5. Dominate or Leave
"Uh-oh," I thought, "this is not good."
I was getting my first peek at the strategic plan of a chemical products and services company whose financials had been flat for the past four years. The company intended to enter just about every market and niche imaginable. Business after business, region after region, demographic after demographic, product line after product line—all were targeted, with specific goals, action plans, and marketing initiatives. It looked terribly impressive, but I knew that this plan would only aggravate the company's problems.
To break from the pack, you must dominate some significant area of the market. In advising military brass on how to win in warfare, Colin Powell says, "Choose your battles ...
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