Building a Strong Foundation for Short and Long-Term Success

Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” 

— Matthew 7:24–25

Whether you’re building a home, a business, a career or a team, each requires a sound foundation for success.

Let’s take this principle and apply it to sports. If you’ve watched college football this season and recently tuned into the National Championships featuring Indiana vs. Miami — or any team that has played Indiana last season — Indiana embodies a rock-solid and strong foundation.  The team reflects the highest level of commitment, attributed to trust and hard work. Their binding philosophy drives a common goal, and it’s clear that all the players understand their respective roles in achieving success.  Communication has been a key contributor to overcoming obstacles and moving forward toward the goal. When they’re down, they’ve remained confident in their ability to overcome.  When they’re leading, they’re relentless until the final whistle blows.  They celebrate their wins together … and they credit the entire team and organization for their successes. The National Championship win and impressive 16-0 season is a testament to their exceptional performance and spirit of teamwork. 

While building a program and a team to drive success is an impressive achievement, securing and enjoying longevity is a different story.  If you’re interested in our football metaphor, check out the link to one of the greatest coaches of all time … and that says a lot coming from this author:  Alabama HC Nick Saban – Winning culture & standard of excellence.

KEYS FOR SUCCESS in 2026

As we consider the year before us, here’s how Team Northpoint plans to help our customers achieve success, with our overriding focus and priority centered on service.

1) Establish goals. We must balance the needs of Northpoint to ensure they are aligned with customer success.

2) Set measurements to align with the Profit and Loss Statement (P&L) budget. 

3) Obtain feedback from our team members and listen to their input.

4) Incorporate the feedback, ensuring it meets the needs of customers and the P&L measurements.

5) Establish the plan for the year.

6) Communicate the plan.

7) Execute with excellence.

8) Adjust to change and disruptions; it’s a part of life.

9) Track success or failure; revise and adjust as needed.

10) Continue to execute.

Like the examples of Indiana and the enduring legacy of Nick Saban, your team at Northpoint focuses every day on performing to the best of our ability, both in the short and long-term. We’re fortunate to be “in the game” alongside many outstanding customers who have delivered solid teamwork during this down cycle.  We’ve watched with admiration as dealers, OEMs and suppliers throughout the industry have exhibited positive team-building measures and demonstrated smart skills to survive … and in some cases, thrive.  We’re impressed by those who have built a strong foundation and who actively seek continuous improvement; open communication; and the ability to remain agile as market and industry challenges arise.   

From our perspective, the key to this level of success involves setting a plan, establishing a budget and measuring your performance on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.  Weigh your decisions against your plan and consider its impact on the financial statement.  Always communicate your successes and failures regularly and share your P&L against budget so your team is fully up to speed and understands how your organization is performing. And just like a high-performing football team, winners must be prepared to adjust the plan to changes and disruptions and execute with precision.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK COUNTS    

We firmly believe a team benefits significantly from player input, and we continue to seek valued feedback from both our team members and our customers.  One of our measurements as an organization is the NPS (Net Promoter Score).  The “Net Promoter Score” (NPS) measures customer loyalty by asking how likely they are to recommend a company (0-10 scale) and categorizes responses into Promoters (9-10), Passives (7-8), and Detractors (0-6), with the final score calculated by subtracting the % of Detractors from % of Promoters, resulting in a score from -100 to 100, indicating overall customer sentiment and growth potential.” 

We’re pleased that Northpoint has consistently scored high in this measurement of customer feedback.  We don’t take this lightly; we understand the score is a snapshot in time and requires dedication and a consistent focus on improvement. This year, in the B2B category, Northpoint achieved an impressive NPS score of 84. For comparison, popular consumer brands like Starbucks have an NPS of 77, while Apple scores 61.

We believe and expect that this year will be an improving market for our customers. As always, our team will be here cheering you on from the sidelines, and ready to step into the game at any moment to help support you and your team however possible. We welcome your input and suggestions on how we can best improve our service, offerings and overall performance to help you achieve your goals and win in 2026!