Business Performance Frameworks

As I meet more people, especially budding tech founders, a recurring question is about leveraging partnerships as a revenue channel. One key aspect that often stands out in these discussions is identifying the right partner. The right partnership can provide up to 80% leverage in your ROI by aligning perfectly with your goals and capabilities. Consider the example of a health tech startup partnering with a large hospital chain. By integrating their cutting-edge telemedicine platform with the hospital's extensive network, the startup was able to provide virtual health services to a vast number of patients. This partnership enabled the startup to scale rapidly and gain credibility in the healthcare market, while the hospital chain could offer innovative services to their patients without developing the technology in-house. To help identify the right partner, I recommend using a simple framework like the "PARTNER" scoring model: - 'P'urpose Alignment: Do your missions and goals align? - 'A'ccess to Market: Can they help you reach new or larger markets? - 'R'esource Complementarity: Do they offer resources you lack and vice versa? - 'T'rust and Reliability: Can you trust them to deliver consistently? - 'N'etwork Synergy: Do their connections and networks benefit you? - 'E'conomic Benefit: Is the partnership financially advantageous? - 'R'eputation: Does partnering with them enhance your brand image? By scoring potential partners on these criteria, you can identify the one that offers the best strategic fit and highest potential for ROI. #B2BPartnerships #TechFounders #BusinessGrowth #StrategicAlliances image - courtesy to Freepik

Sales leaders, here’s a simple, 2x2 framework for 2025. Rep productivity largely boils down to 2 questions: (1) What % of deals in our pipeline match our playbook? (2) When deals do match, does sales velocity $ increase? In short: (1) Adoption: “are we doing it?” (2) Impact: “does it work when we do it?” So there are 4 possible ways to answer (the grid). Two notes on each question: (1) Adoption: If you see a low % of deals matching your playbook, it’s probably suffering from complexity, and lack of focus. So try this: 1/ Throw out your old playbook. 2/ Add back 1 core framework to start. Which impacts revenue the most? (See topic below.) 3/ After 80% of deals have that framework executed, you earned the right to “add” something more. What’s next most important? (e.g. deals stalling at Stage 3 b/c no exec engaged? Well, what % of your deals *actually* have a tailored exec summary written out?) (2) Impact: There should be a WIDE gap in velocity (win rate %, cycle time, contract $) between deals that do vs. don’t match your playbook. If you see: - A big velocity jump: spotlight that to drive more adoption. This is the “opportunity” zone. - No big change in velocity: there’s a gap in the playbook. You’re in the “optimize” zone. If you’re in this optimize group, here's a breakdown on what a modern, sales-led GTM playbook looks like: https://lnkd.in/g5Jtcdt5

Of all the challenges I have seen emerge in recent years, sustainability is the one that most demands structured thinking. Too often, companies take isolated actions—launching an initiative here, cutting emissions there—without stepping back to look at the full landscape. But sustainability is not just about doing better; it is about making smart, coordinated choices in a complex and fast-moving context. This visual framework outlines four key questions that leaders should ask themselves: - What is the lay of the land? Understanding expectations, risks, and competitive signals is the starting point. You cannot navigate without a map. - Where do we need to go, and how fast? Clarity of ambition and pace is essential. Without it, even the best intentions can drift. - What will it take to get there? Strategic transformation means rethinking products, business models, and resource flows. - How must we act now? Organizational culture, innovation paths, and stakeholder communication must be aligned to sustain momentum. These questions help shift the focus from compliance and reputation to real value creation. Sustainability, when approached strategically, becomes a driver of long-term business resilience. It is time we treat it as a business question, not just an ethical one. #Sustainability #Leadership #BusinessTransformation

