https://www.delage.biz/pov daily 0.75 2020-11-24 https://www.delage.biz/pov/transformation-requires-more-than-the-right-ingredients monthly 0.5 2020-11-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1606228734866-52HXN4F3IPRN7TR0V3VJ/sorin-popa-QGuiXj9QGTw-unsplash.jpg POV - Transformation requires more than the right ingredients - Just having the right ingredients isn’t a guarantee of a successful outcome, either. Sticking with the pancake metaphor, there are two more critical steps: Combine & Mix – the ingredients together Cook – the mixed pancake batter into individual pancakes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1606228440293-IDB41AP2HKGLOA552QVW/Transformation-ingredients-blog-TABLE-72px.png POV - Transformation requires more than the right ingredients With upwards of 70% of transformations doomed to fail according to McKinsey and the academic research, the value of planning communication and experiences for the people involved cannot be overstated. For many companies, a successful transformation is imperative to their survival – yet we know these initiatives take time and are not easy. Being able to predict some of the common challenges and taking steps to mitigate them by ensuring one has the right ingredients as well as the appropriate processes and tools is a great way to help achieve the desired outcome(s). Please contact me if you have questions about how to best apply these concepts to your business, and/or how I can help make the transformational growth plan for your business a reality. https://www.delage.biz/pov/blog-post-fractional-cgo-candidate-sept2020 monthly 0.5 2020-11-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1601678978829-9J1V9DLT2DTXZLM81NYK/IMG_6244.JPG POV - Is your firm a good candidate for a fractional CGO? - I’m a good candidate, now what? If the fractional CGO Fit assessment indicates your firm is a good candidate for this model, let’s talk. Please contact me so we can discuss your starting point and your vision for the future. I’m excited to learn about your business and align with you on whether I have both the right capabilities and availabilities to help achieve your objectives. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1601820233195-3TK144XDWFL9EMEZ57S4/fractional_CGO_decision-tree.png POV - Is your firm a good candidate for a fractional CGO? figure 1 – fractional CGO Fit assessment 1) Is growth important to you? This is the absolute starting point for the decision tree. And, no – it’s not a trick question… For extra credit, jot down the initial thoughts that come to mind as you consider your response to this first question: Why is growth important? What is your vision of the opportunity? What are the anchors holding you back? These insights provide foundational building blocks toward creating a shared vision for success with your fractional CGO partner, should you get to that step. On the other hand, if you determine growth is not important – for any number of reasons – what better way to cut to the chase with the very first question. 2) Do you have the right person in place to lead and optimize your growth system? Even though this is also a simple YES / NO question, there are a few important concepts in it that are important to unpack: right person = having both the right capabilities and availabilities lead and optimize = will what got you here, get you there (thinking back to your vision for growth in response to question #1) growth system = a holistic approach to growth that takes into consideration key interdisciplinary linkages between People, Process, and Platforms Of the three (3) core questions, question #2 is the most qualitative and open to interpretation. So it’s important to be honest and thoughtful when answering this question. Here are a few things to keep in mind when thinking through your response to this question: Start with the end in mind. Meaning, envision the level of growth activity your firm needs to achieve your goals, not just the current level of demand/activity you currently have… Evaluate both the KNOWING and DOING. For example, you’re looking for the type of knowledge and action illustrated in my recent post: “4 considerations for growth planning”. If you find yourself struggling with this question and perhaps find the concept of installing a growth system intriguing, but you’re not sure if it’s the right priority for your firm now – I recommend taking a moment to plot where your firm falls on my Growth Maturity Matrix. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1601820287208-7FMCTZICF0LD5ZHERCE2/fractional_CGO_decision-tree_figure2.png POV - Is your firm a good candidate for a fractional CGO? figure 2 – fractional CGO Fit assessment (conditional capacity constraint: YES/NO) For those that answer with a resounding “yes” to this question, there’s a conditional follow-up question to determine whether surges in demand (e.g., running multiple big pitches in parallel) or bandwidth constraints (e.g., anything from special projects such as M&A to personal situations) ever constrain your growth capacity. Since the fractional CGO model can be aligned at both short and long-term needs, it begs the question: Could having additional growth capacity ready to unleash, benefit your business? 3) Are there any challenges hiring your ideal candidate or with them starting immediately? For some, answering the questions in this assessment confirm a decision you had already arrived at – hire a growth leader to run and/or build your growth team. However, since business is dynamic (particularly in professional services), the assumptions your previous decision was based on may have changed. Are you still in a position to make the offer to your preferred full-time candidate (or did actual revenues not live up to the plan)? Is your candidate still available and ready to accept your offer (or did conditions on their end change and you need to keep searching)? Others may find themselves in the position to put forward the offer to a qualified candidate, however this pending hire may now be looking to delay their start for several weeks to ensure they don’t lose out on a large bonus or commission payment, further delaying the acceleration of your firm’s growth. https://www.delage.biz/pov/blog-post-growth-maturity-matrix-sept2020 monthly 0.5 2020-10-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1600796313475-SOJ2403WOHMYGRVNBHWS/Growth_Maturity_Matrix.jpg POV - Where is your firm on the Growth Maturity Matrix? The four quadrant Growth Maturity Matrix. https://www.delage.biz/pov/blog-post-4considerations-growth-planning-sept2020 monthly 0.5 2020-10-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1601267581300-U7KVDNBNMRBPQFYEOH98/KingdomSwim_w-kayak.jpg POV - 4 considerations when planning for growth Lake Memphremagog, VT