Case Studies

BusinessAdeptCards.com is your pocket consultant, available 24/7. The following case studies illustrate how insights and inspiration can be gained without the expense of hiring a consultant. These were genuine business situations, though identities have been preserved.

PROBLEM SOLVING:    MARKETING STRATEGY

Geoff, an independent management consultant concerned about not attracting enough business, was seeking insights before revising his marketing strategy. He decided on the three-card problem analysis layout to represent the underlying issue, the hindrance to progress, and a potential solution. These are the cards that came up and the interpretation he put on them, after considering the image and the available narrative. 

The underlying problem: Geoff had such a wide range of skills and experience that his service offerings lacked market focus. Also, his standards were not clearly defined. Potential clients were overwhelmed by the range of services on offer and consequently had little confidence in the quality. Geoff needed to decide which race he was in, scope his offerings accordingly and make his high standards clear.

The hindrance to progress: Through lack of focus in the marketplace and trying to be all things to all people, Geoff was having difficulty selecting which of his many resources (skills and experience) to promote. He was hindered by his reluctance to restrict himself to a narrow field of interest. His failure to focus resulted in a dispersed rather than targeted message which failed to hit any target at all.

A potential solution: This card gave Geoff the inspiration to re-examine his skills and to create an integrated, results-oriented package of complementary skills that would be of interest to a particular target market. This satisfied his need for a relatively broad remit, while presenting a single (though multi-faceted) concept to potential customers.

 Actually, Geoff had been unconsciously aware of the underlying issue and hindrance all along but had been unwilling to admit it. The Business Adept Cards helped him to face the unpalatable truth and to confront his fear. The third image prompted Geoff’s subconscious to synthesize the information available and to produce a new, innovative idea, seemingly out of thin air.