In my presentation at the 2014 Ohio Growth Summit (http://ohiogrowthsummit.com), I walk small business owners through my systematic approach to building and connecting the four pillars of successful businesses: distribution, delivery, experience and retention. Millions of small business have great products or services. Yet only a few thrive and become leaders in their space or community. What is that extra “something,” that leverage point that allows certain businesses to grow while others struggle to expand – or even make ends meet? Systems. The days of “build a great product and the customers will come” are long gone. There is more competition than ever before. There are also an infinite number of places small business owners could spend their time, money, and energy. So which have the biggest impact? Which are right for your business?

1. Why Bridges Are
Better Than Islands
Presented by Matthew Russo | Owner, SystemsForGrowth.com

4. This is you

6. Field of Dreams (1989)
Copyright, Universal Pictures

7. Your job
as an entreprenuer
is to connect the dots so that your product /
service is accessible to as many people who
want, need, and are willing to pay for it...
AND refine their experience to the point
they can't live without it.

9. In other words...
Don't just architect the island.
Build the bridges, too.

10. Matthew Russo
@MatthewRusso
MattIsLive.com
System #1:

12. Why systems?

13. “As to methods there may be a
million and then some, but
principles are few.
The man who grasps principles
can successfully select his own
methods. The man who tries
methods, ignoring principles, is
sure to have trouble.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

14. What is a system?
Donella Meadows, Thinking in Systems
“A system is an interconnected set of
elements that is coherently organized in a
way that achieves something.”

15. “Anatomy of a Viral App”
http://bit.ly/LiftSystems

16. Step 1:
Define your goal.
“...in a way that
achieves something.”

17. Cat: Where are you going?
Alice: Which way should I go?
Cat: That depends on where you are going.
Alice: I don’t know.
Cat: Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.

18. Step 2:
Identify
necessary
components.
“... an interconnected
set of elements...”

19. Copyright 2104, Rube Goldberg – All Rights Reserved

20. Step 3:
Order matters.
“...organized in a way...”

21. The difference between
a process and a system
is the difference between
a recipe and a bread factory.

23. Systems
support processes
support people.

25. Distribution
Experience
Delivery
Retention

26. D DD
ER
● Identify
● Expose
● Expand
● Social Proof
● Sales
● Customer
Service
● Triggers
● Raving Fans
● Word of
Mouth
● Indispensible
● Remarkable
● “Sticky”
Distribution
Retention
Delivery
Experience
GOAL

27. Dave Brailsford
1%

28. “Compound interest is the
eighth wonder of the world.
He who understands it, earns it;
he who doesn't, pays it.”
Albert Einstein

29. Copyright 2014 - JamesClear.com
Adapted from The Slight Edge, by James Olsen

30. D
Distribution
D
Delivery
E
Experience
R
Retention

September 2014

December 2014

March 2015

June 2015
#OGS15
1% 1% 1% 1%

31. DD
Distribution
GOAL

32. Distribution
D
Identify | Expose | Expand

33. IdentifyIdentify
Who is your audience?
Where do they spend their time?
What keeps them up at night?
Why should they care about you?
The more specific, the better.

34. Tap existing audiences to create your own.
PR, partnerships, trade publications,
marketing vs advertising
Online
Guest blogging, partnerships, advertising,
search engine optimization, YouTube...
Offline
Storefronts, location, live events, sponsors,
promotions, sales, giveaways,
Expose

35. Jay Conrad Levinson,
Guerilla Marketing
Spend 90% of your
time, money, and energy
marketing your business
in the first 90 days.

36. Expand
“The size of your
network's network
is always larger than
your network.”

37. D DD
Distribution Delivery
GOAL

38. v

39. Delivery
D
Social Proof | Sales | Customer Service

41. Sales

42. Proactive
Check in with
current customers
Reactive
Resolve complaints
and issues

43. D DD
E
Distribution Delivery
Experience
GOAL

44. Experience
E
Remarkable | Indispensible | “Sticky”

46. $10 pints

47. $10 pints

49. $28 t-shirts

51. Indispensible

52. Survey.io
Survey.io
Survey.io
Free Customer Development Survey

53. “How would you feel if you
could no longer use [product]?”
40%>40%>
•Very disappointed
• Somewhat disappointed
• Not disappointed
• N/A – I no longer use product

55. Use input from prospects and
customers to continually refine
your product or service.
Feedback Loops

56. “We've always done it that way.”
The most dangerous phrase in business:

57. Jerry Ross, Ohio Growth Summit 2014 Keynote
“A sale happens once, a relationship
happens for a lifetime.”
“Stickiness”

58. D DD
ER
Distribution
Retention
Delivery
Experience
GOAL

59. Retention
R
Triggers | Raving Fans | Word of Mouth

60. Copyright - Mashable
Triggers

61. Raving Fans

62. Make it easy for
people to talk about
you and share your
business – both
online and off.
Word of Mouth
ForLindsay.com

63. A word on virality...
When R0 < 1, the infection will die out in the long run. But if
R0 > 1, the infection will be able to spread in a population.
R0

64. D DD
ER
● Identify
● Expose
● Expand
● Social Proof
● Sales
● Customer
Service
● Triggers
● Raving Fans
● Word of
Mouth
● Indispensible
● Remarkable
● “Sticky”
Distribution
Retention
Delivery
Experience
GOAL

65. Step right up...

66. Download these slides at
SystemsforGrowth.com/OGS
Thank You