🌍 Boards are the backbone of sustainability! 🌍 I'm a big believer in the critical role boards play in driving sustainability and shaping a positive future. So, I was thrilled to come across the "Board Pocket Guide: Nature and Climate Action," a fantastic resource created by the Global Commons Alliance’s Accountability Accelerator, AccountAbility, the Climate Governance Initiative, and the Climate Champions team. This guide makes it easier for board members to take meaningful steps on climate and nature action 🌱💼 Key highlights from the guide: 📌 Corporate Leadership: Boards are called to go beyond just ticking boxes ✅, setting ambitious, science-based goals and investing in sustainable practices that make a real impact. 📌 Resource Navigation: The guide’s Resource Navigator is packed with top global frameworks to help boards bring nature and climate into their core strategies 🌿🔍 📌 Strategic Oversight: Emphasizing *double materiality*, it’s a reminder to look at both financial risks and broader social and environmental ones 🌏💡. Aligning with biodiversity and climate goals is more essential than ever. 📌 Long-Term Value Creation: With nature-positive solutions, businesses have the chance to create an estimated $10 trillion in new annual value and 395 million jobs 🌱💰. Investing in climate transition plans can boost resilience and build value that lasts. 📌 Nature and Net Zero Commitments: The guide makes it clear: net-zero can’t happen without nature 🌳. Boards should lead with nature-based solutions and policies that reduce deforestation 🌲🌍. This guide is a powerful tool for any board ready to step up and drive real change in sustainability. Check it out: https://lnkd.in/eTSqQR3p Julie Baddeley #Sustainability #BoardLeadership #ClimateAction #NaturePositive #CorporateGovernance #NetZero #GreenBusiness #FutureOfWork

How do you help SDRs track what skills to develop? Here’s what I’ve seen the best managers do: Build a sales competency framework Here’s how it works: First, define 3-4 core skill categories you think all reps need to build in order to do the next role up e.g. Account Executive or Senior SDR As an example, this might look like: 1. Sales Technique 2. Sales Operations 3. Commercial Acumen 4. Leadership & Stakeholder Management Under each category, list out the specific skill competencies expected e.g. Objection Handling, Pain Discovery Then, build a Google Sheet scorecard and for each competency, ask the rep to score themselves from 1-5 For each skill, encourage them to document example(s) of how they’ve demonstrated it Review this with them to modify any numbers, and identify 1-2 skills at a time to focus on developing For the target skills identified, give them a specific list of improvement actions to take in order to grow those skills Create a regular career development ritual to revisit this scorecard e.g. one a month and reflect on progress + define focus for the month ahead The beauty is twofold: 1. This keeps reps accountable in consistently developing desired skills 2. This also helps reps feel clarity in what they need to demonstrate to progress to the next level Curious to hear how different tech sales teams out there approach this! #sdr #bdr

Just watched a sales leader lose 5 of his top reps after spending months perfecting a "winning" sales methodology that his team HATED. After 18 months of work, the CEO killed his career with six words: "Your team keeps missing their numbers." After analyzing 300+ sales teams and thousands of reps I've identified the exact leadership framework that separates 90%+ quota attainment from the industry average of 60%. The BIG missing piece that most sales leaders miss? Stop running meetings as status updates. And start treating them as PERFORMANCE ACCELERATION ENGINES. Here is the GOLDEN Leadership framework: GROWTH MINDSET: Start every meeting with these 3 strategic elements. → Team member shares industry insight or sales technique (creates learning culture) → Discuss application to current deals (makes learning actionable) → Rotate presenters weekly (builds leadership skills company-wide) This approach increased team knowledge retention by 72% across my client base. OPTIMIZATION SESSION: Have top performers demonstrate and teach these 4 specific skills. → Objection handling techniques (with exact language used) → Discovery questions that uncovered hidden needs → Email templates that generated 80%+ response rates → Closing language that accelerated decisions Use this exact script: "Jeff, you closed that impossible deal with [company]. Walk us through exactly how you handled their [specific objection] so the team can replicate it." LEADERBOARD ACCOUNTABILITY: Create what I call the "Performance Matrix" with columns for. → # of Booked Discovery Calls (activity metric) → New opportunities generated (pipeline metric) → Percentage to monthly target (results metric) → Weekly win or learning (growth metric) DATA & DEVELOPMENT: Each rep inputs and shares three critical elements. → KPIs for the week (leading indicators - 100% controllable) → Sales results (lagging indicators - what they actually sold) → Wins or learnings (development indicators) EXECUTION: Randomly select an AE to role play live. → Use a jar or spinning wheel to pick sales scenarios → Focus on objections, cold calls, or tough situations → Play the difficult prospect yourself → Provide immediate feedback and coaching This gets your team sharper before they jump into their day, and knowing they might be selected drives preparation. NEXT LEVEL MINDSET: End with motivation to conquer the week. → Short visionary speech or gratitude to the team → Positive reinforcement → Ensure they leave with the right mindset This is what they'll remember as they enter their next task or meeting. "REAL RESULTS from this framework: ✅ An IT services client increased sales by 37% in just 30 days ✅ Average rep retention improved from 18 months to 36+ months ✅ Team productivity increased 42% with the same headcount ✅ Top performers stopped taking recruiter calls Hey sales leaders… want a deep dive? Go here: https://lnkd.in/e2iZ7Rmv

In all my conversations with executives since last year, there's no doubt about the new sustainability imperative: ROI and Value Creation. The global landscape has shifted dramatically: - New US administration reshaping policies - Cost of living pressures intensifying - EU Omnibus directive transforming reporting standards In this evolving context, sustainability without clear ROI and value creation is no longer optional—it's essential for business survival and growth. Recent research from Deloitte and The Wall Street Journal highlights that 27% of food companies achieve over 10% ROI from sustainability investments—proof that purpose-driven strategies deliver profits. But how do you quantify the full value of sustainability beyond cost savings? Two years ago, I was introduced by the great Karen L. Coyne to the Return on Sustainability Investment (ROSI™) framework from NYU Stern School of Business, an great model to bridge sustainability goals with financial performance. ROSI helps companies: 1. Monetize hidden benefits like brand equity, employee retention, and supply chain resilience. 2. Prioritize high-impact strategies across industries—from healthcare decarbonization to regenerative agriculture. 3. Build CFO buy-in by translating sustainability into tangible financial metrics. The Food & Agriculture Sustainable Strategies Framework, developed with companies like Ingredion Incorporated and Anheuser-Busch, identifies 12 value-driving practices—such as reducing water use and ethical sourcing—that cut costs and boost market share. Sustainability isn't a cost center—it's a growth engine. Tools like ROSI empower leaders to: - Turn risk mitigation into revenue streams - Align sustainability goals with investor expectations - Future-proof operations against climate disruptions Let's stop treating sustainability as regulation and a checkbox, and start treating it as a value driver. 💼🌱

Great guide about sustainability & sports! The International Olympic Committee – IOC has published a detailed "Introduction to Sustainability" guide that offers valuable insights for business leaders across all sectors. This practical framework goes far beyond environmental initiatives to present sustainability as an integrated business strategy. The guide demonstrates how sustainability delivers tangible value through cost savings, risk management, enhanced stakeholder relationships, and improved public credibility. It dispels common misconceptions that sustainability is expensive or requires technical expertise. Instead, it shows how organisations can implement sustainability gradually whilst generating immediate benefits. The document outlines a straightforward 10-step implementation process. This covers vision development, stakeholder engagement, governance integration, and performance measurement. Crucially, it emphasises that sustainability isn't an add-on activity. Rather, it should be embedded into core business operations and decision-making processes. Five key areas are detailed with universal business application: →Infrastructure and venue management →Sourcing and resource management →Mobility and transport →Workforce development →Climate action These translate directly to business operations regardless of industry. The guide stresses that successful sustainability programmes require genuine leadership commitment. They cannot be delegated to peripheral departments. It advocates for transparency, continuous improvement, and viewing sustainability as a shared responsibility across the organisation. For business leaders seeking a structured approach to sustainability that balances environmental responsibility with operational excellence, this comprehensive guide provides a tested framework developed through Olympic Movement experience. #olympics #sports #sustainability #esg #decarbonisation #co2 #emissions #co2emissions #esgreporting #reporting #decarbonisation #co2reduction

Spoke with a leader the other week who began tying comp / SPIFFs to CRM hygiene. Well, to not only that, but a bunch of other out of the box stuff too: 1. Data hygiene incentives: $500 quarterly bonus for maintaining 95%+ opportunity accuracy. Next-step updates within 24 hours of customer contact. MEDDICC qualification completed before Stage 3 progression. They (understandably) got frustrated by the repeated misses in forecasts, so put some money behind maintaining integrity of the data. 2. Certification accelerators: - Complete discovery training by day 30? Get 25% quota relief in month two. - Finish competitive battlecard certification early? Unlock higher commission rates on displacement deals. Believe it or not, reps actually became excited to join their internal enablement sessions. 3. Cross-functional behavior rewards: They also tied CS variable comp to post-sale adoption milestones triggered from AE handoff notes. Now AEs actually document implementation requirements and success criteria. I also know of another company that pays EXTRA commish for deals where product and sales collaborate on technical discovery. 4. Pipeline health SPIFFs: Not just volume-based, but weighted for quality. - $1K bonus for opportunities with 3+ contacts engaged. - Extra accelerators for deals with documented champion validation. - Higher kickers for pipeline with realistic close dates and defined next steps. 5. Long-term outcome alignment: - Bonuses tied to 90-day customer health scores. - Commission clawback protection based on first-year retention rates. - SPIFFs for deals that expand within 12 months. The framework is pretty simple: Map your strategic priorities to compensation triggers. Want multichannel pipeline? Pay extra for opportunities sourced through multiple channels. Want better territory planning? Tie comp to account penetration metrics and relationship mapping. Want quality over quantity? Weight commission rates based on deal profitability and customer lifetime value. The principle is bulletproof: People do what they're paid to do.

Give a partner too much control and you don't have leverage. You have a liability wearing a nicer name. Most founders think building a distribution layer is a marketing problem. It's not. It's a series of decisions about control, trust, and how much of the business you're willing to hand to someone else. Get the decisions right and partners scale you. Get them wrong and you've just added headcount you don't manage and can't predict. Here's the framework I use: 1️⃣ Team or network? ↳ A team is hired and managed, fixed cost, full control. A network is incentive-based, variable cost, less control.  ↳ Pick based on how much control you actually need at this stage, not which one sounds more scalable on paper. 2️⃣ What are you willing to give up control of? ↳ Brand, pricing, and compliance stay in-house. Reach and top-of-funnel content can go to partners.  ↳ Everything you hand off needs a rule attached to it, or it becomes a liability instead of leverage. 3️⃣ Who gets in? ↳ Fit over volume, every time. We learned this the hard way at Digistore24.  ↳ A smaller number of aligned partners will outperform a large number of mismatched ones, and mismatched partners bring traffic that costs more to manage than it's worth. 4️⃣ How are incentives structured? ↳ Whatever you reward is what you'll get more of.  ↳ Reward the wrong behavior and you'll scale the wrong outcome, faster than you scale the right one. 5️⃣ How involved do you personally stay? ↳ Your job moves from selling it, to training it, to protecting the system that runs it.  ↳ Founders who never make that shift end up as the bottleneck in the thing they built to remove the bottleneck. 6️⃣ When do you walk away from a partner? ↳ A partner who isn't performing or isn't aligned with your standard is costing you more than an empty seat would.  ↳ Most founders wait too long because the seat feels safer than the gap. 7️⃣ How do you know it's working? ↳ Track quality and retention at the founder level, not just volume at the campaign level.  ↳ Volume tells you activity happened. It doesn't tell you if it was worth having. Distribution isn't a tactic you execute once. It's a system you keep deciding into, every stage of growth. Which of these decisions haven't you made yet? Let me know in the comments. ♻️ Repost to help others build and scale. 🐺 Follow Francis Wolff for business advice that works.