Whether the playing field you’re trying to improve on is literal or figurative, finding a comprehensive and effective strategy has to be a primary goal. Without one, making improvements isn’t easy at all.
That’s why a methodology that British Cycling’s director Dave Brailsford coined as improving “performance through the aggregation of marginal gains” is both interesting and worth considering.
Many people aren’t familiar with Brailsford’s method, which he has used to transform British Olympic cycling into a winning machine over the past 16 years. Sometimes the success of strategies is easier to see in sports because of all the numbers and easily quantified goals that are involved with them.
However, it’s possible for people from all professional backgrounds to make improvements in every single thing they do, and every business practice they take part in by being mindful of what “performance through the aggregation of marginal gains” means.
What Does it Mean?
Brailsford defines this as “taking the 1 percent from everything you do; finding a 1 percent margin for improvement in everything you do. That’s what we try to do from the mechanics upwards. If a mechanic sticks a tire on and someone comes along and says it could be done better, it’s not an insult — it’s because we are always striving for improvement, for those 1 percent gains, in absolutely every single thing we do.”
Do every single thing a little bit better, and in the end you will be much better than your competitors. Whether you’re a professional athlete or a business professional, you can excel by employing a systematic approach designed to promote relentless, continuous improvement.
Encouraging the development of specialized skills is a great way to get the most out of any type of employee, and that’s what this method does. It recognizes that specialists become experts in their area of practice over time, and provides a framework to make that happen. Keep improving, and don’t stop even after you’re an expert.
Why NuGrowth Deems This a Best Practice
The power of this approach is truly seen when applied systematically to an organization. Imagine for a moment if every marketing piece you created had better content and was more closely aligned with your buyer’s interests and needs.
Imagine if every conversation your prospect had with a sales rep was more helpful to them, the sales rep better understood their needs, better communicated your value, created a more trusting and open relationship.
Imagine if the information recorded in your database was more accurate, more up to date, with better reports.
Imagine if management was more connected to the needs of the market & sales team; put forth more insightful, innovative ideas. And so on…
This approach has the power to change companies, culture, and even entire industries.
A systematic, relentless approach to improvement is what motivates us. It drives us to leave no stone unturned when it comes to finding ways to help your business grow. What could that do to improve your sales and marketing performance?