Strategic Retreat

Noman

Strategic Retreat

Unconventional B2B Strategy #11

In 1934, Mao Zedong’s Red Army faced annihilation. Encircled by Nationalist forces, they were outnumbered and outgunned.

Instead of fighting a losing battle, Mao led his army on a grueling 6,000-mile retreat—crossing rivers, mountains, and deserts.

Not a surrender. A strategic retreat.

After finding safety in Shanxi, Mao did NOT rush to retaliate. Instead, he waited … for 11 years!

Mao slowly united and regrew the Red Army into a fiercely disciplined, publicly respected military force.

In 1945, while the Nationalists’ resources were spread thin fighting the Japanese, Mao made his move.

By 1949, Mao’s Red Army defeated the Nationalists, who were forced into a survival retreat to the island of Taiwan.

Robert Greene’s 11th Strategy of War states roughly:

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Trading space for time is not weakness—it’s strategy. Retreat to conserve resources, rethink the fight, and bait the enemy into overextension. Time is your ally, not your enemy.”

Robert Greene

Adapt this to the B2B battlefield:

Manny’s Strategic Dance Retreat

FORCE ENEMIES TO OVERCOMMIT

Smart boxers will strategically retreat – staying close enough to bait the opponent to keep chasing & punching BUT far enough away to deflect attacks easily. The boxer recovers. The opponent burns out.

In business, you may encounter over-resourced competitors during a massive RFP. Withdraw. Let your competitors burn up resources fighting each other while you quietly poach their smaller clients – who are likely under-serviced during that time.

⏳ WAIT MINDFULLY ⏳

Don’t get rushed into launching a new product or service. Sometimes, letting competitors lead the charge into a new category is smarter. The market will publicly punch holes in them while you privately strengthen your launch.

Rushing sets the stage for high churn. Wait.

Smells like a training montage!

⤴️ CAPITALIZE DOWNTIME ⤵️

A strategic retreat only works when you capitalize on the downtime. Strengthen your core business. Trim fat. Internally test new tools. Prepare.

After Covid forced entire industries into retreat, b2b companies that used the downtime to strengthen – or pivot – racked up more wins during re-entry.

The B2B Bandits cut our ecommerce branch during the wait. Then we waited a few extra months after restrictions were lifted, allowing the riff-raff to burn themselves out, quietly outmaneuvering 2 of our biggest competitors.

Facing an unwinnable fight?

Strategically retreat. Proactively wait. Strike only when ready.