Resources
Next Step’s consultants are experts at taking companies to the next step of growth. We frequently publish white papers, articles and other documents, which we like to share here with our clients, partners and business community.
2020 Vision – Digitalization for Successful Future
Welcome to the global economy, characterized by rapid, disruptive changeand accelerating adoption of new technologies. Are you and your organization positioned to remain competitive in the face of these fundamental transformations? And are you well-prepared with a strategy to proactively address tomorrow’s challenges?
Digital Business: Imperative Not an Option for Customer Success
How to Get Started Now
In 2015, IDC predicted that within three years the top30% of companies in all industries would be seriously challenged by an innovative competitor.Today, only two years later, this seems conservative as Tesla, Uber, and others overtake the automotive industry, Amazon dominates retail globally and born-digital startups penetrate all traditional markets.
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Digitalization – The Next Step to Success
“Those who don’t change will become extinct”. In 2015, IDC predicted that 30%of the top companies in any industry would be overtaken by a new competitor by 2017. Reality shows this was a conservative view.
Digitalization: From Product Vendor to Service Provider
Successful Business Transformation to the Cloud
Companies in virtually every industry can deliver unprecedented value to their customers through new technologies. By embracing the power and ubiquity of digitalization, organizations can transform from product vendors to service providers with strong customer loyalty, sustainable and recurring revenue and ultimately higher valuations. Through analysis of customer behaviour and information, services can be refined immediately to deliver continually improving customer experience.
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Enhancing Relevance and Value in Disrupted World
Analyst predictions and current growth of technology-based service businesses demonstrate the fast pace of change and disruption of ‘business as usual’ across all markets.
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Leading Digitalization: Nordic Happiness Pays Off
Digitalization, the use of technology to streamline work processes, accessinformation and improve global productivity can be considered the ‘next big paradigm shift’, impacting the way we all work, live and relate to one another. As with all change, this brings both benefits and challenges.
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The Age of the New Worker Model
How to Safely Navigate Legal Obstacles and Reach Your Goal of Flexibility and Scalability
Workers and businesses alike favour flexibility and independence. Work only when you want and how much you want; work hard and play hard. Businesses want to hire based on immediate need with coverage around the clock – scalability is key. The rise of the new worker model is hampered by dated laws that fail to recognize and adapt to the new model. Learn from the panellists how to achieve scalability and flexibility in the U.S. and abroad; when to hire independent contractors vs. employees; when, how to safely classify a worker as exempt; discuss recent industry examples and trends.
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The Next Generation in Channel Partnership
The race to the cloud is revolutionizing sales channels for product vendors, and noworganizations and their channel partners must adapt to thrive in the changing marketplace.
Achieving Growth: Sales Channels and Partnerships
As many serial entrepreneurs know, revenue and customer attainment is the key to success for all companies. However, reaching and winning new customers is challenging – especially for young companies. Gaining awareness and developing trust with buyers can be costly and fraught with error.
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Are You Struggling to Get Noticed?
In this day of constant information flowing through every conceivablecommunication channel, it’s more difficult than ever to stand out in a crowd and really get noticed. The five steps below will provide a good start to helping you get in front of your intended audience:
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Avoiding the Greatest Mistakes in Hiring a Sales Leader
While there are many obstacles to growing a sustainable, successful company, the most impactful mistake often made by executives in organizations of all sizes, industries and locations, is in hiring the right sales leader. The following real-world case example (using a fictional name) illustrates the impact of many of the common practices in selecting and managing a new sales leader.
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Becoming a Good Networker
Networkers have a plan and are aware
Define specific goals for your networking activities – where are you going to your career and/or business and who do you want or need to build relationships with to achieve your goals? Then research and plan to participate actively in the groups, associations or meetings where you are most likely to meet your desired contacts. Who do you want to meet and build relationships with to facilitate achievement of your goals?
