THE SPARK Shampa's Blog

The Growth Paradox – 3 Counterintuitive Truths That Will Transform Your Business

Sharing our most counterintuitive discovery about business growth:
The path forward often means doing less, not more.

Complexity kills growth.
Simplicity scales.

Here are 5 slides on turning complexity into clarity. Click and swipe through.
No fluff, just practical steps to transform your business.

If you would like to know more about how ConvergeHub can help you build systems that help your organization get ready for future disruptions without increasing the cost, talk to us.

To check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.

Your Business Model is About to Get DISRUPTED

Question for you: Are you truly prepared for the customer landscape of 2025?

The changes coming in 2025 are NOT incremental changes. I’m talking about a COMPLETE transformation of how businesses acquire, engage, and retain customers.

Remember when sales strategies used to be straightforward?
Those neat little funnels and predictable customer journeys?
Yeah, those are GONE.

B2B buyers in 2025 are like digital ninjas:
Ghosting sales teams
Raving about you on LinkedIn
Jumping between support channels
Making decisions in ways we never expected

Last week, I recorded a video that broke down exactly how B2B buyers are demolishing traditional sales strategies.

Key Takeaways:

• Your sales funnel is dead
• Customers don’t care about your departments
• Traditional CRM approaches are becoming obsolete

Why This Matters:
Businesses that don’t adapt won’t just slow down – they’ll become irrelevant. The companies winning in 2025 will be those who turn customer chaos into their competitive advantage.

Want to decode this? I’m offering 15-minute strategy sessions to help founders and CEOs rewrite their playbook.

Book Your Session: https://calendly.com/shampabagchi/15min

No pitch. No demo. Just REAL talk.

The REAL Power of a Business

I think of Businesses as ‘manifestation machines’.

Or as a force that multiplies human potential.

I think that the moment when for the first time someone feels that little Spark inside them and decides to build a business… it’s pure magic

It’s the moment when a entrepreneur is created.

This moment creates a ripple effect over time that can change entire communities… and maybe even the world.

Creating jobs is just the start.
Which then generates waves of opportunities.

The paychecks improve lives of entire families.. funds healthcare, education, homes, vacations… better future.
Their taxes support community improvement… creates space for ideas and innovation..

The money they spend in turn supports and helps grow other Businesses.

And the whole cycle repeats.

It’s like the cycle of life – and it never ceases to amaze me every time I think about it…

And so..
At ConvergeHub we salute the Spirit of Entrepreneurs
We salute the blood, sweat and tears that go in to build a Business.

And we have made it our mission to help Businesses become successful.
So that they can do what Businesses do – create jobs, create wealth and change lives..
And change the world while they are at it.

If you would like to know more about how ConvergeHub can help you build systems that help your organization grow faster and have bigger impact, talk to us.

Or, if you would like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.

Embracing UNCERTAINTY

We know that Business-as-usual does not work anymore. So, what can we do about it?

In a world where Disruption has become normal, how do we prepare for it?

How do we prepare to be DISRUPTED?

By building dynamic systems that don’t avoid uncertainty but actually expect them and are prepared for them.

The key is in not putting our head down and waiting for the turbulence to pass, but instead expecting the turbulence, treating it as normal and developing the necessary skills so that we can forge ahead despite the turbulence.

Corporate systems and processes are usually built around:
Analyzing…
Predicting…
Planning…
Controlling…

Such systems worked very well in stable times, like navigating a big ship in good weather.

In today’s environment, organizations are like rafts in white water.

The systems and skills we need to navigate are completely different.

Using old Systems and Skills we will not be able to keep our head above water, let alone reaching our destination.

The first thing we need to get rid of is the sense of control.

We need to accept that we cannot predict the future at all.

Therefore, we cannot plan for it.

Instead, we learn the skills to respond quickly to any change that happens, knowing fully well that change will happen.

What we need is the resilience to remain undisturbed by change.

And the agility to adapt and respond quickly to change.

Here are some principles that will help us build dynamic systems and be more prepared to deal with disruptions:

1. Zooming out – Traditional organization approach always looked to narrow down to the root cause of any problem. But today it is more important to look at the bigger picture and understand any challenge based on the wider perspective.
2. Get deeper insights – Most businesses listen to the powerful voices of their customers and investors. But these mostly provide common short-term opinions. But to build dynamic systems we need to keep the big long-term goals in mind and listen to the whole system, including communities who don’t have a voice.
3. No silver bullet – Traditionally, executives simplify solutions and look for actions that will have the greatest impact. But now, instead of building one strong solution with the greatest impact, it is important to build a portfolio of strategies.
4. Embrace contradictions – As corporate environments become more and more chaotic, executives are facing contradictory choices every day. Should you grow or downsize? Should you compete or partner? Should you spend on research or marketing? Sometimes it may be a matter of choosing between two opposing positions. Sometimes it may be about innovating so that we can do both. Always, it is about keeping an open mind and embracing paradoxes.

