The document discusses how competitive intelligence teams can impact strategy. It notes that currently, CI teams are often not seen as strategic because they focus too much on theory and not practical tactics. It recommends that CI teams start by excelling at tactical tasks like helping sales teams win deals, creating "battle cards" with competitive information, and collecting sales intelligence. This will help the team gain respect and be asked for strategic advice. With the right framework and systems in place, CI can start to provide more strategic analysis and input over time.
How Competitive Sales Battlecards and Silver Bullets Open the Door to Strategic Analysis
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How Competitive Sales
Battlecards and Silver Bullets
Open the Door to Strategic
Analysis
A Complimentary Webinar from Aurora WDC
12:00 Noon Eastern /// 7 August 2013
~ featuring ~
Ed Allison Derek Johnson
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Ed Allison
The Intelligence Collaborative is the online learning and networking
community powered by Aurora WDC, our clients, partners and other friends
and dedicated to exploring how to apply intelligence methods to solve real-
world business problems.
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► B.S. in Computer Science
► M.S. Management Science
► CPT US Army Signal Corps
► US Army Space Command
► Professional
► Cisco Systems
► Symbol Technologies
► Juniper Networks
► Polycom, Inc.
► Speaker
► Damn fun guy
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Questions, Commentary & Content
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The Issue:
No Impact on Strategic Analysis Today
►You may appear foolish, and aren‟t taken
seriously
►Your desire to be „strategic‟ leads you to
nothing valuable – its all just theory
►You cannot scale detailed analysis well
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Problem #2: One word -- “Tactical”
►Most CI professionals were never in sales
►Most CI professionals are MBA students or
have an MBA background
►Most people associate „tactical‟ with „less
valuable‟, in error
► This is actually the best route to “strategic”
►Porter doesn‟t discuss tactical practices
► Or does he?
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Typical CI Conversation
This is you…• I need to make this quarters numbers
• I need to train 100 new sales people
• I need to speak to 3 CEO’s tomorrow
• I need to consider M&A and how it will
impact sales
• I need to report to the board on the
performance of why we win & loose
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Problem #3: CI System
► Out-Google, Google
► News Letter systems
► Internal „knowledge management‟ solutions
► Do not incorporate the sales teams
► Don‟t help win deals
► Do not bring out silver bullets
► Don‟t aggregate data from the sales
organization
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Summary:
Why CI teams do not impact strategy
►You are not listened to because you don‟t
have the organizational respect to be taken
seriously
► Competitive Intelligence as an industry
► The fear of being „tactical‟
► No IT systems that support a different process & scale
the Competitive function
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The Solution:
How Competitive Intelligence teams can impact strategy
►Start with a road map
►Assess your organization
►Answer the basic questions with irrefutable
data
►Align with the sales organization
►Build reputation and trust
►Get asked for your strategic opinion
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CI Methodology
Framework
Internal Customers
MarketShare
Technology, M&A, Vision, AOP
Corporate Strategy
Improved CAP / GAP
Innovation
(Solutions/ Products / Services)
Marketing Preference, Brand, Offers
Sales Win / Loss Ratio
General
Increased Competitive
Knowledge and Culture
Culture Islands Sales / Exec Product / Marketing Strategic Ldshp Includes BoD
Deliverables News Responses & Diff Campaigns & GTM Predictive Scaled Ecosystem
Sources Public Field Research Proj Predictive Analysis Customized
Systems Non / Free M.S. / Web / CRM CIMS Advanced Dist. Financial
Investment Part-time Minor Full-time Competitive Team Sr. Leadership Board Reports
Results
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Becoming a Level 2 Organization:
The Competitive Battle Card
► Silver-bullets
► Tell a story
► Fact-based
► Less than 2 pages
► Specific to a Competitor or better – a product
► Differential Analysis
► Not always the same criteria
► Field Feedback Mechanism
► Accessible inside existing systems, like CRM
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Key to the Competitive Battle Card: The
Competitive Silver Bullet
Worst: Android sucks
Bad: The iPad is a tablet that enables mobility
Better: The iPad supports business with more application vs. Android
Even Better: The iPad matters to your business because with the clearest
display on the market, X-ray’s can be examined by physicians real time.
Android tablets simply don’t have that capability
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Do the same „silver bullets‟ apply?
Worst: Android sucks
Bad: The iPad is a tablet that enables mobility
Better: The iPad supports business with more application vs. Android
Even Better: The iPad matters to your business because with the clearest
display on the market, X-ray’s can be examined by physicians real time.
Android tablets simply don’t have that capability
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What‟s the future hold?
►Competitive Sales Enablement
► Competitive Battle Systems
►Big Data
► Competitive Trend Analysis
►Social
► Sales teams building these on their own
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So, How Do You Get To Strategic Impact?
Create
Silver
Bullets
Build Battle
Cards
Help Sales
Win
Collect Sales
Intelligence
Open the
Strategic
Door
Provide
Strategic
Input
Create New
Solutions
Only now do some
strategic analysis
become relevant
M&A, PLDC, etc.
Move market share
or revenue / share
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Ed Allison
Thank you! Now, how about a
little Q&A?
Email: Ed.Allison@polycom.com
The Intelligence Collaborative is the online learning and networking
community powered by Aurora WDC, our clients, partners and other friends
and dedicated to exploring how to apply intelligence methods to solve real-
world business problems.
Apply for a free 30-day trial membership at http://IntelCollab.com or learn
more about Aurora at http://AuroraWDC.com – see you next time!