Challenge - Closing the Gap

It's very simple. If there's a gap between "where you are" and "where you want to be" with respect to your company's sales, you need to change what you're doing.

To be sure, whether you have a stretch objective that you're trying to reach, or are simply struggling to survive, doing the same thing over and over again - if it isn't moving the needle - isn't going to get you there.

The problem may be that your objectives themselves (i.e. "where you want to be") are unrealistic; in which case you may need to change how you come up with your objectives. Or it may be that something's holding you back. But if there's a gap between where your sales are and where you want them to be, JV/M has the Strategic Market Planning experience, tools and solutions to close the gap, and get you where you want to be. Fast.

Along with Operations and Finance, Marketing is one of the core functions of your business. But "Marketing" is a lot more than advertising or marketing communications. (In fact, those are merely promotional tactics that are implemented as part of a much broader Strategic Market Plan.) True marketing - or strategic marketing planning - includes deciding what markets to go after, and how to go after them. It therefore includes everything from sales management, coaching and recruiting, to new product development, positioning, channel management, lead generation, competitive strategies, application design, pricing and more. If you truly want to close your sales gap, you have to take a look at your whole sales and marketing plan.

At JV/M we pioneered the development of Strategic Market Planning as a tool for growth [see MOD]. We're also not a one-trick-pony. Whether you need to penetrate new markets or develop old ones, JV/M can help.

Closing a gap requires a little discipline, and a little flexibility. You need the textbook and experience, research and intuition, traditional tools and innovation. And at JV/M, we bring it all. We're not afraid to get our hands dirty by going out in the field with your reps to see what's happening either, or talking to your prospects to find out why they're not buying from you. And we have available almost every marketing and sales solution you could possibly need. In short, we'll do whatever it takes to get you to where you need to be.

The approach we use is straightforward and time-tested:

We're also adherents of John Boyd's O-O-D-A approach (observe, orient, decide and act) as a means of gaining both tactical and strategic advantage. This means we take an "agile" approach that doesn't waste time, or sometimes even produce a binder.

We know the clock is ticking, the calendar is turning, and competition (and the bank, for that matter) isn't going to let up. So if you need more sales this quarter, we can bring them in. And if you need to take your business to the next level over the next year, we can make that happen, too.

For now, though, the only thing you need to know is that closing your gap starts with one phone call - to JV/M.