Mastering Strategic Planning

Marketer: Let’s start creating content! Me: Sure… but have you built your layers? Here’s what most brands miss: They skip strategy. Ignore research. And jump straight into creation. That’s why content feels scattered. And results? Inconsistent. Here’s the truth: Creation is the output. Research is the foundation. Strategy is the structure. In 2025, your content needs more than a content calendar. You need 3 layers that work together — powered by the right tools: Layer 1: Strategic Research Tools to use: SparkToro, Semrush, Typeform, Miro What to focus on: - Audience, market, and VoC insights - Message clarity and positioning - Problem-solution mapping This is where clarity starts. Layer 2: Content Plan Tools to use: Notion, Airtable, Softr, Sprout Social, Inc. Figma, Canva, Zapier What to focus on: - Channel strategy - Repurposing workflows - Editorial systems + metrics This is how you scale without chaos. Layer 3: Content Creation Tools to use: ChatGPT, Descript, VEED.IO, Canva, Semrush, Brand24  What to focus on: - Copy, design, SEO, AI-readability - Distribution, feedback, and optimization This is where content performs, if built on Layers 1 & 2. Marketer: Why isn’t our content working? Me: Because you skipped the strategy stack. Content that converts starts with research. Content that scales is planned. Content that wins is built layer by layer. The anatomy of content that starts with insight and ends with impact. ♻️ Repost to help your team build better content. Follow me Madhav Mistry for insights on marketing.

Today's episode will make you better at developing a strategy, and evaluating other people's strategies. Roger Martin is one of the world’s most sought-after experts on strategy, and the author of "Playing to Win", one of the most popular (and most actionable) books on learning the art of strategy. He’s written extensively for the Harvard Business Review; consulted for dozens of Fortune 500 companies, including P&G, Lego, and Ford; and written 11 other books on strategy, leadership, and clear thinking. In our conversation, we cover: 🔸 The five key questions you need to answer to develop an effective strategy 🔸 How most companies get strategy wrong 🔸 How to avoid “playing to play” instead of playing to win 🔸 Real-world strategy examples from Figma, Lego, Procter & Gamble, and Southwest Airlines 🔸 Why you need to either differentiate or be the lowest cost 🔸 Shortcomings of current strategy education 🔸 Much more Listen now 👇 - YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gTyPQZus - Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gKWWm-Fp - Apple: https://lnkd.in/gCing92Q Some key takeaways: 1. Strategy is an integrated set of choices that compels a desired customer action. 2. Great strategists aren’t born; they’re made through practice. Even if you see yourself as more operational than strategic, remember that strategy is a skill that anyone can develop over time. Just like any skill, it improves with practice. 3. To win in business, you must be either a low-cost provider or differentiated. If you’re neither, competitors can “bully” you and take market share. Two questions can help you figure out whether you’re winning in these ways. First, could you match competitor price decreases and remain more profitable than them? If not, you’re not a low-cost provider. Second, could customers essentially flip a coin between you and a competitor? If so, you’re not differentiated enough. 4. Use the Strategy Choice Cascade to define and implement effective business strategies. This framework consists of five essential questions: a. What is our winning aspiration? Clarify what you aim to achieve with your strategy. This guides all subsequent decisions and actions toward a clear objective. b. Where will we play? Select specific markets, segments, or niches where you will compete. Focus is crucial; trying to be everywhere can dilute effectiveness. c. How will we win? Determine your competitive advantage. You must either offer customers superior value or operate at a lower cost than competitors in your chosen areas. d. What capabilities must be in place to win? Identify and build capabilities that are critical for executing your chosen strategy effectively. These should be distinctive strengths that set you apart from competitors. e. What management systems are required to ensure the capabilities are in place?

