Most business owners don't have a strategy problem. They have a focus problem.
They try ten things at once:
- Launch a new campaign
- Tweak pricing
- Rewrite the sales page
- Build a new funnel
- Start a podcast
- Run ads
- Add a referral program
- Explore partnerships
- Redesign the website
- Hire a sales coach
They're busy. They're moving. But they're not moving the business forward in a meaningful way.
Because tactics without clarity are just expensive distractions.
Here's the clarity you need: There are only three ways to grow your business.
- Get more customers
- Get them to pay more
- Get them to buy more often
That's it. Every playbook, every course, every expert tip you've ever heard fits into one of these three levers.
If you're not clear on which lever you're trying to pull, you'll confuse effort with progress—and waste a lot of time.
Lever 1: Get More Customers
This is where most leaders start—and where most get stuck.
Better marketing creates more leads. You improve your messaging, increase your reach, or try new channels. The goal is to get more people to know you exist and care about what you offer.
Better sales creates higher conversions. You refine your process, improve your presentation, or remove friction from the buying experience. The goal is to turn more prospects into customers.
But here's the trap: More customers won't save a broken business model. If your current customers aren't getting enough value to justify what they're paying, adding more customers just multiplies the problem.
Lever 2: Get Them to Pay a Higher Price
This is the lever most leaders avoid—and the one that often creates the biggest impact.
Higher prices require higher value. You can't just raise prices and hope people don't notice. You need to solve a more valuable problem, deliver a better experience, or provide results that justify the investment.
The question isn't "How can I charge more?" The question is "How can I become worth more?"
When you solve higher-value problems, pricing becomes a natural conversation, not an awkward negotiation.
Lever 3: Get Them to Buy More Often
This is the lever that separates businesses that survive from businesses that thrive.
Your customers are spending money somewhere. If it's not with you, maybe it's because the exchange wasn't worth repeating the first time.
Repeat business is proof you delivered value the first time. If people buy from you once and never come back, your problem isn't marketing or pricing—it's failed expectations.
When customers buy more often, it's because you've proven you can consistently deliver value. That's when growth becomes sustainable instead of stressful.
The Question That Changes Everything
Instead of asking "What growth tactic should I try next?" start asking "Which lever am I trying to move?"
Look at your current growth efforts and audit them against these three levers:
- Are you trying to get more customers? Focus on marketing and sales improvements.
- Are you trying to command higher prices? Focus on solving more valuable problems.
- Are you trying to increase repeat business? Focus on delivering consistent value.
Most leaders are trying to pull all three levers simultaneously—and wondering why nothing's working.
Your Next Move
The magic isn't in knowing all three levers.
It's in picking one and getting really good at it.
Most businesses that struggle aren't broken. They're just unfocused.
The cure for the unfocused isn't more options. It's fewer.