Strategy

staying on track

Bruce Duggan

Director

BullerCentre.com

Staying on Track

focus1. lunch alone

2. the no-cost benchmark

3. the $10 retreat

4. trading worries

5. strategy on a Post-It

toolsa. the strategy question

b. goals

c. making SWOT useful

d. competitive advantage

e. competitor triangle

only need 1 from each column

Focus

1. lunch alone• at least once a month

• take a notebook‐ no other paper

‐ no electronics

• sit for at least 40 min

• write down everything about work that comes into your head

Tools

a. the strategy question

How can we thrive?

Focus

2. the no-cost benchmark• Google “SME Benchmarking Tool”

‐ Industry Canada

‐ StatsCan

Tools

b. goals• hard

‐ profit‐ growth ‐ position‐ risk

• soft‐ management‐ employee‐ community‐ society

1 only

1 only

Focus

3. the $10 retreat• a ½-day retreat once a quarter

maximum no frills

• use a tool

• or ask‐ What are you worried about?

‐ What could bite us?

‐ What opportunity are we missing?

Strengths• ~~~

• ~~~

Weaknesses• ~~~

• ~~~

Opportunities• ~~~

• ~~~

Threats• ~~~

• ~~~

c. making SWOT useful

1. ____________

2. ____________

1. ____________

2. ____________

1. ____________

2. ____________

1. ____________

2. ____________

actions

Weaknesses• ~~~

• ~~~

• ~~~

Strengths• ~~~

• ~~~

• ~~~

us

Threats• ~~~

• ~~~

• ~~~

Opportunities• ~~~

• ~~~

• ~~~

ou

r world

Tools

Focus

4. trading worries• non-competing peer

once a month

‐ bring up your worries

‐ bring up your hopes

for the company

Tools

d. competitive advantage

i. value proposition options

ii. competitive advantage questions

“What’s our value proposition?”

“Why will people prefer to buy what we’re selling?”

“Niche”

“Our distinctives”

Tools

d. competitive advantage

i. value proposition options

‐ price

‐ features

‐ execution

pick only 1

Value Proposition OptionsPRICE FEATURES EXECUTION

Direct Tangible Availability

Price Quality Timing

Discount structure Performance Convenience

Rebates Proprietary properties Delivery

Credit rates Pre- & post- sales service Reliability

Indirect Options / choice Intensity

Financial assistance Guarantees Sales hustle

Capital vs. operating Intangible/Image Service hustle

Life cycle cost Design “Friendliness”

Cost absorption Fashions

Prestige

“Personality”

Can we actually beat our competition at this?

Can we live off this value proposition?

• What percentage of potential customers actually want this value?

• Can we reach them economically?

• Will they pay us enough?

d. competitive advantage

i. value proposition options

‐ price

‐ features

‐ execution

ii. competitive advantage questions

Tools

Tools

e. competitor triangle

“You can have it fast, you can have it cheap, you can have it good. Pick any two.”

fast

cheap good

What 3 product qualities do my sectors’ customersvalue most?

Tools

e. competitor triangle

speed

price quality

What 3 product qualities do my sectors’ customersvalue most?

Tools

e. competitor triangle

accessibility

price quality

True North

Hideaway

Trails EndRoss’ Resort

Pipestone

Happy Landing

What 3 product qualities do my sectors’ customersvalue most?

Focus

5. Strategy on a Post-It

Strategy

staying on track

Bruce Duggan

Director

BullerCentre.com