The Strategy Development and Positioning Workshop

The objectives of the workshop are to

• Clearly place the company in its target market
• Determine how it will successfully compete in it, and
• Develop an analytical foundation and process through which the management team can continue to evolve and refine its strategy as market conditions change

Telecommunications markets grow and change very rapidly. Multiple markets for a variety of products and services develop along the value chain (technology, platforms, applications and services) that leads through the service provider to the ultimate user. These markets receive a wide range of similar-sounding and often confusing messages about products they need. Buyers are not sure what is true and available, if one product overlaps another or not, or even what buyers themselves need and require. Many products appear similar on the surface, but close examination shows significant differences. Our research confirms that many markets are not sufficiently educated to create sophisticated buyers and that no single leader has emerged to define market expectations.

To win in these markets, your strategy must clearly identify the company’s market position and describes the competitive path followed to reach the company’s goals. This workshop will define one or more positions that succinctly incorporate the company’s key competitive strength, the value proposition delivered by your company’s products and services, and clearly identify the target customer set. We look at your offering as part of a whole solution for the customer, and identify potential partners to help you deliver full value to the market. We will test all assumptions, the position and the strategy against real competition and their offerings in the target market. The company’s goals and resources will be synchronized in order to execute a plan to lead or dominate your market segment.

Each member of the management team contributes his or her unique expertise, experience, and outlook to the meeting. The discussion digs into the company’s internal strengths and weaknesses and measures them against the requirements for success in its external market environment – as it is today, and as it will likely be in the future. Company technology and products are considered strategic assets that lay the foundation for the company’s competitive advantage. The workshop may uncover a number of issues (company culture, organization, decision-making processes, management styles, product definition, tactical marketing and sales concerns, budget issues). Such issues are important, and may require some immediate attention, but these items are typically better addressed in separate meetings distinct from this strategy session. Many issues will be discussed, but only the highest priority items will be driven to conclusion during this workshop. Our conclusions typically require further information gathering, testing and clarification after the workshop. It is recognized that the group will not have all the information at hand to fully explore each subject identified here. Areas for post-workshop exploration will be identified and noted.