article thumbnail

B2B Salespeople Need to Act More Like Travel Agents

Harvard Business

By 2012, our research shows, nearly 60% of a typical B2B purchasing decision — researching solutions, ranking options, benchmarking pricing, and so on — was happening before the buyer even had a conversation with a supplier. Try this simple exercise: Think about the last major purchase for which you sat on the buying committee.

B2B 120
article thumbnail

From Expert to Trusted Advisor: The Role of ISO 20700 in Management Consulting

Effective Managers

Establishing a Global Standard of Excellence ISO 20700 sets a global benchmark for management consulting services, providing a comprehensive framework for excellence. In this blog, we’ll explore how ISO 20700 training can be a game-changer in your journey from being an expert to a trusted advisor.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Five Ways to Spur Lean in the Office

Markovitz Consulting

If meeting takt time is not an issue—for example, in closing the books at the end of the month— then measure and benchmark the time it takes to perform those tasks and challenge the team to figure out how to do them faster. The simple exercise of focused observation will help you see the waste. Obsess over quality.

article thumbnail

In Praise of Extreme Moderation

Harvard Business

Young Millennials, driven to distraction and depression by nonstop, constantly comparative online benchmarking, can’t unglue from phones-as-performance-measuring-devices. In my thirties, I spent more time parenting than exercising. Who can blame them? What balance would you like for the next seven years?

article thumbnail

When It Pays to Collaborate with Competitors at Work

Harvard Business

For instance, Doug shared some new concepts for transforming an insurmountable checklist of requirements into manageable benchmarks and priorities, which he had developed after conducting a comprehensive review of his company’s operations. He also shared supply discipline systems that reduced common inefficiencies.

article thumbnail

Research: Firms Give More Stock Options When They’re Committing Fraud

Harvard Business

In addition, employee stock options typically have vesting terms that require employees to wait a few years before they can exercise their options, which may act as a disincentive to blowing the whistle before they’re able to exercise their options. federal court from 1996–2011.

article thumbnail

Stop Putting Off Fun for After You Finish All Your Work

Harvard Business

This was our benchmark for the other two conditions, in which we asked the participants to guess the enjoyment ratings of people in the first condition. ”) This exercise was meant to make it easier for them to appreciate the gustatory sensations despite other distractions. That’s exactly what we found.

Study 134