The Sultan of SWOT & the Greatest Show on Earth!

I was at a business meeting the other day. A marketing position was described. On my way back to my sanctuary, it hit me. What an interesting concept – Sultan of SWOT. Imagine having a job where your primary purpose was to constantly monitor and report what’s really going on inside and outside the organization. Of course, this position would be supported by other marketing professionals who form a multi-faceted and brilliant marketing team.

As a Sultan of SWOT, you could go into the field and speak with the organization’s frontline and support personnel, as well as, the consumer. Wow! Marketing 101 teaches you that SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) is an analytical tool that assists in defining internal and external factors. Now, here’s the most interesting aspect of this tool; internal factors are controllable while the external ones are not.

The internal factors include your organization’s Strengths and Weaknesses. These are controllable. You can always increase your strong points and decrease or eliminate your weak points. But, there’s one factor that has to be understood, and that’s the human propensity to exaggerate strengths and downplay weakness. With that in mind, the Sultan would have to be very objective. Objectivity comes down to black and white or, what is and what isn’t. Business managers and owners say they like objectivity until and unless it hits too close to home. The wallet, the ego or both – ouch!

Internal controllable factors need to be identified almost every day. What is it that you are doing and why? Is there a better way to do it? Is the way you’ve always done what you do something you should continue to do? Most internal controllable factors are facility, equipment or people related. Controlling these elements may require a pattern of small, consistent changes or alterations. Or, it may require large and costly attention. But first, you have to assess if your perceived strengths are supported by physical evidence. As for your weaknesses, are they perceived based on some sense of inferiority or do they really exist and what can be done to overcome them?

The Sultan’s job, as easy as it may first appear to be, gets a bit more exciting when the uncontrollable external factors are analyzed. Opportunities may also be overblown while Threats are downplayed. The only control you have of these uncontrollable factors, threats specifically – i.e. rising fuel prices, is to first be aware of them before they cause you a sense of fear, urgency and doubt. With all of these supportive and pertinent facts, devise a solution or a plan to deal with the threat efficiently and effectively. The best innovations are brought forth in times of crisis.

As for opportunities, they require a significant objective point of view. One of the Zen masters said that success is not about knowledge or luck but a matter of timing. Of course, I can’t find that quote now that I need it. Opportunities then are presented through vigilant observation and a honed sense of awareness. The secret is the same as the answer to the old joke of how to get to Carnegie Hall - practice, practice, practice.

How does the Sultan do this job confidently and competently for the marketing team? If the old school of sales was correct in stating that nothing happens until something gets sold, then the analysis should focus on the consumer more often than it does on the competition. How strong is your organization when it comes to offering and delivering your customers what they want primarily based on their expectations and with consistency? And, from a Zen perspective, where you are not strong, you are weak. As for opportunities, a consumer-centric approach is also required.

Consumers not only buy. Buying is not the result of selling. Buying reveals many things. When do they buy? How often? Are most transactions single purchases? Do buyers come to you alone or are they accompanied by others? Who are these others? Are they potential customers too? Buying reveals character. Character defines incidence.

Being a Sultan of SWOT is sounding better and better. As you may know, the original “The Sultan of Swat” was baseball legend Babe Ruth who, in 1927, hit 60 home runs and by doing so broke his own record. That record would stand until 1961 when another Hall of Famer, Roger Maris broke it. What record would your marketing team’s Sultan of SWOT achieve? How about defining and assisting in the delivery of what your customers really want with almost pinpoint accuracy?

How about developing an almost uncanny ability to forecast market trends and managing to avoid threats on an almost consistent basis? Of course, in order to achieve this, your Sultan would need to get out among the people to smell the grease paint and hear the roar of the crowd at the greatest show on Earth – your business!