Design vs. Chance – why you need a clear strategy to achieve your goals

Define your Competitive Position

In today’s competitive market, organizations are leaving success to chance without a well defined position and a clear strategy for beating the competition.

Successful business leaders know it is hard to meet business goals without a plan, however many organizations don’t know where to start the planning process or have not committed the time to get it done.  

January provides a good opportunity to commit to the planning process and to align everyone in your organization toward achieving objectives. Planning should follow a process that brings operations, sales and marketing together to set goals and to generate agreement on strategic priorities, outcomes and results.  

BluePrint Growth Consulting recommends a 3-phase process to solidify your competitive position in the marketplace and to build a plan to achieve your goals:

Phase 1: Analysis

Establishing your market position starts by knowing where you are today. This is the most important part of the planning process, but it can be hard to do. Many organizations see themselves how they want to see themselves, not how they appear to others.

For an accurate picture of your current position, conduct external and internal audits to get a clear understanding of the marketplace, the competitive environment, and your organization’s competencies - your real, not your perceived competencies.

Interview sales, marketing, and operations to determine what is going well and what is not going well.  Gather ideas for areas of improvement.

Take stock of your organization’s strengths and weaknesses and look critically at your sales and marketing activities so you can be prepared to analyze your results and adjust.  At a minimum look at the following:

• Proposal or Bid Hit Rates
• Marketing Programs and Results
• Sales Scorecards
• New Customers
• Website Statistics

Most importantly, ask your customers what they value about your service and what you can do better to meet their needs.

With the information collected in the analysis phase, you can determine the areas of your business that require attention, and identify opportunities in the market.  This focus helps to define the overall objectives for the year and helps to prioritize your goals.

Phase 2 - Direction

Focus on where you want to take your organization over time.  A clear sense of direction and clarity of purpose allows operations, sales and marketing departments to establish common goals that are aligned with broader company goals.   So, take the time to clearly define your vision, purpose and niche expertise so you have a firm foundation for your Plan.  Be sure to gain consensus on why the organization exists, and the outcomes it seeks to achieve.  Set aside time to assess the following:

• Vision – where you are trying to go.
• Purpose – why you are doing what you do.
• Niche – core competencies, expertise, and specific customer market.

These items provide strategic direction and will clearly define what your desired future looks like so that you have a clear direction from which goals can be defined.

With a clear definition of where you want to go, the next step is to set SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound) so you can measure progress toward your goals.  Make sure you clearly identify and write down who is responsible for what and by when.

Phase 3 – Strategy

An often overlooked part of the planning process is determining a strategy for how you are going to achieve your goals.  While your goals and objectives define what you are going to do, your strategy defines how you are going to achieve your goals.

Your strategy is all about clarifying and claiming your competitive position. The concept of strategy is rooted in beating the enemy – or in business, beating the competition.   So, unless you have a market all to yourself be sure to assess your competition.   Your organization may provide similar services as your competition, so without a clear definition of how you are different, customers are left with price as the basis of selection.   Use your research from Phase 1 to ensure you have a clear definition of how you add value in a way that that is meaningful to your customers.

Defining your strategy is not easy. Organizations must understand their market, their customers, and their competitors.  But, the hard work is worth the time invested because a good sales strategy ensures you have a solid competitive position and a plan to beat your competition.
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IS YOUR FUTURE A MATTER OF DESIGN OR CHANCE?

If you haven’t already done so, take the time to start your planning now.  With a clear Plan that outlines where you are today, where you want go, and how you will get there, you will be in control of your future and positioned for success.  ​

​You have worked hard to get where you are today, so why leave your future up to chance?