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Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(390)
- News (33)
- Research (333)
- Multimedia (2)
- Faculty Publications (310)
- November 1992 (Revised June 1994)
- Case
Packaged Products Company: Handy-Pak Introduction
By: Frank V. Cespedes and Laura Goode
The product manager and the market research director for a new line of snacking nuts are reviewing options concerning the upcoming roll-out of the product. These options include changes in pricing, promotional plans, and salesforce incentives intended to build support... View Details
Keywords: Price; Marketing; Marketing Channels; Product Launch; Distribution; Planning; Research and Development; Sales; Salesforce Management; Alignment; Consumer Products Industry; Service Industry
Cespedes, Frank V., and Laura Goode. "Packaged Products Company: Handy-Pak Introduction." Harvard Business School Case 593-057, November 1992. (Revised June 1994.)
- September 1992 (Revised July 1994)
- Case
MEM Company, Inc.: English Leather
By: Frank V. Cespedes and Laura Goode
In 1992, the president of MEM (a producer of personal care products, including men's fragrances) considered a redeployment of field sales efforts and changes in sales compensation policies. Any changes, moreover, must consider the context of strategic decisions... View Details
Keywords: Change Management; Decision Choices and Conditions; Brands and Branding; Product Positioning; Consumer Behavior; Distribution Channels; Business Strategy; Consumer Products Industry
Cespedes, Frank V., and Laura Goode. "MEM Company, Inc.: English Leather." Harvard Business School Case 593-035, September 1992. (Revised July 1994.)
- September–October 2023
- Article
Building Brand Engagement: Lessons from NFTs and Collectibles
By: Frank V. Cespedes and Ben Plomion
The financial hype about Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) has cooled considerably since trading in that market went from more than $780 million on May 1, 2022 to less than $295 million for the entire month of May, 2023. But brands launch marketing campaigns in this medium,... View Details
Cespedes, Frank V., and Ben Plomion. "Building Brand Engagement: Lessons from NFTs and Collectibles." European Business Review (September–October 2023): 2–5.
- May 3, 2023
- Article
What Top-Performing Sales Managers Do Differently
By: Mike Schultz and Frank V. Cespedes
Sales managers hire reps, influence their training, provide (we hope) feedback and so reinforce good selling behaviors, and are key in the execution of growth and change initiatives. In a study of more than 1,000 sales managers and sellers across industries, we found... View Details
Schultz, Mike, and Frank V. Cespedes. "What Top-Performing Sales Managers Do Differently." TrainingIndustry.com (May 3, 2023).
- July 2020
- Article
Reframing Value in a Crisis
By: Frank V. Cespedes and David Hoffeld
Reframing is the process of moving buyers from their current perspective(s) to one that motivates a different response. The current crisis makes this capability more important than ever. View Details
Cespedes, Frank V., and David Hoffeld. "Reframing Value in a Crisis." Top Sales Magazine (July 2020).
- May 2018
- Article
The Changing Craft of Selling
By: Frank V. Cespedes and Tiffani Bova
This article draws on two surveys: one with more than 3,100 sales professionals about trends affecting the role(s) of sales in their companies, and the other with over 7,000 consumer and business buyers about their expectations when dealing with sales people. The... View Details
- January 26, 2017
- Article
Executives and Salespeople Are Misaligned—and the Effects Are Costly
By: Frank V. Cespedes and Christopher Wallace
This article discusses the results of a survey of senior executives, middle managers, and sales people from companies across a variety of industries. The survey focused on questions about how well their companies’ strategies informed six critical elements of their... View Details
Cespedes, Frank V., and Christopher Wallace. "Executives and Salespeople Are Misaligned—and the Effects Are Costly." Harvard Business Review (website) (January 26, 2017).
- Article
Four Ways to Build a Productive Sales Culture
By: Frank V. Cespedes and Steven Maughan
This article distinguishes sales efficiency (SE) initiatives (e.g., CRM, training, and KPI dashboards) from sales optimization (SO) decisions (e.g., aligning sales tasks with business strategy, customer selection, and deployment of sales resources across... View Details
- December 2013
- Case
Clique Pens: The Writing Implements Division of U.S. Home
By: Frank V. Cespedes and James Kindley
The Clique Pens Writing Implements division of U.S. Home is a manufacturer of a full line of pens, pencils, markers, and art supplies. Despite solid sales, division president Elise Ferguson has seen gross margins drop from 42% in 2010 to just over 36% in 2012 as a... View Details
Keywords: Production; Marketing Strategy; Distribution Channels; Compensation and Benefits; Sales; Manufacturing Industry; Consumer Products Industry
Cespedes, Frank V., and James Kindley. "Clique Pens: The Writing Implements Division of U.S. Home." Harvard Business School Brief Case 914-525, December 2013.
