Welcome to the Conversation!
We [about] believe that great technology markets start with conversations about customer requirements and the motivations of early adopters.
As you explore this conversational microsite, you will discover that we rely on edited and heavily tagged transcripts of interviews and roundtables—“conversations”—to convey the maximum amount of information and insights in the absolute minimum of space and time.
Why? Because all great journeys unfold as a series of conversations for what’s possible, attainable, and imperative—“thought starters”.
Join the conversation. Add your thoughts and opinions.
Newsletter
Featured Download
Snapshot Story
Each operational capability depicted (by a blue circle above) comprises a unique configuration of systems, processes, accountabilities, and partnerships. This conversational microsite examines how successful early adopters harnessed the technologies of customer engagement and, in the process, drove innovation into marketing processes and customers' experience.
Central Propositions
- In enterprise markets, marketing brings a value proposition with a crisp, easily understood business case to those potential customers most likely to buy.
- Effective business cases demonstrate and not just tell or describe a self-evident need for a new investment.
- Most major purchase decisions within enterprises entail group-level discussions about the suitability of the proposed system and what it will take to achieve a return on investment.
- All firms realize the value of new investments with the enhancement or development of operational capabilities—systems, processes, and accountabilities.
- Most end-use firms have weak or non-existent processes for developing new accountabilities related to building new systems and processes.
- Strong, effective processes for developing new operational capabilities start with answers to the following buying-decision questions
- What’s the primary business benefit for our firm?
- What’s a reasonable calculation of the benefits in terms that make sense?
- Who has to do what and when for us to achieve these benefits?
- What necessary preconditions ensure success? Partners? Expertise?
- What’s the probability of failure?
- Who has confirmed that we cannot get the needed business benefits with existing internal resources?
- What criteria should we use in assessing the need for external support or tools?
- Who will have the principal accountability for ensuring successful technology selection? Deployment? Payback? Operational management?
- What criteria should we use in selecting the best supplier for our particular firm?
- What are the likely disruptions would entail in our business? Among our parters? With customers?
- Which systems, processes, and accountabilities will we to resolve the likely disruptions they always result from a changed process or workflow?
- However, in new markets or emerging categories, a person of influence—an advocate or coach— within a potential end-use firm must answer even more basic early stage-market questions:
- What is it, this new technology?
- How is it similar to existing and well-known technologies or services?
- Why bother spending time figuring it out?
- What’s in it for me and my career?
- How does it work?
- Who’s already figured out how to deploy and use it?
- Can we really do that?
This conversation has begun!
Welcome to the Conversation!
We [about] believe that great technology markets start with conversations about customer requirements and the motivations of early adopters. As you explore this conversational microsite, you will discover that we rely on edited and heavily tagged transcripts of interviews and roundtables—“conversations”—to convey the maximum amount of information and insights in the absolute minimum of space and time. Why? Because all great journeys unfold as a series of conversations for what’s possible, attainable, and imperative—“thought starters”.
Join the conversation. Add your thoughts and opinions.
Newsletter
Featured Download
Snapshot Story
Each operational capability depicted (by a blue circle above) comprises a unique configuration of systems, processes, accountabilities, and partnerships. This conversational microsite examines how successful early adopters harnessed the technologies of customer engagement and, in the process, drove innovation into marketing processes and customers' experience.
Central Propositions
- In enterprise markets, marketing brings a value proposition with a crisp, easily understood business case to those potential customers most likely to buy.
- Effective business cases demonstrate and not just tell or describe a self-evident need for a new investment.
- Most major purchase decisions within enterprises entail group-level discussions about the suitability of the proposed system and what it will take to achieve a return on investment.
- All firms realize the value of new investments with the enhancement or development of operational capabilities—systems, processes, and accountabilities.
- Most end-use firms have weak or non-existent processes for developing new accountabilities related to building new systems and processes.
- Strong, effective processes for developing new operational capabilities start with answers to the following buying-decision questions
- What’s the primary business benefit for our firm?
- What’s a reasonable calculation of the benefits in terms that make sense?
- Who has to do what and when for us to achieve these benefits?
- What necessary preconditions ensure success? Partners? Expertise?
- What’s the probability of failure?
- Who has confirmed that we cannot get the needed business benefits with existing internal resources?
- What criteria should we use in assessing the need for external support or tools?
- Who will have the principal accountability for ensuring successful technology selection? Deployment? Payback? Operational management?
- What criteria should we use in selecting the best supplier for our particular firm?
- What are the likely disruptions would entail in our business? Among our parters? With customers?
- Which systems, processes, and accountabilities will we to resolve the likely disruptions they always result from a changed process or workflow?
- However, in new markets or emerging categories, a person of influence—an advocate or coach— within a potential end-use firm must answer even more basic early stage-market questions:
- What is it, this new technology?
- How is it similar to existing and well-known technologies or services?
- Why bother spending time figuring it out?
- What’s in it for me and my career?
- How does it work?
- Who’s already figured out how to deploy and use it?
- Can we really do that?