Some time ago I wrote a short article suggesting that The plural of the word ‘anecdote’ is not ‘science’. My point was that just because a lot of people have their own personal stories about a subject does not make what they are saying true. Take the example of nutrition advice that follows a common […]
Last week’s ‘most-read articles’ list is already way out of date, and an example of bad research from a major company. Welcome to the 83rd edition of my customer strategy newsletter. The five topics this week are: Most-read articles update – Includes one I could not mention last week Don’t measure individuals on NPS – They will […]
So far, the situation analysis has allowed you to dream about what you can do for customers and partners, how you will crush your competitors and how you will lead your industry. This time we move on to the internal realities in your own organization. It’s a tricky subject and can be the hardest of […]
The things I like to write and you like to read, and an example of bad research from a major company. Welcome to the 82nd edition of my customer strategy newsletter. The five topics this week are: Our most-read articles on our site and on LinkedIn What is your favorite color? (How not to do customer research) […]
This time the situation analysis process moves on to relevant trends in your industry and in the external environment. Accurate observations about these areas can give you a competitive advantage, even if you have little influence over the trends. Remember: to get new answers, you have to ask new questions. This is the fourth in a […]
There are two main categories of competitors: traditional and emerging. The emerging category includes companies you do not know about yet, but who may be about to take over your market. There are industries such as steel manufacturing where barriers to entry are high, and you are unlikely to be surprised. There are also low-barrier […]
Goodhart’s Law and being careful about metrics, eCommerce that competes with own retail stores. Welcome to the 81st edition of my customer strategy newsletter. The five topics this week are: Goodhart’s Law is 43 years old – We still need to be careful with metrics Web stores that compete with physical locations – My latest experience […]
The majority of companies have partners for at least some of their business. The three main categories of partners available to most businesses are resellers, implementation partners, and subcontractors. The purpose of any and all business strategies is to crush your competitors and win. Your partners can help you do that. But how? And what […]
SAP acquires Qualtrics, eCommerce that complements retail stores. Welcome to the 80th edition of my customer strategy newsletter. The five topics this week are: SAP acquires Qualtrics – Some thoughts about the value of the deal Web stores need to complement physical locations – My latest experience Latest blog posts Notable items from other sites – […]
Way back in 2005 I had the privilege of attending an executive education program at Columbia called Creating Breakthrough Strategy. The course was far more practical than the other attendees and I expected. The reason was simple: the main content and structure were provided by Willie Pietersen, a South African who has been CEO of a […]
