Filter Results:
(4,143)
Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(4,143)
- People (11)
- News (942)
- Research (2,749)
- Events (7)
- Multimedia (21)
- Faculty Publications (1,499)
Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(4,143)
- People (11)
- News (942)
- Research (2,749)
- Events (7)
- Multimedia (21)
- Faculty Publications (1,499)
- October 2023
- Article
Finding New Business and Developing Relevant Sales Capabilities
There are few alternatives to growth for most companies. It’s the rare firm whose goal involves getting smaller and, for employees, there is a strong correlation between their company’s growth rate, promotion opportunities, and job satisfaction. But a growth strategy... View Details
Cespedes, Frank V. "Finding New Business and Developing Relevant Sales Capabilities." Top Sales Magazine (October 2023), 24–25.
- October 1989
- Background Note
Managing Major Accounts
Written as an introduction to a module in the second-year MBA course, Marketing Implementation. Discusses issues encountered in the selling and management of major accounts. The topics covered include: 1) reasons for the increasing importance of major account... View Details
Keywords: Accounting Audits; Marketing; Marketing Strategy; Consumer Behavior; Market Participation; Relationships; Salesforce Management
Cespedes, Frank V. "Managing Major Accounts." Harvard Business School Background Note 590-046, October 1989.
- January 2018
- Case
Ak Gıda: IPO or Strategic Sale
By: Suraj Srinivasan and Eren Kuzucu
In 2015, Yıldiz Holding, one of the world’s largest producer of confections, biscuits and crackers, was at the end of its divestiture process from Ak Gida, one of the leading dairy companies in Turkey. The company had adopted a dual track process, pursuing an initial... View Details
Keywords: Valuation; Private Sector; For-Profit Firms; Business Model; Business Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Growth and Development Strategy; Value Creation; Decision Making; Growth Management; Mergers and Acquisitions; Initial Public Offering; Business Conglomerates; Business Exit or Shutdown; Family Business; Joint Ventures; Food and Beverage Industry; Turkey
Srinivasan, Suraj, and Eren Kuzucu. "Ak Gıda: IPO or Strategic Sale." Harvard Business School Case 118-036, January 2018.
- June 2013
- Supplement
Walker Insurance: Paul Thomson (Video Supplement)
By: Jim Sharpe
This is the Video Supplement for Walker Insurance: Paul Thomson (HBS Case 813057). View Details
Keywords: Entrepreneurial Organizations; Entrepreneurs; Entrepreneurship; Search; Search Funds; Sales Force Management; Sales; Sales Channels; Insurance And Reinsurance; Insurance Companies; Acquisitions; Hiring; Service Management; Service; Insurance; Salesforce Management; Selection and Staffing; Insurance Industry; United States
Sharpe, Jim. "Walker Insurance: Paul Thomson (Video Supplement)." Harvard Business School Video Supplement 813-717, June 2013.
- December 1994 (Revised December 1994)
- Case
Physician Sales and Service, Inc. (A): June 1992
A medical products distribution company faces strategic opportunities and challenges in a rapidly changing market. Physician Sales and Service (PSS), founded by Patrick Kelly in 1983, operates in 20 states in the United States and intends to expand to 50 states by... View Details
Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Distribution Industry
Bhide, Amar, and Jay Dial. "Physician Sales and Service, Inc. (A): June 1992." Harvard Business School Case 395-066, December 1994. (Revised December 1994.)
- May 2013
- Supplement
Paul Thomson: Walker Insurance
This is the Spreadsheet Supplement for Walker Insurance: Paul Thomson (HBS Case 813057). Includes Exhibit 1a, Exhibit 1b, Exhibit 2, Exhibit 4, Exhibit 5, Exhibit 6, and Exhibit 7. View Details
Keywords: Entrepreneurial Organizations; Entrepreneurs; Entrepreneurship; Search; Search Funds; Sales Force Management; Sales; Sales Channels; Insurance And Reinsurance; Insurance Companies; Acquisitions; Hiring; Service Management; Service; Insurance; Salesforce Management; Selection and Staffing; Insurance Industry; United States
What's the Right Kind of Bonus to Motivate Your Sales Force?
