What Luxury Fashion Can Learn from the Wholesale Flower Market
Harvard Business
SEPTEMBER 25, 2024
Retailers can use discounting to generate sales without damaging a brand’s reputation.
Let the Urgency of Your Customers’ Needs Guide Your Sales Strategy
Harvard Business
JULY 6, 2023
This article provides a process for segmenting prospective customers in this fashion and creating a sales strategy. When companies are creating profiles of possible target customers, there is a dimension they often overlook: the urgency of the need for the offering.
Sales 
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New Home Sales Plunge 10.5 Percent in January From Upward Revision
MishTalk
FEBRUARY 26, 2025
New home sales have been mostly sideways at a weak level, in a choppy fashion.
Sales 70
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262: Babette Ballinger—How Does A Woman Tackle The Fashion Industry? Head On
On the Brink Podcast
APRIL 12, 2021
As a fashion designer and owner of her own apparel sales firm, Babette had to constantly re-invent herself, learn how to run a business, and deal with the challenges of sustaining successful partnerships with men. Hear how one woman made her mark in an industry of men.
Fashion 66
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5 Surprising Findings About How People Actually Buy Clothes and Shoes
Harvard Business
JUNE 6, 2018
Retailers and manufacturers are rushing out new products to keep pace with the leaders of fast fashion such as Zara, H&M, and Forever 21, which launch new fashions every week or so. In a store, however, a sales associate tries to guess a shopper’s tastes in real time. Myth: The sales channel doesn’t matter.
Apparel 130
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"The Conclusion Trap" is Out!
Markovitz Consulting
JUNE 2, 2020
I’m absolutely thrilled to announce that my newest book, The Conclusion Trap , is now available for sale on Amazon. As with all my books, I don’t talk about Toyota, use Japanese, or refer to lean in any fashion. The book is priced to move — $7.99 for the Kindle version, $9.95
Fashion 29
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6 Reasons Salespeople Win or Lose a Sale
Harvard Business
JUNE 23, 2017
Why does a salesperson lose a sale? The sales department equally preferred having a salesperson listen and solve their needs and being challenged; HR was equally split across all three selling styles. 4: Some Buyers Are “Price Immune” Price plays an important role in every sales cycle. Steven Moore for HBR.
Sales 71
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For Better Retail Promotions, Ask These Questions
Harvard Business
NOVEMBER 16, 2018
Yet despite these high stakes, and the growing adoption of sophisticated analytics, many retailers continue to take a broad-brush approach to running promotions that results in missed sales and profits. When are discounts most likely to stimulate a sufficient sales response? Does the promotion work best in-store or online?
Retail 126
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"The Conclusion Trap" is Out! (Copy)
Markovitz Consulting
JUNE 3, 2020
I’m absolutely thrilled to announce that my newest book, The Conclusion Trap , is now available for sale on Amazon. As with all my books, I don’t talk about Toyota, use Japanese, or refer to lean in any fashion. (Note: this is the same article from yesterday, but with a corrected link for my website.) for the Kindle version, $9.95
Fashion 130
130 
What Creativity in Marketing Looks Like Today
Harvard Business
MARCH 22, 2017
Brocade, a data and network solutions provider, created a “customer first” program by identifying their top 200 customers, who account for 80% of their sales. Like many retailers, Macy’s has traditionally spent 85% of its marketing budget on driving sales. The metrics also changed. The results?
Marketing 134
134 
5 Ways to Help Employees Keep Up with Digital Transformation
Harvard Business
SEPTEMBER 27, 2017
Unilever has acquired Dollar Shave Club , a young startup, for $1 billion in a move to introduce a new model of subscription sales. This shift gives CPGs an opportunity to gain rich insight into the tastes and habits that drive their sales. Coca-Cola recently reshuffled its leadership team to focus on growth, innovation, and digital.
Media 135
135 
A Study of 46,000 Shoppers Shows That Omnichannel Retailing Works
Harvard Business
JANUARY 3, 2017
Retail sales through digital channels (including mobile sales) increased by a massive 23% in 2015. Amazon is the biggest beneficiary, now accounting for 26% of all online retail sales. ” Online retail, on the other hand, is thriving. Much of these gains have gone to online retailers.
