Between Solution and Transactional Selling

“You get rich quicker by working smarter, not faster” has long been a mantra that guides our competitive drive to improve. In sales, the issue of working smarter over working faster underlies the tension between solution selling and transactional selling. Does this imply that all businesses should adopt a solution selling approach? This article provides…

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Solution Selling Tips

If you have made the choice to conduct a solution selling approach, you have chosen to execute an approach that requires a broader skill set than that of transactional selling. While promotional statements and closing techniques retain their usefulness, the focus in customer interactions moves towards questions and dialogue that examine customer challenges. This requires…

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Turn Data into Actionable Information – Business Objects

Business Objects has become a household name in industrial markets. Founded in 1992, they achieved 20% growth to just below $1 billion in revenue in 2003. Last year, they also acquired Crystal Decisions, the common reporting tool. Russ Hill, Director of Retail, CPG, and Distribution at Business Objects and Tim Beyers, also of Business Objects,…

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Deep Innovation: The Well-Oiled and the Cantankerous

What factor drives innovation into large companies versus entrepreneurial firms? Should firms fund deep innovation within or should innovation be driven through acquisitions? Should entrepreneurs expect swift competition from goliaths or a few years of solitude while they develop their market? To a casual business observer, it may appear that innovation and new product development…

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Leverage Analysts – Inovis

Inovis, privately held by Golden Gate Capital, did $100 million in revenue in 2003 and has over 17,000 customers. Their focus has been on managing business to business communications through EDI and value added networks. AS1, AS2, UCCNet, Rosetta Net, and others communication standards fulfill specific industry needs. For suppliers of consumer goods, working with…

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