Participant Testimonials
- This day was wonderful and really helped us understand the differences between sales and marketing and how we need to focus on both.
- We really had a great discussion on the definition of Marketplace Positioning and the Unique Selling Proposition and all its confusing terminology. As a result we are much clearer on our Positioning and what we need to do to build and sustain it.
- The Systems Thinking Approach to Sales and Marketing makes the most sense of anything I have ever seen in the field—our Strategic Marketing and Sales Plan has now begun successfully.
- Our Strategic Marketing and Sales Plan underwent a thorough and systemic analysis. Now we know what we need to change to be successful.
- Previously we had developed a Strategic Planning for Marketing and Sales but it was subject to the SPOTS SYNDROME (Strategic Plan on the Top Shelf). We now have a solid process of Leading Strategic Change.
- I now have a much better understanding and Game Plan that is appropriate to our products and services as they move from Simple to Complex Sales efforts.
- Thank you for the broad array of powerful tools that are simple and practical and I can implement immediately.
- It was great to identify the right Key Success Measures/Goals for our Marketing and Sales efforts. We had been just measuring comprehensive activity metrics.
- We have had a list of critical issues facing us but we now have a small set of Core Strategies that are focused and leveraged to deal with them all in the proper sequence. Thanks.
- We really had no real understanding of the full range of e-commerce marketing and sales options for us. Now we have three I think will be quite successful.
Sample Workshop Agenda:
| Time | Topic |
| 8:00 | Continental Breakfast |
| 8:30 | 1. Welcome/Introductions Meeting Purposes Three Goals Wants • “To Do List”; norms; materials; sample plans • Strategic Issues list |
| 2. What is Strategic Planning vs. What is Business Planning (4 choices) | |
| 3. Three main premises: a. “Systems Thinking—Focus on Outcomes Serving the Customer” — What is a system? — A–B–C–D–E: A New Orientation to Life — Four phases/many uses — Overview of concepts and research results — Strategic Planning leads the way (A–B–C–D–E) — Model; steps; tough choices — Culture change: Three kinds of change — Change via an “Organization as a System” Model — Right Answer #3: Customer Focus (Key Commandments) |
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| 10:00 | b. Planning is a part of management — Five functions of management? — Right Answer #1: Strategic Management System (SMS) — Strategic Change Steering Committee (to manage change) |
| c. “People support what they help create.” — EI = f (Q x A) — Cascade of planning — Parallel process/key stakeholders listed — Right Answer #2: Leadership/Management |
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| 4. Summary close | |
| 12:15 | Lunch |
| 1:00 | 5. Begin to conduct an actual Plan-to-Plan session a. Barriers and issues b. Amount of team building/leadership development desired c. Environmental Scanning d. Committee membership; roles; commitment e. Support team membership; roles; commitment f. Outputs tailored to your organization g. Tasks; flow; timing vs. budgets |
| 4:30 | 6. Next steps; “To Do List”; closure |
Sample Workshop Participant Notebook
Table of Contents
|
Section |
|
| • Purposes | |
| Part I: Defining Marketing and Sales | |
| Part II: Executive Briefing | |
| • The Systems Thinking Approach • A Strategic Management System |
|
| Part III: Three-Year Business Planning: Step-by-Step Step | |
| #1: Getting Started: Plan-to-Plan • Organizing: Plan-to-Plan |
|
| • Phase A | Step #2: Ideal Future • Vision • Positioning/Rallying Cry |
| • Phase B | Step #3: Key Success Measures |
| • Phase C | Step #4: Current State Assessment Step #5: Core Strategy Development Step #6: Three-Year Strategic Action Items Step #7: Annual Plans/Budgets |
| Phase IV: Successful Implementation | |
| • Phase D | Steps #8-9: Plan-to-Implement/Change Management Step #10: Sustain High Performance—Annual Strategic Review |