How Business Strategy Sucks You Up
Analysts scream:
- "XYZ Company is on the cusp of the hottest market ever!"
- "ABC Blue Chip will revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry!"
- "MNO Co.'s new breakthrough innovation will destroy competitors!"
Business gunners -- thinking companies with the best strategies -- win, so they start going on their little retreats and coming up with "breakthrough" strategic advantages to:
- "Win market share!"
- "Kill our competitors!"
- "Make a lot of money!"
Then they go out, expend filthy resources implementing their "strategies" -- only to see their efforts go to waste.
Companies don't win on strategy.
- Wells Fargo doesn't win on strategy.
- Geico doesn't win on strategy.
- Gillette doesn't win on strategy.
- Google doesn't win on strategy.
What are the "revolutionary strategies" that those companies adopt?
- Serve the customer better than anyone else can.
That's it.
Done.
Win.
How Focusing on Strategy Sucks You Up
Johnny The Executive Customer wants one thing:
- "Satisfy me."
Most companies do nothing but satisfy Johnny -- as their executives go on retreat thinking about the best strategic penetration into a new market to grow %$^^$ revenue.
That leaves them with a deteriorating client base, willing to part ways once a better vendor comes along.
Business is simple:
- Satisfy people.
- Don't ever stop satisfying people.
- Repeat.
Yet, crazy folks make business seem as if we're battling the Galactic Empire with one-hand tied behind our butts, holding a toothpick, and a unicycle that has a flat $^^^$^ tire.
Business is simple.
Reach out.
Make good on your promises.
Execute.
Satisfy people.
If you enjoyed How Business Strategy Sucks You Up, get a complimentary subscription to our freshest articles through email or through your feed reader.
Posted on April 22