The Significance of Shanghai
I recently had the good fortune of spending time in Shanghai, China through the lens of a new, US-based venture. We were afforded an insightful peek into China at work, China at play, new China, old China. It was a fascinating experience that offered a variety of learnings. Shanghai is second chances. Shanghai embodies the potential of China perhaps more than any other Chinese city. Shanghai is at once contemporary, connected, in tune, aware, open, willing, engaged, and hungry. This new reality is all the more remarkable when you consider what China...
read moreMarketo Releases RPM for Microsoft Dynamics CRM
As most of you know I’m a big believer in the power of alignment. Nowhere is this more critical than the integration between marketing and sales. When you combine in the product group, you’ve got the makings of a machine primed to drive revenue and higher-level relationships. Add to this the machinery to drive relationships and revenue, and you’ve got a powerful one-two punch. Marketo adds that second punch. Marketo is an automation engine that enables you to systematically push your revenue performance. Take a close look at this interview from the Software Advice team....
read moreWhat is Transformation?
I recently read an article in The Economist about Jim Collins, the author of Built to Last, Good to Great, and, most recently, Great by Choice. The piece reviewed the merits of Collins’s overarching point of view — that greatness is largely a matter of choice and discipline — relative to other approaches including a transformative one. What surprised me wasn’t the comparison of disciplined and steady versus an aggressive agenda, but rather that transformation was painted with a ‘trash and burn’ brush. It got me thinking: What do we know...
read moreThe Road to Value (Part 2)
In The Road to Value (Part 1) I revealed a powerful way to lead a changing or emerging industry by developing a roadmap that delineates the way to create and capture value in that industry. The post showcased market-based benefits to doing this leading work. It also referenced the internal value that could be gained inside the company architecting the roadmap. Internal value is the focus of this post. A value roadmap can provide a number of sustainable benefits inside the company that invests in the effort. The capabilities section of the value roadmap showcases the gaps between what the...
read moreThe Road to Value (Part 1)
Much is written about value. Even more is said about it. Value just might be the most overused word in business today. At the organization level, we hear about customer value, shareholder value, and enterprise value. At the department level, Product Management wants its products to be perceived as good value not high cost. Sales wants to sell from value rather than feature/functions. And, Marketing is measured on the value of leads and brand equity. Even support departments like Finance, IT and HR strive for value. Finance wants positive returns of value for capital deployed. IT must...
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