Publications

August 5, 2015
Article

What Salespeople Need to Know About the New B2B Landscape

By: Frank V. Cespedes and Tiffani Bova

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August 2015
Teaching Note

Cilkray Graphics (Brief Case)

By: Frank V. Cespedes and Alisa Zalosh

May 2013
Supplement

Launching Krispy Natural: Cracking the Product Management Code, Spreadsheet for Students (Brief Case)

By: Frank V. Cespedes and Heather Beckham

November 2012 (Revised July 2014)
Supplement

Andrew Sullivan and Faraway Ltd (B): Sam Cartwright of Mothercare

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; Sales; Marketing; Management; Consumer Products Industry; United Kingdom

June 2012
Case

PV Technologies, Inc.: Were They Asleep at the Switch?

By: Frank V. Cespedes and Diane Badame

PV Technologies, Inc. is an industry-leading manufacturer of photovoltaic inverters used to convert the direct current output of solar panels into alternating current for the commercial power grid. In conjunction with a request for proposal, the company's largest... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Customer Relationship Management; Competitive Strategy; Product Marketing; Energy Industry; Technology Industry; United States

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

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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

June 2013
Teaching Note

Ron Ventura at Mitchell Memorial Hospital (Brief Case)

By: Paul Swiercz, Heide Abelli and Frank V. Cespedes

February 1, 2016
Article

Hiring Star Salespeople Isn't the Best Way to Grow

By: Frank V. Cespedes and Jacco van der Kooij

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03 May 2011
First Look

First Look: May 3

These changes relate to: advisory notes by shareholders, refinements to board structure, non-disclosure on compensation and tightening up of certain enforcement provisions. Purchase this... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

24 Apr 2012
First Look

First Look: April 24

supplement:http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/412066-PDF-ENG Customer Discovery and Validation for Entrepreneurs Frank V. Cespedes, Thomas R. Eisenmann, and Steven G. BlankHarvard Business School Note... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

Article

How Real Sales Learning Happens: In the Flow of Work

By: Yuchun Lee, Mark Magnacca and Frank V. Cespedes

Most learning in sales is through peer learning in task-specific contexts, and the effects are cumulative because modeling behavior is a big driver of how salespeople develop. This is very different from the experience in most training seminars, especially if the... View Details

Keywords: Sales; Learning; Training; Performance

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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