In the traditional business landscape, strategy formulation often takes precedence over execution. However, what if reversing this order could unlock greater success? Here’s why focusing on execution first can be a game-changer for organizations: 1. Real-World Insight: Prioritizing execution allows organizations to gather practical insights and align strategies with actual conditions. This ensures plans are based on real-world data rather than theoretical assumptions. 2. Continuous Learning: Execution fosters a culture of continuous learning. As organizations implement their strategies, they collect valuable feedback, allowing them to refine their approaches and adapt to changing circumstances. 3. Adaptive Flexibility: In today's fast-paced market, adaptability is crucial. By emphasizing execution, organizations can quickly respond to market changes, ensuring their strategies remain relevant and effective. 4. Stakeholder Engagement: Early execution involves stakeholders directly, fostering a sense of ownership and alignment. This collaborative approach ensures everyone is committed to the same strategic goals, reducing resistance and enhancing commitment. 5. Tangible Outcomes: Focusing on execution drives measurable results. This practical emphasis ensures that strategies are not just theoretical exercises but are translated into actions that generate real value for the organization. How to Use This Info: 1. Analyze Your Current Context: Before diving into strategy design, thoroughly understand your organization’s current situation. Align your strategy with real-world conditions and constraints. 2. Learn from Past Initiatives: Review significant projects and initiatives from the past year. Identify what worked and what didn’t. Use these insights as input for your strategic planning. 3. Identify Immediate Actions: Even while formulating your strategy, identify actions you can take right away. There’s always something you can start doing. Implement these actions and adapt as you learn. 4. Engage Stakeholders Early: Develop early initiatives that engage stakeholders. This helps build commitment and alignment. Use these early initiatives to gather feedback and improve your approach. 5. Focus on Measurable Results: Aim for early, tangible outcomes. Use these initial successes to demonstrate accountability and to show that your strategy is practical and effective. While strategy formulation is crucial for setting direction, focusing on execution first highlights the importance of turning plans into action. By executing and learning from the process, organizations can refine their strategies, enhance their chances of success, and achieve sustainable growth.

Yesterday, I watched a rep waste 6 weeks chasing a $15K deal while a $400K opportunity went cold in the same territory. Here's what happened. New rep gets 47 accounts. No system. No framework. Just "go sell something." He did what 90% of reps do … chased whoever responded first. Big mistake. After 15+ years building territories, here's the exact 4 step system that turns any territory into a revenue machine: #1 Foundation security Visit all Tier 1 accounts ($1M+ potential) within 30 days. These represent 80% of your quota. Assess relationship health, competitive threats, and expansion opportunities first. #2 Intelligence gathering During every discovery call collect: current usage, integration challenges, team growth plans, budget cycles, decision maker org chart. Pro tip: Always connect with the IT/Operations team. They influence 60% of buying decisions and know where the real pain points are. (Just don’t get stuck here) #3 Opportunity matrix Look for accounts doing $150K with you but $1M+ with competitors/in-house. High service volume = high sales potential. (adjust these numbers accordingly based on your ARR) #4 Land and expand Never try to replace everything at once. Week 1-2: Identify competitor/in-house gaps. Week 3-4: Lead with complementary solutions. Week 5+: Prove value with wins. Week 7+: Expand footprint. Priority scoring formula: 60% time on High Value + High Probability (existing customers with large expansion opps) 30% time on High Value + Lower Probability (large accounts with competitor/in-house entrenchment) 10% time on everything else This system helped teams increase territory performance 40%+ in 90 days. Check out the carousel for more details how this works. — Sales leaders! Want to run better QBRs?! Check this out: https://lnkd.in/gW9ApfMZ