Meanwhile, if you would like to know more about how ConvergeHub can help you build systems that help your organization get ready for future disruptions without increasing the cost,talk to us.

Or, if you would like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.

Preparing for DISRUPTION

2020 turned our world upside down. In the beginning of that year, many businesses expected some technological and economic upheaval and had started planning for it. But what happened in the coming months caught everyone by surprise.

And when business leaders caught their breath… and looked around…

The business world had turned upside down…

Business-as-usual didn’t work any longer…

Covid made it very very clear that businesses cannot work in silo… all businesses are a part of the large eco-system… and no organization can remain “un-disrupted” by the changes happening around them.

Looking around us now, we know that 2020 wasn’t an exception.

The world is becoming more dynamic by nature…
Change is becoming the name of the game…
Disruption is becoming the norm…

• Political changes…
• Economic uncertainty…
• Technology upheavals…

How do we prepare for this??

I think the only way for businesses to be prepared for systemic disruptions is to become dynamic organizations.

So far, the corporate name of the game has been to build systems that focus on…
Analyzing…
Predicting…
Planning…
Controlling…

These systems have worked very well in the past.

I doubt they will work so well in the future.

Systems that help navigate a big ship in good weather are VERY DIFFERENT from the systems you need to navigate a raft in white water.

They just don’t work in the same way.

• We need new systems.
• We need systems that work well in uncertainty and turbulence.
• We need new skills and mindset to develop these systems.

What kind of mindset should we adopt?

What do YOU think?

I’ll talk more about it in my next post 😊

Meanwhile, if you would like to know more about how ConvergeHub can help you build systems that help your organization get ready for future disruptions without increasing the cost, talk to us.

Or, if you would like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.

Quality: The Unfair Advantage

When you talk about the quality of your product or service, what comes to mind? Usually, we tend to think about product engineering or manufacturing processes or skills of the person delivering the service… rarely do we think about customer service…

But, for almost all types of businesses, Quality and Customer Service are very closely linked.

The greater the attention to Quality in production, the better the product performance after sales.

The greater the product performance, the lower the demand on customer service operations to correct any problems.

In my last post, one of the questions I had posed was – How important is Quality after the sale?

One of the comments I received on LinkedIn (shoutout to Erik Gross) said:

“I think that the quality of your delivery after the sale is probably the most important area to concentrate on – if you consistently deliver more than was expected, your prosperity is assured.”

And I couldn’t agree more!

I think Quality processes form a connection between Sales and Service teams, which when done correctly can be converted into a huge competitive advantage for any business.

Here are a few use cases:

• Customer Service acts as an early warning system – detecting bugs, defects, issues before they become a crisis.
• Outreach to existing customers – discourages switching to other vendors, reduces churn
• Strong word of mouth from customers generates new sales leads
• Reinforces partner loyalty – affiliates/dealer/channel partners always appreciate strong customer service programs
• Brand created through the focus on quality influences purchase decisions.

So, if your focus on Quality has taken a hit, in an effort to lower costs, especially after the massive layoffs this year, it may be worth taking another look at it.

Meanwhile, if you would like to know more about how ConvergeHub can help you improve the Quality of the products and services in your organization without increasing the cost, talk to us.

Or, if you would like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.

Quality: Its about more than a good product

Have you noticed that the perception of Quality is changing?

In fact, studies indicate that there is often a big gap between what organization executives view as ‘good quality’ of their products and what their customers think.

This gap in perception of product quality is not new.

More than 40 years ago, in a Gallup survey carried out in 1981 (source: Wall Street Journal), only 13% of the CEOs of the nation’s largest 1300 companies said that quality is declining. In the same year, in a separate study of 7000 consumers, 49% said that it has declined and 59% expected it to stay down or decline further.

Fast forward four decades and nothing seems to have changed 😊

This gap in perception of Quality between company executives who are in charge of driving product engineering and quality and the users of the product show that in most organizations the concept of Quality is production-driven and not customer-driven.

For organizations looking to improve the Quality of their products or services and making it more customer-centric, there are two basic questions to be asked:

1. How do their customers define Quality? What does Quality mean to them?
2. How important is Quality after the sale?

How does a customer define Quality?

Quality could mean different things to different customers – design, reliability, durability, ease of use, user experience, value for money, and so on.

Perception of Quality also changes as customers go through the different stages of the customer journey.

Before the purchase, Quality can mean…
the company’s brand and image
product’s reputation
published comparative test results
opinion of friends

At the point of purchase, the meaning of Quality can be…
manuals and specs
user experience during sales
price to performance value
terms of the contract and warranties

After the purchase, the meaning of Quality can change to…
ease of setup process
usability
reliability
effectiveness of customer service
comparative performance.

