Harvard Business Review

JULY 8, 2016

Customer relationship management software revolutionized how companies manage their sales pipelines. Now a new breed of software applications is reshaping sales force management. It combines that external data with firms’ own internal customer data, such as loyalty scores and product purchase history.

Software 9

Software Credit Rating B2B Tools 9

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 7, 2014

The transmission of customer knowledge through multiple layers often causes distortion and risks the addition of personal agendas, or ”managing upward,” with people telling the CEO what they think he wants to hear. We turned to our frontline managers who knew the customer intimately and asked for their help and advice. They said, “Yes.”

CEO 11

CEO Strategy Pharmaceuticals B2B 11

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 10, 2014

Loyalty and reward programs provide this type of context for B2C companies, while strategic account and relationship management programs do the same for B2B companies. The building blocks are Sephora’s Loyalty program, mobile app, BeautyTalk community, and ColorIQ service. Owned media can be used in B2B as well.

Media 8

Media B2B Disintermediation Content 8

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 4, 2016

Russia’s industrialization also means that the market offers substantial opportunities in diverse B2B sectors such as mining, oil and gas, metallurgy, chemicals, light industry, and consumer durables.

Depreciation 8

Depreciation B2B Price Crisis 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. This gives marketing an opportunity to measure and manage itself in new ways. Zscaler, a cloud-based security platform for businesses, created a Value Management Office. The results?

Creativity 14

Creativity Marketing Agility Budgeting 14

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

TIAA-CREF, the big financial services company, includes customer loyalty score improvement in senior executive compensation. Bain research shows that leading companies can achieve 60% or better response rates in B2B companies and 30% or more in most B2C situations. The company's managers felt helpless and frustrated.

Incentives 10

Incentives Sample Customer Loyalty Metrics 10

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 21, 2011

It's not always easy to do in some B2B cases, but for almost any consumer product or service there's really no reason why this can't become a regular practice. Backed up by concrete actions such as these, you can establish a culture where trying competitive products is not seen as the height of treason, but as loyalty. Go Further.

Software 13

Software Wireless B2B Library 13

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 30, 2014

Yet for all the shared responsibility, the marketing and sales relationship has often been a contentious and lopsided one, with sales dominating in B2B sectors while marketing leads in B2C ones. One important way to focus the effort is by managing the sales pipeline together. “It Caesars has taken that point of view to heart.

Marketing 11

Marketing Guidelines B2C Analysis 11

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 16, 2015

Here are some tips brand and marketing managers can use to leverage converged media to their advantage: 1. Use social media to host contests that foster loyalty and reward brand advocates. Use visual social media to give people an inside look at a B2B company. More apps of this nature are surfacing every day.

Media 8

Media Tactics Productivity Products 8

Harvard Business Review

MARCH 26, 2015

But in the aftermath of the financial crisis, risk managers have become increasingly involved in business strategy and decisions. After the recession, for instance, one large lender made a practice of looking for “rehab” customers whose credit suffered in the downturn but who had since managed to achieve more stable incomes.

Credit Scoring 8

Credit Scoring Risk Management Finance Marketing 8