone you know, Bob has a simple ask: check out the book. It’s not just a new title. It’s a new way to build trust, drive growth, and keep your team focused.
What actually moves the needle in 2025
Technology will keep changing. AI will keep evolving. But the need for trust? That’s timeless.
And trust is what Endless Customers is built on. Not hacks. Not trends. But a proven system that puts your business in a position to win long term. It’s about aligning your team, your content, your website, and your sales efforts around what today’s buyer actually needs: clarity, honesty, and consistency.
So if your marketing feels like it’s stuck, or if you’re tired of trying things that don’t stick, maybe it’s time for a new system. One that’s designed to work with the way your business already runs. One that helps you build trust and stay accountable.
Ready to bring accountability into your marketing?
Grab your copy of Endless Customers and start building your system today. Or talk to our team to see if you’re a fit for our coaching program.
We’ll help you take stock, set a plan, and turn trust into long-term growth.
Let’s build something that lasts, together.
Bob Ruffolo is the founder and CEO of IMPACT, a coaching and training company that helps businesses improve their sales, marketing, communication, and leadership. Bob is relentlessly focused on helping people grow as professionals and as leaders. The purpose of IMPACT is to create heroes, grow businesses, and change lives, a responsibility he takes very seriously. Bob is humbled by the recognition he has received, including being a 40 under 40 winner and being listed on Glassdoor’s Best CEO for Small Businesses list. He also believes in giving back to the community and currently sits on the board of several nonprofits and charitable foundations.
Check out Bob’s IMPACT Bio
Connect with Bob on LinkedIn
How is Endless Customers different from other marketing strategies?
Endless Customers isn’t a tactic or a campaign. It’s a fully developed system built to create sustainable, repeatable results in marketing and sales. Unlike fragmented approaches, it integrates content strategy, sales enablement, team alignment, and accountability into a single framework that works across your entire business. Think of it as a marketing operating system, not just a to-do list.
What is the connection between Endless Customers and EOS?
EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) is a framework for running your business with clarity and structure. Endless Customers was designed with a similar philosophy. If EOS brings alignment and accountability to leadership, operations, and finance, Endless Customers brings the same to marketing and sales. For companies already using EOS, Endless Customers plugs in seamlessly, using the same rhythms, language, and scorecard-driven approach.
How long does it take to see results?
While results vary, most clients start seeing meaningful momentum within the first 90 days. The system is built around quarterly focus areas and measurable progress using a scorecard. Over time, that momentum compounds. Many organizations grow from a 20 to a score of 80 (what IMPACT calls "mastery") in two years or less.
Who is Endless Customers best for?
Companies that value trust, education, and long-term growth. It works especially well for businesses already using systems like EOS or Scaling Up because the structure and cadence are already familiar. The ideal client is open-minded, committed to change, and ready to lead with transparency. This system is not for those looking for a quick fix or unwilling to put in the work.
Can Endless Customers be used alongside other marketing platforms or tools?
Absolutely. Endless Customers isn’t a replacement for your CRM, website, or email platform. It enhances how you use those tools by aligning them under a unified strategy. Whether you’re using HubSpot, Salesforce, or another tech stack, Endless Customers helps ensure your tools are working together with clear goals and accountability.