Companies typically compensate their sales force by using some combination of salary, commission, and bonuses, but executives are often unsure which incentives provide the best motivation. Should bonuses be tied to quotas or should they be given unconditionally? Is... View Details
- October 2013 (Revised November 2013)
- Case
Blackstone and the Sale of Citigroup's Loan Portfolio
By: Victoria Ivashina and David Scharfstein
The credit boom that preceded the 2007-2009 financial crisis led to several lending practices that exposed banks to large risks. In particular, when the financial crisis unraveled, there were several billion dollars' worth of leveraged buyout (LBO) loans that were... View Details
Keywords: Restructuring; Private Equity; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Credit Derivatives and Swaps; Financial Markets; Investment; Banking Industry; Financial Services Industry
Ivashina, Victoria, and David Scharfstein. "Blackstone and the Sale of Citigroup's Loan Portfolio." Harvard Business School Case 214-037, October 2013. (Revised November 2013.)
- September 24, 2024
- Article
4 Steps That Can Optimize Your Sales Process
By: Frank V. Cespedes, Scott Peterson and Daniel Weinfurter
Sales is a performance art where outcomes matter, so most advice here focuses on closing the sale. But a close is the result of actions and choices that occur earlier in the process: how much time and effort to spend on customer discovery (understanding what and to... View Details
Cespedes, Frank V., Scott Peterson, and Daniel Weinfurter. "4 Steps That Can Optimize Your Sales Process." Harvard Business Review (website) (September 24, 2024).
- January 1994
- Case
ABC Sales and Service Division: A Case Study of Personal and Organizational Transformation
By: D. Quinn Mills, Brock W. Orwig, Janet M. Pumo, Todd C. Stilson and Richard C. Wei
In the midst of dramatic changes in the information systems industry and declining profits at the ABC Co., the vice president in charge of the sales and service division, Jeff, and his managers attempt to transform their division. The transformation gets off to a good... View Details
Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Transformation; Motivation and Incentives; Resignation and Termination; Communication; Business or Company Management; Information Technology Industry
Mills, D. Quinn, Brock W. Orwig, Janet M. Pumo, Todd C. Stilson, and Richard C. Wei. "ABC Sales and Service Division: A Case Study of Personal and Organizational Transformation." Harvard Business School Case 494-075, January 1994.
- September 2022 (Revised November 2022)
- Case
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act: Trade and Genocide in U.S.-China Relations
By: Jeremy Friedman and David Lane
On June 21, 2022, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) went into effect, requiring companies to prove that goods imported from the People’s Republic of China were not made with forced labor. The bill was a reaction to reports of products being made with... View Details
Keywords: Ethics; Multinational Firms and Management; Globalized Markets and Industries; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Policy; Government Legislation; International Relations; Labor; Wages; Law Enforcement; Law; Rights; Operations; Supply Chain Management; Business and Government Relations; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Mining Industry; China; United States
Friedman, Jeremy, and David Lane. "The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act: Trade and Genocide in U.S.-China Relations." Harvard Business School Case 723-001, September 2022. (Revised November 2022.)
- April 2017
- Teaching Note
DoubleDutch
By: Frank Cespedes
This Teaching Note accompanies HBS No. 815-044 “DoubleDutch” in which the co-founders of the event management start-up, DoubleDutch, have to make a significant decision about their young company's sales function. The teaching note covers: Opportunity analysis,... View Details
- February 2018
- Case
Qualtrics (A)
By: Doug J. Chung and James M. Lattin
Qualtrics was an online survey research platform and since the beginning, the company had relied entirely on an inside sales model—sales done remotely without face-to-face contact with clients. The low-cost inside sales model, along with an emphasis on a strong sales... View Details
Keywords: Sales Strategy; Inside Sales Model; Sales; Strategy; Growth and Development Strategy; Organizational Change and Adaptation
Chung, Doug J., and James M. Lattin. "Qualtrics (A)." Harvard Business School Case 518-082, February 2018.
