This document provides a framework for developing a strategic plan and implementation approach to realize revenue acceleration. It outlines assessing the current situation including customer segments, competitive landscape, and industry dynamics. The framework then involves creating a vision and strategy, and developing an implementation plan to chart a path from the current situation to the desired destination, including considerations for marketing, investment allocation, and getting continuous customer feedback. The goal is to provide strategic clarity and a pragmatic plan to help leaders drive growth, not just manage daily operations.

1. 1
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
A
Path
to
Realizing
Revenue
Accelera3on
Strategy
through
Implementa;on
Mark
Dresdner
Stratapult
Advisors
Mark@StratapultAdvisors.com
StratapultAdvisors.com

2. 2
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
All
Rights
Reserved
Reproduc;on
of
any
por;on
of
this
document
is
not
permiCed
without
wriCen
consent
of
Stratapult
Advisors,
LLC.
You
or
your
company
cannot
copy
this
Intellectual
Property
informa;on
or
republish
it
in
any
other
form,
in
print
or
electronically,
without
wriCen
approval.
For
ques;ons,
contact
Mark
Dresdner
at
Mark@StratapultAdvisors.com
LEGAL
NOTICE

3. 3
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
A
clear
strategic
plan
and
implementa3on
approach
facilitates
drama3c
business
growth,
because
it
provides
strategic
clarity
and
helps
leaders
bust
out
of
the
shackles
of
run-­‐the-­‐
business
ac3vi3es.
• Do
you
truly
want
to
realize
drama;c
business
growth—improving
both
revenue
and
your
company’s
value?
What’s
holding
you
back?
• There
are
two
frequent
factors
killing
a
CEO’s
ability
to
realize
business
growth
well
above
the
market:
– Lack
of
strategic
clarity:
Defining
what
the
company
should
achieve
and
by
when
and
then
ploZng
a
path
to
realize
the
vision
– Inability
to
breaking
out
of
day-­‐to-­‐day
run-­‐the-­‐business
ac3vi3es:
Channeling
energy
toward
transforma;onal
changes,
not
incremental
tweaks,
daily
“emergencies,”
and
rituals
• Strategic
clarity
coupled
with
a
pragma;c
implementa;on
plan
helps
repriori;ze
ac;vi;es
so
that
business
leaders
can
be
real
drivers
of
their
company's
future,
not
passengers
INTRODUCTION

4. 4
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
A
roadmap
built
on
strategic
and
implementa3on
considera3ons
provides
the
most
effec3ve
path
toward
revenue
accelera3on.
ROADMAP
TO
REVENUE
ACCELERATION
Implementa;on:
Path
to
Desired
Des;na;on
Vision
and
Strategy:
Where
We
Want
To
Go
Current
Situa;on:
Where
We
Are
Today
Customer
Segments
Compe;;ve
Landscape
Industry
Dynamics
Company’s
Current
State—SWOT
Vision
and
Goals
Target
Customer
Segment
Market
Differen;a;on
Brand
Posi;on
Implementa;on
Plan
Con;nuous
Customer
Feedback
Customer
and
Market
Intelligence
Virtuous
Cycle
of
Tes;ng
and
Improving
“Tac3cs
without
strategy
is
the
noise
before
defeat.”
Sun
Tzu,
Author
of
The
Art
of
War
Making
the
Brand
Real
–
All
Customer
Touch
Points
Marke;ng
Plan:
Promo;on,
Product,
Price,
People,
Place
Investment
Alloca;on:
Direc;onal
Policy
Matrix

5. 5
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
Segment
the
market
into
customer
segments,
this
will
help
you
iden3fy
your
target
customers.
Before
choosing
your
target
customers,
ask
the
following:
• What
are
the
different
customer
segments?
• How
large
are
the
customer
segments?
CUSTOMER
SEGMENTS
Psychographics
Demographics
Behavioral
Needs
Geographic
Industry,
company
size,
stage
in
lifecycle
(e.g.
re;red,
recently
married),
gender,
age,
and
occupa;on
Values,
personality
type,
and
lifestyle
Brand
loyalty,
shopping
and
buying
habits,
usage
by
;me
(e.g.
day
of
week,
length
of
usage),
affilia;on
to
loyalty
programs,
and
who
pays
(e.g.
customer
or
employer)
Region,
city,
climate,
and
popula;on
density
Service
levels,
financing
terms,
product
aCributes,
and
delivery
;me.
ATTRIBUTES
TO
CONSIDER
WHEN
CREATING
CUSTOMER
SEGMENTS

