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The Chief Outsider
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Recent Posts
Outsider Insights | From Hustle to System: Why More CEOs Are Rebuilding Their Sales Function
Outsider Insights
Across Chief Outsiders, we talk to hundreds of CEOs every month. In this new series, we explore the trends and challenges we’re hearing from these discussions – and what you can do if you’re facing the same issues in your business.
The SaaS Marketing Playbook Part 1 | Positioning: Finding Your Purple Cow in the Herd
Mon, Feb 22, 2021 — Most marketers may not think they have anything in common with cattle ranchers, but it requires a trip to the Old West to fully understand the history of branding – a term which has significance for both. The National Cowboy Museum explains that branding, in the old days, “provided a way for ranchers to stake their claim on cattle and other livestock, while deterring theft from rustlers.”
Consumers Want Control of their Healthcare Creating Exceptional Growth for In-Home Diagnostics
Wed, Feb 17, 2021 — The in-home testing market that largely began with pregnancy tests back in the 70’s has been exploding for several years. New tests for health conditions we would have never imagined now serve as tools to empower consumers. Thus, companies that position products to leverage the in-home diagnostics boom drive revenue growth while improving consumer health.
Best Practice Process (Stage/Gate) for Successful and Profitable Innovations
Fri, Dec 18, 2020 — As we know with most business activities, a well-defined process is often critical to keep your project on track. But equally important is to have specific targets that must be reviewed and approved before continued investment of people and money can continue. Given the complexity of innovation and new product development, and the high levels of new product failure for most industries, these initiatives carry a greater need for a rigorous process.
Customer Insights Essential to Successful Innovation
Tue, Dec 8, 2020 — Listening to your prospective customers seems to be a logical approach when identifying new products or services. But too many companies look internally to their teams, assuming they have the expertise and knowledge to innovate. It is true that they have industry and company knowledge. But they are not having daily, objective conversations with people in the target audience. Those conversations are necessary to fully understand their needs and pains, and what products or services will be valuable to them.
The Importance of Innovation for Sustainable Growth and Profitability
Thu, Dec 3, 2020 — The initial success of many small to mid-sized companies comes from an innovative product or service they developed. Passionately designed, promoted, and differentiated from competitors, it resonated with their customers. However, despite this early excitement and success, many companies fail to maintain a focus on innovation. Markets, customer needs, and technology are constantly changing. Those that recognize this and respond will drive growth and ensure a sustainable business for years to come.
More Returns = More Sales? Amazing!
Thu, Nov 5, 2020 — How do you decide who your “favorite” online merchants are? With online ordering going through the roof, online brands and sellers have been focused on the best customer experience. They have focused on the “front end” – an easy to use web site, wide selection of items, and fast delivery, maybe even one or two days.
Driving Growth in Service Businesses
Tue, Nov 3, 2020 — Creating a sustainable and predictable growth engine is critical to increasing revenues, profits, EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), and the corresponding multiple in a service business. Creating a successful engine is more than just an annual plan or an intriguing digital marketing strategy. To succeed in their marketplace, service businesses must shift their thinking to implement the appropriate combination of revenue growth planning, processes, and talent.
Selecting a Strategy for Market Leadership: Part Five
Tue, Oct 20, 2020 — Decision Time! Choosing the Right Strategy for Your Business In our previous blog, we discussed in depth the three types of market strategies from which to choose your overall go-to-market direction. As we discussed, the competitive strategy you select must fit with a company’s market, both in terms of geography, and with customer needs. It also must be completely in line with company strengths, abilities, and culture. Pick one of the three, and start positioning the organization as a market leader! Regardless of which option is selected, do not forget the point of all this — to increase business value. The success of a strategy is ultimately measured through cash, not profit.
Selecting a Strategy for Market Leadership: Part Four
Thu, Oct 15, 2020 — Evaluating Your Strategic Options Hopefully, in our last two blogs (Part Two and Part Three), you have learned a great deal about the influence that your industry and coming trends will have on your company’s overall success in the marketplace. Against the backdrop of the keen market analysis we worked through in each of the past two blogs, you now are in a position to make some tough decisions and choices. A competitive strategy must be fact-based and informed by industry analysis. By working through the steps in the previous articles, we laid a solid foundation for this strategy.