Shifting Thinking

Verticalising the sales funnel: aligning strategy and sales around the customer lifecycle

Building profitable, long-term customers is more than guesswork. Many businesses struggle to create long-lasting relationships at a sustainable cost. Often, inefficiencies created by a lack of understanding and forward planning can erode the profitability of long-term customers, even those with the highest lifetime value.

Published by: Roland Leemans on 5 November 2019

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Successful sales managers must focus on more than dollars and cents

Why setting goals outside of revenue targets and working collaboratively both as a sales team and with marketing is a recipe for long-term success.

Published by: Lee Hunter on 27 September 2019

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Understanding Customers to Create Value - Part 5

When seeking to understand our customers it is easy to fall prey to the illusion that we already know everything about them and have all of the answers. Luckily, Jobs to Be Done is a helpful tool to keep us on the right path and guide us to that all-important ‘why’ that underlies their behaviour.

Published by: Tracy Hall on 15 August 2019

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Education that Goes up to 11

Meet Dale.

Coming from a family that started and ran their own SME, Dale has a passion for helping B2B businesses succeed. His background has inspired him to select a path that not only speaks to him and gives him purpose but also delivers value to our clients.

Published by: Jo Taute on 1 August 2019

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Understanding Customers to Create Value - Part 4

Why do customers do what they do? What sparks the choices that they make?

Here are six important elements that shine a light on what drives customer behaviour and decision-making.

Published by: Tracy Hall on 25 July 2019

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Understanding Customers to Create Value - Part 3

When trying to understand your customers, where do you begin? Where do you search for insights?

Here are five useful pointers that will help you to identify opportunities and find your way.

Published by: Tracy Hall on 12 July 2019

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Understanding Customers to Create Value - Part 2

As you seek to understand your customers it can be easy to stray off the path...

Here are four easily avoided missteps and pitfalls that you might encounter as you investigate.

Published by: Tracy Hall on 21 June 2019

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Understanding Customers to Create Value - Part 1

Sometimes understanding your customers can seem like an insurmountable task…

Get started with Jobs to Be Done and uncover insights into customer motivations and behaviour.

Published by: Tracy Hall on 30 May 2019

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5 Ways Putting Customers First Can Help Improve Your Bottom Line

A customer-first strategy is specifically designed to revolve around your customers and position them at the very heart of your business, ensuring that their wants and needs are the central driving force that informs your decisions and that your resources are properly allocated to deliver the highest value.

Published by: Tracy Hall on 19 February 2019

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6 Signs Your Strategy is Focussed on Products, Not Customers

There are a multitude of reasons why you should consider your customers first but it’s not always clear whether you are on track and moving in the right direction.

Published by: Tracy Hall on 8 February 2019

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11 Common Misconceptions about Customer First Strategy

Have you started piecing together the puzzle of Customer First Strategy? Don’t fall for any of these 11 misconceptions about what Customer First Strategy involves.

Published by: Henrik Arlund on 30 January 2019

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Looking for new opportunities in the new year?

Make 2019 a year of change by seeking out new opportunities and new challenges. At Blue Ocean Marketing, we're always looking for stars, but right now there are three awesome opportunities, just listed. Do any of these positions sound like you?

Published by: Jo Taute on 19 December 2018

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Identify Value by Exploring What Customers Want to Achieve

Crafting a good value proposition for your business is an important part of your overall strategy and messaging. One that conveys to your customers why they should do business with you… rather than your competition.

Published by: Roland Leemans on 7 December 2018

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Create uncontested space and stop competing on price; how to find your unique value elements

Do you spend a tremendous amount of time comparing your product with competitors’ products and less on developing your own value proposition? It is more rewarding to look inwards and evaluate if your value is clearly understood and communicated.

Published by: Henrik Arlund on 5 November 2018

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Turning strategy into meaningful brand value

Brand without strategy risks amplifying the wrong message, to the wrong people. This insight poses an approach to aligning strategy and creative, to make sure you amplify the right strategic message through your brand and into communications

Published by: Jo Taute on 5 November 2018

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Strategic partnerships; leveraging the power of many

In any given week, I talk to numerous businesses, particularly those in startup or growth mode, who struggle with finding the tactics to access and grow a customer base in line with strategy - and to do so cost-effectively. To extract profit from those tactics is often a bigger challenge.

Published by: Jo Taute on 5 November 2018

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The art and science of strategy; building resultant force and aligning your organisation

Strategy is one of the most underestimated and over-complicated topics in business. This article shares my views on how rewarding theories and frameworks can be when applied in your own organisation.

Published by: Roland Leemans on 5 November 2018

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