Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, Digital Transformation Strategy (145-slide PowerPoint presentation). Digital Transformation is being embraced by organizations across most industries, as the role of technology shifts from being a business enabler to a business driver. This has only been accelerated by the COVID-19 global pandemic. Thus, to remain competitive and outcompete in today's fast paced, [read more]
A Strategic Competitive Advantage also Requires a Competitive Strategic Sales Strategy
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Although Strategic Planning requires alignment of a multitude of separate and critical organizational areas, a major part of any Strategic Plan is a sound, competitive strategic sales strategy with appropriate and effective goals and related action-step / follow-up requirements clearly enunciated. We have alluded several times in my articles to the ever increasing ability of buyers (and competitors) to access the internet in order to analyze competing products, prices, company values, etc., further enabling their ability to make purchase and/or marketing decisions before taking action, strategic or otherwise.
No longer is The Salesperson alone capable of shouldering the primary load required to gain a final sale or client. Buyer research will have often preceded any discussion with a supplier for goods or services, regardless of the market or industry involved.
Ultimately, the primary issue which The Salesperson will face is convincing and confirming to the potential buyer the validity of product /service “added value” which the buyer has likely already researched through the internet, including Social media.
In like manner, those responsible for creating strategic sales and marketing goals will be wasting precious time, cost and a multitude of other assets if not fully aware of the competitive edge and methods used or “proposed” by their competition and available to potential buyers and/or clients through the internet…many competitors are already prioritizing their efforts toward improving the customer/client experience via concentrate upon a multitude of influencing strategic operational factors & new technologies… KNOW THY COMPETITION & COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE / DISADVANTAGE!!!
The effectiveness of any Strategic Plan will greatly be influenced by the incorporation, or lack of it, of a competitive strategic sales and marketing strategy required as part of a complete and cohesive company effort toward reaching strategic goals and ultimate success… sales success and strategic sales strategy are more, now and forever, one and the same!
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About Anthony Gable
Anthony Gable, MBA, owner of Echelon Associates, is a Strategic Planning Specialist. He has been advising individual owners, executives, and profit-center (SBU) heads and their teams on the strategic planning process since 1983. Prior to that, he gained management experience from years of wide-reaching exposure in the corporate sector as a manager and executive. You can view his documents on Strategic Planning here.Top 10 Recommended Documents