Systems for Growth: Why Building Bridges Is Better Than Building Islands

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In my presentation at the 2014 Ohio Growth Summit (http://ohiogrowthsummit.com), I walk small business owners through my systematic approach to building and connecting the four pillars of successful businesses: distribution, delivery, experience and retention. Millions of small business have great products or services. Yet only a few thrive and become leaders in their space or community. What is that extra “something,” that leverage point that allows certain businesses to grow while others struggle to expand – or even make ends meet? Systems. The days of “build a great product and the customers will come” are long gone. There is more competition than ever before. There are also an infinite number of places small business owners could spend their time, money, and energy. So which have the biggest impact? Which are right for your business?

Transcript of Systems for Growth: Why Building Bridges Is Better Than Building Islands

Why Bridges Are Better Than Islands

Presented by Matthew Russo | Owner, SystemsForGrowth.com

This is you

Field of Dreams (1989)Copyright, Universal Pictures

Your jobas an entreprenuer

is to connect the dots so that your product / service is accessible to as many people who want, need, and are willing to pay for it...

AND refine their experience to the point they can't live without it.

In other words...

Don't just architect the island.Build the bridges, too.

Matthew Russo@MatthewRusso

MattIsLive.comSystem #1:

Why systems?

“As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few.

The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is a system?

Donella Meadows, Thinking in Systems

“A system is an interconnected set of elements that is coherently organized in a way that achieves something.”

“Anatomy of a Viral App” http://bit.ly/LiftSystems

Step 1: Define your goal. “...in a way that achieves something.”

Cat: Where are you going?Alice: Which way should I go?Cat: That depends on where you are going.Alice: I don’t know.Cat: Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.

Step 2: Identify necessary components.“... an interconnected set of elements...”

Copyright 2104, Rube Goldberg – All Rights Reserved

Step 3: Order matters.“...organized in a way...”

The difference betweena process and a system

is the difference betweena recipe and a bread factory.

Systemssupport processessupport people.

Distribution

Experience

Delivery

Retention

D DD

ER

● Identify● Expose● Expand

● Social Proof● Sales● Customer

Service

● Triggers● Raving Fans● Word of

Mouth

● Indispensible● Remarkable● “Sticky”

Distribution

Retention

Delivery

Experience

GOAL

Dave Brailsford

1%

“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world.

He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn't, pays it.”

Albert Einstein

Copyright 2014 - JamesClear.comAdapted from The Slight Edge, by James Olsen

DDistribution

DDelivery

EExperience

RRetention

September 2014

December 2014

March 2015

June 2015

#OGS15

1% 1% 1% 1%

DDDistribution

GOAL

Distribution

D

Identify | Expose | Expand

IdentifyIdentifyWho is your audience? Where do they spend their time? What keeps them up at night? Why should they care about you?

The more specific, the better.

Tap existing audiences to create your own. PR, partnerships, trade publications, marketing vs advertising Online Guest blogging, partnerships, advertising, search engine optimization, YouTube... Offline Storefronts, location, live events, sponsors, promotions, sales, giveaways,

Expose

Jay Conrad Levinson,Guerilla Marketing

Spend 90% of your time, money, and energy marketing your business in the first 90 days.

Expand

“The size of your network's network is always larger than your network.”

D DDDistribution Delivery

GOAL

v

Delivery

D

Social Proof | Sales | Customer Service

Sales

Proactive Check in with current customers

Reactive Resolve complaintsand issues

D DD

E

Distribution Delivery

Experience

GOAL

Experience

E

Remarkable | Indispensible | “Sticky”

$10 pints

$10 pints

$28 t-shirts

Indispensible

Survey.ioSurvey.io

Survey.io

Free Customer Development Survey

“How would you feel if you could no longer use [product]?”

40%>40%>

•Very disappointed• Somewhat disappointed• Not disappointed• N/A – I no longer use product

Use input from prospects and customers to continually refine your product or service.

Feedback Loops

“We've always done it that way.”The most dangerous phrase in business:

Jerry Ross, Ohio Growth Summit 2014 Keynote

“A sale happens once, a relationshiphappens for a lifetime.”

“Stickiness”

D DD

ER

Distribution

Retention

Delivery

Experience

GOAL

Retention

R

Triggers | Raving Fans | Word of Mouth

Copyright - Mashable

Triggers

Raving Fans

Make it easy for people to talk about you and share your business – both online and off.

Word of MouthForLindsay.com

A word on virality...

When R0 < 1, the infection will die out in the long run. But if R0 > 1, the infection will be able to spread in a population.

R0

D DD

ER

● Identify● Expose● Expand

● Social Proof● Sales● Customer

Service

● Triggers● Raving Fans● Word of

Mouth

● Indispensible● Remarkable● “Sticky”

Distribution

Retention

Delivery

Experience

GOAL

Step right up...

Download these slides atSystemsforGrowth.com/OGS

Thank You