6. 6
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
Understanding
a
company’s
compe33ve
advantages
and
disadvantages
is
core
to
determining
how
to
best
compete.
COMPETITIVE
LANDSCAPE
Low
High
ATTRIBUTE
YOUR
FIRM
COMPETITOR
A
COMPETITOR
B
COMPETITOR
C
High
Price
Product
Quality
Product
Func;onality
Brand
Strength
Customer
Service
Distribu;on
Network
Focus
on
aCributes
most
important
to
the
industry
and
customers.

7. 7
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
An
understanding
of
industry
dynamics
highlights
opportuni3es
for
compe33ve
advantage
and
pricing
power
as
well
as
challenges
that
need
to
be
managed.
INDUSTRY
DYNAMICS
Supplier
Power
• Brand
reputa;on
• Pricing
strength
• Alterna;ve
customers
• Product/service
quality
• Customer
rela;onship
Industry
Rivalry
• #
of
firms
• Market
share
• Level
of
differen;a;on
• Variable
vs.
fixed
costs
• Industry
size
and
growth
Buyer
Power
• #
of
buyers
in
market
• Volume,
other
terms
• Choice
of
op;ons
• Cost
of
switching
vendor
Threat
of
Entrants
• Barriers
to
entry
• Capabili;es
required
• Compe;;ve
resistance
Use
framework
for
a
general
discussion
on
important
industry
factors.
Threat
of
Subs3tutes
• Capability
and
cost
• Switching
costs
• Brand
strength
• Trends
Environmental
• Poli;cal
• Economic
• Social
• Demographics
• Technological

8. 8
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
SWOT
analysis
provides
a
concise
summary
of
items
to
consider
during
strategic
planning.
COMPANY’S
CURRENT
STATE—SWOT
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
• Strong
brand
recogni;on
• Large
customer
base
• Personal
rela;onships
with
many
key
customers
• Broad
global
network
of
partners
• Low
cost
material
via
volume
discount
from
suppliers
WEAKNESSES
• An;quated
systems
causing
billing
errors
and
inefficient
labor
• High
dependence
on
leads
from
one
strategic
partner
who’s
own
volumes
are
declining
• Online
presence
is
limited
and
less
than
some
compe;tors
• 30%
of
revenue
is
from
four
customers
–
if
they
ler
it
would
provide
a
cash
flow
strain
OPPORTUNITIES
• Develop
online
tools
to
help
enhance
customer
communica;ons
and
sales
• Expand
distribu;on
channels—including
online
• Deploy
an
efficient
and
effec;ve
opera;ons
system—
lower
costs
and
improve
customer
experience
• Upgrade
inbound
marke;ng
technology
to
provide
addi;onal
and
beCer
quality
leads
for
Sales
THREATS
• New
local
compe;tors
compe;ng
on
price
• Some
important
sales
channels
are
not
available
due
to
compe;tors
seZng
up
barriers
• Historical
value
proposi;on
is
losing
its
relevance
as
the
needs
of
the
market
change
• Transparency
for
customers
is
increasing
and
sparking
a
price
war

