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“Smart Homes” – An Analysis of Emerging Business Models and Pricing Strategies

By Kamesh Chelluri August 2, 2013

Over the last few years, communication service providers as well as cable operators have been pioneering the concept of a “smart home” as a one-stop solution that satisfies their customers’ needs for safety, security, convenience, et cetera. Does this offering have a market?

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Channel Sales Growth Wisdom From the American Library Association’s 2013 Conference

By David Dalka August 2, 2013

How do publishers successfully market to librarians? David Dalka explores this issue from direct research and interactions at the 2013 American Library Association Conference.

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Business Markets, Response Modes, and Price Performance

By Tim J. Smith, PhD July 9, 2013

Having a long list of prospective buyers may be comforting for a salesperson, but a highly applied sales methodology for business markets suggests salespeople should only pursue prospects that fall within two out of four response modes. What are these response modes? How do they affect price performance? And why should salespeople only pursue two of them?

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The Challenge of Developing Accurate Sales Forecasts

By James T. Berger July 9, 2013

Probably the most important task of a sales manager is the development of meaningful and accurate sales forecasts. Amazingly, many sales managers simply look at historical numbers and don’t even bother to try to predict the future. Why and how should they?

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Top 6 – July 2013

By Tim J. Smith, PhD July 9, 2013

Celebrate, Lament, Ignore. You choose how you respond to stimuli and situations. If your prospects are bad, create new ones. Don’t sell…

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Top 6 – June 2013

By Tim J. Smith, PhD June 1, 2013

To graduates: Michael Dell (Dell), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Mike Lazaridis (RIM), and John Mackey (Whole Foods) all dropped out…

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‘Shark Tank’ Offers Valuable Insight into Marketing, Entrepreneurship

By James T. Berger May 30, 2013

Many budding entrepreneurs are filled with “ideas.” Of course, ideas are the germ of innovation, but an idea without a plan to make money is useless. I have often told my students, the difference between an idea and a profit-making business is the difference between an amoeba and a human being.

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Economic Price Optimization Part 5: Useful, Not Perfect

By Tim J. Smith, PhD May 30, 2013

Since childhood, we have heard about economics. Now that we are adults with jobs, it seems like using an economics for pricing would be wise. But, as grown-ups, we also know that things are never as simple as they appeared when we were kids.

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Top 6 – April 2013

By Tim J. Smith, PhD April 30, 2013

“Selling a product at a loss for market share is not a good business decision.” Jeff Fettig, Chief Executive, Whirlpool Costs and…

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Procter & Gamble Trumps Church & Dwight: An Example of the Customer Orientation Overtaking a Medieval Business Strategy

By Tim J. Smith, PhD April 30, 2013

CEOs Robert McDonald of P&G and James Craigie of Church & Dwight are facing off in the laundry soap business, and one of them is slinging mud. Recent executive comments and division performance reports highlight that the battle in the soap aisle isn’t just about soap, it’s about the fundamental purpose of businesses in competitive markets.

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