Retail 133
133 
The Motivating (and Demotivating) Effects of Learning Others’ Salaries
Harvard Business
OCTOBER 25, 2018
To measure the behavior of these two groups of employees, we gathered daily timestamp, email, and sales data for the year following our survey. For example, the majority of employees participating in our study were in favor of increasing transparency in an anonymous fashion, by reporting average salaries by position.
Survey 133
133 
Optimizing Portfolio Profit through DIPP-guided Resource Allocation
Epicflow
OCTOBER 9, 2024
His expertise spans a wide range of projects, from Fashion Model Barbie to avionics on the F-35. If we are undertaking the project scope because of the value (contract price, sales revenue, market visibility, productivity improvement, mortality reduction, etc.)
Resources 130
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To Grow Your Business Abroad, Partner with Local Influencers
Harvard Business
SEPTEMBER 25, 2018
million RMB (nearly $500,000) in sales of a limited-edition handbag in just six minutes. After building relationships with targeted WeChat influencers, the company’s marketing team developed an affiliate sales model through which the influencers promoted their product licenses, and then both sides split the generated sales.
B2B 121
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How Customers Perceive a Price Is as Important as the Price Itself
Harvard Business
JANUARY 3, 2017
Facing stiff competition from other fashion discounters, the retailer fought back by slashing prices across the board, but customers largely didn’t perceive the price change, and the retailer didn’t achieve the anticipated boost in sales volume. Directing investments to lower prices may not supercharge sales.
Retail 132
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15 Best Business Podcasts for Independent Consultants
Tsavo Neal
JULY 20, 2017
We discuss what actually works in generating business, from writing books to organizing events to old-fashioned relationship building. Sales for Nerds by Reuben Shwartz. Sales for Nerds ( [link] ) helps technical experts who started their own business hack the sales and marketing process. The wine is just for fun.
Consulting 113
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(Value Stream) Map Your Way to a Better Post-Covid Future
Markovitz Consulting
OCTOBER 28, 2020
Selling and merchandising Value stream mapping revealed an additional drag on the company: the sales process. As with most companies, the sales team would take dress samples on the road to visit accounts. The designers’ overall vision wasn’t communicated clearly through the intermediary of the sales team.
Sales 113
113 
The Ansoff Matrix
Tom Spencer
OCTOBER 8, 2013
For example, one of Apple’s product missions might be to provide consumers with easy-to-use digital technology, and another mission might be to provide fashion accessories for Yuppies and young people. This involves increasing sales to existing customers and finding new customers for existing products. The Four Growth Alternatives.
Productivity 113
113 
The Growing Business of Helping Customers Slow Down
Harvard Business
DECEMBER 7, 2018
In fashion, brands such as Patagonia encourage customers toward investment purchases: a few, key sustainable clothing and accessory items kept over longer periods of time, reflecting an emphasis on authenticity and de-materialization via episodic deceleration.
Tourism 132
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Amazon to Sell Fiat Chrysler Cars Online: End of Car Dealerships?
MishTalk
NOVEMBER 20, 2016
Despite a massive switch from big box retailers to online shopping, car sales are still done the old fashioned way, via a network of franchised dealerships, typically selling a single manufacturer’s lineup of cars. Tesla does sell its own cars directly, but some states do no permit such sales.
Fashion 52
52 Unsold Merchandise Piles Up at Wal-Mart; Cuts in Orders Will Follow
MishTalk
SEPTEMBER 26, 2013
Wal-Mart has said in filings that its “corporate goal” is “growing inventory at or less than the rate of net sales growth.” sales grew at about 2 percent. percent while sales rose 3.8 percent while sales rose 3.8 We have some of it in the back, and some of it has been put out on the floor in a haphazard fashion.”.
