Do Brands Really Matter?

In consumer businesses, the answer is “Absolutely!” But what about in business-to-business (“B2B”) categories? If you type into your favorite search engine, “Do B2B brands matter?” it will surface a number of research-backed articles that emphatically declare, “Yes!” The skeptic might challenge, however, “Sure, if I’m Intel or some other mega-budget giant in a high profile category.”

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What is all this hype about Management vs. Leadership? Everyday we are bombarded with information on the differences between them, the benefit of one over the other and the necessity to be great at both. Everyone wants to be known as the “great leader,” but does anyone want to be known as a great manager and what happens if you drop the management ball?

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Ever since software-as-a-service (SaaS) entered the picture several years ago, huge leaps have been made in how businesses leverage technology. Not just from an IT perspective, but from an operational and strategic perspective as well. Along with this trend came the explosion of acronyms such as CRM, CMS, ERP, and others which are now common terms used among marketing, sales and IT departments worldwide.

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It’s natural and often advisable to get excited about “the next big, new thing” and focus your energy and revenue growth emphasis accordingly. However, just as there is continuing truth to the old business axiom, “Your best revenue growth opportunities are often with current customers”, it’s also true that companies abandon “old platforms” too quickly.

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If you are like many leaders, you remember the great new ideas that were early springboards for your company’s success. For some reason, however, your new products and services “pool” seems to have dried up over the years. What happened? Have you become less creative? Has your organization grown complacent and removed from customers and how your products are used? Perhaps you’ve just been looking in the wrong places.

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If you are like most business owners, your days are fast-paced, your activities varied and your time precious—it’s likely that you are among the 87% of owners who have no written exit plan. Yet, despite the value you’ve created in your business, you will exit at some point and need to figure out how to reap the fruit of your efforts while leaving a successful, ongoing business legacy.

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Entrepreneurs are wired differently than most, often “painting outside the lines,” seeing things others don’t. But their vision, creativity and drive can come with a cost. They under manage and most don’t manage their companies or themselves well.

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Organizations that aren’t guided by clearly articulated strategy and objectives have a tendency to wander and fall apart. Their foundation is weak and they have inadequate structural supports. They don’t have something to use as a litmus test for making decisions.

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If your Strategic Execution™ is hit-and-miss, you are not alone—only 10% of all companies execute well to their strategies. There are lots of contributors to companies’ poor execution to strategy, but one that holds many back is organizational readiness. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL football team set a record for pro sports futility in its first two years—26 consecutive losses in 1976 and 1977. At a press conference after the record-breaking 20^th loss the late John McKay, then the Buccaneer’s coach, was asked, “Coach, how do you feel about your team’s execution?” McKay quipped, (more…)

December 1, 2014 Los Angeles, CA Group50^® Business Management Consulting Firm announced today that it has significantly expanded its consulting resources and tools in sales force effectiveness, organizational development, and change management. Jim Gitney, CEO and Founder of Group50® commented….”Strategic Execution is the cornerstone of a company’s success and our sweet spot. Our clients want to work with a consulting firm that has broad expertise and deep bench strength. I am pleased to announce that Deborah Wexler has joined Group50. As a career consultant, Deborah has helped companies design and execute their strategies through effective use of their people, processes and technology. She has led (more…)