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Outsider Insights | Beyond the Sale—Why CEOs Are Turning Attention to Retention and Expansion
Outsider Insights
Across Chief Outsiders, we talk to hundreds of CEOs every month. In this series, we explore the trends and challenges we’re hearing from these discussions – and what you can do if you’re facing the same issues in your business.
Lessons in Innovation: The Customer Development Team’s exposure to Prospective Customers
Fri, Jul 28, 2017 — In my last post I shared a process for companies to consider using when evaluating new products for new markets. The core idea is to test “customer readiness” before making significant investments in Marketing and Sales. And the vehicle for testing is to use a cross-functional Customer Development team to reach out to prospects to create and expedite learning moments. Uncover the facts, test your assumptions, and iterate on the product, if absolutely required, before executing the big launch. In this post, I’ll share an experience I’ve had when using this approach.
A Bullet Train to Profitable Growth: Four Questions to Ask Now
Mon, Jul 24, 2017 — In Japan, the Shinkansen Bullet Trains have carried more than 10 billion passengers, through one of the most densely populated regions in the world, since 1964. In that 53-year span, there have been ZERO fatal accidents on the railroad. How is this unblemished safety record possible, given the high speed, high stakes environment in which the trains operate?
Sales and Marketing Synergy: Why Cross-Functional Alignment is No Longer Just an Option
Thu, Jul 20, 2017 — As a CEO, you strive for harmony among your functional teams. It’s a comforting feeling during those weekly leadership meetings to hear that sales and marketing efforts appear to be coordinated – key personnel are collaborating on projects, keeping each other informed, using a common language, and possibly even delivering cross-functional reports from Salesforce and other analytical tools. But beneath this veneer of peaceful coexistence, are your sales and marketing teams truly integrating their efforts in a way that will add impact – and revenue – to your bottom line?
7 Things Successful CEOs Do to Grow their Business
Tue, Jul 11, 2017 — Lessons from UPS, Campbell’s Soup, Amazon, and Others In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy for CEOs and other executives to get mired in day-to-day fire-fighting, only to find that growth has stalled. Below are 7 things successful CEOs from companies big and small do to build momentum, create and keep a strong culture, and grow their business.
Profitable, Recurring Revenue Streams - Part 2
Fri, Jul 7, 2017 — Transitioning Your Business Model to Grow Your Business-as-a-Service More and more companies are realizing that transitioning their business to an as-a-Service model is the answer to driving higher growth and more profitable and stable revenue streams. In Part 1 of this article series, you learned how to know if it's time to think about embracing an as-a-Service model.
Fractional CMO can be Key Step in Building a Management Team
Thu, Jul 6, 2017 — This is a guest post from Mark Rosenman of Newport Board Group. There is a wide range of circumstances that lead companies to bring in a fractional CMO. The immediate need to strengthen marketing might be a response to an important development in the business: a growth spurt or a downturn, new capital or a change in management team or strategy. Some companies bring in a fractional CMO as part of an “asset light” business model that leans against bringing on permanent C-level executives at least for the foreseeable future.
CEOs: Ready to Enjoy Tom Brady-Style Success in the Boardroom?
Wed, Jul 5, 2017 — Employ the Secrets of the New England Patriots’ Quarterback To Create Your Own Winning Game Plan Whether or not you like the NFL’s New England Patriots, they keep winning -- and always find themselves in playoff contention. So, what’s their secret? Is it better players? Probably not. They always seem to find new or no-name players who seem to outperform on game day, to everyone’s amazement. Is it better coaching or a better playbook? Maybe, but every NFL team has similar offensive and defensive playbooks.
CEO Shares How He Transformed His Business and Became a Better Leader
Wed, Jun 21, 2017 — Peer Advisory Group Helps CEO Focus on His Business Versus Working in His Business A Chief Outsiders Fractional CMO has a conversation with Vistage Member and CEO of Seattle Fish Company, James Iacino, about his experience with Vistage, an executive coaching organization that provides leadership training and business coaching to CEOs and Executives.
Profitable, Recurring Revenue Streams
Thu, Jun 15, 2017 — Transitioning Your Business Model to Grow Your Business-as-a-Service If you are the CEO of a company selling products or services to other businesses, you are probably constantly looking for new sources of growth. It’s frustrating when your company is not able to realize its growth potential. Sometimes the issue involves understanding customers or markets better. In other cases it’s about changes to a marketing strategy or execution plan. But sometimes the solution involves changing the core business model of your product or service (or completing a change that you already began).