In our last Tip, we shared a bit about the "POSI Grid". This tool helps you to organize your understanding of a customer's business into four categories:


Profile (who the customer is, what they do, who they do it for, etc.)
Objectives (what they want to accomplish in a given time period)
Strategies (how they will accomplish their objectives)
Issues (challenges that might stand in their way).


We also shared that there are several different POSI Grids that be helpful - business, departmental, and individual.

This month, we take the POSI grid further and answer the question, "How can a POSI grid be helpful?" The POSI Grid can be used to support your efforts in numerous ways. It can help to:


Highlight what you still need to learn about the customer (by compiling what you already know and bringing attention to any gaps).
Identify good questions to ask in research meetings.
Prepare a teammate before a joint call with the customer.
Brief an executive with a strong knowledge summary before a top-to-top executive meeting.
House content to support determining the nature of the business fit with the customer and requesting access to true decision makers.
Keep teammates on the same page as different people interact with the customer.
Organize customer-specific terminology.
Develop and deliver customer presentations (the POSI grid contents are leveraged in the "Them" section of the IMPAX presentation flow "Them-Us-Fit-Action").


Consider this last idea: When your knowledge of the customer is strong, your confidence increases accordingly - especially when you are meeting with senior-level decision makers. This increased confidence can improve your performance and your results.