THE 6 FACTOR APPROACH
Start with evidence. Find the constraint. Act on what matters.
The six factors create a structured way to examine commercial problems without assuming the requested solution is the right one.
01
Market & Customer
Are you solving an important problem for the right customer?
- Who is the real ICP?
- Which customer problems matter most?
- What does direct customer evidence show?
- How do buyers decide?
- Which segments have meaningful commercial potential?
- What alternatives shape customer expectations?
02
Product & Offer
Does the offer fit the market and the economics?
- Does the product solve a sufficiently important problem?
- Is the portfolio too complex or bespoke?
- Is the offering over-engineered relative to buyer value?
- Are pricing, packaging and scope aligned to the way customers buy?
- What should be simplified, reframed, standardized or stopped?
- Does the evidence support modifying an existing offer or developing something new?
03
Positioning & Value
Can the buyer understand and believe the value?
- Is it immediately clear what the offer is and who it is for?
- Is the differentiation relevant?
- Is value tied to customer outcomes or economics?
- Is the proof strong enough?
- Are product, marketing, sales and partners telling the same story?
- Is the value credible enough to change the buyer’s decision?
04
Go-to-Market
Is there a realistic path from opportunity to revenue?
- Is the route to market right?
- Is the launch sequence realistic?
- Are product readiness, proof, channel readiness and sales aligned?
- Is the company pursuing the right markets and motions?
- Are handoffs and accountability clear?
05
Sales & Channels
Can the people carrying the offer discover and communicate value?
- Is discovery exposing the customer’s real problem?
- Can sellers communicate value and proof?
- Do pricing, proposals and follow-up support the buying decision?
- Are distributors, dealers or partners properly enabled?
- Do channel economics support the strategy?
- Are pipeline and sales-process disciplines useful or merely present?
06
Customer / Commercial Execution
Can the organization deliver what it promised?
- Do commercial handoffs work?
- Is customer feedback flowing back into decisions?
- Are adoption and customer experience exposing gaps?
- Is ownership clear?
- Are commercial systems reducing dependence on heroics?
- Are customers becoming repeat purchasers?
HOW THE WORK PROCEEDS
From uncertainty to action.
1
Listen
Understand what leadership believes is happening.
2
Establish the gap
Define current state, desired state and why the difference matters.
3
Gather evidence
Use customer, market, commercial and operating evidence rather than relying on internal opinion alone.
4
Find the root cause
Separate symptoms, dependencies and actual constraints.
5
Prioritize
Challenge assumptions where warranted and focus on the few actions with the highest commercial value.
6
Act and validate
Assign ownership, define measures and determine whether the change produced the intended result.
The framework isn’t the product.
You do not buy “six factors.”
You buy help resolving a consequential commercial problem.
The framework exists to reduce the chance that the business spends money solving the wrong one.
Before spending more, make sure you’re solving the right problem.
Tell me what isn’t working, what needs to change and what the business is trying to achieve.