Much is written these days about the changing nature of B2B marketing. The internet and marketing automation are changing how companies engage customers. Social media is playing a prominent role in shaping customer choices and influencing new trends. Some call these changes “consumerization” of B2B marketing, a potentially game-changing environment for some B2B marketers.
If your most valuable customer had the chance to buy from another supplier, would they?
Of course not! You have the best product on the market. You have the best brand recognition. Your prices may not be the lowest around but you have a rock-solid relationship with this B2B customer. You would walk through fire for them. No way would they leave you for a competitor, right?
It’s that time of year again. The media is filled with year-end lists, projections, resolutions and wishes. Compared to all that drama, my wish for 2015 is simple: let’s have this be the year that puts an end to cost-based pricing.
For more than ten years, we have been preaching the evils of pricing based on costs. We truly believe its only place is in government contracts that require cost transparency and a margin or ‘fee’ on top of those acceptable costs.
A good business strategy helps you differentiate yourself in the market. When I work with clients on strategy, I help them figure out their sweet spot. A sweet spot is the intersection of two things:
Have you ever had déjà vu during a meeting while discussing an idea that you’re certain was dismissed last year, or the year before that? Yet here it is, still being discussed and maybe even invested in. Like the zombies in a bad horror movie, these ideas just keep coming back, undead, to hunt you down.
All good leaders want their companies to achieve profitable growth. To get there, you need much more than a set of goals and a business plan. You need a fresh look at your current business situation and an honest assessment of where you can really differentiate.
Ever wonder why your yearly plans and new initiatives fail to yield meaningful changes or a bold new vision? Maybe it’s because you've confused business planning with strategic planning.
If you’re not sure what the difference is between the two, you’re in good company. Here’s how I explain it to my clients whenever they struggle to separate these concepts.
