If you’re embarking on a Three Voices™ strategic project, there’s something that might make you a little uncomfortable – but relax, get used to it, it’s part of a new way of working that demands more of your supplier relations but which will also provide much more value at the end of the day.

For good reason, we tell our clients that they need to resist the temptation to spell out detailed descriptions of the project process or break down the elements that might be produced, as this can accurately be determined only once the project is well underway. Instead, the task is to work out what funding, headcounts and man-hours may be required for the next two or three years, ask top management to commit to this level of effort, and decide on a plan that takes things a step at a time, determining exact deliverables in due course as the plan progresses.

This process reflects a fundamentally different approach from the old way of performing marketing tasks where marketers come up with a definitive answer to the task at hand, then exhaust all their resources creating a one-shot beast that could either succeed or fail (with little or no funding set aside for adjustments following its launch). Adopting the new approach may require a cultural shift in attitudes toward budgeting, particularly where external consultants are involved. Instead of playing cat and mouse with the details of your budget, you will need to be open about the resources available right from the beginning, trusting that everyone on the project will recommend the use of those funds as effectively as possible to ensure the company achieves its goals.

We believe a high level of trust between your company and its external partners is a pre-requisite for getting the best out of your Three Voices™ strategy. Only once this is in place can you establish a situation where you and your partners are firmly on the same team, openly sharing ideas and acknowledging realities with everyone focused on getting the best possible results with the least possible resources deployed.

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