Eisenhower was Right: Plans are Nothing, Planning is Everything
Why Has Our Business Stopped Growing?
One of the most common questions in eCommerce is "Why has our business stopped growing?" Implicit in this question is a qualifier—stopped growing "relative to our expectations."
What Is the Real Cause Behind Growth Problems?
This question usually asks about revenue. Of course, we can jump right into what's going on with your business, but this skips over a lot of assumptions. In particular: often it's not a website problem, it's a people and process problem at the root cause of things.
What Questions Should You Ask Before Blaming the Website?
Before you jump right into understanding what might be broken on your website, do you have clear answers to these questions?
1- What is the plan?
2- Who owns the plan?
You'll be surprised at how many organizations fail these simple tests.
3- If the plan needs to be changed, who does it?
4- Are team members aware of the plan?
This is usually the next breaking point. Even if there is a plan, if everyone isn't on the same page, it's almost as good as not having a plan.
5- When was the last time the plan was updated?
6- What are the assumptions underlying the plan?
Another breaking point. A stale plan based on outdated, incorrect, or unrealistic assumptions is as good as no plan.
Why Are People and Processes More Important Than Technology?
We often jump to high-tech answers to questions. The big challenge with this is simple—sometimes the problem is "low tech," i.e., people and process. I find that we have assumed every problem has a technology or product solution in our lives when really the problem is the people! Wrong people, or doing the wrong things in the wrong way.
How Can You Diagnose and Fix Growth Problems?
Diagnosing the right growth problem starts with taking control of the plan itself.
Expert Consulting: How Will You Grow Your eCommerce Company?
When growth is elusive, I am an expert at asking incisive questions to surface the real issues and then present straightforward ideas that your team can actually implement.
Mistakes are expensive. They cost money, of course. What’s worse is the opportunity cost. I work with investors and management teams worldwide to help them get a handle on their digital business plans to execute a clear path forward.
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