by Frank Cespedes | Sep 8, 2014 | Aligning Strategy and Sales, Articles
The goal of strategy is profitable growth, meaning economic value above the firm’s cost of capital. There are basically four ways to create that value: (1) invest in projects that earn more than their cost of capital; (2) increase profits from existing capital...
by Frank Cespedes | Sep 5, 2014 | Aligning Strategy and Sales, Articles
In the first decade of the 21st century, less than half of all startups in the U.S. survived beyond three years. And of the nearly 44,000 companies founded in 2000 and listed in the Capital IQ database, less than six percent achieved more than $10 million in revenues...
by Frank Cespedes | Aug 25, 2014 | Aligning Strategy and Sales, Articles
One of the best books ever written about selling is David Dorsey’s The Force. Dorsey turns a year in a Xerox sales district in Cleveland into a riveting drama about people, accounts, the operatic highs and lows of the sales cycle, and the triumph of making quota....
by Frank Cespedes | Aug 15, 2014 | Aligning Strategy and Sales, Articles
It’s become commonplace for observers to tout the transformative potential of digital technologies and bemoan the allegedly slow pace at which companies support these initiatives. Two recent blogs published by HBR.org are representative and, I believe, wrong. Walter...
by Frank Cespedes | Aug 5, 2014 | Aligning Strategy and Sales, Articles
Teamwork. Whether in meetings or retreats, there’s no doubt you’ve heard these words repeatedly preached by senior executives. However, few firms actually focus on alignment where it counts most: linking big-picture strategy with the nitty-gritty of customer...
by Frank Cespedes | Feb 18, 2013 | Articles
This post originally appeared on HBS Working Knowledge. Many companies get stuck on a plateau, unable to grow and burning through cash at a frightening rate. Frank V. Cespedes discusses how focusing on the right customers can generate growth again. Starting a...
