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The human component of Big Data
You cannot avoid “Big data” if you tried. It’s plastered across every media outlet and promises to change the way business is done. As a research firm Isurus wholeheartedly endorses the two underling principles of how big data can improve business operations: 1) It is far better to manage your business with facts rather than assumptions. 2) In a general sense more data is better than less. However one thing that sometimes gets lost in the hype is that as useful and insightful as big data can be, running a successful business still requires sound human judgment, decisions and calculated risks.
Read MoreDo dominant personalities sway participants in focus groups?
It is almost inevitable that during the course of a set of focus groups one of the backroom observers will point to a participant with a strong personality and say, “I think that person is leading the other participants.” After almost twenty years of watching and conducting focus groups the idea that B2B decisions makers can be so easily swayed by an individual with a strong personality seems like the market research equivalent of the boogeyman.
Read MoreDistinguishing the Next Big Thing from the Next Big Sell
A recent article in the MIT Sloan Management Review provides practical guidelines to help IT buyers make better decisions about which new innovations to adopt. The article points out the risks of being persuaded to invest in new technology by the hype that surrounds it, only to be disappointed by the lack of business value it provides. They advise IT buyers to assess where and how quickly the technology is being adopted, the pace and success of implementations, and value achieved by other companies that have implemented it.
Read MoreWords matter. Exhibit A: The “fiscal cliff”
Most readers of this blog need no convincing when it comes to the importance of the words we use to name and describe products, companies, and issues. We spend significant hours and budgets thinking about the most compelling, resonant language with which to describe our offerings.
Read MoreWhat type of innovation is your customer buying?
In a recent opinion column Clayton M. Christensen, author of The Innovators Dilemma, identifies three types of innovation that drive capital markets: Empowering innovations, sustaining innovations, and efficiency innovations. Mr. Christensen’s hypothesis is that all three innovation types are needed for a robust, fully functioning economy.
Read MoreMoving prospects along the buying process
Patrick Spenner and Karen Freeman recently published an article in the Harvard Business Review on the importance of understanding where a customer is in the buying process and of helping customers simplify the process itself: To keep your customers keep it simple. The article focuses on consumers but parallels exist in B2B markets and we have long championed these ideas among our B2B clients.
Read MoreSometimes your channel is your brand
“There is very little loyalty left. Manufacturer X is mercenary. They just want to make money, and I’m mercenary. In other words, Manufacturer X doesn’t care about me, and I don’t care about Manufacturer X. They just make a good product.” This quote from a recent study sums up the state of many of the channel relationships we see across a range of technology and industrial B2B markets.
Read MorePositioning challenges for technology startups
When we look at the cyclical patterns of startups vs. legacy systems we feel this time around will go much smoother than last major round of startups – the .com era. Today’s IT executives have been through this process before and know where the risks lie and how to mitigate them as much as possible. In a silver lining to the sluggish economy’s grey cloud, budgets are tight so even the most hyped technologies (e.g. mobile) receive much more attention and systematic evaluation than previous .com initiatives ever did.
Read MoreInsights from The Art of the Sale
In The Art of the Sale: Learning from the Masters About the Business of Life Philip Delves Broughton provides non-sales folks a glimpse into the world of sales by profiling a range of successful sales professionals ranging from an antiques dealer in Morocco to a global sales rep for a commercial airplane manufacturer. Along the way he provides his perspective on sales seminars – that at the end of the day they serve the purpose of recharging sales people so they can climb back into the trenches.
Read MoreWhy likability matters
Likability is also one important criterion we use to test advertising. Even as advertising and advertising research have become much more sophisticated over time, likability continues to be a useful predictor of effectiveness.
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