Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 10, 2018

Those analyses rely on publicly available data sources, but software providers have accumulated growing amounts of private data on almost every aspect of their customers’ technology, operations, people, and strategies. We’ve referred to this phenomenon as corporate robo-advisers , and we see more of them all the time.

Benchmarking 8

Benchmarking Software B2B GAAP 8

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 14, 2018

As a result, many B2B companies remain stuck in a stalemate. Alternatively, the company can operate in stealth mode by targeting customer segments that have been poorly served or ignored by traditional distributors. Microsoft was able to do so largely due to its monopolization of the desktop operating system market.

Strategy 11

Strategy B2B Insurance Business Model 11

Harvard Business Review

MAY 18, 2018

Changing consumer needs, combined with shifting workforce expectations, are altering the competitive landscape and dictating transformation of existing company operating models for consumer industries. Accenture, in conjunction with the World Economic Forum, has created a vision of the operating model of the future for consumer industries.

Strategy 8

Strategy Content Business Model Retail 8

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 18, 2011

The role exists in B2B and B2C firms as diverse as Allstate, Dunkin' Brands, USAA, Philips Electronics, FedEx, the Cleveland Clinic, and SAP. About one quarter of these CCOs formerly held operations positions. Who are these new customer experience executives — and why do companies appoint them? Consider one example.

B2C 15

B2C B2B Forrester Budgeting 15

Harvard Business Review

JULY 31, 2012

While B2C companies have become adept at mining the petabytes of transactional and other purchasing data that consumers generate as they interact online, B2B sales organizations have only recently begun to use big data to inform overall strategy and tailor sales pitches for specific customers in real time. Yet the payoff is huge.

B2B 15

B2B Chemicals Analysis B2C 15

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 4, 2017

It’s common for leaders of sales teams to focus almost exclusively on short-term tactics and current operations while failing to think and act in a way that supports the longer-term needs of their businesses — and it’s hard to fault them. Splunk , a San Francisco-based B2B software firm, is a case in point.

Long-term 8

Long-term Short-term Team Succession 8

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 4, 2017

It’s common for leaders of sales teams to focus almost exclusively on short-term tactics and current operations while failing to think and act in a way that supports the longer-term needs of their businesses — and it’s hard to fault them. Splunk , a San Francisco-based B2B software firm, is a case in point.

Long-term 8

Long-term Short-term Team Succession 8

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 6, 2015

It’s not feasible to lower prices across the board to match the web (“Our prices are the same as Amazon”) since Internet retailers typically have lower operating costs. The answer is to play defense: use surgical-strike discounts to entice customers who are at risk of defecting due to a cheaper price.

Discount 8

Discount Retail Price B2C 8

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 4, 2014

for 10+ years; deployment of design as an integrated function across the entire enterprise; evidence that design investments and influence are increasing; clear reporting structure and operating model for design; experienced design executives at the helm directing design activities; and tangible senior leadership-level commitment for design.

Venture Capitalist 8

Venture Capitalist Fashion B2B Hedge 8

Harvard Business Review

MARCH 22, 2017

Brocade’s Net Promoter Score went from 50 (already a best in class score) to 62 (one of the highest B2B scores on record) within 18 months. The leadership team conducts a weekly evaluation to assess, “Is what we’re doing working?” The results? Invest in the end-to-end experience.

Creativity 14

Creativity Marketing Agility Budgeting 14

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

In most larger companies, you'll need to generate roughly 200+ responses per operating unit per period. Bain research shows that leading companies can achieve 60% or better response rates in B2B companies and 30% or more in most B2C situations. Your CFO and finance team can take a leadership role here. Organized learning.

Incentives 12

Incentives Sample Customer Loyalty Metrics 12

N2Growth Blog

NOVEMBER 30, 2010

The problem with many sales organizations is that they still operate with the same principles and techniques they were using in the 60′s, 70’s and 80’s. Today’s consumer (B2B or B2C) does their homework, is well informed, and buys…they are not sold. It’s about meeting customer needs and adding value.

Blog 409

Blog Ryan B2C Brand 409

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

It’s also a massive operational challenge because companies are not set up to make very frequent pricing changes, whereas currencies can move hugely overnight. For instance, one of our B2B clients raised prices by 15-20% following a currency depreciation. That can lead to market share loss, as well as drops in revenue.

Price 8

Price Globalization Depreciation Marketing 8

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 12, 2016

The 300,000 companies in the association’s data set have more than doubled their profits from operations over the past 13 years, outpacing their corporate counterparts in the country. These companies are dedicated to mutual technological leadership with their customers. This success is no blip. We sell shovels to gold seekers.”

Industry 8

Industry Long-term Short-term Class 8

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 6, 2013

In addition, most of the very large firms in China are content to compete as B2B players where the value of branding is not obvious. Without that, China''s ascent to global business leadership will continue to be held back by their weakness in branding and marketing. The change in the competitive context will occur but very slowly.

Brand 8

Brand Globalization Brand Management Long-term 8

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 16, 2014

“There needs to be an expectation within the team this is a shared leadership responsibility,” he says. When a team works well together, it’s because its members are operating from the same mindset and are clear about their goals and their norms,” says Schwarz. The group’s biggest issue was its disappointing B2B product suite.

Team 12

Team How To Case Study Open-book 12

Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, the world’s largest online B2B global trading marketplace, is probably the most obvious choice. For those operating in China, this is, indeed, a quandary. Can you, in fact, name ten Chinese entrepreneurs who you think dream dreams big enough to be likely to build the future? Can you name five?

Entrepreneur 8

Entrepreneur Proposal Stage-Gate Disruptive Innovation 8

Harvard Business Review

MAY 4, 2016

I transformed Axion’s all-things-for-all-customers mentality, establishing a profitable B2B focus that grew our revenue from less than $.75M Restructured Quality function by hiring new leadership team, training staff, and focusing on data-based service improvement plans. 75M to more than $14.5M in four years. 5M to $10M.

Brand 8

Brand Press Release Marketing B2B 8

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 5, 2015

These changes are driven by seismic shifts in consumer behavior and an explosion of both consumer- and B2B-facing technologies. When and how do we shift our businesses from legacy operating models to ones that better reflect the future? How do we maximize our creativity as an industry while integrating data-driven approaches?

Media 8

Media Advertising Audience Technology 8

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 13, 2017

PMs have to have a deep understanding of how the organization operates and must build social capital to influence the success of their product – from obtaining budget and staffing to securing a top engineer to work on their product. They also have more influence and authority over company resources.

Products 8

Products Productivity Core Competence Management 8

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 27, 2014

Inside many companies, particularly in B2B settings, the notion of “liberation” remains challenging. By clustering its projects in well-defined platforms, DSM believes that it is creating portfolios of options and is more likely to build leadership positions in large opportunity spaces as a result.

Innovation 8

Innovation Strategy Drucker Project 8