Assess New Ideas Against Strategies
Apply critical thinking when making mid-stream adjustments

A general once said, “No battle plan ever survives first contact with the enemy.” While the comparison of warfare to communication may be extreme, the quote does make a point about adapting plans to meet circumstances. The market isn’t really a battleground, but it may be necessary to adjust your communication plan to address changes in the competitive landscape.

You can plan ahead for some of the adjustments that may be required. For example, you can schedule a mid-year review to evaluate recent results against written strategies.

But you will also need to respond when sales team members present new ideas for marketing initiatives or tactics that aren’t part of your written plan. How do you evaluate these ideas and decide if they are viable? With a written communication plan in place you can assess the new ideas against your existing strategies—and you can involve team members in the process. Ask questions that produce the best critical thinking from the group:

• Does the new idea or tactic match with one or more existing strategies?
  
  
• If not, should the existing strategies be changed, reworked or rewritten?
  
  
• What are the market forces that are driving the need for directional change?
  
  
• Have market forces changed the assumptions on which your plan is based?
  
  
• Does the competitive landscape require a rapid or immediate response?
  
  
• Will you get better results by making changes during the next planning cycle?
  
  
• Can you support the initiative with existing selling tools or will you need new tools?
  
  
• Is money available or will you need to plan ahead for additional funding?

There are several benefits associated with taking a team approach to answering these questions. You’ll build team support for the planning and budgeting process. You’ll elevate the strategic thinking of your sales force or other team members. Most importantly, you’ll gain new insights about the forces that are changing the competitive landscape—insights that will drive the next round of strategic adjustments, whether immediately or during the next planning cycle.

Crawford/Mikus offers a full range of marketing, sales and communication services, from brand execution to selling tools, and we implement end-to-end solutions across all media-from concept to execution. We’ll help define your visual voice, and we’ll convert your business goals into solutions that deliver bottom line results. Click on the Contact Us button to the left or call 404.875.7753 to speak directly with Scott Mikus.