Publications

April 2018
Teaching Note

Formlabs: Selling a New 3D Printer

By: Frank Cespedes

Teaching Note for HBS No. 817-001. Formlabs is a venture that manufactures and sells 3D printers used in a variety of industries and applications. As the young company prepares to ship its latest model, the head of Customer Development is tasked with developing a... View Details

06 Nov 2008
Op-Ed

Selling Out The American Dream

Editor's Note: Harvard Business School professor John Quelch writes a blog on marketing issues, called Marketing Know: How, for Harvard Business Online. It is reprinted on HBS Working Knowledge. The current economic crisis has been blamed on the greed of Wall Street,... View Details

Keywords: by John Quelch

April 2004 (Revised April 2011)
Case

Enron Corporation: May 6, 2001 Sell Recommendation

By: David F. Hawkins and Jacob Cohen

A consulting firm to institutional investors recommends selling Enron Corp.'s equity short on May 6, 2001, while many sellside analysts are recommending the stock as a "buy." View Details

Keywords: Judgments; Financial Reporting; Investment; Competency and Skills; Financial Statements; Consulting Industry

02 Feb 2015
Research & Ideas

Disruptors Sell What Customers Want and Let Competitors Sell What They Don’t

Over the past two decades, entire industries have been disrupted by Internet competitors who "unbundled" their content and delivered it to consumers in new ways. Newspapers lost out to Google and Craigslist, record companies to iTunes and Spotify, and travel agencies... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

02 Feb 2015
News

Disruptors Sell What Customers Want and Let Competitors Sell What They Don’t

January 2016
Teaching Note

Groom Energy Solutions: Selling Efficiency

By: Michael W. Toffel, Kira Fabrizio and Stephanie van Sice

This case examines a start-up service provider that helps clients improve the energy efficiency of their factories, warehouses, and commercial and office spaces by integrating and installing lighting, heating, and cooling technologies. The company seeks to double... View Details

Keywords: Energy Efficiency; Energy Efficiency Paradox; Environment; Environmental Strategy; Growth; Energy; Energy Conservation; Entrepreneurship; Environmental Sustainability; Energy Industry

March 2008
Article

The Business of Selling Movies

By: F. Du, J. Gong, Tatiana Sandino, W. Van der Stede and M. Young

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October 1989 (Revised November 2006)
Background Note

Managing Selling and the Salesperson

By: Frank V. Cespedes

Written for a module in the Marketing Implementation course (a second-year elective in the MBA program). Provides a brief introduction to common issues involved in recruiting, training, compensating, and evaluating field salespeople. Also offers questions to consider... View Details

Keywords: Salesforce Management

August 1998
Background Note

Selling Books Online in Mid-1998

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Carin-Isabel Knoop and Cate Reavis

Provides an overview of the trends and predictions for the online book retail industry as of August 1998 and the current status of Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and other main players' online ventures. View Details

Keywords: Internet and the Web; Books; Retail Industry

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November 1993
Case

Selling Harvard Business School Cases

By: Joseph L. Badaracco Jr.

Keywords: Business Education; Ethics

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04 May 2015
News

Selling Kentucky Bourbon in Japan

01 Nov 2013
News

Selling Crafts with a Story

Jennifer Lee Koss by Maureen Harmon For weeks in 2012, Jennifer Lee Koss (MBA 2008) and Kena Paranjape held early- morning meetings at La Bohème coffee shop in Toronto. The discussion centered on a possible business venture. The meeting spot made sense; it was near... View Details

Keywords: Maureen Harmon; crafts; hobbies; ecommerce; Miscellaneous Store Retailers; Retail Trade; Arts, Entertainment

November 2006 (Revised December 2006)
Module Note

Personal Selling and Sales Management

Develop a better understanding of what salespeople do, what motivates them to succeed, and how to effectively manage their efforts. View Details

Keywords: Salesforce Management

22 Sep 2016
Video

How to Sell a Camera

January 2010 (Revised March 2010)
Background Note

A Note on Direct Selling in Developing Economies

By: Michael Chu and Joel Emilio Bregman Segre

Informal and formal direct selling play a particularly important role in developing countries characterized by markets with limited retail sectors. This note explores the practice of direct selling for the company, the sales person, and the consumer, as well as the... View Details

Keywords: Customers; Developing Countries and Economies; Marketing Channels; Marketing Strategy; Emerging Markets; Sales

August 2003 (Revised August 2006)
Case

I've Got Rhythm: Selling Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices

By: Regina E. Herzlinger, William Lagor, Christopher Perry and Scott St. Germain

The head of sales and marketing in a large medical devices firm must decide how to assign his sales force. He compares selling in the pharma, specialty pharma, and device industries and analyzes the reasons for the differences. View Details

Keywords: Health Care and Treatment; Marketing Strategy; Industry Structures; Sales; Salesforce Management; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

February 2013 (Revised December 2015)
Case

Groom Energy Solutions: Selling Efficiency

By: Michael W. Toffel, Kira R. Fabrizio and Stephanie van Sice

Groom Energy Solutions helps organizations reduce their energy use and costs through the implementation of energy efficiency measures, which create long-term financial and environmental benefits. With early success serving customers in the cold storage and industrial... View Details

Keywords: Groom Energy Solutions; Jon Guerster; Salem, MA; Energy Management; Energy Efficiency Paradox; Sustainability Management; Manufacturing; Cold Storage; Commercial Real Estate; Enterprise Smart Grid; Carbon Accounting; LED Lighting; Sustainability Research; Entrepreneurship; Environmental Entrepreneurship; Energy Entrepreneurship; Energy Services; Electricity; Startup; Expansion; Growth; Sustainability; Business Startups; Forecasting and Prediction; Energy Conservation; Revenue; Geographic Location; Human Resources; Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Market Entry and Exit; Operations; Service Delivery; Strategic Planning; Science; Environmental Sustainability; Climate Change; Society; Social Issues; Technology Adoption; Energy Industry; Green Technology Industry; Technology Industry; Utilities Industry; United States; Boston