9. 9
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
Harvest/Divest
• Prune
• Prepare
for
exit
• Maximize
cash
genera;on
Maximize
Cash
Flow
• Limit
investment
to
clear
returns
• Choose
profit
over
market
posi;on
• Seek
opportunis;c
sale
Opportunis3c
Expansion
• Search
for
ways
to
strengthen
posi;on,
e.g.
acquisi;on
• Seek
niches;
specialize
• Monitor;
be
prepared
to
retreat
• Joint
venture,
license,
or
divest,
if
unable
to
strengthen
posi;on
Maximize
Profitability
• No
non-­‐essen;al
investment
• Don’t
accept
loss
orders
• Profit
is
top
priority
• Opportunis;c
sale
Limit
Expansion
• Emphasize
segmenta;on
• Invest
for
earnings
growth/cost
reduc;ons
• Focus
on
vulnerability
and
con;ngency
planning
Aggressive
Growth
• Assess
risk
of
challenging
for
market
leadership
• Sacrifice
current
profit
for
strengthened
posi;on
• Product
development
to
fill
out
weaknesses
Maintain
Profitability
• Strictly
contain
risk
• Sacrifice
share
for
profitability
• Maintain
posi;ve
cash
flow
• Reduce
fixed
costs
• Monitor
for
opportunity
to
divest
Maintain
Leadership
• Invest
for
preserva;on
of
posi;on
in
most
aCrac;ve
segments
• Start
containing
risk
by
choosing
profit
over
high
cost
expansion
• Expand
if
growth
is
possible
with
low
risk
Defend
Leadership
Posi3on
• Hold
leadership
market
share
• Diversify
• Accept
moderate
near-­‐term
profits
with
nega;ve
cash
flow
• Intensive
product
and
market
development
Business
Strength
/
Compe33veness
Market
Aarac3veness
High
Low
High
Low
Manage
for
Profit
Opportunis;c
Invest
INVESTMENT
ALLOCATION:
DIRECTIONAL
POLICY
MATRIX
Plocng
each
product
and
service
on
the
Direc3onal
Policy
Matrix
(Compe33veness
vs.
Market
Aarac3veness)
provides
a
recommenda3on
on
the
investment
level
in
each.

10. 10
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
A
roadmap
built
on
strategic
and
implementa3on
considera3ons
provides
the
most
effec3ve
path
toward
revenue
accelera3on.
ROADMAP
TO
REVENUE
ACCELERATION
Implementa;on:
Path
to
Desired
Des;na;on
Vision
and
Strategy:
Where
We
Want
To
Go
Current
Situa;on:
Where
We
Are
Today
Vision
and
Goals
Target
Customer
Segment
Market
Differen;a;on
Brand
Posi;on
Implementa;on
Plan
Con;nuous
Customer
Feedback
Customer
and
Market
Intelligence
Virtuous
Cycle
of
Tes;ng
and
Improving
“Tac3cs
without
strategy
is
the
noise
before
defeat.”
Sun
Tzu,
Author
of
The
Art
of
War
Making
the
Brand
Real
–
All
Customer
Touch
Points
Marke;ng
Plan:
Promo;on,
Product,
Price,
People,
Place
Customer
Segments
Compe;;ve
Landscape
Industry
Dynamics
Company’s
Current
State—SWAT
Investment
Alloca;on:
Direc;onal
Policy
Matrix

11. 11
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
A
company’s
vision
provides
the
founda3on
for
all
decision
making.
TODAY
IN
3
YEARS
Revenue
$42m
$80m
Profit
(%)
6%
12%
Market
Posi;on
/
Share
4
/
7%
2
/
13%
Geography
US
US,
Ireland,
Singapore,
China
Products
Full
service
xyz
Full
service
+
self
service
xyz
Staff
49
54
Other
Opera;onal
technology
comprises
7
loosely
connected
programs
Opera;onal
technology
has
4
or
less
integrated
programs
VISION
&
BUSINESS
PLAN
GOALS
Focus
on
aCributes
core
to
the
vision.

