I remember March 2000 when the dotcom economy collapsed. What had started back in 1969 as ARPANET, had grown into what people called the Internet and the early adopters had jumped on this new technology with a vengeance. Dot Com companies sprung out of nowhere, backed by venture capitalists who wasted no time funding startups that had little if any business plan or vision.
Our company, a marketing communications company, in Boulder, CO had grown with this new trend. As a technology savvy company, we were quick to move from simple FTP sites to creating full blown websites and offering our expertise to other companies who wanted to become ‘Internet-based’. I remember my creative manager had said to me ‘we could create a totally new revenue stream by simply coming up with dot com names and selling them to the highest bidder.’ I should have listened!
With no real strategy, and a non-proven concept – Content WAS NOT King back then – the entire platform collapsed, plunging hundreds of companies into bankruptcy, leaving thousands of people scrambling for work. We were no exception. Hindsight, as they say, is 20-20.
In order to stay ahead of their growth curve, companies need the ability to ‘see around the corner’ and be aware of challenges and opportunities. They need to be able to think about their companies differently, identify problems that are holding them back or making them vulnerable. Our vulnerability was allowing our receivables to get too high and when our clients went belly-up so did their ability to pay us.
You have a tool to help CEOs ‘see around that corner’. With the X-Ray and the Profit Zone programs, you can help a company recognize where they are vulnerable, what lies hidden beneath the surface of their organization that needs to be addressed.
You basically have an Early Warning System to help CEOs navigate through some of the challenges they encounter as they grow.
Your EWS consists of:
- Helping them identify their top 5 challenges and make sure they are addressing their specific challenges for their current stage of growth.
- Uncovering where they are being either too Cautious (slowing down the decision-making process and missing opportunities) or being too Confident (thinking something is going to stay the same and not thinking about the consequences if it doesn’t).
- Digging deeper into the ‘root cause’ of what their real issues are. Helping them get to the TRUTH of what they need to think about differently.
The Early Warning System is the Stages of Growth™ X-Ray and/or Zeroing in on Your Company’s Profit Zone™. Two effective tools that provide CEOs with the ability to ‘see around that corner’ on a regular basis.
This is just another great Marketing Approach you can use when talking about how you solve problems for company’s with fewer than 500 employees.
When will you provide your next client with their own Early Warning System?
Your success. My passion.
Laurie Taylor, FlashPoint!
P.S. Don’t forget about my Flash Sheets by FlashPoint! You can find this on the Membership Site. This is your ONE resource where everything you ever needed to know about the 7 Stages of Growth can be found. Your order includes an audio version so you can listen to it as you drive to your next client appointment. (smile) Order you copy today by going to:
