I’ve seen this with hundreds of growing businesses: Almost every growing business has data., but they are still struggling to see where growth truly begins.
Last week, we uncovered a quiet challenge holding back many growing businesses today: The Actionable Insights Gap.
You’re tracking the data. Every form filled out, project milestone hit, payment received, and support ticket resolved.
But when I ask leaders across industries:
“Can your teams spot the early signs of a customer who’s going to grow-or one who’s about to leave?”
Most pause. And realize they haven’t thought about it that way.
They’re collecting plenty of data. But they haven’t connected it into meaningful insights that shape daily decisions.
This is the gap. And it’s slowing you down.
Instead of seeing what’s coming, your teams are reacting after the fact. The project is already delayed. The renewal is already lost. The upsell opportunity already slipped by.
Over the next three weeks, I’ll break down the Actionable Insights Framework-the approach I’ve used with growth-stage companies across industries to turn fragmented data into aligned, real-time action.
If you would like to dive into the entire framework right away, here is the download link:
Today, let’s start where every meaningful growth strategy should begin: Identifying the Signals That Matter.
Step 1: Identify Signals That Matter
The first step isn’t collecting more data. It’s making sense of the data you already have.
Most businesses track activity:
How many leads came in
How many proposals were sent
Which projects hit milestones
How much revenue was billed last month
But these are lagging indicators. They tell you what happened after the fact.
The question you need to ask is: “What are the early actions or behaviors that tell us where this relationship is headed-before the outcome is locked in?”
Look Back to Look Forward
Instead of starting with your dashboards, start with your best customers.
Ask yourself:
Who stayed the longest?
Who expanded their services?
Who referred new business?
Then work backward: What did they do early in the relationship that pointed them in this direction?
In my work, I’ve seen patterns like these emerge across many industries:
Your longest-standing clients might always complete onboarding within 10 days.
Your highest-growth accounts might consistently respond to check-ins early.
Or maybe your most successful projects start with leadership alignment and shared expectations.
These are the leading indicators-the patterns you need to watch for.
Without clarity on these signals, your teams are working in the dark.
Why Most Companies Miss This
The problem is rarely technical. It’s cultural.
Different teams focus on different slices of the customer story:
Sales is watching deal volume.
Delivery is watching project timelines.
Finance is watching collections.
But no one is sitting down to ask: “Which early patterns consistently show up in our best-and worst-outcomes?”
This is the first shift that closes the gap between activity and insight.
A Practical First Step This Week
Gather your key leaders-whether they manage sales, service, delivery, or finance-and ask one simple question:
“What are the top 3 things we consistently see in customers who stay, grow, and refer us?”
You might be surprised how many teams have only ever answered this in isolation. The answers are scattered.
But when you put them together, you’ll begin to see your growth signals clearly.
Forget vanity metrics. Focus on what moves the needle.
Coming Next Week: Step 2
Next week, we’ll dive into Step 2: Connecting your data across teams-so the people closest to your customers can actually see these signals in real time and act on them before it’s too late.
Or if you want to explore how ConvergeHub helps teams uncover and act on these signals across sales, service, and operations-start your free trial today: Start Your 14-Day Free Trial
Until then, I’ll leave you with this:
If you don’t know what to look for, no amount of data will help you make better decisions. Your growth isn’t hiding in your dashboards. It’s hiding in the patterns you haven’t uncovered yet.
What’s one customer behavior your teams are tracking-but no one is acting on?
I’d love to hear what you’re seeing in your business.
See you next week!
Until then – build boldly,
Your Sales Funnel is Lying to You
In 2025, buyers don’t follow funnels. Is your growth strategy ready for the unpredictable, non-linear customer chaos of today? Watch this wake-up call and stop leaking revenue.
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Your Sales Funnel is Lying to You