In this segment of the "How to Upgrade Your Business" video, Ryan Deiss (Speaker A) outlines the five core systems any business must implement to scale effectively: lead generation, onboarding, fulfillment, sales, and hiring. For each system he provides a brief description of its purpose and a concrete example or resource (e.g., a direct‑message (DM) funnel for lead generation, an onboarding workflow to prevent buyer’s remorse, a fulfillment template to avoid being overwhelmed, a sales process that boosts conversion rates, and a talent‑acquisition framework for hiring replacements). Speaker B interjects with brief clarifications, but the focus remains on the actionable frameworks that owners can adopt to move from mid‑range revenue to higher growth. The content is instructional and conversational, aimed at business owners seeking a clear, step‑by‑step roadmap for scaling. The key takeaway is that mastering these five systems—each supported by a practical tool or template—creates a repeatable engine for sustainable growth.
There are only 5 systems that your business needs to scale. Number 1, a lead generation system. This ensures you know exactly where your next client is coming from. Here's the DM funnel that we've used. I thought he said, here's the damn funnel.
He said, here's the DM funnel. You don't have to include that. I just realized that. Here's the damn funnel.
DM funnel. Number 2, an onboarding system. This provides an exceptional first impression that prevents buyer's remorse. Here's what happens for us when clients say yes. Number 3, a fulfillment system. This prevents you from drowning in client work as you scale. DM me course and I'll send you this template and a course. Number 4, Sales system. This qualifies your prospects and helps you close deals without wasting time. Here's our sales process that increases conversions. Number 5, hiring system. This allows you to bring on people who can replace you in your business. Here's what we call our talent acquisition—
I like this guy. Great stuff. It's very agency specific. At scale, I would distill it down though into 3 core systems. So system number 1, you need a growth engine. The growth engine documents how clients happen from the moment of awareness until the purchase is made or the contract is assigned. This should encompass both sales and marketing, so both lead generation and sales. If you keep these systems separate, you're going to silo your sales and marketing teams. You're going to create drama. You're going to create misalignment. Ask me how I know. System number 2 is your cash flow waterfall. This system documents how cash moves through the business as you actually start to have some leftover cash at the end of the month. So for us, the cash is going to start in our operating account. We're going to sweep excess from there into the tax account. We're going to sweep excess from there into a savings account. Once that's full, we're then going to sweep into distribution accounts and other purpose-based savings accounts. If you manage your cash, you're managing your profitability. You got to have that system in place though. System number 3 is your company operating system. This is the brain of your business. This documents how you do what you do, who's responsible for what, the metrics that actually matter, as well as the company's mission and goals and how you're progressing towards those goals. So yep, It's a great list of systems when you're kind of in the 6 to 7 figure range. When you're at $2 million and you're ready to scale to $10 million, you're going to need to tack on some of the ones that I mentioned.
