Marketing & Sales Roundtable Marketing ’ s Role in Driving the Customer Focus into the Planning Process November 2002

©2002 Rosemary Remacle 2 11:30–Introductions/Objectives 11:45–Marketing’s Role in Driving the Customer Focus into the Planning Process: Presentation and Discussion 1:15–Summary and Wrap-up Agenda

©2002 Rosemary Remacle 3 Startups and Planning: The Dilemma Too much to do Too few resources ‘We don’t know enough' yet Dynamic environment but… Without strategy and planning, it’s impossible to build a successful company Optimum balance between disciplined process and “overdoing it” is required

©2002 Rosemary Remacle 4  Market opportunity: context for company’s long term success  Company-specific raison d’etre related to market opportunity (  5 years)  2-3 year strategic plan supporting market vision and mission  12-month operating plan detailing actions, milestones, metrics, responsibilities necessary to execute against the strategic plan Market Vision Mission Strategic Plan Annual Operating Plan Company Functions/ Departments Company Planning Foundations

©2002 Rosemary Remacle 5

6 Strategic Plan Components Market Vision: Environmental assessment (market trends, technology enablers, problem/opportunity) Mission statement Key business assumptions Competitive environment Barriers to adoption Positioning strategy (product/service category, market/customer segments targeted, problem solved, benefits/competitive differentiation) Customer Requirements: Total product roadmap Company strengths/weaknesses relative to its ability to execute against the strategy Business model/pricing Marketing and Sales strategy Corporate strategic objectives (3-5) Corporate culture and values description

©2002 Rosemary Remacle 7 Annual Operating Plan Components State of company Review of prior year’s performance against the strategic plan, corporate strategic objectives Key corporate accomplishments Financial performance/health Variances from plan What’s changed since last year- environmental assessment & strategic plan update Key business assumptions Key initiatives for next year (“must do’s”) Risk factors Hinge factors Functional/departmental Must Do’s Marketing plan (includes total product roadmap) Sales plan Engineering plan (includes technology and product roadmaps) Finance and administration plan (Finance, IT, H/R) Manufacturing/Operations Management team/personnel Headcount Performance reviews Next year management team compensation recommendations Next year management team measurement criteria

©2002 Rosemary Remacle 8 What ’ s is Marketing ’ s Role in the Planning Process? Planning/Content Drives the annual plan process (shared with CFO) Represent ‘Target Customer’ to organization Bring market shifts to the table Provide focus on products/customers Identify market opportunities + requirements to address Provide research and apply judgment – competitive, customer, market, technology – synthesis + analysis Articulate a compelling value proposition vs. status quo solution Prioritization of opportunities, segments, channels Identifying most viable business model Represent voice of the customer, (end customer), other influencers, analyst, experts Map core capabilities to organizational competence Realistic (honest) identification of barriers to market adaptation Process Ensure that assumptions are research, market data-based Establish plan for the plan – ground rules, process-updating deliverables Set timeline + milestones

©2002 Rosemary Remacle 9 The Causes:  Hearing what you want from the customers rather than what they are really saying  Small number of potential customers ‘interviewed’  Tunnel vision: technology/product  Lack of regular market assessment  Not understanding the customer buying decision process  Inability to develop consistent, compelling, customer segment-focused messages Customer Segment Company Disconnect The Customer Segment Focus ‘Problem’

©2002 Rosemary Remacle 10 Strategic Plan Customers Strategy discussions Customer s Sales calls Industry Analysts Market segment reports and discussions Customers Product requirements discussions Advisory Board(s) Competito rs Collateral, Websites, Tradeshows Partners Strategy discussions Consultants Qualitative third- party market and customer segment research (interviews) Building a Customer Segment- Focused Strategic Plan

©2002 Rosemary Remacle 11 Summary: Keys to a Customer Segment-Focused Strategy Define your market and customer segment Listen to multiple customers and synthesize their inputs Understand ‘the problem’ and its critical-ness to them Define the customer segment’s total product requirements Execute!!

©2002 Rosemary Remacle 12 Presenters Rosemary Remacle, Consultant Market Focus