- January 2013
- Teaching Note
Andrew Ryan at VC Brakes (Brief Case)
By: Frank V. Cespedes and Sunru Yong
- November 2012 (Revised July 2014)
- Case
Andrew Sullivan and Faraway Ltd
By: Frank V. Cespedes and Alex Godden
The "Andrew Sullivan and Faraway Ltd" case series focuses on entrepreneurial selling, and is based on an older case study, "Deaver Brown and Cross River Inc." (9-394-042). It concerns two entrepreneurs, Andrew Sullivan and Hope Abasi, who have designed an innovative... View Details
Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Marketing; Sales; Management; Consumer Products Industry; United Kingdom
Cespedes, Frank V., and Alex Godden. "Andrew Sullivan and Faraway Ltd." Harvard Business School Case 813-104, November 2012. (Revised July 2014.)
- Article
Selling to Many Countries Within the U.S.
By: Frank V. Cespedes and Michael Wong
In pursuing growth, many companies have plans to sell to emerging markets like the so-called B-R-I-C nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China), but they overlook significant ethnic markets within the United States. For example, the combined African-American and Hispanic... View Details
Keywords: Management Style; Ethnicity; Sales; Business Growth and Maturation; Marketing Communications; Business Plan; Emerging Markets; Debates; Business Strategy; Growth and Development; Growth and Development Strategy; United States
Cespedes, Frank V., and Michael Wong. "Selling to Many Countries Within the U.S." MIT Sloan Management Review 52, no. 1 (Fall 2010).
- March 2013
- Teaching Note
Robin Ash and Printzhof Press (Brief Case)
By: Frank V. Cespedes and Lynda St. Clair
- February 2008 (Revised August 2011)
- Case
Olympia Machine Company, Inc.
By: Frank V. Cespedes and Benson P. Shapiro
The management team of an industrial equipment supplier is debating the company's method of compensating salespeople. Different executives have offered different alternatives to the current method of straight salary plus expenses. Each option has different implications... View Details
Keywords: Governance Controls; Compensation and Benefits; Mission and Purpose; Salesforce Management; Motivation and Incentives; Business Strategy; Industrial Products Industry
Cespedes, Frank V., and Benson P. Shapiro. "Olympia Machine Company, Inc." Harvard Business School Case 708-490, February 2008. (Revised August 2011.)
- summer 1993
- Article
Database Marketing: New Rules for Policy and Practice
By: Frank V. Cespedes and H. Jeff Smith
Cespedes, Frank V., and H. Jeff Smith. "Database Marketing: New Rules for Policy and Practice." MIT Sloan Management Review 34, no. 4 (summer 1993): 7–22.
- May 1982
- Background Note
Busy Signals: Telecommunications in Transition
By: John F. Cady and Frank V. Cespedes
Keywords: Telecommunications Industry
Cady, John F., and Frank V. Cespedes. "Busy Signals: Telecommunications in Transition." Harvard Business School Background Note 582-138, May 1982.
- February 1982
- Case
MCI Telecommunications Corp. (B): Customer Service Strategy and Organization
By: John F. Cady and Frank V. Cespedes
Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Customer Focus and Relationships; Strategy; Telecommunications Industry
Cady, John F., and Frank V. Cespedes. "MCI Telecommunications Corp. (B): Customer Service Strategy and Organization." Harvard Business School Case 582-108, February 1982.
- February 1982 (Revised May 1992)
- Case
MCI Telecommunications Corp. (A): Corporate and Marketing Strategy
By: John F. Cady and Frank V. Cespedes
Cady, John F., and Frank V. Cespedes. "MCI Telecommunications Corp. (A): Corporate and Marketing Strategy." Harvard Business School Case 582-106, February 1982. (Revised May 1992.)
- July 1979 (Revised January 1995)
- Case
Hammermill Paper Co.
By: Thomas J. Raymond and Frank V. Cespedes
Keywords: Pulp and Paper Industry
Raymond, Thomas J., and Frank V. Cespedes. "Hammermill Paper Co." Harvard Business School Case 380-014, July 1979. (Revised January 1995.)