Growth is simple. It seems that when you have the basic ingredients in place, growth starts to occur naturally. I have tried many times in my life at basic horticulture. Primary growing things like tomatoes. When I get the bare essentials, such as nutrients, sunlight, and water, correct, the plants grow. They grow at the pace they were designed to grow. I cannot slow that down or speed that up much once I have established the basics. When I do not have the basic requirements correct, things go wrong and then I start to make it complex. I try different things, different fixes, different tools, all having little to no success. This same thing occurs in business. If you have the basics right, the growth occurs at a natural rate, usually in a ratio to how many resources you have to support the growth. This sounds nice, right? A growth scenario where all I have to do is to add resources to gain growth. All you need is to get the basics right. Simple.
So then, what are the basics? Great question, and although this will be different based on industry and markets, the answer is also simple. Prospective clients have needs, and a company can provide solutions to those needs. That solution can come in many forms, but the basic idea that a company can provide a way forward past a compelling need is at the core of sales growth. The basics are a clear and specific identified need that potential customers have and then a definite and real solution that fulfills that need. If a company can deliver on this basic premise and they can successfully communicate this to the correct customer, then the growth is rather simple and automatic.
So why is this so hard? Why do so many companies struggle with this? Why is it that new companies can barely lift off the ground? Just like with my tomato plants, why is it that they are not growing? The answer is simple: our reaction is complicated. If we are not solving a problem, providing a need for a set of customers, and communicating our solution to them, then we are just not going to grow. We can dance around, we can put on a show, and we can create a million PowerPoint slides, but if we are not answering this basic call, then all else is in vain. Try as you might to confuse and complicate this; you must be providing a solution to a customer’s need.
Now it is quite possible that you are not solving a need that is that important, one that clients just do not want to solve enough to pay money to fix it. That is a clear challenge to this idea, and if that is the case, it is best to figure it out rather quickly. This is a natural and very real cause of failure in any business. You are solving a challenge, but it is just not that important. Also, it is possible that not many people have this need. That is also a consideration. If the population you are talking to is extremely limited, then your growth will be extremely limited. This is also a risk that you should discover early in your plans because it is insurmountable in terms of resolution. Other than these two fundamental factors, the rest is elementary. Or so we wish.
We are humans, so we cannot accept the simplicity of this. We are going to go buy tools, hire agencies, contemplate go to market plans, and create all sorts of literature and other forms of communications. We will spend time talking about our solution, our company, our team, where we are from, and where we are going. We will spin our wheels on countless ideas, and ultimately, we will all have to deal with this very basic concept. Our success will only come when we come face to face with this harsh reality. We have to provide a solution to a need that many potential customers have. Once we have that, we have to tell them about it. Simple, right?
