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individual member of the top team have personal responsibility for
receiving ideas and assessing their value? How are employees
rewarded for ideas and intelligence fed into the company?)

n Do they recognize that profit is a marketing responsibility?
(Supplementary: How do staff members demonstrate their
commitment to reducing costs and increasing productivity while
improving service and quality?)

n Are they aware that the only appropriate head of marketing is the
CEO and that he/she is responsible for a marketing unit?
(Supplementary: Do you agree that since innovation and marketing
are ultimately the only sources of profit you are the strategic head of
both activities?)

n Is there a written market plan? (Supplementary: How are feedback,
evaluation and review managed at top team level? How are results
communicated to those responsible? How often do the board review
and challenge the current marketing plan? How flexible is their
thinking?)

n What kind of intelligence is being collected about customers?

n Who collects it? (Supplementary (if intelligence gathering is limited
to sales people): How is the accuracy of information tested? How
often do you meet customers face to face?)

n What is the quality and reliability of the intelligence collected?
(Supplementary: How is its reliability tested before potentially
expensive steps are taken?)

n In general how reliable is it?

n How much of it is used?

n By whom is it used?

n To what degree was there consensus within the senior team about
the marketing plan that is being implemented? (Supplementary: Is
every member of the top team consistently “walking the talk” of
dominating your selected markets? Does each member of your top
team give everybody the feeling that you are absolutely determined
to be the best of the best in your chosen markets?)

n Were the right customers targeted? (Supplementary: What
percentage of your customers are more trouble to serve than they are
worth? How do you get rid of the nuisance customer?)

n Do you feel that the products/services were positioned correctly?
(Supplementary: What segments, sectors or niches did you target?
On what considerations did you base your pricing strategy?)

n Was the product well designed? (Supplementary: How are customer
complaints recorded? Who reviews them? What actions are typically
taken? What is the percentage of errors in quality or shipping?)

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