Business Model

Zero Inventory Retail Business Model

I recently came across a company, CornerStone which has implemented a unique retail business model where the physical stores do not hold any inventory at all. All the inventory is maintained at the central warehouse from where all shipments are made. I think they should go one step further and tailor the garment only upon the receipt of an order. They also provide an online store from where you can purchase. The business model is unique in the industry as it combines the best and worst of the virtual and real world models. Low or zero inventory at the retail […]

Customer Engagement

Choosing your customers

Today, I read a post by Seth Godin with the same title and was struck with just one thought – How many times do sales people see this point-of-view. My take is that this is a blindspot for most of us. I would like to re-iterate the questions again: How much does this type of customer need you?  How difficult is this sort of person to find… How difficult to reach How valuable is a customer like this one… How demanding? If we are able to build our sales strategy based on the answers to these questions, selling would become […]

Business Model, Ideas, Sales

Go-to-market strategies that can kill innovations

I think we can learn a lot from our own failures and also from how others around us fail. I would like to take a trip down my memory lane. Early in 2001, there was an interesting organization called iNabling Technologies founded in 1997 by John Aravamuthan. It also got a funding of  $3 million (B V Jagadeesh, Infinity Technology Investments, ICICI) Making e-mail access affordable was the mission of Bangalore-based iNabling Technologies. The indigenously developed iStation was a low-cost e-mail device loaded with Engati software, which allows multiple language usage. The iNablers (as they call themselves) had also designed […]

Entrepreneurship, Sales

Journeymen, Mavericks & Superstars: Understanding Salespeople at Startups

Today, someone shared with me an article on the different types of sales people and when to recruit which type of sales person. I enjoyed reading this article. Hope you enjoy the same as well.  Also, where do you think you and your key sales people fall-in ? Do let me know.  Article:  Journeymen, Mavericks & Superstars: Understanding Salespeople at Startups by MARK SUSTER on APRIL 8, 2010