HOW WE HELP

PROBLEMS WE SOLVE

Clients come to Line of Sight Group for all kinds of reasons, but it typically starts with a business challenge or strategic priority. We find that these fall into three main groups – Focus. Grow. Protect. 

“The first step in a growth policy is not to decide where and how to grow. It is to decide what to abandon. In order to grow, a business must have a systematic policy to get rid of the outgrown, the obsolete, the unproductive..”

– Peter Drucker


FOCUS.

The essence of business strategy is doing more of the things that bring value to customers and doing less of the things that don’t. But how can you be sure what those things are? Moreover, customers perceive value relative to your competition. Who’s got the answer?

We might inform and support FOCUS-related decisions with insights around:

  • How is the industry landscape changing? How can we outsmart the competition by recognizing ‘white space’ for new products and markets we can move into?
  • How do we identify the most profitable customer segments, product features, and business activities?
  • Where can we allocate resources to focus on the most profitable customers, product features, and business activities?
  • Where do customers feel we deliver the most value? The least?
  • How big is the opportunity? Can we play? Can we win?
  • What product features/benefits are critical now or coming at us soon?
  • How do customers perceive us versus our competition?
  • What are our future opportunities given the industry structure and forces, and the ever changing/evolving needs of our customers?

GROW.

Sustainable, innovative growth comes to organizations that work hard to acquire the right set of capabilities and align them with customer needs while making it difficult for competitors and substitutes to follow and duplicate.

We might inform and support GROWTH-related strategic decisions with insights around:

  • Benchmarking – how do our capabilities stack up to the competition?
  • Are investing in Marketing and Sales at the right levels?
  • How are competitors allocating assets? Where they are investing?
  • What is the size and pace of overall investment in the industry?
  • What funding sources are available? Which private equity funds are investing in our industry?
  • What is the pace of development by competitors and the degree of overall industry maturity? Are we ahead or behind?
  • How do we go about fulfilling customer needs – buy, build, partner?
  • Where should we invest – technology, product development, human resources?
  • What is our customer and prospect’s buying criteria and process?
  • What assumptions are inherent in our strategic plans? What will we do if they change from what was expected? What risk factors should we be watching?

PROTECT.

Once your business is established, it’s important to keep your eye on the ball – working hard at what you do well and achieving growth by acquiring market share at the expense of competitors. Of course, they are working just as hard to do the same thing!

Meanwhile, your industry is changing. It will be different in three to five years. Customers are becoming more sophisticated, new competitors are attacking certain market segments. Technology is changing how you operate. What are the right bets and moves in order to to thrive in the future?

We might inform and support PROTECT-related strategic decisions with insight around:

  • How do our products and sales process stack up to the competition, and what opportunities exist to be different or better?
  • Are our service delivery or production processes as efficient as they need to be?
  • How do our positioning messages compare in the market? Do customers perceive us as different?
  • To maintain growth, what adjacent markets and/or product areas can we move into?
  • How does our value proposition resonate with customers? How does it stack up to the competition?
  • How do we outperform the competition with better products and better ways for customers to experience them?
  • How are customers’ needs/problems evolving?
  • What market threats exist? How real are they? How should we respond?
  • What scenarios are likely? How can we plan for them?
  • How well does our value proposition resonate in the market? How well does it align with our customer’s needs/problems? How is it unique and better than the competition?

“Line of Sight provided a detailed picture of the new capability…”

“Our primary competitor had signaled its intent to launch a new product design and ordering system, and we needed to know if it would leapfrog our own. Through interviews with suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders, Line of Sight provided a detailed picture of the new capability and we responded confidently.”

Vice President Marketing – Manufacturing

“We appreciate you so much!!”

Erin – this is FANTASTIC!!  Thank you for shifting to tell the story of the ‘future of work’ as it changes through the pandemic.  We appreciate you so much!!

Research Associate - Education Services Industry

“I can’t tell you how many kudos I got for this project — and YOU did all the work!”

THANK YOU! AMAZING PRESENTATION!!!
“Hi Steve, Hi Jennifer,
You were amazing!! Great presentation overall and also great insights and texture, and nuances presented for the Executive Summary and answers to their questions. Great attendance too.

THANK YOU!!! You have made this study a great success!!!”

Competitive Intelligence Manager - Health Services Industry

“LoSG is quick and nimble and acted as an extension of our team…”

“We like the fact that LoSG is quick and nimble and has acted as an extension of our team when needed. In addition, they took the time to come onsite and understand our clients’ needs directly.”

CI/Market Research Team – National Retailer

“You have spoiled us…”

“Thank you Steve – as usual, you and the LoSG team did a great job for us – we really do appreciate your attentiveness to our information needs… I realize that this is challenging work – but you have spoiled us – we have the utmost confidence in you and your team…”

VP Product Management

“I won a team award for CI in Marketing”

Subject: Thank You

Hello,

I just wanted to let you both know that yesterday I won a team award for CI in Marketing, and a big reason is because of all the hard work that LoSG has done and the partnership you’ve had with us. I just wanted to thank you and let you know how appreciated you are!!! You’re the best Kristi – you do such fantastic work!!!

Sincerely,

Market Research Analyst | Strategy & Marketing Analytics

“I wouldn’t know where I’d go…”

“I wouldn’t know where to go for the type of work that LoSG conducts for us. I realize there are other firms available, but to execute the study like Line of Sight Group does (which requires capturing sensitive info) — I just don’t know of other firms that would have the expertise and would be willing to execute in the manner Line of Sight does. I think Line of Sight is one of a kind in this respect.”

Chief Product and Strategy Officer – Health Services

“A perfect snapshot for our senior executive’s time…”

“Our team is very impressed with the content you are providing! Our senior management team finds the monthly newsletter to be a perfect snapshot for their time.”

Senior Vice President – Business Development Health Care

“Our market share is growing…”

“We were collecting feedback on why we won and lost clients, but it was an internal perspective, so we engaged Line of Sight. The result: We are now achieving the industry’s best client retention and acquisition levels, and our market share is growing.”

Vice President – Sales Manufacturing

“Our business has experienced significant growth…”

“We engaged Line of Sight to help create and build competitive intelligence competency. They assisted with product design, market positioning, sales and new product development. Since then, our business has experienced significant growth. The insight provided by Line of Sight contributed to that strategic advancement and growth.”

Chief Product and Strategy Officer – Health Insurance Company

Very concise, organized, and thorough.

Kristi – as always, so incredibly well done. Thank you for all you do for us and these weekly updates. So easy to read and provides me with the exact amount of info required for a high level view of what’s happening across the market. Very concise, organized, and thorough.

Market Development Manager - Health Care Industry

“We are receiving the best care, quality information, and insights…”

“Line of Sight’s knowledge/expertise of the financial services industry assures me that we are receiving the best care, quality information, and insights — I don’t believe we could achieve this level of expertise and project execution elsewhere.”

Chief Marketing Officer

“The reports are spot-on and appropriate for our senior leadership team…”

“Each year, our objectives shift a bit so the LoSG team goes through a planning process with us to make sure that we are looking at the correct markets, capturing the right information and communicating it effectively to the executive team. We appreciate their knowledge of the market as well as the quality – the reports are spot-on and appropriate for our senior leadership team.”

VP Market Research – Health Insurance Industry