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What are the key things I did as the president of a fledgling internet company to grow it to A BILLION IN ANNUAL SALES?
I’ve often said that my BILLION dollar journey didn’t have a single silver bullet to explain our success, rather it was the combined impact of many small innovations that ‘lit fires’ in people and propelled them to achieve great results.
That said, however, there are 5 things we did that stand out in my mind as having a disproportionate effect on the superlative performance we delivered in a fast growing business with hungry competitors nipping at our heels.
#1. Differentiate. — Be the ONLY ones who do what you do.
Competition has never been more formidable.
Customers have never had so much power.
Technology has never changed so rapidly.
Yet competitive claims declared by organizations have never been so weak.
Using words like ‘better’, ‘best’, ‘number 1’ and ‘market leader’ to describe a business’s competitive advantage mean nothing to people. They’re organizational narcissism; expressions of who THEY think they are and nothing more.
And helium-filled statements like ‘We’re in business to save our planet.’ provide little reason as to why someone should do business with THAT organization and no one else.
Don’t be better, be the ONLY one.
#2. Simplify. — Make it easy for your customers to do business with you.
No one likes to transact with an organization that has complicated rules, policies and procedures. It’s just way too painful.
So, make ‘cleansing the inside’ of your organization a key priority.
Identify the policies and rules that make your organization say NO! when engaging with your customers and either change them or make them customer friendly or kill them.
And evaluate the systems, processes and procedures in place to govern the customer transaction process. Determine if there are any that impair how the customer does business with you and reinvent them to enable customer engagement not control it.
If the ‘customer control police’ in your organization say a policy is effective in mitigating risk, treat it as a prime candidate for change.
#3. Execute first; plan second. — Spend 80% of your time executing and 20% planning.
There’s no return in trying to get a ‘perfect’ plan. It doesn’t exist.
And all the while you’re seeking perfection, you’re not DOING anything!
Get your plan ‘just about right’ and get on with executing it.
Learn as you go. Revise your plan based on results achieved.
Let execution be the measure of how effective your plan is, rather than some theoretical perspective of what ‘should’ work.
#4. Serve the frontline. — Be THE advocate for your frontline troops.
If execution is the prime strategic imperative for an organization, then serving those who are in execution channels is the prime directive.
If the frontline is enabled to serve customers, they will buy and your performance will skyrocket.
But if the frontline is restricted in any way, performance declines and growth becomes a paper gain only.
#5. Light fires. — Release the passion in your people.
What is audacious leadership?
It’s releasing the emotion in people.
Capturing their energy to execute the organization’s strategy flawlessly.
Convincing them that the journey is ‘right’.
Lighting their fire to have the energy to follow it.
And then watching the magic!
Related: 5 Really Amazing Secrets That Smell Success in Your Small Business