New Alliance Helps Companies Seize New Opportunities in Today's Economy

There are always winners and losers coming out of an economic crisis. Winners are characterized by taking actions to see and seize new opportunities. A new strategic alliance between Whetstone Edge, LLC and Del Langdon and Associates will help client companies gain insights into what has changed and to see how this creates unique possibilities. Its incubation process enables a company to quickly identify and pursue new opportunities, but its lasting impact comes from the optimism and adaptive potential it creates within the organization.

Pleasant Hill, CA (November 19, 2009). The economic crisis has brought many things into focus — it is clear that some things will never be the same for customers, companies, employees and other stakeholders. Many of the forces of change have been at work for some time but now businesses face a tipping point that cannot be ignored. The Whetstone Edge, LLC and Del Langdon & Associates have formed a strategic alliance to help business thrive amidst a new normal in business.

The alliance directly addresses two conditions of the New Normal as spelled out by Ian Davis, managing director of McKinsey & Associates.

The business landscape has changed fundamentally; tomorrow’s environment will be different, but no less rich in possibilities for those who are prepared.

Executives preparing their organizations to succeed in the new normal must focus on what has changed and what remains basically the same for their customers, companies and industries.

Del Langdon states, "The alliance of The Whetstone Edge, LLC and Del Langdon & Associates was developed with one primary premise at the forefront. In the New Normal, what is valuable and meaningful must be viewed from the customers’ perspective. Businesses are now challenged to take an outside-in perspective to developing products, processes and business practices."

John I. Todor, Ph.D., managing partner of The Whetstone Edge, LLC adds, "Since the underlying forces have been at work for some time, many businesses have already started to adjust. Some have clearly chosen to deploy coping strategies; others have reacted with initiatives that narrowly focus on parts of the underlying shift in business dynamics. We have been jointly taking a hard look at the forces at work for over a year. Our conclusion, businesses who expect to thrive will need to face up to four interrelated challenges in the new normal."

• There is a profound shift in customer buying patterns. Overall they will buy less but they also have new priorities.
• There is an urgent need for businesses to shift from PUSH to PULL business practices. To win customers who buy on value, not price, 21st century businesses need to ATTRACT customers to the potential of a better outcome or experience.
• The influence of social media on purchases decisions is strong and growing. Customer-to-customer conversations now operate without the sanction of companies. Businesses must become a credibility part of the conversation.
• Change and innovation is a continuous and accelerating reality. To thrive, a company must build the adaptive potential to understand the new challenges and deliver value. To do so, they need to take the lead in creating a highly cooperative and collaborative business ecosystem.

The Whetstone Edge, LLC and Del Langdon & Associates bring together strategic insights into customers with a systematic methodology that will help companies turn the new challenges into opportunities. Their incubation process is an in situ program that mentors a business through an accelerated process of seeing and seizing new business opportunities. It also engages the organization in a process of learning to be adaptive. It is this learned adaptive potential that will generate the "can do" optimism and know-how to face a fast-changing and increasingly uncertain future.

To learn more download Perspectives on a New Normal in Business.

The partners in the alliance believe they can best serve client companies as coaches or mentors. A full description of their methods can be found at: www.TheWhetstoneEdge.com. A resource section is also available to help gain insights into the challenges, opportunities and possibilities of today’s business climate.

The Whetstone Edge, LLC is a customer-centric consulting firm that applies research on human behavior to buyer-seller dynamics including customer loyalty, trust, retention, customer service, CRM, Customer relationship management, customer experience management and marketing strategy. They offer clients insights in how use Web 2.0 and social media and online communities to strengthen customer relationships and advocacy. www.TheWhetstoneEdge.com.

Del Langdon and Associates is a team of seasoned consultants who help corporate executives and management teams to significantly improve organizational performance. They guide business transformation through the definition of integrated enterprise strategy (business, customer, channel, organizational capability, learning, technology) and alignment around its execution. The goal is to help client companies to define and implement differentiated customer/client relationship experiences.
www.TheWhetstoneEdge.com.