Stop guessing your growth path. Map it instead with the Lean Canvas model. Last year a client was losing cash after a bad investment. Their Board wanted a clear plan, but management's ideas were scattered. Pressure rose as their cash runway shrank. I used a blank Lean Canvas and met with management. Box by box, we turned fuzzy thoughts into clear statements. In a few hours, the team could see the whole business on one page. A week later, decisions sped up, waste was cut, and revenue began increasing. The Board praised the new focus because just one sheet had replaced weeks of endless slides. 1. Start with the Problem box because pain fuels purchase: ⇀ List the top three headaches your market hates. ⇀ Ask customers for blunt complaints. ⇀ Rank pains by urgency and frequency.  ⇀ If the pain is weak, the plan is weak. 2. Name the Customer Segments who wake up with that pain: ⇀ Avoid lumping everyone together - be precise. ⇀ Describe one real person, not a demographic blur. ⇀ Note where they already search for help. ⇀ Specific faces drive focused solutions. 3. Your Unique Value Proposition attracts attention: ⇀ Write it like a headline your customer would repeat. ⇀ Highlight the biggest outcome, not features. ⇀ Short, clear value wins the click. ⇀ Keep it under ten words. 4. Now sketch your Solution: ⇀ Draft three bare-bones features solving each top pain. ⇀ Mockup screens or sketches quickly. ⇀ Show them to five prospects tomorrow. ⇀ Speed beats perfection in early design. 5. Channels tell you how messages travel to wallets: ⇀ Pick the two cheapest tests before buying ads. ⇀ Leverage existing communities and email lists. ⇀ Measure response time and cost per lead. ⇀ Cheap learning outruns expensive guessing. 6. Revenue Streams prove the idea can feed itself: ⇀ State exactly who pays, how much, and how often. ⇀ Compare price to the pain’s current cost. ⇀ Pilot a single pricing tier first. ⇀ Real cash beats hypothetical guesses. 7. Analyse Cost Structure for sustainability: ⇀ List the three largest costs and make them variable. ⇀ Negotiate monthly, not annual, contracts. ⇀ Lean costs preserve runway for learning. ⇀ Automate before hiring. 8. Key Metrics keep founders honest on progress: ⇀ Choose one north-star metric and two support numbers. ⇀ Link each metric to habit or revenue. ⇀ Track weekly in one simple dashboard. ⇀ What gets graphed gets fixed faster. 9. Finally, name your Unfair Advantage: ⇀ This is the asset rivals can’t match. ⇀ Lean on unique data, patents, or proven community. ⇀ Document founder expertise that speed cannot buy. ⇀ Without moats, margins leak. 10. Don't forget to summarise your high-level concept and identify early adopters too. Review our lean canvas model weekly to stay on track with your strategy. What's your favourite strategic model? ------- ♻️ Repost to help others in your network. Follow Jonathan Maharaj FCPA for more insights on accounting, finance and leadership.

Most companies don't need more content. They need better, more strategic, value-driven content. 🚀 👉 Copying your competitors? It only adds to the noise — it doesn’t differentiate you, and it definitely doesn’t drive pipeline. Here’s what to do instead if you're serious about scaling content the smart way: → Audit your existing content — identify what's driving outcomes (not just traffic). → Align your strategy with your Sales, Product, Success, and Support teams — integrate real customer feedback into your content plan. → Map your content to the full buyer journey — awareness → consideration → decision → expansion. → Focus on intent over volume — not every high-volume keyword matters to your funnel. → Identify opportunity gaps where you can genuinely add value, not just "rank." → Build content clusters around your core solutions to strengthen topical authority. → Refresh and optimize existing content regularly to keep it aligned with evolving customer needs. → Treat SEO as a distribution channel, not a content strategy. → Prioritize formats that match intent — blogs, webinars, guides, comparison pages, customer stories. → Measure what matters: influenced pipeline, sales velocity impact, time-to-value reduction — not vanity metrics. Content marketing isn’t about churning out more. It’s about building a real growth engine — one piece of strategic content at a time. Need help turning your content into a revenue-generating machine? Drop me a DM and let's get talking! 👋 #contentmarketing #b2bsaas #b2bmarketing #saasmarketing #seostrategy #b2bcontent

"Let's just divide accounts evenly among reps." Famous last words from every sales leader who's never done territory math. Six months later: Rep A closes $800K, Rep B closes $200K. Same quota. Same comp plan. Different territories. Folks - territory planning isn't about fairness. It's about math. Here's the formula to always keep in mind: Territory Value = (Account Potential x Win Probability x Coverage Capacity) - Competitive Density. So, how do you apply the formula? Let's bust out our TI-82s and break this down... Step 1: Calculate the true account potential. Don't use company size alone. Use buying indicators: - Recent funding rounds (+50% potential). - Executive hiring sprees (+30% potential). - Tech modernization projects (+40% potential). Example: 500-employee company = $50K base potential + $10M Series B = $75K total. Step 2: Determine the win probability by account type. - Green field (no solution): 25-30% win rate, 4-6 month cycle. - Competitive displacement: 15-20% win rate, 6-9 month cycle. - Expansion accounts: 60-75% win rate, 2-4 month cycle. Step 3: Eval the coverage capacity reality. Each rep can effectively work: - 25-30 ENT accounts (15-20 hours/month each). - 50-75 MM accounts (8-12 hours/month each). - 100-150 SMB accounts (3-5 hours/month each). Step 4: Inspect geographic efficiency. - Dense metro: 8-10 meetings/week (1.0x capacity). - Regional spread: 4-6 meetings/week (0.75x capacity). - National territory: 3-4 meetings/week (0.6x capacity). Step 5: Measure the competitive density tax. - Low competition: +20-30% win rates. - Saturated markets: -25-35% win rates. Here's an example of how to score territories: 1. Territory A: 40 enterprise accounts x $90K potential x 25% win rate x 0.8 geography x 0.9 competition = $648K. 2. Territory B: 60 mid-market accounts x $35K potential x 35% win rate x 1.0 geography x 1.1 competition = $809K. As you'll see, territory B wins despite LOWER account values. Once you've run the math, don't treat all accounts equally. Allocate effort thusly: - Tier 1 (20% accounts, 60% revenue): Weekly touches, exec relationships. - Tier 2 (30% accounts, 30% revenue): Bi-weekly touches, manager relationships. - Tier 3 (50% accounts, 10% revenue): Monthly touches, inside sales. At the end of the day, good territory planning is applied mathematics, not office politics. Equal doesn't mean fair when account potential varies 10x. Run the math. Weight the factors. Track the results. Because the rep with the better territory will always outperform the rep with more accounts. Remember that math doesn't lie, but territory assignments definitely do. :)

