December 16, 2024

Why “HOW BIG” Should Be Your First Business Planning Question

Why “HOW BIG” Should Be Your First Business Planning Question

Traditional business planning often feels like a broken record.

You analyze your strengths and weaknesses, craft a direction, set goals, then massage the numbers until they appease the higher-ups.

But the approach I created (and was successful in driving a startup to A BILLION IN SALES) prioritizes financial goals as the starting point in building a strategy.

Here’s a new way to start: decide HOW BIG you want to be.

This seemingly simple question, HOW BIG? is the lynchpin of a more effective planning process.

Here’s why:

Financial Goals Drive Strategy — Traditionally, financial results come after the strategy.

But what if you flipped it? Setting ambitious growth goals (25% vs 10%) forces you to develop a bolder strategy with different tactics.

Think of new markets, strategic partnerships, or innovative marketing approaches.

Stretch Goals Spark Creativity — Setting a ‘realistic’ goal won’t push you to innovate.

Your HOW BIG target should make you sweat a little. It should force you out of your comfort zone and into creative problem-solving.

24 Months, Not 5 Years — The world changes fast.
Long-term plans create a false sense of security and can delay necessary actions.

Focus on a 24-month window that allows for agility and responsiveness to unforeseen events.

How to Craft Your HOW BIG Goal

▪️Push for Boldness: Don’t settle for a target you can achieve with business-as-usual. Aim high and force yourself to get creative.

▪️Embrace Discomfort: Your HOW BIG goal should feel risky. It’s supposed to push you outside your comfort zone.

▪️Focus on Intent: This is a declaration of ambition, not a detailed roadmap. You’ll figure out the “HOW” later. It will drive you to innovate.

▪️Challenge Trends: Don’t just project past performance. Disruption is the name of the game.

By prioritizing your HOW BIG ambition, you create a strategic plan that fosters innovation and positions you for real growth.

Cheers,
Roy
My Podcast Show My Podcast Show Audacious Moves to A BILLION shares the specific Moves I made to achieve jaw-dropping growth in an insanely competitive internet business.

”The Audacious Unheard of Ways I Took a Startup to A BILLION IN SALES” is the latest in my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series.

• Posted 12.16.24 at 06:00 am by Roy Osing
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December 9, 2024

Why Reacting to Unforeseen Events is a Great Competitive Strategy

Why Reacting to Unforeseen Events is a Great Competitive Strategy

In today’s volatile business landscape, the only certainty is uncertainty.

Traditional business planning, with its meticulous five-year forecasts and predefined paths, falls short in the face of real-world unpredictability.
Instead, building a corporate culture that thrives on reacting to unforeseen events can offer a competitive edge that’s more crucial than ever.

In a recent podcast with The Business Association in Canada, I explore the dynamics of fostering a ‘reactive culture’ and why it is instrumental in maintaining a competitive stance.

Embracing the Inevitable Uncertainty

Why is reactive capacity indispensable to business success? The simple truth is that the future rarely adheres to our plans.
Entrepreneurs frequently encounter unforeseen challenges—‘body blows’—that force a rethink of even the most carefully crafted strategies.

The hallmark of a successful business is its agility: its readiness to pivot and adapt when unexpected circumstances arise.
This doesn’t just ensure survival; it allows the organization to harness the momentum of change, redirecting it towards new opportunities and innovative solutions.

Why Traditional Planning Falls Short

Conventional wisdom advocates for exhaustive planning, leveraging all available tools to perfect a strategy.
However, this approach often leads to inflated expectations and, ultimately, disappointment.

The reality is, no plan can account for every variable in an imperfect and ever-changing world.

Success hinges not on the perfection of the plan itself but on execution and the agility to learn from that execution.

A more viable method is to devote 20% of efforts to plan creation and a significant 80% to execution planning.

The necessity of reacting aptly reflects the day-to-day realities businesses face, making responsiveness a core competency in achieving success.

