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The following is a tool that my colleagues have found to be of great
value in identifying whether clients are ready for the development of a
market dominance strategy. In simple terms the client is ready if, and only
if, there is a robust tactical and strategic plan in place to provide a secure
platform for building dominance. I keep saying it, but it is vital: to have a
worthwhile strategy you need to be as certain as you can be in a volatile
business environment that you can go beyond survival. You need to have a
tactical plan that will deliver all the resources, financial and more that you
need when you need them.

The Lambert Dominance Marketing Strategy
Audit

Does the client fully understand the market?

Before completing a full audit, we will look at a few simple questions and
identify how much help, if any, the client needs on the basis of the answers
provided. It is essential that the client is asked carefully thought out sup-
plementary questions to help to widen and deepen the understanding of
marketing in general and dominance strategies in particular. The exam-
ples given are no more than guides. The actual questions used should arise
as naturally as possible from the conversation. All answers should be fully
recorded.

The key to this instrument is to help the client to think more deeply about
marketing. It is essential therefore that the consultant maintains a profes-
sional degree of detachment and avoids challenging the client thinking at
this stage. The client should not be put under pressure. The subsequent
verbal and written reports will provide every opportunity to “educate” the
client should this prove necessary. Try not to let the client become distracted
by your notes. Keep them as brief as possible and always ask permission to
make notes before starting to write.

n Does the firm really understand the marketing concept? (Example
of a supplementary: How is marketing defined in this company? If
you say the word “marketing” to your colleagues what is it that they
think about? Advertising? Selling? Something more complex?)

n Do all your people understand that every employee should be
actively seeking to make a contribution to the marketing effort?
(Examples of supplementary questions: Have they been given
guidance or training on what contribution they can make? Does any
contribution by an employee stick in your mind as having been
particularly useful?)

n Do they know that marketing requires them to seek to create as
well as identify and satisfy customer need? (Example of a
supplementary: How are developing customer desires and
expectations fed back into the marketing strategy? Does an

156 Key management questions