G. Alex Bernhardt, Sr., Chairman and CEO
Bernhardt Furniture Company
Using Simplified Strategic Planning, VPI tripled sales over 5 years. It has helped us identify opportunities, better understand our markets, and focus our resources to attain the business results we desired…it has contributed in a significant way to VPI achieving our growth and profit objectives.
Simplified Strategic Planning provided us a straightforward process that helped our already successful organization set a much clearer direction for the future.
Simplified Strategic Planning provides a framework for creating direction in a manner that moves away from guesswork and toward intelligent selection. The end result: a destination of choice, not chance.
The Simplified Strategic Planning process is a perfect fit for a company our size. It provides a solid theoretical approach that is applied in a very ‘real world’ down-to-earth manner. The program does an excellent job of providing a defined framework for the planning process without turning it into a mechanistic ‘fill out the form’ exercise. The framework helped us make sure that we were identifying and analyzing the key issues; it did not do our thinking for us. Finally, I felt the emphasis on the development of specific objectives and action plans are the keys to ensuring that strategic planning isn’t just an interesting annual exercise that subsequently collects dust on a bookshelf. I know the strategic plan we produced will make a major difference in the performance of our business.
Quick and dynamic, Simplified Strategic Planning gets fantastic results.
This program forced me to step back and evaluate how effective my company has strategically planned. It provided me the tools which will enable us to formalize our strategic plan and direction of Disney Vacation Club.
We have used planning methods for the past three years with moderate success. The step by step logical process presented in this program will help us take our company to the next level in terms of profit and growth.
Don’t change a thing! Continue doing what you are doing. Best program I have ever attended. As useful and as effective as any graduate level course I have taken.
Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Your program ‘hits a homerun’ if you’re interested in learning new methods for building a stronger competitive position for your company.
…A great tool for achieving strategic alignment and ‘keeping the main thing, the main thing!’
A straightforward approach to strategic planning which will work — not an overwhelming process. Will help us create realistic plans.
Almost a fail safe process. The most planned and organized program I’ve seen in a number of years.
The information was very focused, tangible and practical…which allows you to go off and apply it immediately. Very well done. I learned a lot and am anxious to get started!
The layout and step-by-step process of strategic planning as presented in the program will make it easy to follow through to completion.
As the chairman of [the strategic planning] effort your program has given me the tools I will need to clearly move our organization through the development and ultimate implementation of our strategic plan. I’m confident that I am now ready to lead this effort for our company.
Certainly one of the best continuing education classes I have attended. Very practical advice.
The process makes so much sense. It is a superb recipe for business success. I have been to numerous programs, but this has by far been the best. You have a powerful message…
Wonderful thoroughness, great pace, exceptional tools–met all of my expectations–well done–
Enjoyed every aspect of the program, great tool for the future of our business — great job. Over my 30 years of attending programs this was one of the most satisfying for me.
The two days were very invaluable for me. I am involved in 5 companies and the course planning process will prove very valuable for them all.
I was very impressed with the entire program and at this point I don’t have any specific items that could have improved the experience.
This is one of the most useful professional development programs I’ve ever attended. It stimulated thinking and presented new concepts that are directly relevant to my company.
Presents a great, structured how-to framework for strategic planning.
The entire outline of the plan has clearly defined a method of strategic planning that has clear and concise strategies and goals. Very good. Well worth time spent. Would recommend to others.
Good information. I believe that any company that realistically follows the material will be successful.
Step by step process was straight forward as advertised.
Quality of material was practical, applicable and truly simplified enough that I feel we can go back and immediately implement it.
Attention to detail; interaction of facilitators with the group and overall presentation was excellent.
The approach presented in Simplified Strategic Planning is very pragmatic, and should enable an organization such as ours to address the critical components of strategic planning, while avoiding wasted effort in the plan ‘filler’ that often accompanies such efforts.
Excellent roadmap to strategic planning. Well organized, well presented…involved everyone in attendance.
It helped me to develop a road map to reach our objectives in an orderly fashion.
This program gave me all the tools to quickly develop a workable strategic plan that will help my company take the next step in our growth.
…this will be an invaluable tool as I move forward.
Good overall framework. Easy to follow, step-by-step procedure.
Great hob of presenting…great process with step-by-step instruction; whole thing is logical. I really enjoyed the program. Will help with our business.
Clearly organized methodology for overall planning. Presented extremely well!
Finally…a speaker who could clearly and concisely lay out the structure for a workable strategic planning process, geared to the real world of small to medium-sized business.
Good program. Presented well with good documentation. This will help us specifically identify and focus our efforts and future directions(s).
As the title states, it is a simplified way to implement a strategic plan. Worksheets and planning schedule are very helpful in accomplishing this task.
Authoritative presentation and clear road map for execution.
Extremely well organized program. Very informative and practical. The materials are the best I’ve seen!
Excellent presentation of how to strategize your business issues. Sound, logical approach.
Easy to follow. Practical to use.
I found the entire program to be excellent.
I found the simplicity and ease of understanding very beneficial.
The course/content was very well organized; good materials; good content. Good course. Very useful and informative.
It gives us a road map to put much of our research and vision into action.
I appreciate the practical applications and simplified approach to strategic planning.
Usually, strategic plan development only stresses the plan. This program also describes the very important implementation process.
You gave a much-needed blueprint for putting together a strategy for our company’s future.
The program is well organized, well presented and illustrated effectively in the manual. I think that the manual is usable for real life implementation.
Great learning experience.
The connection of information gathering, analysis and the formulation of a strategic plan was very useful.
Many different strategic planning concepts rolled into one comprehensive, step-by-step process.
A few months ago, we had never done a strategic plan. Now, we have a comprehensive plan in place. Simplified Strategic Planning is astounding.
What we accomplished during our seven days of work was unprecedented in our company’s history…we have defined a consensus among the top management as to what kind of a company we will be for the next five years. Establishing this shared vision and the means to achieve it would not have been possible without strategic planning. This process is extremely well organized and compelling while allowing the special human attributes of our organization to flourish.