Krishnan Venkata

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Implement these innovations to give yourself back the time you deserve. In business, the saying goes: "Why reinvent the wheel when you don't have to?" As the digital revolution continues to rise, there are so many new technologies available at our fingertips to make work and home life more efficient.  Here, 20 Fast Company Executive Board members discuss one innovation that has influenced and improved the way they balance professional and personal responsibilities each day.

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Whether you're building a small, medium, or large business, developing a credible company reputation that potential clients and customers can rely on is what truly matters at the end of the day. If you are just starting in business, it's oftentimes difficult to book and retain your first major client if they're not familiar with your work.  Below, 20 Fast Company Executive Board members weigh in on the best ways to exceed customer expectations and create long-lasting loyalty—giving you the boost in credibility you need to win over potential clients.

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Client success boils down to how your team works just as much as it does to the results they deliver. Premier client experience hinges upon the right methods of measurement and communication.

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If you want to build better connections with your current and potential customers, here are some best practices to get started. In an uncertain business environment and tight economic conditions, customer testimonials should never be taken for granted or underutilized—especially the ones captured on video. Sharing this type of information with other current and prospective customers is one of the best ways to put any concerns to rest and build on their solid trust in what your brand has to offer in the competitive, crowded marketplace. Below, 12 experts from Fast Company Executive Board discuss how business leaders can leverage customer testimonial videos to impact continued business growth.

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If you are just starting to think about your marking strategy, you're already behind—but it's not too late. The holiday season can be extremely competitive when it comes to attracting the attention of hesitant consumers. This is an ever-increasing dilemma in today's uncertain economy. In order to stand out, the company leaders must analyze the market trends carefully in order to provide the right solutions to potential and current customers. They also need to be flexible enough to change direction if a campaign isn't landing well.  Here, 16 experts from Fast Company Executive Board each share their tips to finalize and implement marketing and sales strategies for the upcoming holiday season that will help companies stay ahead in the marketplace.

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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. 

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To go above and beyond, client service organizations should prioritize experience and quality of work in the long-term over churning through projects as quickly as possible.

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Evaluating the potential for improvement on these core online-business components is essential to elevating a virtual organization. Launching a successful e-commerce-only business may sound ideal for entrepreneurs on the rise or seasoned business owners, who have been at it for a while and suddenly facing a budget crunch, but it's not as easy as it sounds.  Creating user-friendly access to the products and services mobile customers love, is only one of many first steps to building brand recognition and consistency for clients willing to take the journey with your business for the long haul. Below, 13 Fast Company Executive Board members discuss some practical considerations that can make all the difference when deciding to go with an exclusively online presence to reach target consumers versus traditional brick-n-mortar.

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13 techniques to maintain productivity and work-life balance. While everyone on the planet is dealt the same 24 hours to get things done, it can still be tricky at times to find the right work-life balance habits. Measuring the minutes and hours spent on a daily activity is one way to evaluate how to reduce typical workweek hours and delegate some of the workload. When it comes to setting up boundaries so you can focus on the areas that really need your attention and talent, no one is better suited to protect (and respect) your time but you. In the end, this approach will lead you on the path of professional and personal growth. To transform a 60-hour workweek to 30 to 40 hours, try these tried and true techniques from 13 Fast Company Executive Board members.