Philippe Matthews Show Guru Advice, Author Reviews, Tech Reviews, Entertainment News

%excerpt% Read the original post: Can You Close the Big Deals?

I’m halfway around the world, in Brisbane, Australia, where, yesterday, I finished an intense two-day strategy session for the top 50 managers of a company determined to take over the world. Maybe not your world, but the world of installing large AC systems. During the strategy session, we stepped through a process of "strategic imagination" that I introduce in my next book, Outthink the Competition

Magazine preview: China's first global brand is on the cusp of a critical transition. Which computer maker this year introduced three new tablets , a speedy new smartphone, an edgy new global branding campaign , and the launch of an outer space science competition with Google

The ultra-premium shoe designer

The Olympus BioScapes International Imaging Competition provides a selection of photographs that flame off our pages each December in riotous color. A good portion of the magazine would have to be given over to the contest to give every photo its due. We’re bringing you an additional selection here of worthy stills and videos that we’re sure will fascinate and amaze.

You might think a little B-school blather will impress investors and customers.

E-commerce business Shopify is pitting a bunch of bloodthirsty entrepreneurs against each other (all in the spirit of healthy competition, of course) to spur new business growth and development--with the help of three blue-chip entrepreneurs. How do you launch a slew of new companies, enable e-commerce, generate millions in sales, and help thousands of entrepreneurs create new jobs for themselves and others? You might think the answer starts with venture capital, but for online store builder Shopify , the solution is: pit a bunch of bloodthirsty aspiring business owners against each other (all in the spirit of healthy competition, of course).

I wrote a few months ago about how cloud companies are in a unique position to make partners of their competitors, a phenomenon I call the “Frenemy Model.” I’m still holding strong to this theory, even as there have been a number of massive developments in the industry since I wrote the first piece.

Aaron Levie , the 26-year-old founder of enterprise cloud startup Box.net, always has something to say.

Before you start lowering prices to stay competitive, here are some easy steps to beating them at their own game. It’s a familiar story : A company begins to use defensive pricing when a competitor has reduced its market share. The competitor lowers prices

Michael Robbins, the editor of Military History, took the stage this afternoon at the Inc. 500|5000 Conference to discuss Sun Tzu's 2nd century classic, The Art of War.

Clayton Christensen is someone I greatly admire.

Not sure if your new business idea is good enough to succeed? Here are six ways to test it. The facts are sobering: the majority of small businesses fail within five years of starting up

I’m writing from a restaurant in the Mexico City airport, a plate of spicy fajitas in my belly.

One of the first questions people ask about a new idea or venture is: Who is the competition? Who else is doing this? The worst rookie mistake in the world is to answer: No one