12. 12
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
Customer
segmenta3on
and
iden3fying
who
is
a
target
is
a
core
driver
of
company
profitability.
CUSTOMER
SEGMENTATION
&
TARGETS:
BACKGROUND
WHY
SEGMENT
CUSTOMERS
• Trying
to
market
and
sa;sfy
everyone
in
the
market
will
result
inefficiencies:
– Marke;ng
messages
that
fail
to
deeply
resonate
with
anyone
– Confusion
within
opera;ons
and
strategic
planning,
e.g.,
what’s
more
important,
low
cost
manufacturing
or
product
innova;on
and
quality?
• Inves;ng
;me
and
money
aCrac;ng
the
wrong
customers
will
be
a
drain
on
your
return
on
investment
SEGMENTATION
CONSIDERATIONS
• Customers
can
be
segmented
using
a
variety
of
aCributes:
– Geography
– Demographics
– Psychographics:
values,
lifestyle
– Behavioral:
loyalty,
buying
habits,
usage
by
;me,
who’s
paying
(company
or
self)
– Needs:
service
levels,
financing
terms,
product
aCributes,
delivery
;me
• Effec;ve,
prac;cal
target
customer
segments:
– Are
iden;fiable
(one
can’t
market
to
those
one
cannot
reach.)
– Have
needs
that
can
be
met
– Can
sustain
aCrac;ve
profits
(margin
and
volume)

13. 13
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
Dis3nct
customer
segments
help
one
iden3fy
groups
of
customers
and
their
aaributes,
and
hence
their
aarac3veness
to
the
business.
CUSTOMER
SEGMENTATION
EXAMPLE
Company
or
Client
Pays
Flyer
Pays
Personally
Usage
Level
Few
Many
Length
of
Stay
Short
Long
Short
Long
Who
Pays
Trips
per
Year
Corporate,
office
bound
Corporate,
office
bound
Execu;ve
corporate
road
warrior
Project
/
trainer
/
corporate
road
warrior
Consultant
Small
business:
execu;ve
or
consultant
Wealthy
leisure
traveler,
could
be
baby
boomer
Small
business:
execu;ve
or
consultant
Wealthy
leisure
traveler,
could
be
baby
boomer
One
or
twice
a
year
leisure
traveler
Small
business,
office
bound
One
or
twice
a
year
leisure
traveler
Small
business,
office
bound
CUSTOMER
SEGMENTATION
FOR
AIR
TRAVELERS

14. 14
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
Successful
companies
are
fana3cal
about
one
discipline
of
excellence.
DISCIPLINE
COMPANY
TRAITS
EXAMPLE
BRANDS
Opera3onal
Excellence
• Efficient
standard
opera;ng
procedures
• Simple,
quick
customer
service
• Predictable
products
and
services
• Dell
• McDonalds
• Amazon
Product
Leadership
• Innova;ve
products
and
services
• Entrepreneurial
culture
that
rewards
out-­‐of-­‐the-­‐box
thinking
• Bose
• Apple
• Porsche
Customer
In3macy
• Flexible
products
and
services
to
meet
each
customer’s
needs
• Staff
with
customer
contact
have
significant
autonomy—keeping
the
customer
happy
is
of
primary
concern
• IBM
• St
Regis
• Nordstrom
MARKET
DIFFERENTIATION:
DISCIPLINES
OF
EXCELLENCE
• While
all
disciplines
(opera;onal
excellence,
product
leadership,
and
customer
in;macy)
need
to
be
executed
to
an
acceptable
level,
a
company
should
focus
on
one
disciple
of
excellence:
– Trying
to
make
more
than
one
core
to
the
brand
will
result
in
diluted,
sub-­‐op;mal
results
– Aiming
to
be
all
things
to
all
people
will
create
an
offering
that
is
mediocre
at
best

15. 15
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
Stressing
your
points
of
differen3a3on
to
your
customers
and
internal
staff
helps
your
company
stand
out.
BRAND
DIFFERENTIATION:
POINTS
OF
DIFFERENCE
Current
Reasons
• …
• ...
• …
Future
Reasons
(ones
that
you
plan
on
crea3ng)
• ...
• …
• …
Reasons
your
product
/
service
stands
out
from
your
compe;tors
for
your
target
customers:

