It’s one thing to realize that your business needs to alter its course.

Figuring out exactly how to successfully change direction? Well, that’s something entirely different.

A few weeks ago, we shared three reasons you should consider pivoting your business:

• Managing the increasing rate of change in our world
• Creating new opportunities to drive revenue
• Fueling innovation

But deciding that your business should fundamentally shift its strategy is just the start. Once you’ve committed to making a pivot, how do you begin changing direction? Below, our experts share three tips for starting to pivot your organization:

Make customers’ needs your beacon.

What are your customers’ biggest pain points? What will they require tomorrow? What wants can your organization fill that your competitors can’t? It’s your job to listen to, understand and even anticipate your customers’ needs. The reason is simple: if customers don’t want or require what you have to offer, your sales will fall flat (in fact, it’s the reason the vast majority of startups fail).

For your pivot to be successful, you must shift to align with your market. Perform your due diligence to ensure you head in a direction that provides opportunity for today – and tomorrow.

Communicate planned changes internally.

There’s no way around it; a pivot will definitely disrupt your business. To minimize the stress, extra work and turnover it can create, communicate everything to your employees.

• Explain your reasons for the shift and the benefits you all stand to gain. Logically, people execute better when they understand what they’re doing and why it needs to be done.

• Be honest about changes and expectations. Your team will respect your candor. And ask for their feedback! More open dialogue can increase trust and loyalty, creating a higher-performing group.
• Work together to set short-term goals for the pivot. Along the way, provide lots of feedback, to keep employees on track and motivated. Celebrate milestones to maintain momentum.

Rollout new offerings to current customers first.

As you develop new products or services, be sure that your existing customer base knows why you’re making changes. Then, find a few early adopters who are willing to help you test out your new offerings and provide feedback.

By bringing customers into the development process, you can:

• Test and tweak your product/service to make sure it’s on the mark;
• Develop success stories, case studies, testimonials and other tangible/measurable results to offer potential new customers third-party validation.

Need to pivot your business? Exact Staff is prepared to help.

Whether you need to test new concepts, hire innovative thinkers or enhance your team’s flexibility, Exact Staff can provide talented people and intelligent staffing solutions to help you turn on a dime.

Call to discuss your plans – we’ll help you stay on course.