Remove Customer Intimacy Remove Goal Remove Management Remove Technology
article thumbnail

IBM at 100: How to Outlast Depression, War, and Competition

Harvard Business Review

At its 100-year milestone, IBM shows us what it takes to outlast depression, war, and intense competition in order to remain a market leader in the midst of ongoing technological innovation. Know your customers intimately. Newly appointed CEO Lou Gerstner logged thousands of hours visiting customers, industry experts and analysts.

article thumbnail

Understanding Customers Is Everyone's Job

Harvard Business Review

The biggest changes, not surprisingly, are in the marketing function, itself — the source of these new, more detailed customer insights. By addressing common (and often difficult) questions in such an up-front way, the impression customers get, said Sheridan, is "Oh my gosh, these guys are so honest.".