What's on Your Mind?
Each year Outsell invests millions in tracking and analyzing information, media, and data industries to help executives and their organizations grow and thrive. Whether we’re looking at competitive disruption and interesting new business models, customers’ changing demands, or best practices (like how well sales functions respond), we keep our finger on the pulse of the industry. Our research shows that clients outperform the industry on average, and we love the congruity of information executives being open to information. You’d be surprised at those who say they don’t need outside information. I am puzzled by how they can say that given the businesses they run. What if their customers had that point of view?
We say our clients are a psychographic more than a demographic — bright eyes, innovators, open to new ideas, and open to points of view that challenge their thinking. Working with this industry is a lot of fun and a great privilege. Here’s some of the things we’re focused on — addressing the biggest pain points we’re seeing. What are they? A quick poll of our analysts reveals the following:
- Dealing with the ever increasing challenges of data security, regulatory requirements around privacy, reputational risk and the rise of IoT, and a whole host of data issues that will come with it.
- Using data effectively either by developing more analytic solutions for the market, by using data to improve operational performance of the business, or both.
- Digital transformation is still on the docket, while many are now much farther along. At the end of the day, most of the end users we serve content and software to, are now one. What they seek is greater productivity, faster time to money, or risk mitigated, in integrated solutions that help them do their job.
- Understanding and staying on top of the greater roles of Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Apple in particular. IBM in Cognitive or Microsoft with its LinkedIn ownership keeps leaders up at night because single moves can mean unexpected waves hitting overnight.
- Trading trust and holding on to brand halos, hard earned and easily felled. This reminds me of a report we wrote way back when (trading trust — or about real time data in real time — how prescient we were!).
- And not a CEO conversation goes by without a discussion on two of the most important things they must contend with — achieving growth goals alongside sales force effectiveness, and talent hiring and retention. In this day and age — quality content, depth, and breadth — well, it’s a given, table-stakes, I say. It’s like saying it’s great that your money is safe when your local or national bank advertises. Bah! We don’t feature what’s expected. So, those givens have given way to the two things that company success rests on: talent and good sales organizations.
- Changing customer demands — enterprise needs are changing, and they’re changing quickly, and the good leaders we are privileged to work with are always focused on how their markets are changing.
Is this what’s on your mind, too? We’re hot on the trail of addressing all of these things throughout the year. We’ve got analysts and consulting partners on the case, and you can sleep better at night knowing these issues are on a lot of leaders’ minds, and they are front and center in our research agenda. We’ve got your back. Come talk to us, and we’ll help you solve your problems — guaranteed.
Anthea