Digital Hesitation to Transformation - The TSIA Way !!

Digital Hesitation , must read and foundational reading for all leaders.

Trust me , it is just not another book about digital transformation. It has excellent backing of industry data, extensive research by TSIA Team, authored by J.B.Wood & Thomas Lah

This book is pragmatic’s guide to be part of every leader in technology centric B2B company through its next five years of development.

 This book uncovers reasons of why B2B companies aren’t reaching their full potential , covered in 10 Chapters.

Chapter 1 is about Digital Hesitation , how companies are migrating to new business models , cloud & digital connectivity to customer.

It was all about wave one , move to cloud, connected experience , while most companies are still struggling with wave 1,wave 2 is already here in the form of -

• Reimagine customers path to value
• Automation of entire customer experience
• Fish model of transformation

Chapter 2 is about business shift / complexity kills - Every leader of b2b company that provides technology deliverables to its customers , we should read this chapter and try follow it.

The chapter provides ideas to think about a goal simplify the process and draw your own version to simplify complex issues.

Expanding on it , 5 workflows

• DDCL – Discover , Design , Create , Launch
• PLAER– Place , Land , Adopt , Expand , Renew
• PLG – Product Led Growth
• DCX – Digital Customer Experience
• CBO – Customer Business Outcomes

Chapter 3 shares insights of challenges of digital customer experience and examines on

• Products that climb value ladder
• Value aligned pricing
• Lean digital sales force
• Customer success at scale
• Digitally enabled partners
• Managed services business model

Chapter 4 through 8 unpacks on the 6 goals of wave 2 of digital transformation –

• Customers want products for value not for features - Technical bloat vs consumption gap detailed with excellent examples.
• Value aligned pricing to outcome driven pricing – GTM  and onboarding strategy, learn try and buy offerings
• Lean digital sales force – Product selling to value selling
• Customer Success at scale - Fast time to initial value leads to higher renewals and ARR GROWTH , Customer success as a renewals engine
• Digitally enabled partners - What partners were involved, what business outcome were they driving, Macro segmentation in CSAT – Measure Partner on the value creation , NPS , Renewal rate, Subscription revenue , Expansion
• Managed Services - Msp+ an impressive concept shared , combine CS with MSP

Some good nuggets shared in these chapters -

• Partner ecosystem best practises from salesforce and ServiceNow
• Case Study of Terdata , Palo Alto , Microsoft and Adobe
• Adobe ,unicorn of High growth high profit

Chapter 9 - Provides details and guidance on the tactics & strategies required to build a profitable X-as-a-Service business model.

Closure with Chapter 10 , detailing the role of board during business model transformation.

Food for thought after reading this book –

How customer success could work with sales as revenue generating partner ?

Features vs Consumption/Adoption , which one should be prioritised and when ?

Products should have services oriented architecture ?

How we measure partners today , does it need a change ?

Should csat also be revisited with this paradigm shift of digital transformation?

In Summary –

If the rate of change outside is greater than the rate of change inside , end is near. In such situation , leveraging digital transformation will help us cross the rubicon.

It’s hard for large companies to overcome their legacy systems, processes, and ways of doing business. Digital Hesitation is a needed wakeup call for B2B companies to reassess and recommit to their digital goals.

Maria Martinez, Chief Operating Officer, Cisco