Gaining Competitive Advantage Through Reaction

While many organizations invest heavily in front-end planning, leaving them ill-prepared for unforeseen disruptions, few cultivate a reactive culture.
These entities often fail to formulate a viable Plan B and struggle to cope with inevitable change.

On the other hand, organizations that embed a reactive ethos within their culture can absorb shocks and nimbly maneuver through challenges.
This adaptability not only ensures resilience but also positions them to capitalize on new developments quicker than the competition.

Building a Reactive Organization

Transitioning to a reactive business model requires transformative leadership and a commitment to long-term cultural change.

This shift challenges the ingrained focus on perfecting ‘the plan’ and calls for a flexible approach to direction-setting and execution.

Leaders should gradually relax tight directional control, adopting a more flexible stance that emphasizes execution, learning, and adaptive strategies.

A customer-centric focus also becomes paramount. Ensuring close alignment with customer needs fosters loyalty and provides insightful cues on necessary adjustments in times of change.

By intimately understanding customer journeys, businesses can anticipate market shifts and stay ahead of the curve.

Initiating Change from the Top

For leaders committed to building reactive organizations, the journey begins with setting the context for rapid, informed action.

The focus should be on developing ’just about right’ plans that are broadly accurate yet allow for in-flight adjustments.
This involves simplifying internal processes, reducing bureaucracy, and aligning organization values around responsiveness to change.

Embed the ethos of reactivity in the company’s core values: “We will react to unexpected challenges to not only survive but grow and thrive.”

By redefining success around agility and readiness to respond, organizations are better equipped to tackle the tumultuous nature of today’s markets, ensuring they not only survive but seize opportunities that arise amidst the chaos.

Cheers,
Roy
My Podcast Show My Podcast Show Audacious Moves to A BILLION shares the specific Moves I made to achieve jaw-dropping growth in an insanely competitive internet business.

”The Audacious Unheard of Ways I Took a Startup to A BILLION IN SALES” is the latest in my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series.

• Posted 12.9.24 at 06:00 am by Roy Osing
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December 2, 2024

The 5 Most Effective Ways to Win In Business

The 5 Most Effective Ways to Win In Business

In today’s competitive business environment, standing out and achieving success requires innovative strategies and a deep understanding of what truly drives customer satisfaction.

Here are five effective ways to propel your business to the top:

1. Be Unique with The ONLY Statement
To differentiate your business in a crowded market, creating your ONLY Statement is crucial.

This involves defining what makes your business the only one to offer what you do. Identify your unique value proposition and ensure it’s something competitors can’t replicate.

By focusing on being the ONLY ones who deliver a particular product or service, you carve out a niche that sets you apart, making it easier for customers to choose you over another.

2. Satisfy What People CRAVE, Not Just What They NEED
Successful businesses go beyond meeting the basic needs of their customers. Instead, focus on satisfying their cravings and desires.
By tapping into what customers deeply crave—be it convenience, status, or a sense of belonging—your business can foster a strong emotional connection.

This not only builds loyalty but often leads to customers promoting your brand to others through word-of-mouth, enhancing your reputation and reach.

3. Execute First, Plan Second
Traditional wisdom suggests meticulous planning before execution, but in fast-paced markets, this can lead to missed opportunities.

Adopting a mindset of Execute First, Plan Second emphasizes the importance of action.

Focus on getting your plan “just about right” and refine it as you go. This approach champions flexibility and responsiveness, allowing your business to adapt to changes swiftly and stay ahead of the curve.

4. Create a Customer Serving Strategy
Delighting customers should be at the core of your business strategy. Develop a serving strategy that leaves customers breathless with the quality of their service experience.

This involves listening to customer feedback and consistently improving to exceed their expectations.
By delivering memorable service that goes beyond the norm, you nurture repeat customers and cultivate brand advocates who share their positive experiences with others.

