Grolistic Archives - Page 64 of 65

The NEW 5 Ps of Business Development

October 30, 2013August 10, 2012 by Bob Schultek

Collaboration Constrains Commoditization Many years ago, when I was in grad school, we spent many hours analyzing how the traditional 4 Ps of business marketing – Products, Pricing, Promotion, and Physical distribution – could be leveraged to strengthen competitive advantage and compel customers to purchase our products. Later, the 4 Ps became the 5 Ps when it was realized that execution of the 4 Ps requires competent, dedicated People. These days, rapidly evolving technology is …

Producing Promised Value

January 30, 2019July 30, 2012 by Bob Schultek

Winning When Your Customer Does Early in my career, one customer abruptly ended a meeting when I spent more time talking than I did listening. He said, “We’ve been meeting for more than 15 minutes and you have not yet asked a question about my business, my goals or my problems. I don’t need your products – I need solutions. Come back when you can add value to our discussion.” This was a tough but …

“Build Your People and They Will Build Your Company”

September 30, 2014July 20, 2012 by Bob Schultek

Empowering Your People To Create Value In today’s economy, we are evermore dependent on technology to accelerate responsiveness, increase productivity and enhance service. Yet as our dependence on technology grows, so does our thirst for human connection. This phenomenon is called the “High Tech-High Touch” trend, first described in the early 1980s by John Naisbitt in his book MegaTrends. Just recall a time when you had a crisis or critical question, but could not connect …

Customers Care More About “Why” Than “What”

June 26, 2013July 17, 2012 by Bob Schultek

Committing To Core Principles Customers care more about “why” you seek their business than “what” you do. They want to buy the “why”- the commitment, the unique promise you offer – rather than your product or service. Since customers care only about the strategic value you produce for their business, describing why working with you generates a quantifiable, distinctive advantage for them creates a more compelling, emotional connection. The “why” you do business in …

Your Unique Promise Is Your Brand

June 26, 2013July 10, 2012 by Bob Schultek

Keeping Promises Strengthens Your Differentiation The ever evolving technology that we rely upon every day seduces us with its productivity benefits. To respond with urgency and compete effectively, we need to leverage the technology available to us. On the other hand, technology’s seductive influence accelerates commoditization, challenging us to continuously strengthen our differentiation and consistently act in accordance with our unique offering. Your unique offering is actually a promise to leverage your competitive advantage to …

“After The Thrill Is Gone…”

June 26, 2013July 5, 2012 by Bob Schultek

Is Passion Still Essential In Business? My friend, who is responsible for new business development at a major tech company, was complaining about the rate of technological evolution the other day. “These days, we barely get a long weekend of product exclusivity,” he grumbled. Today’s rapid technological turnover requires all hands on deck to fight the commoditization trend! It’s not enough to have owners or senior management being the only ones proposing new ideas or …

GAMMA: Gune’, Gunaikos (“Woman”)

April 16, 2013June 19, 2012 by Doreen Tusick

When we arrived at the “gamma” letter, the word was quite obvious. We want to reflect on “woman” as a point of focus in considering business and career issues. Let’s make a bold call: this will be the century of women. There are some excellent reasons behind this: Education: ■Woman now outnumber (demographically) all men in every strata of education and educational attainment ■Law schools and Medical schools now produce 50%+ graduates from the ranks …

Are You A Vendor or A Partner For Your Core Customers?

June 26, 2013June 13, 2012 by Bob Schultek

You are a vendor when: • You respond to inquiries with quotations that specify product or service, price, terms and schedule, without first seeking to understand how you can produce strategic value for your customer; • Your dialogue with your customer focuses on their current problem, and how you are cheaper, better or faster than your competitors; • You communicate nothing that describes your distinctiveness nor proposes a means for your customer to evaluate your unique offering; • Your …

A Reflection on Beta

August 31, 2021June 10, 2012 by Vic Pergola

Bucephalus–Unstoppable! It’s horse season. At the movies we have “War Horse,” at the track we have the thrilling finish to the Belmont, in this season we have the disappointment of injury and no subsequent Triple Crown run. Bucephalus is the ancient horse of glory, strength, and honor. He is Alexander’s horse, riding into every battle with him, and dying at 30 in the battle of Hydaspes. As with Secretariat, Seabiscuit, and Triple Crown winners, Bucephalus …

A Reflection on Alpha Themes

April 16, 2013June 5, 2012 by Vic Pergola

We live in interesting times and our lives & careers are often dominated by anxiety, ambiguity, and ambivalence. Anxiety: This is life’s great stopper overflowing into business; simply look at the market fluctuations, the international debt crises, the continual worry over hiring and expanding, the risks, the need for an economic safe harbor. We have pills for it, we work it out at the gym, and we look over our shoulders; who or what is …