Business Strategy

“The ability to learn faster than the competition is often the only sustainable competitive advantage a business can have”

Arie De Geus

A well-planned and structured business development strategy, regularly reviewed, is an integral part of any successful business. However, how many businesses really make the time to construct an effective one?

Most business people have all the skills and intelligence to develop a systematic and effective business development strategy. Many, however, struggle to prioritise their time to invest sufficient energy in this area - indeed some just shy away from it. Ask yourself… how many military leaders would go into battle without a focused, well-thought-through and well-communicated battle plan? Their view is that the front line cannot carry out their orders effectively if they don’t understand where they fit into the overall strategy, so why is business any different?

The Real World team has significant experience, over many years, in helping a wide range of businesses to plan and execute successful strategies for developing their businesses effectively. And herein lies the clue - it is your business and your plan.

Real World invests time to enter your world and to fully understand your marketplace, your existing business processes and structures, the knowledge, skills and talents of your people, and your values - and how all of these impact on the way you run your business. Your values will underpin everything you do, particularly the way in which you move the business forward and develop it.

Real World will help you to consider, for example:

- what is your sales policy?

- what is your ideal product/service mix?

- what is your ideal customer mix?

- how does the 80:20 rule apply to your customer base?

- how should you best organise your people and what overall structure would capitalise on the market opportunities you face?

Real World can also guide and support you to communicate this policy in the most effective way to ensure ownership and buy-in throughout your organisation:

- how do you connect your policy with the values and beliefs of your people?

- how clearly is it communicated?

- how often is it communicated? (never underestimate the power of repetition, never underestimate the power of repetition, never underestimate the power of repetition)

- how do you know they’ve understood it?

As a result of working through these key areas, you will have developed a well-thought-through business development strategy in which you believe strongly. You will be able to communicate this effectively both to your immediate management team and to your front-line people, because you will talk to them in a way that relates specifically to their world and complements their values. They will understand exactly what is expected of them - and why - and will therefore be more motivated to succeed.

In the military they say "Never send your troops into battle without the tools to do the job." A clear business development strategy is the first tool you will need.