IF YOU WANT REVENUE GROWTH, DON'T LEAVE IT ALL TO SALES

Many of you have probably read Jim Collins’s enduring book, Built to Last, (if you haven’t, I recommend you do) but I wonder how many of you remember its subtitle??Successful Habits of Visionary Companies. For me, this perfectly sums up what I want to share with you about scaling revenue growth.

Sustainable Companies Aren't Built on Sales Alone

Successful, and more importantly, sustainable companies aren't built on sales alone. Revenue growth comes from creating a visionary company that lives, breathes, and strives to be greater than the sum of its parts. Revenue growth is not just about increasing numbers; it's about building a company that has a lasting impact.

So, forget looking at sales, marketing, data, culture, people, and finances in isolation. If you want to scale revenue growth, focus on creating a visionary company.

Sales alone don’t build secure, sustainable, and scalable companies. Revenue growth requires a holistic approach that integrates every part of your business.

I'm not here to rehash Jim Collins's entire book, but I mention it to help shift your mindset. The goal is to move from focusing solely on sales to concentrating on revenue growth—because they are two very different things.

We Need More Sales

I hear it all the time: "We need more sales." And I get it, we all do. To ensure your business is here next year, you need a consistent flow of sales. But relying on sales alone won't help you build a secure, sustainable, and scalable business. True revenue growth is about more than just sales; it's about creating lasting value.

I know this because I made that mistake once.

I led my team to win a huge account. It felt like a major coup. We were playing in the big leagues. We did everything we could to help clients achieve more sales, improve customer happiness, and provide seamless service. We were ready for a pat on the back.

But this meeting with the client didn't go as I imagined. Instead of securing our future with more work, I left with a sick feeling in my stomach. They wanted more, more innovation, more vision.

We’d been too focused on operational performance to drive sales. We lost sight of the bigger picture, and suddenly, the prospect of both of us losing out was all too real. We needed to focus on scaling revenue growth by aligning with their broader vision.

I panicked. But thankfully, I had a great team. We regrouped, we rallied, and we learned.

Failing focuses the mind. And I want to share with you the lessons I’ve learnt about scaling revenue growth.

5 Lessons to Scale Revenue Growth

1. Innovation Aligned to Clients' Strategic Intentions and Vision.

If we'd stayed focused only on improving KPIs, we wouldn't have retained the client. When we only address our clients' immediate issues, we limit our potential to serve them long-term. Scaling revenue growth requires taking a macro view, and understanding clients' vision and strategic intentions.

This is where creative thinking and innovation come into play, shifting the relationship from transactional to transformational. To do this, we must understand where the client is heading, what matters to them, and the roadblocks they face. Innovation is key to achieving revenue growth that lasts.

2. Trust and Collaboration

Scaling a business is ultimately about trust and collaboration. When approaching new clients, with sensitive issues, we knew we needed their trust. We collaborated with their teams to gather data and insights, building a case before meeting their leadership. By proving our commitment to their success, we were able to propose radical plans that won their trust and helped us grow together, ultimately driving revenue growth.

3. Team Resilience

A resilient team is key to scaling revenue growth. Knowing your team's strengths, addressing skill gaps, and committing to their development are crucial. As our logistics company grew, we heavily invested in interpersonal skills and brought in new talent aligned with our culture and customer promise.

Our diligent hiring strategy and value alignment led to significantly lower turnover than the industry average. This became a competitive advantage, our team members would join client presentations to demonstrate firsthand the strength of our culture. A strong, resilient team drives consistent revenue growth.

4. Culture Matters

Revenue growth is sustained by a culture where people feel valued. When we held our first team meetings, we invited drivers along and their input was key to our success. Initially, only five drivers showed up, which was a wake-up call.

We made culture a priority beyond perks, ensuring everyone felt included and heard. When team members feel fulfilled and connected, they deliver better service, which directly impacts revenue growth. A strong culture is a foundation for sustainable revenue growth.

5. Vision

To scale revenue growth, create a vision that everyone can support and contribute to. Once you have the right people, let them help craft the journey. If your team feels part of the vision, they will own it and that’s powerful.

And if you're wondering, we did retain that "major coup" client. This success led to a long-term partnership spanning more than fifteen years, and ultimately helped us secure more high-value contracts with clients.

By achieving partnership status and securing and retaining clients for many years, our business grew substantially to 8 figures. This growth was possible because we focused on scaling revenue growth through vision, innovation, culture, trust, and resilience.

So, if you want to scale revenue growth, don't leave it all to sales Instead, create a secure, sustainable, and scalable business focused on true revenue growth.

In summary, if you want to scale your revenue growth, don't leave it all to sales and focus on creating a secure, sustainable and scalable business.?

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About the author Rebecca Jenkins

Rebecca Jenkins has extensive leadership and revenue growth experience. This includes securing, retaining, and growing profitable high-value enterprise accounts.

Rebecca is a?specialist consultant in B2B revenue growth and the?author of?Winning Big In Sales?

Rebecca's award-winning V.I.T.A.L. method delivers results for businesses wanting a proven way to profitably increase revenue and secure long-term large client accounts. You can watch and read client case studies here on the?RJEN website.

#REVENUE GROWTH