For a change, this blog is probably targeted more at the CFO, Finance and/or Sales Ops than my typical musings.  However, it is also applicable to sales since we are the ones positioning, negotiating and closing the deals – and I think this approach can help you do that much faster.  I first wrote about this topic in a co-authored article with Frank Cespedes of the Harvard Business School. (If you missed it CLICK HERE.)  As I stated then, while this type of approach has been applied on a deal by deal basis, I believed with thoughtful analysis, it could also be implemented for the overall business – and produce dramatic business results.

When discussing Business Strategy with executives, I find that even if they have a clear strategy, identified their ideal customer profile, and organized their go-to market strategy around these, the business results often are not meeting expectations.  In virtually every case, these companies do not have a clear definition of a great deal – meaning the right business deals to support the strategy.  This results in too many closed deals that are “unique” or downright ugly (especially with larger customers).  And when you look closely at the elements of these deals they often run counter to the stated strategy of the business – and contribute to an unhealthy business today.