
Fortune mag's list of the 100 fastest growing companies is out. Most common trait: a clearly communicated value proposition, followed by reasonably consistent delivery on the promise made by the brand.
Fast growth, or growth of any kind for that matter, has as much to do with removing the obstacles between you and your target as it does with anything. Fast growth has to do with shrewd management of resources, of course. But without customers who feel they receive value, you won't have resources to manage.
Problem for so many companies and marketers: becoming "product-bound". Rampant in high-technology. It's like throwing football or hitting a golf ball. Primary attention must be on the receiver, or the target, not the projectile. If you think in terms of benefits, you're thinking "target". If you obsess on competitors' "features", you're too wrapped up in the projectile (product). If you think first about the customer's problem that needs solving, you're thinking "target".
If you're obsessing on the ball, it'll never do what you want it to do.








Comment Preview