Determining Where to Play may be the most important decision in a successful, growing B2B company. An effective “Where to Play” strategy extends beyond product segmentation; Rather, it is the interplay of greatest opportunity segments, subsegments, & accounts and solution portfolio to create the intimacy necessary to attract and cultivate high-value accounts.
Purpose:
Revenue and margin growth require strategic investment of limited resources in the segments, accounts, and initiatives where the greatest value creation can occur. We believe that overall share of wallet and level of intimacy should be drivers for which segments, subsegments, and accounts are prioritized for focus and investment.
Benefits: By leveraging this mentality to determine Where to Play, you:
- Intelligently align your solutions, offers, and portfolio with your segmenting and targeting strategies,
- Generate higher returns on your time and resource investments:
- Eliminate wasted sales efforts and poor performing accounts,
- Leverage organized data and insights to effectively evaluate and prioritize your accounts, and
- Support the organization’s movement to a solution-oriented, intimate, and differentiated business.
Critical Success Factors:
Determining where to play requires a deep understanding of the segments, subsegments, and accounts. Therefore, internally, you must:
- Identify market challenges and areas where you can work Above the Line of Safety SM to create intimacy
- Speak to the problems you are capable of solving for the segment, subsegment, or account
- Clearly define the areas where you will invest your time to establish yourself as a topic leader
Externally, you will emphasize your ability to bring ideas and solutions to table, cementing your role as an insider to a segment, subsegment, or account.
Tools:
Portfolio, Market Segmentation Process, Segmentation Analysis Levers
