1. Identify your company’s #1 Competitive Advantage (how do you answer “why us” when competing for a prospect):
   
   
   Click on a checkbox statement each time your competitive advantage statement meets one of the criteria below:

It is objective, not subjective (stated with supported facts, not opinion)
Is quantifiable, not arbitrary
Is not currently stated by the competition
Is not a cliché or a given
Is true
Is important to your customers (and you have proof)

2. Which of the following most describes your company when talking about your #1 Competitive Advantage
   

Your #1 Competitive Advantage is displayed prominently on your marketing/promotional materials
If you ask 3 customers at random to list your company’s #1 Competitive Advantage, they all list the same Competitive Advantage
Your #1 Competitive Advantage is displayed (or communicated) prominently and consistently for your employees
If you ask 3 employees at random to list your company’s #1 Competitive Advantage, they all list the same Competitive Advantage
Your company has come up with at least one creative way to communicate your #1 Competitive Advantage
None of the above

3. How often do you engage in a formal process to identify and develop your company’s Competitive Advantages?
   

Your company hasn’t done this
Has been done, but was considered a special one-time project
Done within the last 2 years
Done once a year (during strategic planning)
Done twice a year
Done once every quarter

4. When was the last time your company had formal, anonymous (blind) market research conducted by a third party?
   

No market research or customer surveying has been conducted for your company within the past 3 years
You have done a customer survey within the last year but it wasn’t done anonymously
Done within the last 3 years
Done within the last 2 years
Done within the last year
Done within the last 6 months

5. When your company conducts anonymous market research (not customer surveys):
   

Results are used during the next company strategic planning session
Separate research is conducted based on different customer levels and/or different target markets
Results are shared with most or all employees
Specialized training is provided to sales and marketing staff on how to more effectively communicate based on the research results
A change was made in your m arketing message as a result of the research (also applies if the market research confirmed your current market message)
None of the above

6. On a scale from 1-5 (1 = no impact; 5 = exceeded expectations), please rate the effectiveness of your company’s most recent marketing campaign in terms of generating new business.

1. No Impact 2. Minimal Impact 3. Created Awareness 4. Helped Increased Sales 5. Exceeded Expectations

7. On a scale from 1-5 (1 = unable to differentiate; 5 = able to differentiate in many measurable ways), please rate the message your sales people convey to potential customers in terms of being able to differentiate your company from your competition.

1. Unable to Differentiate 2. Able to Identify Market/Product/Service Focus 3. Message Focuses on Items Like Quality and Service 4. Able to Differentiate, But Only Qualitatively 5. Able to Differentiate in Many Measurable Ways

8. What percentage of customers ask for, and receive, a price break from your quoted price?
   

You always give a price break
You have to give price breaks to secure sales often
If you give price breaks less than 50% of the time
If you give price breaks less than 25% of the time
If you give price breaks less than 10% of the time
If you never give a price break from the quoted price

9. On a scale from 1—5 (1 = don’t use data at all; 5 = sales/marketing messages are data driven), please rate how well your company uses the data you collect on internal processes and/or customer interactions in fashioning your company’s sales and marketing messaging.
1

1. Don’t Collect Data at All 2. Collect Data, But Don’t do Anything With It 3. Collect/Use Data for Operational Decisions 4. Collect/Use Data for Strategic Decisions 5. Sales/Marketing Messages Are Data Driven

10. How well does your company identify your Competitive Disadvantages? Give yourself one point (to a maximum of 5) for each Competitive Disadvantage your company has identified and addressed over the past 2 years to the point where the marketplace no longer considers it a Competitive Disadvantage when thinking of your company.

1. Identified and Addressed 1 Competitive Disadvantage 2. Identified and Addressed 2 Competitive Disadvantages 3. Identified and Addressed 3 Competitive Disadvantages 4. Identified and Addressed 4 Competitive Disadvantages 5. Identified and Addressed 5 Competitive Disadvantages

Score              Marketplace Reality

0-20                Danger Zone – your company is vulnerable to selling on price

21-30              Risky Business –Your customers are vulnerable to switching to the competition

31-40              Door Ajar – you have one foot in the door, but your close ratio could be higher

41-50              Competitive Advantage – you can keep competitors at bay & rarely sell on price