Alan and Alice faced a major dilemma. A major "superstore" had received planning approval to construct a new building directly opposite their computer sales and training store.

"We won't be able to compete; I figure we will have to close the store" ... was their collective comment. 

Alan and Alice were participants at a business planning workshop I was running and whilst they were positive participants in all the workshop activities there was some hesitancy in the longer term strategies and planning processes we were working through. 

The workshop provided them with a full day where we focused on their business and specifically one key planning issue that they faced ... and this was it. 

"Our goal is to work out do we close or do we stay open" 

Rather than focus on the negatives we began with some possibility thinking. 

The question they needed to answer was ... Suppose you woke up tomorrow morning and a miracle had occurred while you were asleep and the problem had disappeared and the solution was present. 

• How would you know the solution had arrived?
• What would be different?
• How would you feel?
• What would you notice first? 

This approach isn't about ignoring the problems it's about reframing the issues.

The fact of the matter is the building is going to go ahead ... Alan and Alice's reality is they need to move forward with an explicit and deliberate focus on the outcome they wish to achieve. Any wavering in their approach will see their plan circum to the external pressure that their initial comments entertained. 

The day began working through the basis for their plan using the following basic principals 

• Be flexible in everything
• Build on our successes
• Commence with small changes
• There is always a better way
• There is no failure, only feedback
• Where we are is not where we can be

 The other critical factors that we addressed were

• Clarifying the central issue and their goals
• Deciding what needed to be changed regardless of the situation
• Seeing the problem as something that they had, not who they were
• Setting up a plan towards the solution

Alice was concerned that there was little action taking place; she was expecting the day to come up with "the answer" to their question at best or at least to have made some real inroads to it.

Over a quick lunch time snack I explained that the real issue wasn't about reacting to a negative event but acting with a positive approach to things they had an influence over. 

Was price the real issue? 

The first issue was to address what they saw as their biggest concern ... they couldn't match the pricing of their new competitor. 

I got both of them on their phones ringing the new competitors other stores getting prices on their main computer and printer products. 

An hour later their initial impression was confirmed ... they are $250 below us at best with our systems. 

We sat down and itemised each product and associated pricing and detailing what they provided in comparison. 

Suddenly they both said together ... we can better their price. 

The benefit of looking for value 

Their discovery was in part what I observed during the workshop, their business was totally service orientated. Whatever you bought from them was backed up with onsite and offsite service, support and training. Their competitor only offered Warranty service and the components were sent to a repair depot which took a minimum 5 days turnaround. 

They had discovered their point of difference. 

Now to articulate in the clearest and simplest manner 

• to their existing clients the value they received
• to prospective buyers about the value of the service and training

The rest of the day went like clockwork ... with a solution to their immediate problem at hand the option of closing was scrubbed out altogether and together they decided that a new direction was needed to capitalise on their discovery. 

Focus on the little things for big changes 

The plans and strategies were drawn up focusing on just one small change ... articulating in all their communications the value to the client in being a part of their support and training program. It was something that formed an integral part of every sale but it was never really explained what this meant to the buyer. 

As we ended up for the day Alice enquired about our continuing to work together on a longer term basis. "Making us look at our strengths and focusing on what we wanted to achieve, not focusing on being the lowest cost supplier is just so simple and it's opened up new ideas we hadn't thought of." 

Alan quipped in ... "may be we should send them a welcome card, they really did us a big favour"