Business strategy consulting

Competitive Strategy Consulting

Everyone competes. Companies compete for customers. Nonprofits compete for clients. Associations compete for members. Universities compete for students. States and cities compete for employers, residents, and visitors. And all compete for employees and funding.

Differentiation is about being different in a way that makes the target of your strategy want your offering instead of your competitors’ offerings. You do that by doing something unique, doing something uniquely well, or both.

I use a combination of facilitated workshops (in person or remote) and customer research to implement the following five-step process:

1. Target Market: Differentiation strategies are target market specific, so the first step of the process is to identify the market segment you will target.

2. Existing Strategy: Identify your existing differentiation strategy (you have one, whether you know it or not) and that of your primary competitor(s) and map them on the “as is” strategy canvas.

3. New Strategy: Devise your new differentiation strategy and map it on the “to be” strategy canvas. Here you will use creative problem-solving methods (e.g., analogy) to find ways to do something uniquely well. And you will use innovation methods (e.g., the jobs-to-be-done method) to identify ways to do something unique.

4. Value Proposition: A value proposition is a compelling answer to the question, “Why should I buy your offering instead of your competitor’s? What makes you different?” The answer emphasizes a key benefit and the reasons to believe you will deliver it.

5. Activity System: Design the system of activities that will implement your strategy.

Why me? What makes me different?

• First, I wrote the book pictured here, published by Routledge, one of the largest publishers in the world.

• Second, after the consulting is finished, you’ll continue to have access to my strategy canvas software. It’s like the Blue Ocean Strategy canvas, only better.

• Third, I use electronic brainstorming and artificial intelligence technologies to do the workshops, either in-person or remotely. They’re described in the 6-minute video on the Electronic Brainstorming page. Make sure to watch it; I’m certain you’ll be impressed.

• Along with the consulting, you get the e-learning course free, which will teach you how to create and update your differentiation strategy the next time around.