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76 How to Make Better Decisions with Less Data
Harvard Business
NOVEMBER 7, 2016
In order to keep the pieces from coming together in an arbitrary fashion, you need to look at the data differently. Their subconscious beliefs or assumptions about problems guided their behavior, causing them to follow the same tired routine time and time again: collect data, hold meetings, create strategy moving forward.
Data 132
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"Selfie" Fashion Trends: Cheap Dresses and "Rentabag"; Mish Handbag Tips
MishTalk
JULY 29, 2015
The popularity of sending "selfies" has even influenced retail sales and women's fashion. In the above video, FT’s Andrea Felsted visits online fashion retailer Asos to see how it is adapting its business model in the era of the selfie. I'm not but, but in my travels I see lots of it. Sorry ladies, sold out.
Fashion 28
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Free Shipping, Lenient Return Policies, Rampant Returns; UPS Expects 15% Jump in Returns; Reflections on Retailer Wages
MishTalk
DECEMBER 22, 2013
From a customer standpoint, what''s not to like about the shop-at-home, no gasoline, no sales tax, low-price-guarantee, and lenient return policy model of online retailers? And as sales (or alleged sales) increase, so do returns. And the tide of goods flowing back to retailers is rising. Shipper United Parcel Service Inc.
Retail 65
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Marketing good.
Seth Godin Blog
OCTOBER 18, 2013
Marketing good is the cover of a magazine decreed by the number crunchers in the newsstand sales group, not the editors and the readers they care about. Your initial response rate, newsstand sales or first episode ratings are a measure of old-fashioned marketing prowess. Now, we care an awful lot more about just plain good.
Marketing 50
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Top 10 Consulting Firms In New York
Management Consulted
FEBRUARY 5, 2017
Some of the major practice areas that the NYC region focuses on are corporate development, corporate finance, digital economy, globalization, growth, information technology, marketing & sales operations, people and organization, post merger integration, risk management, strategy, sustainability, and transformation.
Consulting 157
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How One Clothing Company Blends AI and Human Expertise
Harvard Business
NOVEMBER 21, 2016
An interface communicates the algorithms’ results along with more-nuanced data, such as the personal notes, to the company’s fashion stylists, who then select five items from a variety of brands to send to the customer. The fashion industry is no stranger to fast cycles of learning.
Company 70
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Know Your Weaknesses
CaseInterview.com
SEPTEMBER 5, 2021
I’m terrible at attention to detail (it hurts my brain too much) and even worse at anything aesthetically oriented (anything from fashion to website design to creating visually impactful slides). If you’re not great at sales, find someone who is. They are very fun to work with. I have two really big weaknesses.
The Swedish CEO Who Runs His Company Like a CrossFit Gym
Harvard Business
MARCH 12, 2018
” Whether in marketing or sales, it often feels like jobs are contingent on external circumstances, the whims of executives, strategic pivots, and shareholder demands. He’s the CEO and self-titled “Head Coach ” of Björn Borg, the Swedish sports fashion company named after the tennis star.
Company 71
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Understanding the Rationale
CaseInterview.com
FEBRUARY 13, 2020
If your VP of sales wants to change the sales compensation plan, you want to ask. You want to do this in a step-by-step fashion. While this is a subject worthy of an entire class, I’ll share with you one technique for handling this. I call this technique. Understanding the Rationale.”. Explain it to me. Did I get it right?
Fashion 68
68 5 Universal Qualities of a Winning Management Consulting Resume
Management Consulted
SEPTEMBER 18, 2016
In your work/experience section, instead of stating: Led sales force of 15 on nationwide promotional campaign. Share the results of your hard work like this : Led sales force of 15 on nationwide promotional campaign resulting in a 20% increase in company-wide quarterly sales. Amateur Thai chef.
Resumes 100
100 The Best Retailers Combine Bricks and Clicks
Harvard Business
MAY 30, 2016
Sure enough, the Census Bureau just released data showing that online retail sales surged 15.2 More than 20 years after the internet was opened to commerce, the Census Bureau tells us that brick and mortar sales accounted for 92.3 percent of retail sales in the first quarter of 2016. Their data show that only 0.8
Retail 70
70 
Leveling Up: Consulting Skills for an AI-Powered World
Tom Spencer
APRIL 21, 2023
For example, in a retail setting, let’s say a fashion clothing client wants to understand the purchasing behaviour of their customers. Consultants are still needed to interpret the results, identifying key trends and patterns, and making recommendations that can help the client to increase sales and customer satisfaction.