https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1601832700314-PDFOV6JAO223NTNCW3H9/IMG_8356.jpg POV - 4 considerations when planning for growth South Haven, MI https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1601852579324-YNN3CUJLGWN5CPY7MSUW/image.jpg POV - 4 considerations when planning for growth image: courtesy of NOAA https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1601834984949-PER1X40HB2O4JQ4QN2LE/Sales_Velocity_formula.png POV - 4 considerations when planning for growth formula to calculate Sales Velocity https://www.delage.biz/pov/blog-post-growth-system-sept2020 monthly 0.5 2020-10-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1599878238662-M0KIF6YJUNUO4OHH1A9J/image-asset.jpeg POV - What is a growth system? When it comes to “rainmaking”, most businesses would strongly prefer a predictable sprinkler system to intermittent downpours even if, at the end of the day, the total quantity of water is the same… https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/player-coach monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/CRO monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/fractional+leadership monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/mentor monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/CMO monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/GMM monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/Knowing+%26+Doing monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/growth+system monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/CGO monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/co-create monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/rainmaker monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/process+%26+tools monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/fractional+CGO monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/planning monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/Growth+Maturity+Matrix monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/Systematic+Approach monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/Sales+Process monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/optimize monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/growth+planning monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/advise monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/growth+capacity monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/strategy monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/coach monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/pov/tag/Sales+Success monthly 0.5 https://www.delage.biz/home daily 1.0 2024-09-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1599858662278-4X45XAHWO5WZHIG8DXFQ/image-asset.jpeg delage llc - Strategic & Sustainable Growth Advisory Services https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1601351765113-4K8RZXJKOQ4JVA1B3ULS/image-asset.jpeg delage llc - Strategic & Sustainable Growth Advisory Services - Thought Leadership Featured in Forrester Now Tech report and managed analyst briefings CGO, Isobar (dual CGO & CMO role) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1601348457556-P1S6B25B4ZNJM624T0GJ/image-asset.jpeg delage llc - Strategic & Sustainable Growth Advisory Services - BIG Wins! Largest SOWs in firms’ histories VP Growth, Moonshot Sr Director BD, Razorfish BD Manager, Wire Stone (now Accenture Interactive) Director BD, Cyberworks https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1600052099839-EUK45EE0RXRAW2WWN71E/Delage_experience4.png delage llc - Strategic & Sustainable Growth Advisory Services 20+ years of driving growth for agencies, digital product studios, eCommerce integrators, and B2B SaaS platforms https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1601400602497-OS1E3JAGVNO8ZCLO4ZUY/image-asset.jpeg delage llc - Strategic & Sustainable Growth Advisory Services Pipeline Growth Grew weighted pipeline 20%+ CGO, Isobar CGO, Havas VP Growth, Moonshot https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1601350035016-M5D3Q8CXOS2WHI2VQ8QT/image-asset.jpeg delage llc - Strategic & Sustainable Growth Advisory Services - Fast Start $250-500k+ first 100 days / $1M+ within 6 months BD Manager, Wire Stone (now Accenture Interactive) Sr Director BD, Razorfish VP Growth, Moonshot CGO, Havas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1601349653144-0VR1HCA90K1KMEJP3ANX/image-asset.jpeg delage llc - Strategic & Sustainable Growth Advisory Services - Key Accounts & LAMP 200% YoY growth (two years in a row) / Top 5 global account (multiple years) / $100M+ TCV deal BD Manager, Wire Stone (now Accenture Interactive) VP BD, Razorfish Client Partner, Cognizant https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1601352448582-8EKAJ0J22S2795V0CD1Q/image-asset.jpeg delage llc - Strategic & Sustainable Growth Advisory Services - Make Noise Launched 3 productized service offerings, content marketing programs, and press generating partnerships CGO, Isobar (dual CMO & CGO role) CGO, Havas (dual CMO & CGO role) VP Growth, Moonshot https://www.delage.biz/services daily 0.75 2020-09-28 https://www.delage.biz/contact daily 0.75 2020-09-12 https://www.delage.biz/team-1 daily 0.75 2020-10-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5b8fe9729c834d4cd21c37/1601412079068-S68BB1ZO4BYRGDJ83EEB/Saul_headshot.jpg learn more About Me, my background and professional accomplishments here - Saul Delage A curious and driven growth leader who enjoys working with collaborative, talented, and dependable people to form high-performing teams that achieve success. I’m a systems thinker with an uncanny ability to identify opportunities for growth as well as the tenacity to execute action plans that deliver the desired business outcomes. I enjoy building and participating on high-performing teams - both informally to win pitches and formally to rebuild teams/departments. I’m a competitor at heart and a true player-coach in both my personal and professional life. I prefer playing sports to watching them, including water polo, open water swimming, pond hockey, and skiing/snowboarding. Growing up, I was fortunate to be be part of swimming championship teams, which played a role in preparing me to build and contribute to winning teams professionally. In high school, I won state championships on the boys swimming team in individual and relay categories as well as team state champion titles (the latter being the first ever for our high school in any boys sport). My college team dominated the MAC Conference championships all 4 years. As I finished college, I worked part time as the head swim coach of Ypsilanti high school, where I coached 2 all-state athletes in my short time there. My career in digital and business development started shortly thereafter, most recent experience listed first below: