Strategic Thinking & Strategic Action

Fostering strategic thinking and strategic action by organizational leaders since 2007.

Your pricing says it all… But what does it say?
Strategy Lee Crumbaugh Strategy Lee Crumbaugh

Your pricing says it all… But what does it say?

If your business is typical of many that I work with, your customer list is a collection of those customers who fit your ideal client avatar and those who don’t. The ones who don’t deliver you enough revenue, or who resist paying a higher, more realistic price, or who are a pain to serve likely are in your customer portfolio because of one of two reasons: Either when you started out you didn’t really know who you wanted or were best equipped to serve. Or you took them on because you needed revenue and customers and you felt that you could not be picky. (Anyone breathing who offered you money looked great!)

Sound familiar?

The fundamental concept to get your head around if your customer base does not align with the ideal customer you are seeking is that of price positioning.

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We are people, not transactions
Strategy Lee Crumbaugh Strategy Lee Crumbaugh

We are people, not transactions

A client who runs a marketing agency and I have been having an ongoing conversation about establishing the best client relationships. The gist of our discussions has centered on the “old way” of selling versus the “new way” of selling.

Simply, the old way is pushy and presumptive: The client sits on one side of the desk and the seller sits on the other side of the desk. The focus of the seller is on the transaction that he or she is trying to make happen.

The new way is questioning, problem-solving, and consultative: The client and the seller both sit on the same side of the desk, figuring out the best solution for the potential client. The focus of the seller is on the relationship with the potential client.

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Is excellence - or failure - ahead? Answer five questions to know
Strategy Lee Crumbaugh Strategy Lee Crumbaugh

Is excellence - or failure - ahead? Answer five questions to know

We all would prefer to be involved with a business that is excellent rather than one that is in shambles, heading for failure. As a strategist who has worked on improving businesses of all stripes over five decades, I am happy to offer my prescription of what to focus on to take a business to the next level, to move toward excellence, rather than toward mediocracy or even failure. I propose asking five overarching questions as part of an organizational assessment.

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What do your customers expect?
Strategy Lee Crumbaugh Strategy Lee Crumbaugh

What do your customers expect?

Targeting markets and customers/clients is an essential element of a strategic vision. But deciding who to serve is not enough. Knowing and addressing what the target market/customers/clients expect from the organization (or anyone aiming to serve them) is essential.

You need to determine targeted customer/client expectations.

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Demand a great brand!
Strategy Lee Crumbaugh Strategy Lee Crumbaugh

Demand a great brand!

I have been editing the second edition of the seminal book on strategy for strategy professionals, Strategy in the 21st Century, written by my friend and professional colleague Randy Rollinson. It references developing a clear brand as a key driver of strategic success. Amen! That echoes what I know: Success demands great strategy and a great brand.

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Why not plan to be great, like Elon Musk?
Strategy Lee Crumbaugh Strategy Lee Crumbaugh

Why not plan to be great, like Elon Musk?

Elon Musk and SpaceX, as well as his other ventures including Tesla, stick out as spectacular examples of dreaming big and then making a challenging but potentially achievable plan and going for it. But just how prevalent are leaders and organizations who formulate a big vision of future success and then formulate strategies and execute a solid plan to achieve the vision? Are Musk, SpaceX and Tesla really outliers? Even accounting for a less audacious vision, to what extent do leaders and organizations use the vision-strategies-plan-execution paradigm that seems to be carrying SpaceX and Tesla to such monumental achievements?

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