I love a good SWOT analysis.
I didn’t always, until one high-ranking executive leaned back in his leather backed ergonomic conference chair and asked me,
“So, why should I choose you over these other companies?  What do you actually have that I can’t get from anyone else?”

At the time I fumbled through a “good-enough” response,
Some combination of expertise and key partnerships to increase speed. 
But now, after a decade of developing strategy, I’m always ready for that question.

In practice, true strengths aren’t always easy to find.
Ask a handful of people at your company and you’ll likely get a handful of answers.
Everything from mission statements to “why I left my last company” to
“This is not even my desk.”
[Note: Make sure you actually ask people who work there]

If I were to develop a template, the first thing I’d look at is differentiation.
What things make my company stand out in the competitive landscape.  
What aspects of my company answer “What makes you unique?” or “What do you have that no one else does?”
Once I have those answers, building the “why should I choose you” story gets easier. 

The second thing I’d look at is focus.  
Strengths aren’t just what my company can do, but what we choose not to do.
When I know our strengths, I also know where we don’t spend resources, what shiny competitive objects we ignore,
And which part of the Joneses we don’t need to keep up with.
Knowing what we give our full attention to adds an extra layer to the strategic story.

The final piece is honesty.  Strange, I know.
But every assessment of strengths requires reflection and honesty.  
Strategy isn’t about slogans and platitudes, or carbon copying what the company down the road does.  
It’s finding what your company truly values, invests in, and champions, 
So you can do the same in your strategy. 

With differentiation, focus, and honesty, strengths tell a better story.  Not just what but why.
The S in SWOT, even though it’s just a snapshot, means better conversations, better proof points,
And much clearer answers to “what makes you so darn special?”