Once a company understands what their customers are looking for when they ask for ‘good quality’, they are in a much better position to provide it.

Let’s discuss the second question in my next post… 😊

Meanwhile, if you would like to know more about how ConvergeHub can help you improve the Quality of the products and services in your organization without increasing the cost, talk to us.

Or, if you would like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.

great questions

If you are a leader in your organization, it’s easy to assume that people look to you for answers… that you should have all the answers… and having all the answers is the only way to build people’s trust in your competence.

But in this day and age, when the world is changing so fast and so much is uncertain… having all the answers is absolutely impossible… and pretending do so fools no one and completely erodes trust…

I think in today’s world it is not necessary for leaders to have all the answers.
Instead, it is necessary for leaders to ask great questions.

Leaders today should ask bold inspiring questions.
Then convey that they don’t have all the answers.
And ask for help to find the right answers.

Asking these kinds of questions means admitting that you don’t know everything.

And that can make you feel vulnerable.

But that is exactly what makes people trust you and connect with you.

If done right, this can spark innovative thinking within the organization.

So, what makes a great question?

Well, that’s a great question 😊

Here are some characteristics of great questions:

1. Broad and Bold – Broad questions about new opportunities or emerging technologies or customer’s unmet needs communicate a sense of ambition and long-term thinking which bolsters confidence in the organization.
2. Involves others – Bold futuristic questions invite collaboration within the company, and often with customers and partners. It also inspires people to reach out for help when they need it.
3. Encourages exploration – Instead of expecting full-formed complete answers, the question should encourage exploration and insights. These small moves build excitement as people begin to see progress.
4. Contributes to learning – As early answers emerge, they should be shared and discussed. The purpose of these types of questions is not to find ground-breaking world-changing answers, but to make progress and generate new insights. This helps foster a culture of learning.

If you would like to know more about how ConvergeHub can help you drive innovation in your organization by tracking the right data and asking the right questions, talk to us.

Or, if you would like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.

Using BEANs to drive Innovation

How does innovation work in your company? Is there a set budget for it? Are there guidelines and projects and status meetings around it? How about results?

If your organization has spent a mini fortune on innovation and has seen zero results… well, you are not alone.

Across industries, one survey after another has found the same thing: Despite all their spending on innovation, businesses just aren’t getting the impact they want.

Why?

It’s mostly because every organization has certain day-to-day routines. And usually, these small routines and rituals stifle innovation.

This is a major challenge in most organizations, and BEANs are one way to hack this problem.

What’s a BEAN?

According to the Harvard Business Review article ‘Breaking Down the Barriers to Innovation’, a BEAN is shorthand for behavior enablers, artifacts, and nudges.

Basically, BEANs are tools, processes and interventions that help people change their behavior and reinforce new behaviors.

So, if your organization is struggling with innovation, change or digital transformation, try creating these little interventions or BEANs that will serve as constant reminders to implement the desired behavior.

Successful BEANs typically are:

1. Simple – behaviors that are easy to adopt
2. Trackable – can be monitored and measured
3. Practical – doesn’t require major changes
4. Reinforced – has reminders built in
5. Fun – if it is engaging socially, people are more likely to do it
6. Consistent – should be in tune with organization’s goals

In the coming weeks, we will continue discussing innovation and behaviors that encourage innovation in the organization.

Meanwhile, if you would like to know more about how ConvergeHub can help you drive innovation in your organization without increasing the cost,talk to us.

Or, if you would like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.

How to Fix Damaged Customer Relationships

In my last post, we had discussed about the dilemma that most businesses have to go through at some stage of their lifecycle…

The dilemma between customer satisfaction and cost efficiency.

Spend too much… and it leads to reduced profitability.

Spend too little… and it leads to low satisfaction and the risk of customer loss.

Often this boils down to Scale vs. Service dilemma.

To grow a business needs to adopt customer service that is scalable, but that may result in losing the personal touch which is the real competitive advantage.

Although each organization needs to solve this dilemma in its own unique way, here are a few strategies that can be adopted:

• Understand who you are to your customers – Get clear about who you want to be to your customers. This will help you create a strategy where proactive attention meets automated efficiency.
• Understand customer’s paint points – What are your customers looking for? Different customers may be looking for different types of service. Some may need hand-holding whereas others may be happy with self-service. It would be better to meet them at their channel of choice and offer them what they are looking for.
• Understand and use Technology – Technology today is transforming Customer Relationship Management. Used well, technology can give an organization the edge they need by giving deeper customer insights to improve customer loyalty and lifetime value.

If you would like to know more about how ConvergeHub can help you get closer to your customers without increasing the cost, talk to us.

Or, if you would like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.