You need to invest in strategy now – 3 red flags

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At times, it’s obvious you need to invest in strategy.

Now, I’m under no illusion… Most organizations and teams have zero desire to go through the process of contemplating a clear marketing or branding strategy. At any point in time.

But sometimes, the urge for clarity wins.

When a new leadership team takes the helm. When your organization wishes to enter a new market. Or, when the competitive landscape changes.

These are logical points in time for organizations to invest in a strong, strategic foundation that provides clarity and enables future growth.

However, there are other telltale signs that indicate you should invest in strategy now.

Let’s have a closer look at 3 red flags you may recognize from within your organization or team.

Red flag #1 – Growth is stalling

When growth is stalling and you’re missing revenue targets, it’s time to invest in strategy.

You need to uncover why sales cycles take longer and longer. Why sales conversion rates go down. And client acquisition costs go up.

Red flag #2 – Outside money is coming in

When outside money is coming in, expectations shift and it’s time to invest in a clear positioning and growth strategy.

Whether it’s private equity or another kind of funding, with investments come expectations. 

The investors see the potential. Now, it’s time for you to deliver on their expectations. 

Red flag #3 – Lots of efforts, limited results

Are your marketing and sales people caught up in operational work? Do simple requests take a long time to execute? And are results limited – at best?

Then, you need to invest in strategy and create clarity on the type of clients you want to target and the core messages you want to get across.

You need everyone to understand that demand generation and demand capture are not isolated, yet interdependent processes. And reach an agreement on roles, tasks, and responsibilities.

Once your strategy is clear, you can turn it into a concrete action plan. Execute this to test your strategic assumptions in the complexity of reality.

Let me know what you think!

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Thank you for reading MBD Spark #95, sent on November 13, 2025.