Well Said: Why Articulating Your Strategy Can Set You Apart

Frank V. Cespedes

Article | AFP Exchange (Association for Finance Professionals)

Well Said: Why Articulating Your Strategy Can Set You Apart

Abstract

Senior finance managers now operate in an altered c-suite landscape. The executives reporting to the CEO have doubled in the past 30 years, mostly an increase in functional specialists, not general managers responsible for cross-functional integration. Three decades ago, COOs outnumbered CFOs in Fortune 500 and S&P 500 companies, but the proportions have flipped. Many CFOs are now charged with driving strategic planning in their firms and, in this role, often serve as the glue across functions and business units. But without clarity about strategy and the ability to articulate strategy, people can only pick up random, disconnected cues about priorities, and alignment is then hit-and-miss, especially when it comes to linking sales behaviors with strategic priorities. This article explains core links between selling initiatives and basic drivers of enterprise value, and it provides suggestions about how best to communicate strategy to busy people in the field.

Keywords: Sales; strategy; Strategy; Sales;

Format: Print

Citation:

Cespedes, Frank V. "Well Said: Why Articulating Your Strategy Can Set You Apart." AFP Exchange (Association for Finance Professionals) 35, no. 2 (March 2015): 49–51.

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Well Said: Why Articulating Your Strategy Can Set You Apart

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