Bayle Shanks's website: notes-books-notesOnRelationshipMarketing

Notes on notes on (relationship marketing by regis mckenna) by soundview executive book summaries

positioning meeting: identify a position and then decide how to get there

at the beginning of developing a strategy:

ask yourself: "

what business are you in?
what are your company's fundamentals?
Describe your market. What makes it tick? Who are the key players?
Describe you company's technical, financial, and cultural strenghts and weaknesses. How do your customers perceive you?
Who are your competitors? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
How competitive are your products? What would you change to make them more so?
What key milestones and timetables must be met in the next two years?
How do you segment your markets? What are the key factors for success in each of your market segments?
What are the significant trends in each of these market segments?
What is your pricing strategy?
What is your distribution strategy? How do you support each market segment?
How important is service to your company? What is your service strategy?
What must you change in order to become or remain the leader in your marketplace?
What percentage of the company's resources will be devoted to each market segment? Are the resources adequate? " (the book had numbers, not *s)

interview people with industry experience, e.g. "customers, distributors, experts, financial analysts, journalists. ask questions like:

Of the products now available, which do you like the best? Why?
Where do you think the market is headed? What are the most important trends?
What do you think of XYZ technology? What are its advantages or disadvantages compared with ABC?
Which companies do you consider the rising stars of this industry? Why?
When you buy this sort of product, what influences your buying decision? What about cost or ease of use?
What do you see as the major limitations to growth in this industry?
Does our company provide the technology, support, and service you require? "