One point I did not see in the article was the importance of understanding your value proposition. To implement the target marketing strategy you suggest, you first have to identify your particular value proposition. Once a company can honestly evaluate what it does best—prototypes, large-scale production, quick delivery, etc., it can then start to identify those prospects most likely to value their particular area of expertise.

The premise is that if you understand your unique capabilities, it is within those areas of expertise that you are most likely to be competitive and profitable. The flip side of this analysis is that if you understand where you excel, you also will understand your areas of weakness in a competitive market. This knowledge allows you to either add another sort field to the process of screening prospects, or identifies an area where an investment of resources might yield new market opportunities.

David Rhodes