The 21st Century’s Formula for Winning the Revenue Game

Rick McPartlin

Research says there is only one thing that assures business survival and success. That one thing is growing more profitable revenue. Long-term winners use a deployable Revenue Strategy to drive operations metrics, investments and tactics – not the other way around.

Every company today plays The Revenue Game, and it is possible for every company to win – if they will do the work. Winning is not about having the best or cheapest product. Whatever a company does today, someone will do the same thing or better tomorrow and cheaper. There is a science of “Revenue Generation” which gives every CEO that ability to engineer profitable growth no matter what is happening around them.

Revenue growth is not stalled for most companies by cash constraints. Almost all B2B companies have a “Cost of Chaos” to produce revenue that is at least 20% of the current top line. The removal of the chaos provides all the cash needed to grow, and if exit is in the cards in the near term, this additional EBITDA increases the desirability, the multiplier and the transaction value.

“Revenue Science” is a combination science, research, best practices, Intellectual Property, and the discipline for an organization to make the Science of “Revenue Generation” part of the culture. To make something cultural, you first have to make it habitual for every member of the team. Applying “Revenue Science” needs to become “the” way things are done, and just like any great team, everyone is helping everyone else to get better outcomes.

“Revenue Science” is a team sport, and like all great teams, it includes every person in the organization. Since an organization has only one requirement to survive and thrive, by producing more profitable revenue, any person in the organization without a “Revenue Generation” role is suspect.

“Revenue Generation” has a Revenue RoadMap with metrics, and the metrics cross the organization. No department or person is successful if they are not making the people before them and after them in the “Revenue Generation” process successful. There are no silos.

Since very organization has only one requirement (more profitable revenue), there must be a fundamental question for each organization and each person to answer:

Do you make money “with your customer” or “from your customer.”

Those who make money with their customers will be organizations formed around some “worthy intention” that is embraced by all staff, partners and customers. That “worthy intention” establishes principles to manage from, is why a company “always” has the right people on the bus, and is why their customers are just a little more loyal and willing to pay a little more.

There is a simple 5-phase company strategy of which a key for deployment is the embedded 5 Revenue Strategy Questions. Each organization based on their Revenue Strategy will be able to improve their top line and bottom line immediately.

Today every company has the choice to focus on activities and execution or aligned outcomes. “Revenue Science” gives you forward-looking outcome metrics to allow continuous improvement supporting adjustments to increase results and manage risk.

“Revenue Science” not only requires new thinking but also the new role of the CRO (Chief Revenue Officer). The CRO has responsibility for the organization-wide 5 Question Revenue Strategy and the organization-wide resources to achieve the Revenue Strategy.

For a company to take control, they need to learn new things, change the culture, and align their actions with a Revenue Science based “True North.”

Now, decide what you are willing to do to win The Revenue Game.

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