The growth of small and medium enterprises is a challenging journey, where commercial leadership becomes a fundamental factor in building a solid organization, structured and sustainable. While SMEs are in their early stages, the effort of founders and entrepreneurs is the main driver of growth. However, as the organization grows and its operations expand, the need for methods arises, processes, and a well-defined organizational culture, elements that commercial leadership must incorporate to ensure a successful transition.
When a company is in the early stage, leadership is highly centered on the entrepreneur or the founders. Decisions are impulsive and often based on intuitions and personal experiences. However, as the organization grows and operations become more complex, it is necessary to structure management. Commercial leadership comes into play to create processes and implement technology, transforming what was once a personal organization into a more complex and efficient system.
The transition from personal leadership to a more institutionalized organization requires a constant reassessment of how data is managed, how communication flows and how the different areas of the company interact. At this point, commercial leadership needs to be strategic, able to coordinate the different departments so that the company has an integrated and frictionless operation, essential for continuous growth.
When a company is small, she does not have unlimited resources, what makes bets riskier. Here, assertiveness and the ability to make informed decisions are crucial. The transition from a microenterprise to an SME requires that decisions be increasingly based on rigorous evaluation methods and that growth strategies are well-founded.
In a scenario of scarce resources, making many mistakes can be fatal. Thus, commercial leadership needs to adopt growth methodologies that involve small tests, analysis of results and, only after proof of feasibility, the scale of actions. This means that the organizational culture, processes and technology must go hand in hand to ensure that the company not only grows, but do it in a structured and predictable way. The goal is to minimize errors and maximize successes, providing consistent growth, instead of a rushed and disorderly expansion.
Rapid growth, often driven by the promise of high short-term returns, it is a mindset that has dominated startups in recent years. However, sustainability is in consistent growth and in strengthening organizational culture, instead of seeking "growth at any cost". Consistency lies in the maintenance of people, of the criteria and in building a solid culture, in addition to effective communication within the organization.
For SMEs, sustainable growth depends on a balanced approach. The mistake of seeking excessive growth without a robust structure can lead to ephemeral results. A management focused on processes, systems and predictability create a solid foundation, what allows the company to stay in the market longer, without the ups and downs of explosive growth.
Another essential point for the success of commercial leadership in SMEs is the sales journey. It's not just about celebrating the closing of a sale, but rather to understand that the true sales strategy lies in the daily process, in the small victories, in the stages completed with consistency. The predictability and control of processes are crucial so that the final result is not a surprise, but rather a consequence of a job well done throughout the entire journey.
Commercial leadership, therefore, needs to be able to manage the various paths and channels that lead to business results, always evaluating costs, time and productive capacity. This requires a holistic and execution-oriented view of each stage of the process, what allows goals to be achieved consistently and within the parameters set by the organization.
However, commercial leadership in SMEs faces significant challenges. Business leaders often fall into the habit of repeating the same strategies from the past, they resist new methodologies or face difficulties in measuring and assessing the performance of the sales team. These obstacles, when not faced correctly, can harm the continuity of growth.
Another important challenge is the lack of clear rules and well-defined objectives. The absence of a strategic direction and the lack of criteria to evaluate actions hinder long-term success. Commercial leadership must not only establish these criteria, but also provide tools, resources and benchmarks to ensure that the organization moves towards success.
When implementing effective methodologies, create well-defined processes and foster a strong culture, the commercial leader can transform an SME into a company with constant adaptability and sustainable growth.
Therefore, the success of commercial leadership is not limited to closing big sales, but to build a consistent trajectory, where each stage of the sales and business management process is well planned and executed. The ability to turn challenges into opportunities and to align growth expectations with the reality of the company is what will determine long-term success.
*Luiz Paulo Teixeira is the CEO of Sales Club, найбільша екосистема спеціалізована в рішеннях продажів для підприємств. He is an entrepreneur with a systemic vision of business, whose trajectory stands out in the Brazilian and international business scene. With almost two decades of experience in national and international Executive Education business, Luiz Paulo played a crucial role at the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), consolidating itself as a reference in the formulation of innovative educational strategies. Your experience at FGV solidified your expertise, becoming a leader at the forefront of new educational approaches.
