Today's article is a bit of a confession. How we grew too fast, and the pains that came with that. Our services and products were solid, team was talented, and customers appreciated us. So much, we grew 25x between 2011 and 2013. Yet, something was wrong, and we knew it.
We were generating leads that converted (yay) but often resulted in troubling fires (yikes). The good news (if we can say that) is that this wasn't just our challenge – it's a common growing pain for many businesses. Here are a few things that helped us get past all that.
Most growth-related issues aren't about talent or product. They're about communication. Internal communications are affected when team members operate in isolation, trying to solve all problems for all people without taking the time to solve them well.
Externally, people heard about us and wanted to work with us, so we took them all on. In the process, we created a situation where friction occurred more often than results, simultaneously filling and eroding our bank account (and our brand).
We know our customer pain points, so create helpful, valuable content (like this article) to address them. Most of all, we brought collaboration into the mix - not just between our team members, but with our clients as well, coaching, teaching, and training for clients to do our job. While many thought we were giving away the secret sauce, enablement led to more successful clients who are capable of managing their own efforts when needed.
As a result, we have been able to focus on building core competencies around business and marketing strategy instead of just labour. If you've come across our Vendor, Partner, Leader content, you'll know this is a huge accomplishment as well as a fantastic benefit to customers.
Our teams and our tech are now aligned better than ever before. Our marketing generates much higher qualified leads. Our sales efforts have become more efficient (thanks as well to TEMO, a scoring method adopted from legendary sales guru, Marty Tascona). Customer success has moved from reactive problem-solving to proactive relationship building and empowerment. And, we've gained greater visibility into what drives growth for not only us but our clients, too.
We saw that inaction wasn't neutral, but destructive. We witnessed inefficiencies compounding on one another. We experienced the frustration of friction. We didn't like it one bit, so worked to identify the gaps and do something about them. It wasn't easy, or fast. But it was needed. And the outcomes invaluable.
You can fix things too. Start by understanding your current processes (or problems) and where they can be improved. Involve all team members. Implement shared tools like HubSpot CMS and CRM. Create cross-functional training programs. Establish continuous feedback mechanisms.
Growth doesn't have to feel complicated or impossible. It begins with a commitment to breaking down barriers and creating a more connected, collaborative environment via a unified strategy. Your next conversation could be the turning point. Reach out if you'd like some help from someone who's been there. We're happy to help.