Krishnan Venkata

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13 leaders discuss the strategies that are working for them. If you are trying to grow a successful business, it is imperative that you stay one step ahead and monitor what the competition is doing, no matter what type of field you are working in. Understanding a competitive edge they may have—be it marketing strategies, services, or top clients—is key.  This helps you to better identify how your company can fit in by finding its own voice in the current market, standing out in a sea of information overload, and delivering unique brand messaging. Plus, the bottom line is that future clients are seeking the best solutions to move them forward as well. That's why Fast Company Executive Board members share the rhyme and reason behind their best practices for monitoring the competition and their market share below.

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Here's what to do when the best-laid business plans of leadership and teams suddenly go awry.  For many business leaders and their teams, the month of August is an essential time for them to assess how the first half of the year went. Are the current strategies that they have in place really working? It's also a time to set (or reset) their goals and objectives for the upcoming year.  Keeping all that in mind, sometimes plans, unfortunately, fall by the wayside or may require some unexpected tweaking depending on external factors like market conditions, customer needs, or technological innovation. That's why it's important to remain flexible and have an open mind about how to pivot correctly when necessary, considering the current situation of your department or organization. Here, 16 Fast Company Executive Board members offer their solutions to help other business leaders and teams stay focused even when their initial plans begin to get sidetracked or fail altogether.

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Here's how to transition away from your current "transactional" sales approach that's getting you nowhere.  If you are feeling the pressure to help your company meet its bottom-line metrics quarter over quarter, working in a sales-driven environment is not the only way to encourage your sales team to achieve its goals. Instead, you may want to try a different approach that will also enable you to build a stronger rapport with current and potential customers. Here, 11 Fast Company Executive Board members share the best way to pivot your sales strategies and transition your team away from a "transaction now" mentality when dealing with potential clients. They also discuss how to maintain a good balance and still make the deal.

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Start with a few target items that align with the big picture. There are so many factors that go into building and maintaining a scalable business that has the potential to thrive—year after year. As a leader's to-do list continues to grow, where do you start when it comes to making important decisions that will impact the future of the business? Below,  10 experts from Fast Company Executive Board discuss how others can effectively balance the short- and long-term goals in their business decision-making process.

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To get (and keep) accurate demand forecasting back on track, companies need to completely rethink the status quo.

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Sales and marketing teams are following this rising trend to elevate consumer interest in the products and services they have to offer.  With the holiday season quickly approaching, digital resources continue to make it convenient for companies to reach current and potential customers about their latest offerings, even when people are busy on the go. But whether they're in the market to catch a deal on an affordable streaming service package to view their favorite TV series, trying to replace an essential household appliance that suddenly stopped working, or sprucing up their apparel options for an upcoming event, it's not always easy to captivate and keep their attention. To effectively meet shoppers in real-time, eight Fast Company Executive Board members are experiencing the benefits of direct marketing through interactive shoppable videos on social media. Here, they explain the impact of this type of engagement and how it is helping them to educate consumers about their brand and build on the company's reputation.