16. 16
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
A
brand
posi3oning
statement
defines
your
brand.
BRAND
POSITIONING
STATEMENT
Target
customers:
types
of
customers
the
company
is
marke;ng
to
Frame
of
reference:
where
the
brand
fits
within
the
market
Point
of
differen3a3on:
what
makes
the
brand
special
Benefits
for
the
target
customers:
why
customers
would
prefer
the
product
or
service
INGREDIENTS
FOR
A
BRAND
POSITIONING
STATEMENT
SAMPLE
POSITIONING
STATEMENT
To
the
;me-­‐starved
home
owner
with
a
lawn,
one
applica;on
of
WEEDS
GOODBYE
kills
weeds
in
your
lawn
completely
and
quickly,
with
visible
results
within
hours
without
effec;ng
the
grass.
Other
weed
killers
destroy
grass
or
take
mul;ple
applica;ons
over;me
to
work.
In
the
baCle
with
weeds,
do
not
waste
;me
or
risk
losing
your
lawn,
use
WEEDS
GOODBYE.

17. 17
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
Every
customer
touch-­‐point
either
for3fies
or
contradicts
the
brand
posi3oning.
MAKING
THE
BRAND
REAL
IN
CUSTOMERS’
MINDS
EXAMPLE
OPERATIONAL
ACTIONS
TO
IMPLEMENT
A
BRAND
POSITIONING
(Focus
on
speed
and
service
at
a
retailer)
• A
brand’s
posi;oning
(its
value
proposi;on)
cannot
be
a
secret
within
marke;ng,
it
must
be
a
compass
for
the
en;re
company
• Every
customer
touch-­‐point
either
for;fies
or
contradicts
the
brand
posi;oning
Receiving
Email
Response
Calling
Customer
Service
• Was
customer’s
ques;on
answered
quickly?
(speed)
• Did
wording
reiterate
the
brand,
e.g.
“I’ll
process
this
order
right
away
and
have
it
in
the
mail
today.”?
(service,
speed)
• Was
the
transac;on
fast?
(speed)
• Did
the
cashier
thank
the
customer?
(service)
• Was
the
cashier
friendly?
(service)
• Was
the
response
quick?
(speed)
• Did
the
response
address
the
customer’s
ques;ons?
(service)
• Did
the
wording
reiterate
the
brand?
(speed,
service)
• Did
an
associate
offer
assistance?
(speed,
service)
• Was
the
associate
friendly?
(service)
• Was
the
customer
able
to
find
what
they
wanted
easily?
(speed)
Paying
Cashier
in
the
Store
Walking
Around
the
Store

18. 18
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
The
marke3ng
plan—product,
place,
promo3on,
price
and
people—provides
the
framework
to
connect
target
customers
with
the
product,
and
hence
drive
sales.
Product
Place
People
Price
Promo3on
MARKETING’S
5
PS
MARKETING
PLAN
Product
types,
func;onality,
and
service
Adver;sements
for
customer
acquisi;on
and
reten;on
Distribu;on
channels,
customer
touch-­‐points
Price
op;miza;on,
considering
segments
and
profitability
Culture,
compensa;on,
and
tasks
to
support
delivering
the
brand
promise

19. 19
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
A
roadmap
built
on
strategic
and
implementa3on
considera3ons
provides
the
most
effec3ve
path
toward
revenue
accelera3on.
ROADMAP
TO
REVENUE
ACCELERATION
Implementa;on:
Path
to
Desired
Des;na;on
Vision
and
Strategy:
Where
We
Want
To
Go
Current
Situa;on:
Where
We
Are
Today
Vision
and
Goals
Target
Customer
Segment
Market
Differen;a;on
Brand
Posi;on
Implementa;on
Plan
Con;nuous
Customer
Feedback
Con;nuous
Improvement
Based
on
Learnings
“Tac3cs
without
strategy
is
the
noise
before
defeat.”
Sun
Tzu,
Author
of
The
Art
of
War
Making
the
Brand
Real
–
All
Customer
Touch
Points
Marke;ng
Plan:
Promo;on,
Product,
Price,
People,
Place
Customer
Segments
Compe;;ve
Landscape
Industry
Dynamics
Company’s
Current
State—SWAT
Investment
Alloca;on:
Direc;onal
Policy
Matrix