Consulting 88
88 Selling Products Is Good. Selling Projects Can Be Even Better
Harvard Business
OCTOBER 25, 2017
In recent years, the fashionable suggestion has been that companies sell experiences and solutions, solving the needs and aspirations of customers. This profusion of products means that Philips is cash-rich, yet sales have stagnated in the last decade, and concerns about the company have been reflected in its stock price. Sales force.
Productivity 71
71 
Classic Consulting Quotes
Consultant Ninja
NOVEMBER 4, 2013
In the face of such conditions we must manage the business and our cost base in a prudent fashion. This effort is generating real traction in the market and creating new opportunities, while at the same time building capabilities in our marketing and sales processes to do this on a repeatable basis.
Consulting 100
100 The Forecasting Sweet Spot Between Micro and Macro
Harvard Business
AUGUST 26, 2016
Consider a few examples: Trends in religious growth are one of the best predictors of fashion-related categories. In areas where Christianity is growing, sales of Western-style formal fashions are likely to grow too, since Christianity usually carries a strong acceptance and influence of Western culture and clothing.
Fashion 70
70 
To Take Charge of Your Career, Start by Building Your Tribe
Harvard Business
APRIL 5, 2018
Underneath their pursuits of independence and portability lies a shared aspiration to fashion a masterful self. With those people, they were neither on show nor for sale. Freelance workers and corporate managers might seem very different, but they have much in common. Master, ultimately, of one’s working life.
Study 134
134 Tronc vs. the Right Way for Publishers to Compete in the Digital Age
Harvard Business
JUNE 30, 2016
But it’s really reporting that sets a publication apart, even in seemingly trivial areas like fashion and entertainment. Unfortunately, most publishers rose up in their organizations through ad sales and tend to see their business from a marketer’s perspective. In fact, as a CEO I was constantly in people’s hair.
Journal 91
91 
When AI Becomes the New Face of Your Brand
Harvard Business
JUNE 27, 2017
These include customer service (39% of companies), marketing and sales (35%), and even the managing of noncustomer external relationships (28%) where brand power is key, such as in attracting top talent into the organization’s recruiting pipeline. And then there are ethical challenges.
Ethics 126
126 Case Study: How Do You Compete with a Goliath?
Harvard Business
JULY 7, 2016
“It feels weird eavesdropping like this,” Alejandra Chirinos told Ricardo Rodriguez, her marketing VP, and Miguel Martinez, her head of sales. The facilitator turned to the taglines designed to emphasize Tela’s affordability: “Fashion at the right price” and “A poncho for real people.”
Case Study 110
110 America's First Marijuana Stores Open in Colorado; Record Opium Crop in Afghanistan; Six Beneficiaries of "War on Drugs"
MishTalk
JANUARY 1, 2014
Colorado ushers in the new year as the first US state to allow retail cannabis sales. Marijuana users celebrated as Colorado became the first US state to allow retail cannabis sales, putting it in the vanguard of efforts across the country to legalize the drug. How much hemp is necessary to meet current US energy needs?
Retail 77
77 
Digital Reroutes the Auto Purchase Journey and OEM Strategies
BCG
AUGUST 11, 2016
OEMs need to rethink their approach as digital’s expanding influence on the purchase journey transforms the role—and potentially the business model—of the dealer from sales center to on-demand advisor and service provider, both pre- and postsale.
Strategy 40
40 
How to Deliver Criticism So Employees Pay Attention
Harvard Business
JANUARY 17, 2017
Take, for example, the director of a large hospital who received complaints that a new manager was too abrupt in meetings and was failing to respond to requests in a timely fashion. One regional sales manager I know often accompanies her sales associates on client visits. Employees also have feedback preferences.
How To 70
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