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Two of my favorite sayings are “Big hat, big boots… No cattle” and the similar “All smoke. No roast.”
It occurs to me that too many businesses suffer from my own variation:
“All Gas. No brakes.”
In their hurry to reach what realistically should be their 5-7 year goal/vision in 2 years (or less) has, among other ills, caused business owners to let their sales and marketing initiatives get so far ahead of their operational capabilities that they drown under their own sales success.
As military history proves, the speed at which an army can sustain an effective advance is directly related to the speed at which supply/support forces can follow up behind them.
While you spend a lot of time driving your sales efforts, quotas and marketing efforts forward do you have a plan in place on how you are going to provide the exceptional service to the new clients that you expect to win this month, quarter or year? How much time, energy and money do you spend on that vs. your sales and marketing efforts?
Make sure your existing clients do not suffer from your growth.
Applying some brakes to your sales efforts to allow your business to take on new clients with care and attention will yield a superior first impression, promote consistently positive word of mouth and create a sales force that can sell with confidence knowing the company can efficiently deliver on their promises.
It also provides you with the time to hire at your own pace, train your team properly and make sure your existing clients do not suffer from your growth.
What’s more, slowing things down to a speed that can be managed with great control and care, ironically, creates steady acceleration that will allow you to enjoy the scenery along the way.
