Commercial Strategy

Commercial Strategy is the DNA of a business and determines its competitiveness over time. Lockstep provides a deep interrogation of the assumptions a business makes, tests the validity of these assumptions, and plots a competitive course for the business to pursue.

OVERVIEW

Unlocking competitive advantage with strategic assistance

Striving for optimal performance

An inaccurate Commercial Strategy hamstrings a business by setting it on a course of less-than-optimal performance. Other valuable internal activities are negatively impacted by a Strategy that falls short of being competitive.

Strategic assistance

Lockstep provides strategic assistance by putting a business through a process that interrogates core assumptions that underpin a Commercial Strategy, making certain that the business places itself in a competitive position from the outset, and highlighting bias or false-assumptions where they exist.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Crafting a competitive Commercial Strategy
is a 10-week process

Including internal engagement with informed leaders, document review, financial modeling and the presenting of emerging observations to discussion.

A formal sequence is carefully following in this rigourous process:

Define:

Documenting your market situation

Defining your current strategic positioning

Specifying your ‘problem statement’

Naming your existing
underlying assumptions

Explore and decide:

Generate multiple strategic options

Explore all options and test assumptions

Define a new Strategy and market positioning

Craft a full, comprehensive Strategy document

Plan:

Define an implementation plan

Allocate resources

Create a communication artifact

TESTIMONIALS

What our clients say

Most of my previous experience with leadership coaches has been underwhelming: theoretical models, loose deliverables, trite commentary, and superficial analysis. Rowan is the absolute antithesis of this and the impact is fast, measurable and deep. The work is often hard but pushes people through doors very quickly.

Jonty Fisher

CEO

What the hell should a CEO focus their energy on? It's a question I grappled with for years as our company and its demands on me began to grow. Rowan has helped me figure some of this stuff out and point me in the right direction.

Styli Charalambous

CEO

I have had the privilege of being informed and inspired by Rowan over the past few years. His prompts, processes, and conversations are always deeply valuable, intellectual, and practical. His IP is unequaled, but his humanity and his deep belief that being a CEO can be joyful, creative, and energising - and not just something to be endured - is very unique and useful.

Kevin Liebenberg

CEO

Rowan has a passion to see CEO's thrive and not merely survive. He has an in-depth understanding of the complexity and demand of the role of CEO'ship and then takes it to the next level by understanding you in the role as CEO. As an entrepreneur and CEO, the input and guidance I have received from him have been invaluable and at times a lifeline. I highly recommend the CEO project.

Philippa Geard

CEO

My journey with Rowan has been life-changing and continues to be life-changing. Not only for my CEO work but as a person too. Every time I’ve sat around a table with Rowan and my CEO peers, I feel challenged and inspired. Somehow the topics always hit the right spot at a time I need it.

Carey van Vlaanderen

CEO

Engage with Lockstep

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Ready to
work together?

Our preferred way of meeting you is through a Zoom call which will allow us to understand the nuances of your request. If you’d prefer to use the form, that will work too. We’ll research your business before we respond.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

If you feel unsure that your business is underpinned by solid, proven thinking, then you likely need work on your Commercial Strategy. If you are certain of your position, you likely don’t.

Given the importance of a Commercial Strategy and the financial impact of having an uncompetitive Strategy, the investment will likely pay off in multiple of the investment amount. That said, producing a Commercial Strategy is a highly specialised piece of work that requires deep skill. On account of that skill required, a material, yet appropriate, investment is called for.

Not a significant amount of time. The heavy lifting (modeling, fact-checking, information gathering and codification) is done by Lockstep. Important internal conversations are required along the way, but these are not onerous or indulgent with your time.

This will depend on the client, but generally the impact of a new, accurate Commercial Strategy will be relatively broad. Getting a business into a competitive position is not easily achieved, but the impact and value creation is well worth the effort.

PROGRAMS

Related leadership programs

Leadership Strategy Program

When driven by leadership, strategy comes to life: a compelling story within a business with aligns thinking, boosts energy and directions activity.

CEO Accelerator

The CEO Accelerator is an intense, 3-day deep dive into system leadership for CEO who favour intense learning processes.