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The Senior Leader’s Checklist for Shaping Company Culture

Next Level Blog

Back in my own days as an executive, I was hugely influenced by a book called The Discipline of Market Leaders. The authors argued that companies had to pick between one of three paths to value creation and success in the market – operational excellence, customer intimacy or product leadership.

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The Small Business Advantage

Six Disciplines

This small team was one of the most productive, spirited and lively groups I''ve ever known. As organizations increase in size, the leadership team moves from generalists to specialists who are responsible for a particular business area. Customer Intimacy. Attracting Team Members. Effective Communication.

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The Small Business Advantage

Six Disciplines

This small team was one of the most productive, spirited and lively groups I''ve ever known. As organizations increase in size, the leadership team moves from generalists to specialists who are responsible for a particular business area. Customer Intimacy. Attracting Team Members. Effective Communication.

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Customer Intimacy, Meet Operational Excellence

Harvard Business Review

As a direct marketer we have been good at customer intimacy. We know a lot about our customers. We have known for a long time that we needed to be operationally excellent, but in the past we''ve fixed problems reactively, after the event, to keep customers happy. But it isn''t easy.

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How IBM, Intuit, and Rich Products Became More Customer-Centric

Harvard Business Review

How well do you know your customers? This seems to be a key question on the minds of not just marketers, but company strategists these days. This intensive customer focus has increased as technology-enabled transparency and online social media accelerate an inexorable flow of market power downstream from suppliers to customers.

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Understanding Customers Is Everyone's Job

Harvard Business Review

Going to market effectively these days, no matter what business you''re in, means relating to customers as individuals — even if there are millions of them. retailer Tesco built detailed profiles of customers and then used these insights and a flexible supply chain to customize their products and offers.

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The Growing Power of Inside Sales

Harvard Business Review

We spoke with Mike Moorman, a senior leader in ZS Associates'' B2B sales and marketing practice and a leading authority on sales management, about how inside sales (which refers to sales positions done remotely from headquarters, without face-to-face meetings with clients) is transforming the way that B2B companies interact with their customers.

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