Constant Cogitation

Nike and the Minimalist Running Movement

Greg — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:17:27 +0000

The running shoe market is undergoing an upheaval in which customer preference and scientific evidence is turning against all existing paradigms regarding the design of shoes. It will be interesting to watch the reactions of the companies in the market, most specifically Nike, the leader, who has taken promising first steps in taking advantage of the "minimalist" movement.

Successfully Selling Through a Price Increase

Greg — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:26:37 +0000

Increasing prices is a necessary but challenging part of successfully managing a product line of business. Once you've made the determination to increase prices, these tips can help you achieve buy-in on new pricing agreements with your customers.

Innovation in Aftermarket Offerings for Industrial Marketers

Greg — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:15:28 +0000

Often the most profitable, yet most neglected, portion of an industrial equipment company’s portfolio is its range of aftermarket solutions, such as replacement parts and repair services. Typically a captive market, aftermarket parts and services offer significant profit margin potential, yet the attitude most often in place at industrial equipment firms is that such sales “just happen” and there is not much that can be done to influence them. This attitude overlooks the great improvement that even a small increase in aftermarket sales can provide to the bottom line.

Book Review – Beating the Commodity Trap

Greg — Thu, 27 May 2010 03:45:41 +0000

Beating the Commodity Trap: How to Maximize Your Competitive Position and Increase Your Pricing Power provides some outstanding advice and case studies on using value equivalence lines (or price-benefit lines) to understand pricing dynamics in your industry and craft strategies to respond to commoditization pressures.

Seven Leadership Lessons from the Marathon

Greg — Thu, 20 May 2010 10:47:01 +0000

One’s approach to their personal hobbies says a lot about their approach to professional pursuits and passions. Here are seven lessons from training for a marathon that apply to leadership development.

Strategic Pricing Using Value Equivalence Lines

Greg — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 02:21:02 +0000

To improve on your outdated cost-plus pricing approach, consider developing and using Value Equivalence Lines (VELs) to help set you positioning and pricing strategies in a given market.

To Run or Not to Run? There is No Question

Greg — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 10:45:59 +0000

I don’t normally write personal posts, as this is more of a “how to” blog. But today marks the anniversary of a decision that changed my life, so I’m making an exception in the hope that someone finds some inspiration and decides to re-dedicate themselves to their passion. My passion is running, and the reason I’m writing about it now is that today marks the one year anniversary of my return to the sport.

Spreading More Crumbs of Cogitation

Greg — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:55:04 +0000

In recent guest posts on other blogs, I discuss why Six Sigma is a bad idea for startups, how to extend your brand presence at trade shows, the impact of demographics on business, and leadership tips from Jack Welch.

Mitigating Strategic, Operational, and Organizational Business Risk

Greg — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:55:01 +0000

In a series of three posts, Jeff Davis proposes several processes to use to help you understand and mitigate strategic, operational, and organizational risk in your business.

10 Ways to Extend your Brand with Industrial Customers

Greg — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:25:24 +0000

Disney has mastered the art of extending the brand experience for its customers. Here are 10 ways you can replicate the magic in your more industrial markets.