Plan Ahead to Avoid Demand Surprises

Planning for growth requires proactive testing of alternative demand generation channels well in advance. Businesses should recognize that as they scale from initial revenue milestones to higher figures, reliance on a single marketing approach may lead to saturation. Companies must start their planning process as early as August of the previous year, understanding current capabilities and constraints of their demand generation channels. Waiting until the second quarter to address gaps in demand generation can result in missed targets for the year. To maintain growth, it's essential to invest time in experimenting with options like cold calling or partnerships before they are critical to meeting revenue goals, allowing for informed adjustments during annual planning.