In the world of business, growth doesn't follow a constant upward trend. Instead, it takes the form of an S-shaped curve that naturally dips during the lifecycle of the company. During these moments, successful organizations don't double down on failed tactics or simply copy the competition. They recognize the situation, rely on lessons learned, and focus on customer-centric innovation. Companies that hope to lead the pack must learn to take in the big picture, avoid chasing tactics, and drive growth by providing frictionless experiences to their customers.

1. The S Curve of Business:
The Key Levers to Sustaining
Momentum for Your Brand

2. The real path of
growth is a sigmoid,
or S curve that picks
up speed at first then
tapers off as growth
slows and the
company matures.
The True Shape
of Growth.

3. The “hockey stick” of growth you see
pictured to the right is a fantasy.
Companies simply don’t have crazy
success without encountering some
growing pains, shifts in the market, or
other changes that affect profitability.
What Growth Isn’t.

4. Looking closer, you’ll see that
the S curve has temporary
dips called strategic
inflection points—moments
where growth slows, requiring
action by the company to
continue moving upward.
These inflection points are a
natural consequence of
growth, and should be
treated as an opportunity.
The S Curve of
Business Growth.

5. Strategic inflection points
require a fundamental shift in
your company’s strategy in
order to sustain momentum.
This could involve creating a
new product, improving
existing ones, or pursuing a
new channel.
Strategic Inflection Points.

6. Use data to inform your
decision-making during
inflection points.
The outliers (larger circles)
represent innovation
loops and outcomes that
could be supported with
an increased budget.
Leveraging
Data.

7. Why Inflection Points Occur.
External Factors
● Poor economy (recession)
● Finance (high interest rates,
stricter loan requirements)
● Infrastructure (zoning laws,
housing development)
● Politics (changes to local, state,
or federal laws and regulations)
● Trends (what’s popular)
Be aware of the factors that can lead to inflection points. A few examples:
Internal Factors
● No ownership (lack of shared
and individual accountability)
● Talent shortage (teams/skills
don’t keep up with growth)
● Founder’s ceiling (founder can’t
help company grow further)
● No voice of customer (feedback
is institutionally ignored)

8. The results of a company’s
actions in response to an
inflection point are determined
by the company’s preparedness
and ability to adapt.
To prepare your business to
react to inflection points, you
need to start with a Growth
Framework.
Sustaining Growth
on the S Curve of
Business.

9. Before you can nail any new initiatives, you need to
have a solid foundation for growth:
● Analyze product/market fit
● Onboard people who have a growth mindset
● Establish effective processes, and adopt
reliable platforms
● Understand the journey your ideal customers
follow to become a buyer
● Learn how to constantly optimize the
end-to-end customer experience
Always Start With a Solid Framework.

11. StoryVesting is our own system for improving
customer experience and promoting growth
by maintaining relationships between:
● Customers and the brand
● Company and the customer
● Employees and the company
● Company and the employees
Foster Quality CX With
StoryVesting.

12. The essential building blocks of any business.
Success depends largely on the people you
choose and the tools they use.
Make sure your growth framework has
people (employees and partners) with a
growth mindset, processes that have been
refined and optimized, and platforms that
enable you to deliver the best possible
customer experience.
Framework: People,
Processes, and Platforms.

13. The traditional sales funnel is designed for
a one-time purchase.
Meanwhile, the bowtie funnel is designed
to carry your ideal customer from
prospect to brand advocacy.
By leveraging data-driven insights, you’ll
continually optimize the buyer journey
and generate incredible momentum by
keeping customers coming back for more.
Bowtie Funnel.

14. Zappos succeeds because they:
● Introduced a new retail experience by offering
free shipping, free returns, and a call center
focused on quality service.
● Maintain a like-minded team by hiring vested
employees and using retention programs.
● Mastered customer retention. Around 75% of sales
come from repeat customers.
● Support business culture, nurturing that unique
identity with programs and common goals.
Zappos as Model for Growth Frameworks.

15. Apple provides a good example
of how inflection points can be
handled.
Invent: Scroll wheel, iTunes
software.
Innovate: iPod touch, App store.
Improve: New ideas come
directly from customer
feedback and user data.
Using the Three Is to
Handle Inflection Points.
https://www.lifewire.com/history-ipod-classic-original-2000732

16. A failure to respond to a inflection
point can have disastrous results.
Some of the more common causes:
● Lack of Recognition
● Panic Paralysis
● Falling into Old Habits
Failure to Act During
Inflection Points.

17. As in-home streaming became
more of a reality, Blockbuster
stuck with its brick-and-mortar
model, unwittingly paving the
way for Netflix to take over.
Blockbuster: a
Failure to Act.

18. Risk-taking is a given during inflection points,
but avoid making costly mistakes:
Channel Chasing
Moving away from core channels in order to
pursue short-term revenue growth.
Non-productive “Innovation”
Making changes that fail to introduce
something unique or that stray too far from
the business’ core values often leads to more
problems than solutions.
Negative Actions.

19. The retail giant (1) abandoned its core
channels prematurely in order to explore
new channels that strayed from its core
focus and (2) failed to invest in computer
technology to improve its supply chain,
allowing competitors like Walmart to
dominate the market.
Misguided Actions Accelerated
Kmart’s Downfall.

20. Companies that excel during inflection points:
● Are aware of shifts in external factors,
● Identify threats to growth,
● Adhere to a growth framework,
● Keep employees vested and on the path
to growth,
● And work tirelessly to improve the
customer’s buying experience.
Reacting to Inflection
Points.

21. Insulate your business
from disruption.
Learn more at
RocketSource.co