Sometimes we think we have a strategy when we don’t. Here’s a list of five simple questions you can ask yourself to test whether or not you’ve got a functioning strategy:
- How does you strategy guide your choices in today’s chaotic marketplace?
Great strategies direct our choices and decisions. If you find yourself flummoxed by the machinations of your marketplace, then it’s likely your strategy isn’t supporting your decision-making. It’s silent on something you need it to speak about. If you don’t know what to do right now, you don’t have a strategy!
- Does your strategy clearly answer the questions of who, what, and how?
The who — which groups of customers will you target? The what — which offerings (products or services) you will deliver to your target customers? And the how — which methods of marketing, sales, and distribution will you use to deliver your offerings to your customers? The key is to focus on the best combination of the who, what, and how.