Best Practices: SmartSynch’s Partnership

By Tim J. Smith, PhD | March 19, 2003

There are many go-to-market strategies for new technologies. Firms can build their own sales and marketing team and go-direct, take a licensing strategy and allow others to commercialize their technology, or explore opportunities between these two extremes in a partner distribution strategy. Each go-to-market strategy presents its own complexities, tradeoffs, and challenges. In September of…

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SmartSynch’s Partnership Process

By Tim J. Smith, PhD | March 19, 2003

While partnerships may be economically efficient, many small technology-driven companies have difficulties establishing them. SmartSynch, with 18 major utility clients, is much smaller than Itron, who brings over 2000 utility clients globally. How did they convince Itron to partner? Mr. Rodgers, CEO of SmartSynch, shared the process to founding this strategic partnership. In January of…

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Sales and Marketing Survey of Manufacturing Sector

By Tim J. Smith, PhD | March 19, 2003

US Manufacturers have been hit with one management improvement revolution after the other. Total quality management, lean production, just-in-time inventory, work-in-motion, reduced cycle time, and flex teams are a few of the profit improvement techniques that have changed manufacturing forever. In keeping with these changes, labor productivity in the manufacturing sector has increased by 3%…

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Adding A Little Strategy to the Juice: The Quaker-Snapple Debacle Revisited

By Tim J. Smith, PhD | March 19, 2003

Even given today’s disastrous mergers and acquisitions environment, Quaker’s handling of its 1993 acquisition of Snapple remains the quintessence of what not to do. While acquisitions frequently fail to bring the acquiring company the projected or hoped for returns, the sheer magnitude of Quaker’s failure is remarkable, especially, given Quaker’s financial resources, marketing know-how, and…

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Closers, Industry Dynamics, and Improving Revenue

By Tim J. Smith, PhD | March 5, 2003

When prospects’ decision cycle elongates towards infinitum and the overall revenue stream turns into a trickle, many an executive has turned to his team and definitively stated: “What we need is a closer.” The first reaction by the executive team might be to attempt the fulfillment of his request. The executive team might review the…

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Sales Territory Alignment: Grow Sales Without Adding Resources

By Tim J. Smith, PhD | March 5, 2003

For many companies, the sales force is one of their most expensive human resource investments, with sales calls costing upwards of several hundred dollars. Companies have turned to Sales Force Automation (SFA) systems, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, enhanced sales training and account management programs to gain more productivity from their sales force. While each…

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