It might be correct to tell a basketball player that the best way he or she can score points is to dunk the ball through the hoop.
Correct, that is, if the player is, say, 6’6” or taller.
That advice, however, is not very useful for a player that’s 5’6”.
Sat, May 5, 2012 — A successful small to medium size business often runs the risk of feeling “too comfortable." Even though revenue is coming in, your customers like you, and your sales force is calling on customers regularly, you aren’t seeing the growth you are looking for. This lack of desired growth may be a result of new competitors, new products or services in the market, or that the market itself is growing stagnant. Get Outside Your Comfort Zone If any or all of these things are happening it should cause you to take a hard look at your business and consider going out of your comfort zone to continue to grow. It may be time to consider looking for new markets for your product. If you've grown comfortable selling to one or a few vertical markets, going beyond them may cause fundamental changes in your company. You may have to learn new industries, call on different kinds of buyers, and maybe have to recruit new sales people with knowledge of this new category. Market Expansion Most of all, you will have to take a hard look at your business and decide what kinds of problems you can be solving for new and different companies. Really getting into the guts of your business and looking beyond the obvious answers can sometimes be a painful exercise. You may be required to change the culture of your company in order to accommodate this new market opportunity that you have uncovered. But, the growth that comes with it is definitely worth the effort.
Mon, Jan 30, 2012 —
Tue, Nov 8, 2011 — Rare is the CEO who likes to be told what to do. Rarer still is a consultant who doesn’t like telling others what to do. And that’s why I don’t want to be called a consultant—but I do want to be called a member of Chief Outsiders. We’re an experienced group of business leaders with a flair for marketing and an understanding of what a good business and marketing strategy can do to propel a business forward.
