The job of a top sales manager is a lot like old-school video gaming. The more you succeed, the deeper you get into the game, the harder the challenges get thrown your way. And the same is true for sustaining the revenue growth of a large company.

Success breeds imitation.

Look at it this way. According to a worldwide CEO survey, most CEOs these days are putting focus on revenue growth rather than cutting down on prices and meeting consumers halfway. The same CEOs are also looking to be more flexible in satisfying the changing needs of consumers. But this isn’t a recent phenomenon. In fact the situation hasn’t changed since 1997, when the industrial average grew only 5%. After tax profits stayed at a humble 0.5%.

Why is it that a lot of sales managers and CEOs are having a hard time maintaining positive company growth for a sustained period of time? Because success inspires imitation. Morningstar writes, “Success breeds competition as surely as night follows day.” Continue reading →