What 15 Years of Business Discussions Reveal About Success
How Can You Ensure Your Business Activities Deliver Results?
To ensure your business activities deliver results, start by defining clear objectives, clarifying your sales focus, and understanding your audience’s needs. Additionally, quantify your turnover or profit increase and identify how it will be achieved.
2,000 Conversations: Successful Business Leaders Define Objectives
From nearly 2,000 conversations with business owners, we’ve found that the most successful ones start by clearly defining their business objectives. While it might seem obvious, this foundational step is often overlooked, yet it’s critical for achieving meaningful results.
Why Defining Objectives Matters
Defining your business objectives will:
- Align business activities with long-term goals.
- Avoid wasting resources on misaligned strategies.
- Focus targeting on the most relevant audience.
- Prioritise high-impact initiatives with better ROI.
- Establish measurable benchmarks for tracking success.
Action Points (optional)
Imagine you implement a business development activity today. Think ahead 12 months:
1. What measurable benefits has this activity delivered? Examples include:
- Increased sales revenue
- Improved tender success rates
- Acquiring new, loyal customers
2. Identify the specific outcomes this has brought to your business.
This process helps you define your goals, providing clarity and a foundation for success.
Clarify Your Sales Focus
When thinking about increasing sales, it’s tempting to focus on volume. Instead, be smarter and define exactly what “more sales” means for your business and how it fits your objectives.
Examples of Sales Goals
- Increase overall sales revenue.
- Acquire new customers.
- Upsell or cross-sell to existing customers.
- Promote and sell a new product or service.
- Improve conversion rates on tenders.
Action Points (optional)
To clarify your sales focus:
- Decide how much additional revenue you want to generate.
- Prioritise the most important sales objectives for your business.
- Assign a sales value to each goal and estimate its potential contribution.
Understanding Your Customers
Understanding your customers is essential for effective sales, marketing, and any activity influenced by their needs. Focus on what matters to them, not just your business, to ensure your efforts are impactful.
Benefits of Customer Understanding
- Focus on the audience aligned with your goals.
- Create messages that address their specific needs.
- Identify the best ways to engage with them.
- Build stronger relationships by solving their challenges.
- Foster loyalty through personalised communication.
Action Points (optional)
- Group customers by demographics or business sectors.
- Identify which groups are key to achieving your objectives.
- For each group, outline what benefits they value most.
This ensures your strategies are tailored and aligned with your audience’s priorities.
Increasing Turnover and Profits
For most businesses, the goal is to grow turnover, profits, or both. While closely related, they require clear and focused strategies.
Set a Clear Turnover or Profit Goal
Start by defining how much you want to grow and your timescale. Are you aiming to move from £50,000 to £200,000, or from £2 million to £3 million? Specific targets provide clarity.
Evaluate Products and Services
Determine which products or services will drive the most growth. Prioritise those with the greatest potential to increase sales or customer value.
Define Your Target Customers
Be specific about the customers who will help you reach your goals. Understand their needs, preferences, and how your business can address them effectively.
Action Points (optional)
- Define your growth target and timeline.
- Identify high-growth potential products or services.
- Specify the key characteristics of your target customers.
- Outline the activities most likely to achieve your growth goals.
Conclusion
By defining objectives, focusing sales efforts, understanding customers, and targeting growth, you can unlock your business potential. For tailored advice or support,
contact us today to discuss your specific needs.
FAQ’s - Common questions that business leaders ask