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Navigating Channel Partnerships
The race to the cloud is revolutionizing sales channels for product vendors, and now organizations and their channel partners must adapt to thrive in the changing marketplace.
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Value Sales: The Road to Better Sales
Sales success today is dependent upon the sales representative’s ability to align their message, approach and offering to the perceived value of the customer or prospect. Next Step’s “Value Sales” process proactively addresses the ‘so what’ or ‘why should I buy from you’ question in the prospect’s mind. “Value Sales” begins with researching, understanding and listening to the prospect’s critical business needs.
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Focus Areas for Employee Retention
Attracting the Best Talent is Not Enough
According to Next Step, there are three primary categories that managers need to pay careful attention to in order to achieve high retention rates. The categories are defined from an employee perspective, which includes being valued, supported, and engaged. When an employee feels that these categories are sufficiently met, then he/she will be both more effective and find more satisfaction in their jobs. Employees that are valued, supported and engaged stay at organizations longer.
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The Business Model & the Value Proposition
The business world abounds with terms so heavily used they now border on meaninglessness. Before, during and after the recent boom and bust of Internet-based and other high-tech companies, questions about the attractiveness of a company’s “value proposition” and the potency of its “business model” dominated the discussion of perceived winners and losers. Yet what was called a value proposition or business model during the recent frenzy – when just about any “me too” product or company could get funded – was nothing more substantive or thoroughly developed than the fanciful dreams of charismatic visionaries.
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U.S. Expansion for Norwegian Firms: Challenges and Opportunities
In a study of investment, revenue and profit data from Norwegian startup companies which expanded to the U.S., Next Step found that the Norwegian firms, on average, had far weaker revenue growth and limited or non-existent profitability as compared to similar U.S. startups. (more…)
Attracting and Recruiting Success Team in Hot Economy
Great companies are built from talented people working together for a common goal. In a strong economy with VC funded startups providing high levels of compensation and perks, competition for these great people can be fierce. However, it is possible using tips below:
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Improving Value through As a Service Model
The ability to work anywhere on any device has revolutionized all aspects of work. Employees, partners and customers expect instant access to tools and real-time data on their personal devices anywhere in the world at any time. This is only possible through cloud computing technology. Cloud technology enables organizations to provide innovative services in less time to more people at a lower cost. This facilitates growth and competitive advantage while streamlining infrastructure and introducing new revenue streams.
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Attracting and Recruiting Success Team in Hot Economy
Great companies are built from talented people working together for a common goal. In a strong economy with VC funded startups providing high levels of compensation and perks, competition for these great people can be fierce. However, it is possible using tips below:
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Building Organizational Capacity through Accountability
In today’s world, many leaders struggle to understand what accountability really means: is it simply holding people responsible for their defined obligations – or is it something more? Your understanding of accountability determines your response when a crisis strikes and a project is at risk. A leadership style and how one responds to problems can help build organizational capacity. While it is crucial to address problems quickly, it is also important to include your team members in the solution.
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Focus Areas for Employee Retention
Attracting the Best Talent is Not Enough
According to Next Step, there are three primary categories that managers need to pay careful attention to in order to achieve high retention rates. The categories are defined from an employee perspective, which includes being valued, supported, and engaged. When an employee feels that these categories are sufficiently met, then he/she will be both more effective and find more satisfaction in their jobs. Employees that are valued, supported and engaged stay at organizations longer.
(more…)
Gaining Productivity in a Multi-Generational Workforce
Since 2008, Next Step has provided consulting and advisory services to client companies with multi-generational workforces–managers and employees ranging in age from 19 to 92 enabling clients to achieve greater cohesion and productivity across the generations.
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General E-Mail Writing Guidelines
Practice Good Etiquette
- Reduce long threads of forwards
- Summarize threads forconvenience and to improve understanding
- Copy only those to whom the e-mail is relevant
- Clearly identify why the recipient is receiving the e-mail and what you would like them to do.
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