This article was originally posted on LinkedIn

ColoredCow has always thrived on strong relationships and successful referrals. This boutique approach has brought us a decent annual revenue, a milestone we’re incredibly proud of. But we’re not stopping there. We’ve set our sights on a bigger goal: doubling our revenue by the end of 2026. To get there, we need to shift gears.

For years, relying solely on referrals was a comfortable, manageable strategy. It suited us when we aimed to stay a small, profitable entity. Now, with our growth ambitions, predictability is paramount. That means building a robust, scalable sales process.

This is where things get interesting and daunting. We’ve never had dedicated sales and marketing functions. Now, that responsibility falls on me, and I learn as I go. Our target market is clear: marketing agencies in the USA seeking reliable tech partners. We’ve already forged two successful long-term partnerships in this space (through, you guessed it, referrals!), demonstrating our expertise and the value we bring.

But how do we expand this pool of agency partners? This is the “abstraction” that often leaves me feeling stuck. It’s that feeling of having so many possibilities, or sometimes, feeling like there are none. It’s the paralysis that comes with not knowing the perfect next step.

However, I remind myself of our “why”—our drive to grow ColoredCow into a significant business. This helps me break through the inertia. I’ve realized that perfect is the enemy of good, and action is the antidote to abstraction.

Before I dive into our action plan, let me outline the core strategies I’ve found helpful for dealing with abstraction:

• Define Your North Star: Abstraction often arises from a lack of clarity. Having a clear goal, a “North Star,” keeps you grounded. For us, that’s reaching our revenue goal by 2026 and becoming the go-to tech partner for US marketing agencies. This unwavering focus helps filter out irrelevant possibilities and prioritize actions that align with our vision.
• Break It Down: Overwhelmed by the vastness of possibilities? Break the problem into smaller, more manageable chunks. And add milestones to the distributed chunks. Instead of thinking “How do I build a sales process?”, we think “How do I connect with one relevant agency this week?” This makes the challenge less daunting and more actionable.
• Embrace the “Think, Act, Evaluate, Improve” Cycle: The biggest enemy of progress when facing abstraction is inaction. We embrace the principle that “perfect is the enemy of good.” We think we act, we evaluate the results, and we use those learnings to improve our next actions. This iterative approach allows us to continuously refine our strategy and move forward, even without having all the answers upfront.
• Control the Controllable: In the face of uncertainty, focus on what you can control. We can control the quality of our marketing materials, our outreach efforts, and our online presence. By focusing on these tangible actions, we build momentum and create positive change, even when the larger picture seems unclear.
• Commit to Continuous Learning: Recognize that dealing with abstraction is a learning process. Be open to new information, seek feedback, and adapt your approach as you gain experience. This mindset of continuous learning turns the challenges of abstraction into opportunities for growth.

Now, with these principles in mind, here’s how we’re tackling our sales challenge, with a focus on continuous improvement:

• Controlling the Controllable: We’re building compelling collateral showcasing ColoredCow’s expertise. This includes case studies, testimonials, and perhaps even a thought leadership series.
• Direct Outreach: We’re actively connecting with business owners at target agencies via LinkedIn, initiating conversations and building relationships.
• Industry Engagement: We’re preparing to attend a key marketing conference in the USA to network, learn, and make ColoredCow’s presence known.
• Online Presence: We’re refining our LinkedIn profiles (both company and individual) to highlight our value proposition and attract the right partners.
• Scaling the Effort: We’re documenting our hiring needs and initiating the search for a dedicated sales lead to take ownership of this crucial function.

We’re taking a weekly, iterative approach. We execute these steps throughout the week and evaluate our progress every Saturday. We analyze what worked, and what didn’t, and incorporate those learnings into the following week’s actions. We’re embracing the power of the “think, act, evaluate, improve” cycle.

This isn’t just about sales; it’s about building a sustainable, scalable future for ColoredCow. It’s about embracing the challenges of growth, learning from every step, and conquering the feeling of being “stuck” through consistent action and a commitment to continuous learning.

Key takeaways

• Anything worth building or any problem worth solving will have a fair degree of abstraction to be tackled.
• Abstraction can be too many options or no option at all.
• Abstraction makes you feel stuck.
• To deal with abstraction first and foremost remember your goal. That helps you deal with that stage of stuckness, confusion, or inaction.
• Whatever your goal is check whether you, as an individual, are getting better with that goal or not.
• It’s important to take action, even if you don’t have the perfect answer.
• Other than remembering your goal, you should also not forget your commitment to learning.
• Learning happens when you think a bit, take some action, evaluate your outcome, and then make things better.