Pull vs. Push – What is the winning formula in your business?

Two brothers were called by their father to discuss on his will and property related matters as he was getting old. Both wanted to build the legacy of their father and wanted to be successful in running the family farming business.

The father gave them two equal pieces of land and asked them that the one who gets the bigger harvest first wins. Taking up the challenge and wanting to prove themselves to the father, both started to sow the seeds in the ground to raise crops on the different tracts. The older one applied techniques of farming by caring for the plants and soil by using natural manure. The younger one was impatient and decided to put chemical fertilizers which will quicken the ripening.

The harvest for the younger son was bountiful and fast and he was declared the winner. The older one was not convinced and explained to his father and brother the harms which would come by these methods. The younger one continued and chose methods for faster and greater output. In a few years, the soil on his tract depleted and the output started to reduce. No amount of additional fertilizer was able to make the soil fertile for use and the younger brother had to postpone the seeding. He realized his mistake and spent the next three years to get the soil back to its original state by not using any harmful chemicals.

The younger brother called upon his brother and father and told that it was indeed the elder brother who had won as to have a bigger harvest means to have it consistently and not being fast initially.

When it comes to winning or competitive intensity, people often overlook what is good for their own business in the run to supremacy. While it may give sales or top line growth in the short term, it may lower the overall proposition which the business offers in terms of being sustainable to consumers. As an example, businesses may sometimes choose deep discounting and other schemes to quickly get sales, gain market share or thwart competition.

Push strategies, however, are generally short lived and may hurt the value proposition of the business in the long term. In the above example, the consumers may find it hard to attach the value to the brand without the discount. If the competition comes with similar discounts it may further establish this. Brands or businesses which have created long term legacies are pull based and establish their value proposition directly with the consumer.

Is your strategy creating the right pull ensuring quality and quantity, long term and short term growth?