Process

Our strategic marketing and sales projects include six steps:  

• Target deduction from corporate strategy 
• Developing marketing and unit specific sub targets
• External and internal analysis
• Strategy variation developme
• Strategy selection, final target definition and strategy documentation
• Defining operative milestones for M&S systems and M&S Tools

Methods

The following list covers a number of different tools, methods and approaches to support the marketing & sales strategy development process. The selection and application of tools, methods and approaches is determined by situational demands.  

• Company mission and vision
• Target systems
• Market- and customer analysis
• Competitor- and competition analysis
• Opportunity-risk analysis
• Strength-weakness analysis
• Potential analysis, competence portfolios
• SWOT Analysis
• Success driver analysis
• Market segmentation
• Business unit definitions
• Market selection models
• Marketing mix models
• Competitive advantage models
• Portfolio management models 
• Market positioning models
• Co-operation- and alliance models
• Growth- and Innovation models
• Internationalization models
• Change management models
• Others

Think of your competitors. Your competitors are not always who you think they are. Knowing your competitors is a key ingredient of your market strategy. Here are some questions you should be able to answer easily:  

• What services are offered by competitors that you don't offer? Are you and your employees as well qualified to serve as specialists or customer problem-solvers as your competitor?
• How do your competitors treat their customers? Is their service prompt and efficient?  
• How does your company image compare to your competitors? 
• Can you answer questions about your competitors products and services knowledgeably and objectively?
• Who keeps more complete records on each customer -- you or your competitor?
• Do you mail a thank-you letter or send an email after each sales call, whether or not a sale was made? Does your competitors do so?
• What equipment do your competitors use? Is it better than yours?
• As you watch the product display of your competitors, do the products seem to be moving? How soon are they marked down or moved to the sale table?
• How many times have your competitors had their name in newspapers in the past three months? Count only the times for free publicity such as announcements, promotions, seminars, sponsorships, donations, speeches, etc.  
• How many times has your name been published for theseor similar reasons? 
• How much advertising (number and size/time) do your competitors do each month? How much do you do?
• What ist their marketing and sales strategy?  
• What is their customer potential?
• What are their objectives?
• What are their strengths and weaknesses?  
• How can they react to your strategy?