Outsourcing of various functions is not a new topic; it has been a trend for 20 years or more. It really started with the idea of sticking to a company’s ‘core competencies’ and outsourcing (or just getting rid of) things outside core competencies. What I’m talking about here is true outsourcing, not just making employees contractors to try and avoid payroll taxes and HR compliance issues.

Any function can be outsourced. I’ve heard of virtual companies that have only one employee, and that employee is the CEO and owner of the business. In the case I’m thinking about, the owner had outsourced product design, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, sales and accounting. I guess the ultimate step would be to find a company that offered outsourced CEO services and outsource that too.

WTIA's (Washington Technology Industry Association) theme in May is DisruptiveTECH. Consider revenue growth opportunities from disruptive technologies in the past, and those projected in the future. This article is a reminder that your company may soon be disrupted or become a disruptor and lead you to a decline in revenue - or amazing revenue growth.

As you look at the disruptive technology examples below, many will be familiar to you. I want to challenge you to pause for a moment and consider how your customers and employees are changing habits in the new world. Buying habits are changing and “sales” has new challenges where the world comes to the buyer and they don’t want to be interrupted. I am hoping a few of the examples will have you scratching your head with amazement and wonder.

Scoping out a potential CRM project can be relatively short. The duration depends on the complexity of the organization and the number of potential issues to be solved. Once a scope of work is defined, a CRM services company can provide a more refined estimate of what it will take to interview key stakeholders, examine existing systems and then document the detailed functional specifications for a CRM implementation. The following will help you be better prepared for success.

Profits increase when you have engaged, passionate people on your team. Having the wrong people in those seats can be a barrier to growing sales and increasing the overall profit of your organization.

With the level of the talent available today in the marketplace, you can always replace someone if you don’t find the right fit the first time. After a quick hire, a simple plan of “wait and see for 90 days” seems logical with so many available. If the new person on the team does not perform in the first 90 days, terminate and hire the next. However, it's much better if you hire the right candidate from the start.

Much of the conversation focuses on how people can find a job.  “How to get hired” is a question answered again and again. Employers still need to do their part, to hire the right people.  Hiring doesn't have to be gamble. The right recruiting and selection process is one of the most important strategic plans your company needs to improve revenue and profits results exponentially.

Les McKeown, President and CEO, Predictable Success puts the responsibility of success on the employer in this Inc. Magazine article:

Two pre-eminent Pacific Northwest companies occasionally share pieces of their long view public. Both Amazon and Filson are achieving their goals and securing their futures by purchasing real estate. Recent news about Amazon included plans to open hundreds of bookstores.

Watch the short video that talks about the very first bookstore and a little speculation as to why and questions about Amazon's long term plans:

Managing leads to convert them into more sales requires good timing and persistence. This infographic presents four best practices to follow to close more sales.

One of my favorite indicators of business success is:  Growing Sustainable Revenue.  The sustainable growth rate in a business is the maximum growth rate a business can achieve without having to increase its financial leverage or debt financing. Stated another way, it is the maximum growth rate that can be achieved given the company's profitability, asset utilization, dividend payout, and debt ratios.

Here are three keys to sustainable revenue growth:

Connect with your prospects & clients

Understand what they want to achieve

Deliver to beyond their expectations

While it sounds simple, a commitment of time and effort is required.  Often there is resistance to changing the mindset, as a team develops new habits.  As an executive improves skills to manage change, it is much more difficult with four generations now in the workplace. There is no "one size fits all" solution.