Organizations and those who work within them are under attack from the increasingly pervasive impacts of commoditization. With little to distinguish one company's products and services from another or one person's skills and capabilities from the next, organizations and workers alike are finding themselves trapped in the me-too hell of commoditization. For many this means the survival of the cheapest, as price becomes the principal basis for decision making. For others it requires them to think creatively to avoid the trap of commoditization, even though this may only provide a temporary respite. In this groundbreaking book, Andrew Holmes sets out why commoditization represents such a clear and present danger to every corporation and all white-collar workers. Starting with the nature of the commodities we are familiar with such as coal and cotton, Holmes moves on to describe how commoditization is affecting entire industries and is increasingly touching the work of the professional classes. The evidence is both fascinating and compelling and it is clear that the impacts of commoditization are far reaching. The author also outlines the impact of commoditization on an organization's strategy towards brand, supply chain, value chain, innovation, pricing and competition. He explores the implications for skills, attitudes and behaviours in the workplace before describing a series of strategies for avoiding the risk and exploiting the opportunities offered by a new commoditized world, such as outsourcing, innovation, offshoring, mergers and acquisitions, divestments and first mover advantage. Holmes offers organizations and white-collar workers a range of strategic responses which can be used to combat its worst impacts. And as commoditization continues to make inroads into the corporate and working worlds, this book will be an invaluable companion to addressing the challenges which it presents.

In this groundbreaking book, Andrew Holmes sets out why commoditization represents such a clear and present danger to every corporation and all white-collar workers. He describes how commoditization is affecting entire industries and is increasingly touching the work of the professional classes. The evidence is both fascinating and compelling and it is clear that the impacts of commoditization are far reaching. Holmes offers organizations and white collar workers a range of strategic responses which can be used to combat its worst impacts. And as commoditization continues to make inroads into the corporate and working worlds, this book will be an invaluable companion to addressing the challenges which it presents.

In this book, Richard D'Aveni provides a radical new framework for fighting commoditization. Drawing on an in-depth study of more than 30 industries, he provides a tool for diagnosing your competitive position and shows you how to strengthen it.

The Oxford Handbook of Strategic Sales and Sales Management is an unrivalled overview by leading academics in the field of sales and marketing management. Sales theory is experiencing a renaissance driven by a number of factors, including building profitable relationships, creating/delivering brand value, strategic customer management, sales and marketing relationships, global selling, and the change from transactional to customer relationship marketing. Escalating sales and selling costs require organisations to be more focused on results and highlight the shifting of resources from marketing to sales. Further the growth in customer power now requires a strategic sales response, and not just a tactical one. The positioning of sales within the organisation, the sales function and sales management are all discussed. The Handbook is not a general sales management text about managing a sales force, but will fill a gap in the existing literature through consolidating the current academic research in the sales area. The Handbook is structured around four key topics. The first section explores the strategic positioning of the sales function within the modern organisation. The second considers sales management and recent developments. The third section examines the sales relationship with the customer and highlights how sales is responding to the modern environment. Finally, the fourth section reviews the internal composition of sales within the organisation. The Handbook will provide a comprehensive introduction to the latest research in sales management, and is suitable for academics, professionals, and those taking professional qualifications in sales and marketing.

Look at any industry, in any market, and youll find the same attrition strategy playing out everywhere. Companies compete with one another in a mindless race to the bottom, matching feature for feature, which commoditizes markets and drives down prices and margins. Ultimately, no one winsnot even the consumer, as quality, service, and differentiation suffer. Yet there is another way: maneuver strategy. Maneuver relies on speed, agility, insight, and innovation to win the most in any market at the least possible cost. Unlike attrition, maneuver never seeks to attack an incumbent in head-to-head competition. Instead, maneuver uses reconnaissance and insights to identify weaknesses and uses three strategies (preemption, dislocation, and disruption) to attack those vulnerabilities. Using speed and agility, a maneuver strategist wins new spaces before competitors become aware of the opportunity or disrupts the well-laid plans and efficient operations of competitors. As the pace of change accelerates, as speed and agility become more important than size and strength, as new entrants disrupt existing markets, attrition strategy seems outdated. Maneuver strategy, with its focus on speed, agility, and innovation, is the right strategy for the new emerging markets.