|
Project Examples
Sales and Marketing Intelligence
Competitive Intelligence
Process Development
CI Software
Emerging Industry Analysis
Capture Competitive Intelligence from Your
Sales Force
Win/Loss Analysis
Key Customer Intelligence
Trade Show Intelligence
Competitive Intelligence Workshops
Product Opportunity Analysis
Competitive Pricing and Product Direction
Sales and Marketing Intelligence
As part of integrating a client’s Sales and Marketing
processes, we conducted a brainstorming session with Sales and
Marketing to efficiently gather and organize the competitor data
they collectively held. We initially developed a SWOT analysis
which we later refined through separate sessions with Marketing
and Sales as well as intelligence gained through other sources.
The brainstorming sessions helped us identify Marketing and
Sales differing perceptions of their company, their competitors
and customer decision-making criteria, as well as the gaps in
competitor data. Ultimately, armed with the data from multiple
brainstorming sessions and from many internal and external
interviews, we were able to create Side-by-Side Competitor
Comparisons and Competitor 360 Degree Radar Screens based on key
customer buying criteria.
Back To Top
CI Process Development
The client’s CI
process development team consisted of cross-functional employees
who volunteered to participate. We conducted interviews with
executives and key CI users to define the company’s KITs (key
intelligence topics). We overcame stumbling blocks such as a
difficult executive who questioned IF the company really needed
a CI process. We organized the company’s sources of CI, defined
the gaps, and set up an action plan to fill the gaps. We
concluded with a network map of how various groups in the
company would need to interact to affect a strong CI process.
We prepared a CI process value proposition based on how much a
recent competitor’s “surprise” product had cost the company.
This was a great learning tool as everyone was aware of and
affected by this surprise product.
Back To Top
CI Software Requirements
The client
was tasked to develop and implement a Knowledge Management IT
solution to collect, store and share competitive intelligence
with employees, particularly product marketing, product
management, Sales and key executives—ultimately about 1500
system users. We helped the CI team organize a framework to
identify user’s expectations, to thoroughly discover all the
sources of data, design and implement system requirements
(including maintenance), and identify the beta test team for the
system. We connected them to CI software providers and assisted
in the assessment process. We provided coaching throughout the
process.
Back To Top
Emerging Industry Analysis
We researched a new industry for our client’s planned market
entry. We contacted key players, industry experts and government
officials, and concluded that the market was not as lucrative as
initially forecast. This was confirmed in our 18-month
follow-up, where we discovered that more established industry
players had only made small inroads. Thus, our client chose not
to enter this market – a decision that saved the company
millions of dollars.
Back To Top
Capture Competitive Intelligence from Your
Sales Force
Our client hired a new sales force, and was anxious to tap
their expertise and develop a competitive intelligence process.
Experts by competitor were identified and interviewed to
establish baseline-marketing profiles, which included a SWOT
analysis. We identified specific sales needs for marketing
materials, customer testimonials, industry consultant support
and Intranet sales support. We resolved key communication issues
between sales and marketing. We helped our client jump-start
their competitive intelligence process by engaging its sales
force!
Back To Top
Win/Loss Analysis
This should be
re-named win/win analysis as both our clients and their
customers benefit from the outcome. We have conducted and
created numerous win/loss analysis programs. Many customers
just have us concentrate on the losses which is demoralizing to
their account reps, so don’t forget the wins!
We have learned that many companies have an excellent
customer intelligence process geared to increase sales for key
customers. When they win sales, they have a good implementation
process. However, they often do not capture why they won a deal.
When they lose deals, not even the customer intelligence is
stored, and Sales moves on to the next opportunity. We help
sales management teams develop a Win/Loss analysis process often
building on their excellent customer intelligence process. We
also help them define the specific objectives they hope to meet
through win/loss analysis. Our recommendations have often
helped our clients improve their customer retention and increase
sales.
Back To Top
Key Customer Intelligence
Our client was facing deregulation in the utility industry
which would let them market their services outside of their
regulated territory. They needed intelligence to determine
which customer sites they should market to first. We gathered
data on our client’s largest customer with presence in many US
states. We engaged in numerous interviews with the client’s
customer, utility industry experts and regulators. It was clear
from this process that certain states would be more receptive to
deregulation than others, and that our client’s largest customer
would like our client to service as many locations as possible
across the US. The real barrier would be the regulatory law in
each state, not the customer.
Back To Top
Trade Show Intelligence
Our client hired us to collect competitive data at a trade
show for a second consecutive year. We were successful in
obtaining all the data that our client sought and more. While
at the show, we were also invited to a cocktail party by our
client’s major competitor. Many distributors also attended, so
we were able to provide our client incredible insight as to the
competitor’s products, what sold, what didn’t and why, far
exceeding their expectations!
Back To Top
Competitive Intelligence Workshops
A. We were hired by a CEO to heighten his management team’s
awareness of competitive intelligence through delivering a
one-day customized workshop. We sprinkled the company’s salient
data throughout the workshop and focused on areas of competitive
intelligence that the CEO perceived as their weaknesses. It was
so successful that he wrote: “…met my expectations and, in fact,
exceeded my expectations because the Team took on the
responsibility to create and implement the Win/Loss
process….Ellen, you made the sale. Thanks.”
B. A conference firm hired us to develop and conduct two
2-day competitive intelligence interactive workshops in Tokyo
and Seoul. They would be simultaneously translated into the
respective languages, so we had to factor in a slower pace for
the curriculum while covering a wide spectrum of competitive
intelligence:
-
Developing
and Implementing an Effective Competitive Intelligence
Program (also counterintelligence)
-
Secondary
and Human Source Intelligence Gathering Techniques
-
Developing
Strategic and Tactical Competitive Intelligence Analytical
Tools
-
Competitive
Intelligence Software
Our curriculum attracted a sellout crowd in Tokyo, and this
was the first time that such a workshop had been conducted in
Seoul. It was a rich experience as the cultures in Japan and
Korea are so different from each other.
Back To Top
Product Opportunity Analysis
A. Our client
wanted to enter a new market and asked us to study successful
companies to build their model for market entry. Together we
selected four market leaders. We deciphered and analyzed their
business models and shared the strengths and weaknesses of each
model, based on our client's strategy for the new service.
B. Our client sought direction in entering the
telecommunications market. We provided a detailed market
analysis of the telecommunications industry, which included
companies in cable television, wireless, local and long-distance
services, international, and the Internet. We also provided a
value chain analysis report and presentation for each of these
telecommunications segments.
Back To Top
Competitive Pricing and Product Direction
We have helped many clients determine if their products or
services were competitively priced, as well as how competitively
they packaged their products or services. We have always been
successful in obtaining pricing, product/service features and
competitor’s future plans.
Back To Top |
