These 5 points will convince you that "maximizing shareholder value" is the wrong goal for your company: 1) The underlying logic is failed. 2) Results don’t support this approach. 3) A good result can be a bad goal. 4) Employees need a higher calling. 5) A better goal is “understand and meet customer needs.” ... Read More
If you want a blockbuster new product, you need to meet all 6—not just 4 or 5—of these conditions: 1) A need exists. 2) The need is uncovered. 3) A solution is developed. 4) The solution is delivered. 5) Value is captured (via pricing). 6) Value is protected (via patents or trade secret). ... Read More
Want to drive rapid, profitable, sustainable growth at your company… and focus on what matters most? This original research taps over 10,000 years of combined experience from 540 B2B professionals. You’ll see which of 24 growth drivers they deemed the most important, and which they were most eager to improve. ... Read More
In a complex system—like your business—every action leads to a second-order effect (SOE). Some are unknowable. Others are easily predicted but routinely ignored by business leaders. We’ll explore success-stunting SOE’s you should avoid… and a 5th order plan for your B2B organic growth. A college student studies hard, gets good grades (second-order effect), and begins ... Read More
Here’s the scene: You are a B2B business leader unhappy with your membership in the Shareholder Appeasement Club and its quarterly meetings. You want profitable, reliable growth so you are free to captain your ship, not some Wall Street analysts. But what should you do—not in the abstract—but in concrete, actionable steps? Before exploring admission ... Read More
Leaders can speed up product development by putting their foot on three “pedals”… resources, communication and accountability. And teams also have three pedals to push: market knowledge for NPD accuracy, risk management, and communication. ... Read More
Learn these six ways to avoid the Commodity Death Spiral that short-term-thinking business leaders fall into: 1) Take ownership of your future. 2) Measure your progress. 3) Change your time horizon. 4) Work on high-impact products. 5) Get out more. 6) Directly engage your customers. ... Read More
When it comes to B2B customer insight, a face-to-face customer interview offers significant advantages. Some think they’ll learn all they need to know from their sales force… but there’s a big difference between customer-reactive meetings and market-proactive interviews. ... Read More
What’s the definition of “ideation?” The meaning of “ideation?” As Voltaire reminded us, “If you want to converse with me, define your terms.” So, what is “ideation”? Ideation Definition According to Merriam-Webster, it’s “the act of forming or entertaining ideas.” However, as a definition within the larger new product development process, that’s not overly helpful. ... Read More
Voice of the Customer projects often stumble right out of the gate. Why is this? More often than not, projects begin with optimism and energy. But all too often, somewhere in the middle, they tend to lose momentum altogether. And once the enthusiasm begins to fade, it’s challenging to recapture the magic. But why does ... Read More
B2B innovation leadership is more than stoplight charts and cost-cutting. To make a real difference a B2b leader will usher in a new era of customer-driven growth. It takes patience, courage, and a commitment to finding the best people and processes. Follow these 10 best practices to lead innovation and change for B2B organic growth. ... Read More
Do your sales and tech support reps make hundreds of customer calls annually? Why not train them to probe deeply and capture customer needs uniformly in your CRM? You’ll gain unprecedented market insight when you turn your sales force into a learning force—to help you develop better future products. And with Everyday VOC probing, they’ll ... Read More
What single new practice can drive your company’s long-term organic growth more than any other? Hint: Few companies do this today, but that’s changing… and someday this will likely be a common practice. The answer: The disciplined use of Market Satisfaction Gaps (MSG) as a required “admission ticket” for entering the costly product development stage. ... Read More
How critical is speed to new product innovation? Imagine a project that leads to new product sales of $5 million per year, with average profit margins. What’s the net present value of launching this product just one month earlier? $80,000! That’s $4000 per business day. Think we could use a little more urgency for new ... Read More