- 2010
- Working Paper
Do Bonuses Enhance Sales Productivity? A Dynamic Structural Analysis of Bonus-Based Compensation Plans
By: Doug J. Chung, Thomas J. Steenburgh and K. Sudhir
We estimate a dynamic structural model of sales force response to a bonus based compensation plan. The paper has two main methodological innovations: First, we implement empirically the method proposed by Arcidiacono and Miller (2010) to accommodate unobserved latent... View Details
Keywords: Compensation and Benefits; Performance Productivity; Mathematical Methods; Salesforce Management; Motivation and Incentives
Chung, Doug J., Thomas J. Steenburgh, and K. Sudhir. "Do Bonuses Enhance Sales Productivity? A Dynamic Structural Analysis of Bonus-Based Compensation Plans." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 11-041, October 2010.
- November–December 2018
- Article
Online Network Revenue Management Using Thompson Sampling
By: Kris J. Ferreira, David Simchi-Levi and He Wang
We consider a network revenue management problem where an online retailer aims to maximize revenue from multiple products with limited inventory constraints. As common in practice, the retailer does not know the consumer's purchase probability at each price and must... View Details
Keywords: Online Marketing; Revenue Management; Revenue; Management; Marketing; Internet and the Web; Price; Mathematical Methods
Ferreira, Kris J., David Simchi-Levi, and He Wang. "Online Network Revenue Management Using Thompson Sampling." Operations Research 66, no. 6 (November–December 2018): 1586–1602.
- May 20, 2024
- Article
Porter’s Five Forces and Competitive Advantage in Web3
By: Scott Duke Kominers and Liang Wu
Competitive strategy — the art of crafting and executing plans to achieve an advantageous position in the market — is integral to any business, and especially relevant for platforms because it determines their ability to achieve network effects and scale. But web3... View Details
Keywords: Five Forces Framework; Competitive Strategy; Business Strategy; Network Effects; Digital Transformation
Kominers, Scott Duke, and Liang Wu. "Porter’s Five Forces and Competitive Advantage in Web3." a16zcrypto.com (May 20, 2024).
- April 2013
- Case
Managing with Analytics at Procter & Gamble
By: Thomas H. Davenport, Marco Iansiti and Alain Serels
Senior management at P&G has put a strong emphasis on using data to make "better, smarter, real-time business decisions." The Global Business Services (GBS) organization has developed tools, systems and processes to provide managers throughout P&G with direct access to... View Details
Keywords: Analytics; Data Management; Forecasting; Shared Services; Procter ＆ Gamble; Laundry Detergent; Information Management; Forecasting and Prediction; Information Technology; Mathematical Methods; Consumer Products Industry; North America
Davenport, Thomas H., Marco Iansiti, and Alain Serels. "Managing with Analytics at Procter & Gamble." Harvard Business School Case 613-045, April 2013.
- October 1989
- Background Note
Aspects of Sales Management: Key Themes
Keywords: Salesforce Management
Cespedes, Frank V. "Aspects of Sales Management: Key Themes." Harvard Business School Background Note 590-042, October 1989.
- November 2019 (Revised April 2020)
- Case
Purple Innovation, Inc.: The Online to Offline Marketing Challenge
By: Elie Ofek and Nakisha Williams
This case focuses on Purple Innovation Inc. (Purple), a company that started out in the Direct to Consumer (DTC) mattress space. In late 2018, after a successful launch and IPO with sales predominantly originating from its website, Purple was looking to sustain its... View Details
Keywords: Offline Sales; Marketing Strategy; Digital Marketing; Growth and Development Strategy; Consumer Products Industry; Retail Industry
Ofek, Elie, and Nakisha Williams. "Purple Innovation, Inc.: The Online to Offline Marketing Challenge." Harvard Business School Case 520-040, November 2019. (Revised April 2020.)
- June 1989 (Revised November 1991)
- Supplement
Ingersoll-Rand (B): Managing Multiple Channels--1986
Peter Baldwin takes over Clabough's job and is charged with the responsibility to improve sales force morale, control expenses, and improve market share. View Details
Keywords: Salesforce Management; Supply and Industry; Management Teams; Industrial Products Industry
Rangan, V. Kasturi. "Ingersoll-Rand (B): Managing Multiple Channels--1986." Harvard Business School Supplement 589-122, June 1989. (Revised November 1991.)