If a curveball hit your business tomorrow – a market shift, an economic shock, a key person walking out the door – how confident are you that your business has the foundations to ride through it?
If there’s an ick, or a butt clench moment as you consider this question then chance are there’s some reactivity when it comes to growth in your business.
Smart business growth sits at the intersection of commercial, sustainable results and happy people.
And it all comes down to three levers to stop reactive growth.
Lever One: Commercial Leadership
Sales leadership is managing a team. Commercial leadership is building a sales engine – one that runs with intention, with or without micro-management from leaders.
Three parts to consider are:
- A high-performance sales culture. Clear goals, real accountability, a team that’s driven – not just busy.
- Strong coaching skills. Not coffee catch-ups. The art of asking the right questions to unlock potential and build a team that can self-coach.
- Performance management that actually happens. The tough conversations, the follow-through, the accountability. If your leaders are avoiding these – your culture already knows it.
Lever Two: Streamlined Methodologies
It’s not just a handful of people nailing their numbers or following a process. There’s shared processes, documented playbooks – expectations are set clearly, structure is provided which gives individuals to bring the playbook to life with their own character… without compromising results.
Three things need to exist:
- A documented sales process. Does one exist? When was it last reviewed? Does anyone use it?
- A playbook that brings it to life. Engaging, revisited, actually used – not filed away and forgotten.
- Investment in capability. Training and developing the skills that build on and actualise the process and playbook.
Lever Three: Rhythm for Momentum
This is the piece a lot of businesses are missing, or can’t get consistency with. You can have strong leadership and solid methodologies – but without a consistent cadence, momentum stalls.
Three key areas:
- A clear roadmap. A sales strategy, a plan on a page, 90-day milestones. I use the True North Framework with my clients (you can find this framework in my book Healthy Hustle – https://nickymiklos.com/book/). But whatever template you use, please make sure you use something.
- Benchmarks of success. The daily, weekly, monthly indicators that tell everyone – leader and salesperson alike – whether they’re on track. This isn’t about suffocation through surveillance. It’s about clarity.
- Regular checkpoints. Are coaching sessions locked in or constantly rescheduled? Are there individual and team checkpoints to monitor progress and identify growth ops? Consistency here is where investment pays off – or can quietly disappear.
The businesses that weather what’s coming aren’t the ones that only react fastest. They’re the ones that have built the right foundations first.
That’s smart growth. Not frantic. Not uncertain. Built right.
Want to know exactly where your business sits?
I’ve created a free Sales Resilience Check – a five minute online audit with a downloadable PDF.
Jump in and do it right here https://sales-resilience-check.replit.app/
Also, don’t forget to tune into the Smart Business Growth Podcast for more insights:
🍏 Listen on Apple Podcast
🎤 Listen on Spotify Podcast
📺 Watch on my new YouTube channel