Every organisation has ambitious strategies. Yet, far too many stumble when it comes to execution. Why? Misalignment between strategic vision and actionable steps. Here’s what the most successful teams do differently: ☑ Clear Communication ↳ They translate high-level goals into clear, actionable tasks. Everyone knows not just what to do, but why it matters. ☑ Ownership & Accountability ↳ Team members own their responsibilities and are empowered to make decisions. This eliminates bottlenecks and drives momentum. ☑ Dynamic Feedback Loops ↳ Execution isn't linear—it's iterative. High-performing teams constantly review and adjust based on real-time feedback. ☑ Alignment Across Teams ↳ Silos kill execution. Great teams ensure collaboration across departments, aligning KPIs and priorities with the overall mission. ☑ Culture of Trust & Collaboration ↳ Execution thrives in an environment of trust. When teams feel supported, they innovate and execute fearlessly. Execution is where strategy comes alive. It's not just about planning—it's about empowering your people and creating systems that adapt to the pace of change. Ps. If you like content like this, please follow me 🙏

In higher education advancement, leadership matters more than any deck or strategy. Here’s how to lead with intention, even through uncertainty. 1. Communicate clearly and compassionately, even when you don’t have all the answers. Your team isn’t expecting certainty; they’re looking for steadiness. Share what you can when you can. Provide context. Model a trusted, even presence they can come back to when things feel unsettled. 2. Stay focused on mission and values. When priorities shift (and they will), let your institution’s mission and your team’s shared values guide decisions, messaging, and fundraising strategy. They offer clarity when the path forward feels less defined. 3. Prioritize your team. Your leadership matters more than any deck or strategy. Make time for your team members, even when your calendar is full of back to back meetings. Remind them of what you’ve already navigated together. Create space for candid conversations about what’s working well—and what’s not—and remove barriers, even small ones, to keep momentum toward your goals. 4. Build and sustain team resilience. Ongoing change is tiring. Recognition and ownership increase organizational resilience. Notice small wins. Celebrate progress. Invite people to take meaningful ownership of the work. Help your team feel seen—not just for what they do, but for who they are. 5. Lead for efficiency while maximizing connection. Yes, budgets may be tighter. That doesn’t mean leading alone. Revisit priorities and processes with your team and let go of what no longer serves you. Continue to invest in what sustains strong advancement cultures: trust, collaboration, and learning. This is the important work ahead for higher education advancement—navigating complexity while continuing to lead with intention. Glad to be in it together.

Everyone wants growth. Very few want to slow down and build for it. The truth is, growth that lasts is rarely accidental. It comes from intention, iteration, and a deep understanding of your customer and your model. This framework is something I came across and keep going back to because it works. G.R.O.W.T.H. ✅ Get clear on value If people cannot understand your offer in one line, you do not have product clarity yet. ✅ Refine the model Do not just assume people will buy. Watch how they actually do. ✅ Optimize for learnings Every failed test is still data. You are either earning or learning. ✅ Win small first Find the niche. Prove it works. Then think about scaling. ✅ Test and tweak Strategy is not fixed. It should evolve as your market and team evolves. ✅ Hold the vision Growth is messy. On the hardest days, your clarity of purpose will keep you moving. If you are building something that matters, bookmark this. It will serve you better than another hack. #leadership #entrepreneurship #strategy #growth #success