When revenues or profits slow, most B2B companies instinctively turn to familiar tactics: cutting costs, increasing outreach, or optimizing sales funnels. These are sensible steps, but they rely heavily on vertical thinking, which is logical, structured, and based on existing knowledge.
What’s often missing is lateral thinking — the ability to look at the problem sideways, challenge assumptions, and explore surprising alternatives.
For B2B companies facing complex, systemic revenue problems, combining both approaches isn’t just helpful — it’s essential.
Vertical Thinking: Know What’s Wrong
Vertical thinking excels at diagnosing issues such as falling close rates, Customer churn, Inefficient sales processes, and Product-market misalignment.
Vertical thinking helps you dig deeper, analyze data, and ask, “Where is the leakage happening?” It doesn’t ask, “What’s broken?”—it asks, “What could we do differently?”
Lateral Thinking: See What’s Possible.
Lateral thinking introduces creative possibilities like new pricing models (e.g., value-based or usage-based), repositioning the product for a new niche, Bundling or unbundling services in unexpected ways, and developing entirely new offerings using existing assets.
Lateral thinking doesn’t ask, “What’s broken?” — it asks, “What could we do differently?” Lateral thinking introduces creative possibilities like New pricing models (e.g., value-based or usage-based), repositioning the product for a new niche, Bundling or unbundling services in unexpected ways, and developing entirely new offerings using existing assets
Break Your Revenue Plateau with Two Powerful Thinking Tools
Vertical helps you go deep and precise, and Lateral enables you to see wide and different.
Together, they allow B2B leaders to understand the real causes of slowing revenues and generate fresh solutions that competitors haven’t considered.
Visit my website or my QuickInsights for more information on creating a competitive advantage, or email me with any questions or comments, positive or negative. I also like to learn.
Cheers, Jim Zitek
Turn B2B Revenue Problems Into Predictable Revenues and Profits.
