The Blind Squirrel’s Guide to Consistent Sales Growth

You’ve probably heard the cliché that even a blind squirrel will find an acorn. But have you ever thought about what that blind squirrel actually does?

Well, he’s blind. He’s hungry. And no one is going to feed him. If he wants to survive, he has to find an acorn himself.

So, what does he do? He searches everywhere, tirelessly, running into barriers, hitting obstacles, but he keeps going. Why? Because he’s hungry, and if he stops, he’ll starve.

That blind squirrel is constantly in action, promoting like crazy to find that acorn.

Now, I’m not saying you should promote like a blind squirrel—bouncing off walls with no strategy. But honestly? Even that is better than doing nothing at all when it comes to sales growth.

Why Sales Growth Feels Like a Roller Coaster

If your sales growth feels unpredictable—skyrocketing one month, then crashing the next—it’s likely because key sales activities have fallen by the wayside.

Sales growth and finding qualified prospects comes down to two core actions:

1. Outflowing in sufficient volume—whether through phone calls, emails, direct mail, in-person visits, or other methods—to ensure you’re reaching a consistent flow of prospects and customers.

2. Handling inquiries effectively—so that every lead you generate is nurtured, converted, and turned into revenue.

These sales growth principles apply to every business and every salesperson. If a business is struggling with flat or declining sales, I guarantee it’s because they’ve cut back on promotion. The same applies to a salesperson in a slump—less outreach, fewer calls, and minimal engagement with prospects.

The foundation of steady sales growth is consistent volume over time.

Sure, targeting your audience and crafting a strong message matters. But at the end of the day, sales growth is most influenced by how many people you consistently reach.

That doesn’t mean you should spam people with untargeted messages. But let’s be real—even poorly targeted outreach is better than doing nothing.

One of the biggest reasons businesses struggle with sales growth is because they neglect the fundamental promotional actions that keep income flowing.

Essential Promotional Actions That Drive Sales Growth

To achieve steady sales growth, businesses must stay consistent with these actions:

• Call customers to ensure they’re happy and to build stronger relationships.

• Send thank-you and birthday cards to show appreciation.

• Survey customers and prospects to learn what they want and need.

• Mail targeted postcards or sales letters to ideal prospects.

• Send regular email campaigns to keep engagement high.

• Keep your website fresh—it should always be up to date.

• Use brochures and marketing materials to help guide prospects toward a sale.

• Implement a referral program and actively promote it.

• Ensure your product or service truly meets customer needs.

• Deliver quick service—customers value speed and efficiency.

• Keep your office professional and organized—a messy space can turn customers away.

For Salespeople, The Sales Growth Basics Include:

• Making new presentations to prospects and customers regularly.

• Creating a detailed prospecting plan and following up diligently.

• Always asking for the sale and addressing objections proactively.

• Sending out sales letters to generate interest.

• Making cold calls to identify new opportunities.

• Following up with current clients to uncover additional sales opportunities.

• Sending proposals that clearly demonstrate value and solutions.

• Emailing and calling clients to check in and stay top-of-mind.

• Requesting referrals from satisfied customers.

The Growth Time Delay

One of the biggest mistakes in sales growth is expecting instant results.

Success isn’t typically immediate—it’s a result of consistent, repeated sales activities over time.

Here’s what to expect in terms of response time from different outreach efforts:

• Emails to customers – Expect a spike within 1–2 days.

• Phone calls to customers/prospects – Expect a spike within 3–5 days.

• Personal letters or handwritten note cards – Results typically show up 7–12 days later.

• Postcards to prospects/customers – Expect inquiries 12–15 days later, with residual effects lasting 6–8 weeks.

Sales Growth Requires a Multi-Channel Approach

There is no single magic bullet that drives sales growth. Instead, the secret is a combination of strategies working together.

If you only rely on one sales channel, your pipeline will dry up. But if you implement a mix of:

• Emails

• Phone calls

• Direct mail

• Personal outreach

…your sales growth will become predictable and scalable.

People buy from businesses and people they know and trust. The more familiar they are with you, the easier it is to get them to buy—especially if you provide a compelling offer.

Track Your Efforts & Stay Consistent

If your sales growth has been flat or declining, take a step back and review the checklist above. Ask yourself:

• How many of these actions am I consistently doing?

• Am I doing them more or less than before?

• Where have I cut back?

To stay motivated, track your outflow and results. Create a sales growth chart that measures:

• The number of letters, postcards, and phone calls you send out.

• The number of proposals or quotes sent.

• The number of inbound inquiries and actual sales over time.

You’ll start to see patterns—like how sending postcards brought in 30 new customers within three weeks, or how 800 outbound calls led to your highest revenue week ever.

The Bottom Line

If you take one thing away from this, let it be this:

Sales growth depends on increasing your promotional outflow and keeping it consistent.

If you want steady, predictable sales growth, you must keep promoting—daily, weekly, monthly. The businesses and salespeople who understand this win in the long run.