Because we are experts at customer and competitor intelligence, we can you help get the data you need to be sure that your strategy is based on real market conditions, not popular notions. We can work with your internal teams to build product and market teams that use intelligence to deliver products that have strong market demand. Then when you’re ready to go, we can help you shape your response to meet the market – (and shape the market to meet your revenue targets), through market and influence strategies that will win over key clients.

But “no plan survives contact with the enemy (Eisenhower/Moltke),” so we can also help you pre-test your strategy in competitive role play. You only want to “fly” your product after it has been tested in the “wind tunnel” of a simulated and fully competitive market.

1. Technical teams with great ideas, but with products that sometimes take too long to launch, or cost too much to develop – or miss the revenue targets when they hit the market.

2. Organizations who want to improve the ability to innovate by connecting with teams outside the company – but want to ensure that their connections yield the most benefit.

3. Channel managers whose product depends on getting distribution partners right. (click here for more about channel selection and monitoring services)

4. Sales teams with critically important “bet your company” bids and proposals – who need an influence campaign that is ethical and practical.

5. Product managers and corporate strategy analysts faced with current competition now – or who must plan the reaction they will encounter as they move into new markets

1. Focuses on your customers. We focus on what your customers want, and how you can win them over. We have considerable expertise in analyzing the decision culture and executive mindsets of target companies. This means you can map how your customers will most likely respond to you and to changes in their market.

We avoid recommending a strategy or a new internal process before we have a thorough understanding of how that strategy will affect your customer’s choices. Our objective is to give you a concrete picture of how your business customers will respond to your offer – or of what you need you to do to claim a lion’s share of your customer’s business.

2. Is research-based. We quickly get into the field to learn what customers are really doing, thinking and planning; or what your competitors are up to – in detail. We are very good at getting this information ethically.

3. Is client-centered. This means that there are no white fluffy clouds on our system diagrams where “magic happens”. We explain the tools; you pick the tools you need from our toolkit. We’ll help you use them. It’s not mysterious. This is very different from the way many consultants sell their services. In place of the cloud, we have a process.

The first step, again, is usually an internal diagnostic. Where do you see the problem? What are your goals, and what have you already tried? What works, and what does not? We can normally complete a quick snapshot diagnostic within a week’s time. Our deliverable usually includes low hanging fruit (things you can immediately do yourself to improve your situation), and two or three options for more in-depth action.