Every country plan I have read has a list of priorities.
The weak ones list every brand.
It feels safe. Nobody's brand is left out, nobody has to argue in the budget meeting, and headquarters sees ambition everywhere.
Then the plan reaches the field.
A rep has a few minutes with a doctor. If every brand is a priority, the rep decides which one leads the call. Different reps decide differently. The strategy is now being written in the clinic corridor, one call at a time.
Porter put it simply: the essence of strategy is choosing what not to do. I have found that easier to quote than to live by.
What choosing looks like in practice:
- A few brands get most of the time and budget. The rest are maintained, openly.
- The customer segments where we can win are named. So are the ones we will not chase this year.
- Every rep knows which brand leads every call.
- When headquarters asks for growth, the answer includes what we will stop, and why.
Saying no is uncomfortable. It is also the only way the rest of the plan gets enough attention to work.
“A strategy that says yes to everything is a wish list.”
Lesson 1 of 16 in Step 1: Setting strategy, with the full guide and a checklist for this week.