<p>Analysts scream:</p> <ul> <li>"XYZ Company is on the cusp of the <strong>hottest market </strong>ever!"</li> <li>"ABC Blue Chip will <strong>revolutionize </strong>the pharmaceutical industry!"</li> <li>"MNO Co.'s new <strong>breakthrough innovation</strong> will destroy competitors!"</li> </ul> <p>Business gunners -- thinking companies with the best strategies -- win, so they start going on their little retreats and coming up with "breakthrough" strategic advantages to:</p> <ul> <li>"<strong>Win </strong>market share!"</li> <li><strong>"</strong><strong>Kill our competitors!"</strong></li> <li>"Make a lot of <strong>money</strong>!"</li> </ul> <p>Then they go out, expend filthy resources implementing their "strategies" -- only to see their efforts go to waste.<br /> <br /> Companies don't win on strategy.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Wells Fargo </strong>doesn't win on strategy.</li> <li><strong>Geico </strong>doesn't win on strategy.</li> <li><strong>Gillette </strong>doesn't win on strategy.</li> <li><strong>Google </strong>doesn't win on strategy.</li> </ul> <p>What are the "revolutionary strategies" that those companies adopt?</p> <ul> <li><strong>Serve the customer better than anyone else can.</strong></li> </ul> <p>That's it.<br /><br />Done.<br /><br />Win.</p> <h2>How Focusing on Strategy Sucks You Up</h2> <p>Johnny The Executive Customer wants one thing:</p> <ul> <li><strong> "Satisfy me."</strong></li> </ul> <p>Most companies do nothing but satisfy Johnny -- as their executives go on retreat thinking about the best strategic penetration into a new market to grow %$#^$ revenue.<br /><br /><strong>That leaves them with a deteriorating client base, willing to part ways once a better vendor comes along.</strong><br /> <br />Business is simple:</p> <ol> <li><strong>Satisfy people.</strong></li> <li>Don't ever stop satisfying people.</li> <li><strong>Repeat.</strong></li> </ol> <p>Yet, crazy folks make business seem as if we're battling the Galactic Empire with one-hand tied behind our butts, holding a toothpick, and a unicycle that has a flat $^#^$# tire. <br /><br />Business is simple.<br /><br />Reach out.<br /><br /><strong>Make good on your promises.</strong><br /><br /><strong>Execute.</strong></p> <h2>Satisfy people.</h2> 2009-04-22T10:56:27-07:00 true 745 how-business-strategy-sucks-you-up 0 2009-11-06T21:45:48-08:00