Highland Team Newsletter (May 06, 2004)

Highland Team works with companies to create revenue-enhancing go-to-market strategies and programs to launch and grow business. In this newsletter, we'll share some of the insights and tools we’ve been using to help our clients succeed in today's environment.

Are you searching for new markets for your products? Is your product faltering because you need better differentiation and a more compelling message? Do you need lead generation programs to drive sales now? Looking for a new channel strategy?

These are a few of the problems we’ve been solving for our clients. If you, or someone you know needs answers to challenges such as these, contact Highland Team NOW.

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** Highland Team and Next Step team together to offer joint service-Marketing That Sells
** Highland Team offers special IDC methodologies to improve partner results
** It's Hard, Complex, Problematic and Boring, But Pricing is A Core Strategy-- Brian Piersen, President, Media API. Highland Team works with Media API to provide pricing research and strategy consulting to clients.
** Break the 80/20 Rule of Your Salesforce-how to make all your salesforce top performers
** Jennifer Berkley of The Insight Advantage provides market and customer research services to
Highland Team clients
**Recent Engagements
**Highland Team News
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Highland Team and Next Step team together to offer joint service-Marketing That Sells

My expertise is in marketing. Jennifer Vessels of Next Step is an expert in sales. When my latest client needed help moving from positioning and messages that resonate with customers into a strong sales pitch, I introduced him to Jennifer. Now, Highland Team and Next Step have created a new service, Marketing That Sells, to seamlessly integrate sales and marketing. Clients receive strategic marketing assistance to understand client needs and the right positioning and messaging for their market and value-based sales programs designed to ensure client teams can sell the value of the company. Let us help you create marketing that sells and sales based on customer needs. Contact Deborah at dhenken@highlandteam.com for information on how we can drive your sales and marketing efforts forward in a coordinated, synergistic way.To learn more, Click here.

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Highland Team provides IDC tool -the best way to allocate partner dollars for improved results

As an Authorized Implementation Partner of IDC, I gain insight into new partnering services that IDC has implemented. IDC recently implemented a multi-client study evaluating the best ways to allocate partner dollars to succeed. The study evaluated what partners need most and identified where program budgets should be spent to enable vendors to succeed in their target markets. Imagine:
* Clearly understanding the right mix of partner program offerings
* Ensuring that limited resources are allocated to the most beneficial initiatives
* Developing a competitive differentiation to increase partner commitment and retention
***If interested in this tool, contact Deborah to learn more at dhenken@highlandteam.com.

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Highland Team Teams with Media API for pricing and strategy consulting

I worked with Brian Piersen at Informix, where he was responsible for pricing strategies. Not too many people understand the strategic nature of pricing. Since Brian does, the Highland Team is joining with him and his company, Media API to provide pricing and strategy consulting to enterprise software companies. Brian brings over 15 years of corporate finance and enterprise software experience.
For more about Media API, Click here.

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It's Hard, Complex, Problematic and Boring But Pricing is A Core Strategy--Special to the Highland Team by Brian Piersen, Media API.

" During a recession, companies cut expenses to create profits. Later, during an economic recovery, companies have to grow the top line, revenue. More headcount will sell more products, but what about a strategic calculation of the perfect product, license, discount and price blend to dominate your direct and indirect channels? A calculation that includes your competitors, customers, partners, corporate strengths, and weaknesses? A calculation that executives review, recalculate,and continually improve. That calculation is your pricing model.” Click here for full article.

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Break the 80/20 Rule For Your Sales Force--- Make All Your Performers, Top Performers

Mike Beek and I worked together at Blue Pumpkin. He now runs his company, eSessments, to meet companies’ business objectives by maximizing their return on investment in human capital. I thought this case study on improving sales performance very impressive. Change the selection process going forward so that new sales hires will look like the Top Performers. Click here for full article.

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The Insight Advantage and Highland Team provide customer and market research to Highland Team clients. When our clients need customer insight, we turn to Jennifer Berkley and The Insight Advantage. www.theinsightadvantage.com

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Recent Engagements

We've recently been helping clients assess and re-position their services in a competitive market, identify the best market segments for a new consumer goods company to pursue, create and implement market development plans and develop the best channel program to recruit and support new channels. If you need help in bringing your products to market, or know someone who does, contact the Highland Team at 650-224-6295.

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Highland Team News

Deborah has been elected President of Women In Consulting, a non-profit affiliation of business consultants. WIC provides companies expert consulting talent and a community to provide consultants advice and information to effectively manage and grow their practices. I recently spoke at the Institute of International Studies in Monterey, CA about the challenges women face in international business. I highlighted many of the cultural differences experienced and how to succeed in international situations.