There are two complementary ways to model a sustainable revenue model:
- Close a high value deal.
- Ensure that that deal works out.
The best businesses do both of these things extremely well.
Being proactive is closing a sale by being persuasive and persistent. Whether it’s through an aggressive sales team, inbound marketing, or referrals over time, the actions of the company result in more revenue.
Being reactive, on the other hand, is ensuring that whatever it is that the customer bought into is delivered as expected (or better). Thereafter, it’s responding to questions and offering a heightened customer service experience. Not only can this lead to recurring revenue (assuming there is an opportunity there), but a happy customer leads to stronger word-of-mouth and another cycle of high value deals from them over time.
So be both proactive and reactive. And if your business model isn’t currently set up to allow for both, invent a way to make it possible. Your customers will appreciate it.