Frank,regular and constructive feedback is hard to give or receive in any work relationship. For example, HR performance appraisals are dreaded by both the boss and the employee. If you are a great leader your employees deserve to know how they are doing on a frequent basis , according to the legendary Jack Welch (Also seeContinue reading “Why it’s hard to share feedback in B2B Markets”
Category Archives: Leadership and Management
Front end of new projects: The challenge of engaging clients,bosses and colleagues
The primary challenge for their innovation teams, according to the Innovation head of a Fortune 50 corporation, is to consciously engage the bosses at the front end of the project. The bosses sign off on initial costs and then when things progress to the stage of making prototypes and trial production- the bosses suddenly wake up. “I never realized that there are such big costs involved,down the line…” is a common refrain.
Peak-End Rule and Customer Experience
According to the peak-end rule customers think back on their experience in terms peaks and ending. Thus, if during a service encounter there is a delightful experience and the service experience ends on a positive note the overall recollection is positive. Such a customer is likely to refer customers, like your business on Facebook. It does not matter if there was a peak negative experience (as illustrated in the graphic) that is lower than the peak positive experience
New Product B2B marketers and the junior manager prospect: problem or opportunity?
No junior or middle manager would like to admit that they have a problem when faced with a new B2B solution that has the potential to vastly improve efficiency or reduce cost. Such an admission involves potentially admitting that the manager is not doing her job. The risks seem just too much with a new supplier, legacy systems and the fear of the unknown. A classic case of marketers trying to promote value as buyers try to reduce risk. And we are not just referring to purchasing and supply management folk- but the potential users of the new product that the marketers is trying to convince in the buying center.
Fiat needs re-positioning after Pope’s endorsement
We had celebrated the election of Pope Francis in an earlier post and it is a joy to see the”kindness” impact he has been having in the world for not just Catholics, but all people. The Papal visit to the US created an amazing buzz and his using a Fiat is a big celebrity endorsementContinue reading “Fiat needs re-positioning after Pope’s endorsement”
Five Tips to align your Website content to your Annual Report
A recent LinkedIn post discussed how there seems to be significant differences between what the biggest companies say on their websites and what they put out on the annual report. Naturally, the annual report is the more recent management thinking on all matters of the organization. In the pre-Google world one could argue that theContinue reading “Five Tips to align your Website content to your Annual Report”
The secret to repeat customers: ” We take pride in our work”
So we set out to ask some service providers that we know have great repeat customers. On the pure service end was a hairdresser and on the product and service end was an electrician.
B2B Marketing: Derived Demand web content can help show that you “get” it
Think about marketing anything B2B – and you’ll find derived demand at work. Your web content should reflect that you “get” what your B2B customer is trying to do for their customers. Derived demand is defined as : demand for a B2B product is derived from the demand that your B2B customer receives from theirContinue reading “B2B Marketing: Derived Demand web content can help show that you “get” it”
Is your innovation R&D intensive or customer intensive?
R&D Intensive innovation: It was a bio-technology strategy executive who explained when asked why it is hard to produce “made in the garage” innovations in biotechnology. The problem is that in biotechnology and pharmaceutical research you need labs, teams and a lot of money and time to come up with a blockbuster cure. You cannotContinue reading “Is your innovation R&D intensive or customer intensive?”
Burger King, Tim Hortons coffee and Budweiser beer -will consumers care ?
The proposed takeover of Tim Hortons by Burger King (BK) has left large sections of Americans and Canadians aghast. For just as Burger King is quintessentially American so is Tim Hortons a storied and beloved Canadian brand. There is a general sense of dismay among pundits accross both sides of the border for Americans feelContinue reading “Burger King, Tim Hortons coffee and Budweiser beer -will consumers care ?”