Seth Godin offers a clear delineation between strategy and tactics.
This post reminds me of a company I used to work for that provided sales training. The tactical level of the training was excellent and provided the salespeople with a toolbox of powerful moves. Unfortunately, the strategy behind the process was never coherent and the salespeople never grasped the process.
The end result was salespeople who could use one or two of the tactics, but would then get shut down by the prospect. The frustration in the salespeople manifested itself in their concise criticism, “I don’t know what to do next.”
Mr. Godin speaks in marketing terms, but this point sums up the issue I observed with the sales training:
Here’s the difference: The right strategy makes any tactic work better. The right strategy puts less pressure on executing your tactics perfectly.
How true.