5. Hire ‘Human Being Lovers’
The heart of any business is its people. Hiring Human Being Lovers—those with a genuine, innate desire to care for others—can transform the way your business interacts with customers.

These individuals possess natural empathy and an authentic commitment to customer satisfaction, often providing exceptional service and building lasting relationships.

With a team of such dedicated personnel, your business can foster an environment where personalized care and attention are the norms, not the exception.

Incorporating these strategies can help your business not only survive but thrive in today’s competitive landscape.
By focusing on uniqueness, fulfilling deeper desires, prioritizing execution, elevating customer service, and hiring the right people, your business can achieve enduring success and make a significant impact in your industry.

Cheers,
Roy
My Podcast Show My Podcast Show Audacious Moves to A BILLION shares the specific Moves I made to achieve jaw-dropping growth in an insanely competitive internet business.

”The Audacious Unheard of Ways I Took a Startup to A BILLION IN SALES” is the latest in my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series.

• Posted 12.2.24 at 06:00 am by Roy Osing
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November 25, 2024

The Art of Customer (Dis)Service: Audacious Ways to Alienate Your Customers

The Art of Customer (Dis)Service: Audacious Ways to Alienate Your Customers

In today’s competitive business landscape, customer service is often hailed as the cornerstone of success.
However, there are those who take a rather unconventional approach, as illustrated by the audacious and tongue-in-cheek strategies outlined in this manifesto on how to sabotage customer relations.

Let’s delve into these strategies and why they are the perfect recipe for driving customers away.

Alienation Move #1 — First on the list is avoiding eye contact with customers.
It creates an atmosphere of indifference and can communicate a lack of interest in their needs.

Pair this with being all business and eschewing any human connection, and you’ve effectively turned an engagement into a robotic transaction.

Customers crave personal engagement, and failing to provide it gives them no reason to return.

Alienation Move #2 — Hurrying through the customer transaction process is another bold move.

While efficiency is key in service, rushing customers can make them feel like they’re just another number in a queue. This lack of care and attention can convince them to take their business elsewhere.

Moreover, in the restaurant business, when they seek your opinion on a menu item, you’re advised to only offer your personal, potentially negative, views rather than reflecting popular feedback, further alienating and confusing them.

Alienation Move #3 — Enforcing company rules to the letter, regardless of logic, is another effective alienation tactic.
Being inflexible and using “no” as your default response fails to create an accommodating environment, instead fostering irritation.

The guideline to essentially brush off customer complaints with a symbolic “get lost” signals that their concerns are irrelevant and unworthy of attention.

Alienation Move #4 — Pushing products incessantly without addressing customer problems only compounds the sentiment of insincerity and distaste.

Customers feel valued when they believe a company is genuinely invested in solving their issues, not just making a sale.

Alienation Move #5 — The recommendation to dismiss customer problems and advise them to “stop whining” perfectly encapsulates how not to empathize with clients.

Alienation Move #6 — Passing off responsibility to others under the pretence of “It’s not my responsibility” is an expert deflection technique for those looking to avoid accountability.

It not only frustrates customers but also erodes trust in the brand, signifying that helping customers is not a priority.

Alienation Move #7 — Ultimately, never making commitments and clearly communicating a lack of intention to support them (as humorously suggested by the “No fu*cking way” mantra) promptly sends customers packing.

While this list serves as a tongue-in-cheek guide for driving away business, it highlights the importance of genuine customer service.

Businesses thrive when they foster positive, engaging, and solution-oriented interactions with customers. In stark contrast to these “strategies,” focusing on empathy, flexibility, and a personal touch can ensure customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Cheers,
Roy
My Podcast Show My Podcast Show Audacious Moves to A BILLION shares the specific Moves I made to achieve jaw-dropping growth in an insanely competitive internet business.

”The Audacious Unheard of Ways I Took a Startup to A BILLION IN SALES” is the latest in my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series.

• Posted 11.25.24 at 06:00 am by Roy Osing
• Permalink