Why Business Communicators Misuse the Word 'Strategy'

Many business communicators confuse strategies with goals. Consider this example I just read in a startup company's request for Series B funding: 

"We have three primary strategies: increase share in our target markets, sell more products to the Global 1000 and improve client retention."

These aren't strategies, they are business goals.  Granted, they are good goals, but they don't constitute strategy. And when you misuse such an important word, investors (and others that fund your projects) don't respond with confidence.

By way of review, a strategy is the specific approach you will take to reach your revenue, share or retention goals. One way to improve your ability to create the right message about strategy is to re-tell customer success stories.   Get specific.

For example, think about how your IT product or solution:

• Helped develop a more compelling rewards program to improve customer retention
• Increased share in the financial services markets by signing up more experienced partners
• Got products to market faster with a document management solution designed for team collaboration

The answers to these questions constitute strategy.

As communicators, we talk about strategy the right way when we think hard about how we solve real business problems.