Book excerpt: Strategic market planning in technology-intensive businesses is more complex and is less manageable than in most other organizations. The technology-driven business environment is intensely competitive, complex, and dynamic, and planning needs to be done quickly and often. Winning Market Leadership offers a refreshing new approach to strategic market planning in these very demanding technology-intensive markets. It provides a systematic and highly integrated process for evaluating market opportunities and for developing strategies to lead in chosen markets. Its proven, highly practical approach to strategic market planning has allowed leading companies worldwide to: plan faster, focus on cash-flow and profitability, create "living plans" that reflect changing market conditions and competitive dynamics, involve cross-functional teams effectively, and drive to "yes/no" decisions. The book resulted from project-based executive programs developed by the authors for corporate clients such as IBM, Nortel Networks, National Semiconductor, and General Electric. This strategic market planning process has been refined and tested with over a thousand managers and executives in North America, Europe, and Asia. Winning Market Leadership: Is targeted at managers in technology-intensive businesses such as computers, telecommunications, software, biotechnology, semiconductors, instruments, pharmaceuticals, and advanced materials. Focuses on the key issues and tough choices faced by executives in very demanding technology-intensive markets. Outlines a clear 10-step process for building winning market plans, including: identifying opportunities, understanding the competition, managing critical relationships, understanding the profit dynamic, and more. Features examples from high-tech companies such as Intel, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Glaxo Wellcome, and General Electric. Includes "Key Questions for Executives and Managers" at the end of each chapter that help eliminate "blind spots" in the planning process. Winning Market Leadership is relevant to all executives and managers who play a significant role in developing cross-functional strategic market plans for their business: general managers; marketing managers; strategic planners; managers in business development, engineering, and R&D; and project team leaders.