WHY KILLER PRODUCTS DON'T SELL - HOW TO RUN YOUR COMPANY TO A NEW SET OF RULES

Coming from conversations with executive teams of technology companies, venture capitalists, and M&A advisers, the insights contained in Why Killer Products Don't Sell are gold dust. First the book lays bare the claim that sales is sales is sales. It exposes the 4 very different 'Buying Cultures' and how they should be approached: Value Offered, Value Added, Value Created, and Value Captured. But it also gives a proven methodology for assessing a company's product mix ('offering' vs 'buying culture'), and a transformation approach to optimize sales and improve competitiveness.

Ian Gotts founded Nimbus Partners and as CEO has driven its growth over the last 10 years. His company has won numerous awards: D&T Fast50, D&T European Fast500, REALBusiness Hot 100, and The Sunday Times TechTrack 100. Nimbus is a Microsoft Gold Partner and has been singled out as a high potential partner. Ian is a member of the Microsoft worldwide Software + Services Partner Advisory Council and the UK Partner Advisory Council, and he appears on stage alongside Microsoft regularly. Nimbus was recently featured in Steve Ballmer's (Microsoft CEO's) keynote video to 10,000 partners at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Denver. Ian is also a founder, investor and advisor to technology companies.

Dominic Rowsell is a business iconoclast and change management CEO. He is a highly experienced presenter and speaker. His expertise comes from practical experience in behavioural change, service sales, pre/post merger integration, leadership change and strategic thinking. As happy with five people as with five hundred, Dominic is a relaxed yet energetic speaker. His style uses cynical wit with a dry sense of humour and always draws his audiences into active involvement - he loves a heckler! He is both pragmatist and humanist and these attributes are key when having to point out painful realities to the Boardroom.

Foreword.


Introduction.


Why we wrote this book.


A bar in Rotterdam.


Who should read this book.


How to read use this book.


PART 1: SOME KILLER PRODUCTS REALLY DON’T SELL.


So many products, so few sales.


Heroic failures.


So firstly, what is a failure?


PART 2: IT’S NOT HOW YOU SELL, BUT HOW CUSTOMERS BUY.


Sales is sales is sales - right?


4 Buying Cultures.


How does this all relate to the Geoffrey Moore’s Chasm?


WIIFM - so what exactly does this all mean to me?


How do people buy?


Momentum = getting the right people on board.


PART 3: IF THEY ARE BUYING - ARE YOU SELLING?


Choosing the correct Buying culture.


Exploring the buying cultures.


Different buying cultures, different operational cultures.


What does a Value Captured Company feel like?


What does a Value Created Company feel like?


What does a Value Added Company look like?


What does a Value Offered Company look like?


PART 4: THE BEST KEPT SECRET - VALUE CREATED SALES.


Why Value Created.


Why do some many companies get it wrong?


Vital Signs.


Why is Value Created difficult?


A Value Added salesman in Value Created sales cycle.


A now some good news.


PART5: THE MAGIC OF A VALUE CREATED COMPANY.


The Perfect Storm.


The case for change.


Management.


R&D.


Marketing.


Sales.


Delivery.


Support.


Safety notes.


PART 6: SO WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT?


CEO.


CEO of Start-up.


Chief Operations Officer.


Sales Director.


Head of M&A.


Head of Marketing.


Investors or VCs.


Head of Innovation.


PART 7: ALWAYS CHANGE A WINNING TEAM.


Can you have too much success?


So, are you performing?


Transformation - the OCA Methodology.


Using the OCA Methodology.


The Final Word: a Summary.


Appendix.


Case Study - Eden Project.


Book summary - Common Approach, Uncommon Results: How adoption and delivers the results you deserve.


Book summary - Crossing the Chasm & Inside the Tornado.


Book summary - The Empty Raincoat: Making Sense of the Future.


Book summary The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything.


Leading vs lagging metrics.


Running senior management workshops.


Case Study - First Recovery.