Meanwhile, a number of approaches are available to solve the classical ´conflict´ between Marketing and Sales. However, there is much less focus on the cooperation of the two functions with their company´s service department. This is all the more astonishing as a growing number of successful companies actively market a range of services in addition to their physical products, thereby increasing turnover and profit.
When companies get into trouble, a more or less radical turnaround is required to get them back on track. However, professional turnaround managers don´t have a magic formula which enables them to save a company overnight! Rather, under great time pressue and in a project mode, they usually make up for what has been neglected in the past. From that perspective, a turnaround can be seen as the application of proven and professional management methods and processes in a situation of great urgency.
In many companies, the different departments don´t really cooperate – rather, they work alongside each other and, sometimes, even against each other. This leads to delayed decision-making and slower processes, frustration, unnecessary discussions and conflicting signals sent to the market and customers. To sum up, problems involving cross-functional cooperation weaken a company´s competitive position and strangle its growth.
Do you know why your customers buy from you? If you ask managers and co-workers in your company´s different departments, you will most probably get widely differing answers. Often, quality (what do you understand by this?), long-term market presence, excellent service or strong brands are mentioned. In many cases, it is not clear at all why customers buy from a company – people don´t know where their competitive advantage lies.
Business plans are often associated with start-up companies which need money from a bank and therefore have to present a comprehensive concept. A business plan describes the strategy with which an entrepreneur or intrapreneur demonstrates how he wants to develop his business and reach ambitious growth goals.