20. 20
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
An
implementa3on
plan
that
is
simple
to
follow
and
agreed
upon
by
the
whole
team
will
provide
an
efficient
roadmap
and
help
keep
expecta3ons
in-­‐sync.
IMPLEMENTATION
PLAN
KEYS
TO
EFFECTIVE
IMPLEMENTATION
PLANNING
• Use
simple
visual
plan.
GANTT
charts
are
a
prac;cal
op;on
• Develop
with
the
team
to
gain
buy-­‐in
and
alignment
• Review
for
dependencies
between
tasks
• Define
what,
when
and
how
for
each
task
• Ini;ally
develop
the
task
level
at
a
high-­‐level
and
create
more
details
as
one
nears
execu;on
for
the
task
• Remain
flexible,
adjus;ng
the
plan
as
new
lessons
are
learned
(customer
feedback,
compe;tor
moves,
new
ideas
from
the
team)
EXAMPLE
GANTT
CHART

21. 21
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
Gaining
regular
customer
feedback
helps
keep
the
company
in-­‐touch
with
a
constantly
changing
market.
CONTINUOUS
CUSTOMER
FEEDBACK
BEGIN
NOW…
…VIA
AN
INCREMENTAL,
ITERATIVE
APPROACH,
LEARN
ALONG
THE
WAY
YOU
CAN’T
WAIT
UNTIL
YOU
HAVE
A
PLAN
BASED
ON
PERFECT
MARKET
INFORMATION,
BECAUSE
YOU
NEVER
WILL
• Market
is
always
changing
• Customer
feedback
is
limited.
Oren
your
idea
isn’t
a
solu;on
they
have
seen.
(Customers
didn’t
know
they
wanted
the
iPhone,
Walkman,
or
Model-­‐T
Ford
un;l
they
saw
the
product.)
• With
a
general
understanding
for
the
market
as
it
stands
today,
your
vision
is
unlikely
to
be
so
far
off
that
lots
of
work
will
be
wasted

22. 22
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
Lessons
Learned
Improvements
Ac3ng
on
lessons
learned
to
make
improvements
regularly
to
the
strategy
will
keep
the
company
nibble
and
relevant
in
the
market.
CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
BASED
ON
LEARNINGS
A
series
of
small
changes
on
the
path
to
a
larger
change
is
preferable:
lower
risk,
more
manageable,
opportuni;es
to
quickly
incorporate
feedback
Con;nuous
tes;ng
and
ac;ng
on
lessons
learned
fuels
an
ongoing
pursuit
of
op;mizing
value
crea;on

23. 23
©
Stratapult
Advisors
2013
Are
you
a
mid-­‐sized
or
startup
company
that
is
ready
to
accelerate
your
revenue
growth?
Contact
Stratapult
Advisors
to
see
if
we
can
help!
• From
idea
genera;on
through
implementa;on
• Results,
not
reports
• Typical
results:
10%
to
100%+
increase
in
profit
Learn
more
by
visi;ng
StratapultAdvisors.com
or
contac;ng
Mark
Dresdner
at
Mark@StratapultAdvisors.com
Mark
Dresdner,
Managing
Director,
Stratapult
Advisors
Mark
collaborates
with
management
teams
to
realize
revenue
accelera;on
as
an
interim
or
part-­‐;me
Chief
Revenue
Officer.
He
applies
a
hands-­‐on
approach
covering
strategy
development
through
implementa;on
for
companies
with
growth
aspira;ons.
His
experience
spans
startups
to
Fortune
500
firms.
He
has
worked
as
a
management
consultant
at
Accenture,
led
revenue
strategies
globally—including
pricing—at
Starwood
Hotels,
guided
strategy
and
pricing
at
a
$1b
avia;on
company,
and
spearheaded
growth
at
por|olio
companies
held
by
private
equity
firms.
He
has
been
designated
a
Cer;fied
Pricing
Professional
from
the
Professional
Pricing
Society.
Mark
earned
a
Bachelor
of
Engineering
from
the
University
of
New
South
Wales,
Australia
(Valedictorian)
and
an
MBA
from
the
Kellogg
School
of
Management,
Northwestern
University
(Beta
Gamma
Sigma).