Business Research

From government to business, banks to media, trust in institutions is at an all-time low. But this isn't the age of distrust - far from it. Rachel Botsman reveals that we are at the tipping point of one of the biggest social transformations in human history. A new world order is emerging: We might have lost faith in institutions and leaders, but millions of people rent their homes to total strangers, exchange digital currencies, or find themselves trusting a bot. This is the age of "distributed trust", a paradigm shift driven by innovative technologies that are rewriting the rules....

An introduction for everyone. In this rich, fascinating—surprisingly accessible—introduction, leading expert Eric Siegel reveals how predictive analytics (aka machine learning) works, and how it affects everyone every day. Rather than a "how to" for hands-on techies, the book serves lay listeners and experts alike by covering new case studies and the latest state-of-the-art techniques.

The New Frugality amounts to a paradigm shift in the way we spend and save. The good news is that a frugal lifestyle is one of less waste, lower environmental impact, greater peace of mind, and, over the long run, deeper satisfaction.

The members of a massive and growing customer group are highly engaged with one subject: changing their own behavior to be healthier, wealthier, and wiser. Unlike the average consumer, these people are eager and excited to connect with businesses - if they'll help them make these very difficult changes. Nelson calls these people "transformational consumers".

This limited-edition insight unveils the Wizard's theories on how thoughts are assembled in the mind from stored sensory associations. Properly used, this knowledge will allow you to deepen perception and heighten interest in all your attempts at visual and auditory messaging.

Despite our deep desire to feel a sense of belonging, many of us feel isolated. The rise of technology and modern workplace practices have led people to be even more disconnected, even as we remain constantly contactable. And as our human interactions have decreased, so too have our happiness levels. This is sparking a crisis in mental health that will have repercussions for years, leaving people lonelier and organizations less productive and profitable, too.

To reach today’s customers and influence their purchases, marketers and market researchers need to understand and harness the power of applied behavior psychology and behavior economics to break through these nonconscious filters and drive purchase behaviors - a process called behavior design. In Marketing to Mindstates, Will Leach, founder of TriggerPoint Design, a leading behavior research and design consultancy, demystifies this nonconscious filter and explains how to bypass it, introducing listeners to temporary moments of influence called mindstates.

Why do three out of four professional football players go bankrupt? How can illiterate jungle dwellers pass a test that tricks Harvard philosophers? And why do billionaires work so hard - only to give their hard-earned money away? When it comes to making decisions, the classic view is that humans are eminently rational. But growing evidence suggests instead that our choices are often irrational, biased, and occasionally even moronic. Which view is right - or is there another possibility?

From New York Times business reporter Nelson D. Schwartz comes a gripping investigation of how a virtual velvet rope divides Americans in every arena of life, creating a friction-free existence for those with money on one side and a Darwinian struggle for the middle class on the other side.

What is the secret process for turning your food product idea into a shelf-stable manufactured item? Having a business plan is one thing, but the magic happens in the food science laboratory! The technical part of the food industry has always been a mystery because most food scientists work directly for food companies and are not allowed to share proprietary methods or know-how.

In this endlessly fascinating book, New Yorker columnist James Surowiecki explores a deceptively simple idea that has profound implications: large groups of people are smarter than an elite few, no matter how brilliant. Groups are better at solving problems, fostering innovation, coming to wise decisions, even predicting the future.

Every day at work, people do three things: talk, listen, and pretend to listen. That's not surprising when you consider that the average attention span has dropped to 8 seconds. To break through, says high-stakes communications expert Paul Hellman, you need to focus on your audience, be slightly different, and deliver with finesse.

With an easy-to-understand approach, Cost Estimation: Methods and Tools provides comprehensive coverage of the quantitative techniques needed by professional cost estimators and for those wanting to learn about this vibrant career field. Featuring the underlying mathematical and analytical principles of cost estimation, the book focuses on the tools and methods used to predict the research and development, production, and operating and support costs for successful cost estimation in industrial, business, and manufacturing processes.

Change is coming: Nearly everywhere in the world, people over sixty will become the dominant population. Longevity presents an opportunity for which companies need to develop a strategy. Estimates put the global market for this demographic at $21 trillion across every industry you can think of. Stage (Not Age) is the concise guide to helping companies understand and serve this burgeoning market by focusing on life stage, not age, and identifying the deep diversity of needs within the demographic.

Just getting started with product research and sourcing? Stuck trying to find ideas or find that "perfect" winning product? Want to find good selling products that others are ignoring? Interested in wholesale or private label products? If you answered yes, then this book is for you. This book is written for the new or struggling seller wanting to source wholesale or private label products.

For generations, salespeople have possessed a well-defined reputation as being outgoing, fearless, and audacious. But for many, the familiar stereotypes mask a darker reality. Far from being unstoppable selling machines, they struggle with a secret fear of prospecting. Whether on the phone, in person, online, or in front of groups, initiating contact with prospective buyers causes discomfort and distress. So, they avoid it. Instead of making calls, they make excuses. It’s a costly trade-off.

Demographics not only define who we are, where we live, and how our numbers change. For those who can read beyond the raw figures, they open up hidden business opportunities that lie ahead. What will happen when retiring Boomers free up jobs? How will Generation Y alter supermarkets? Which states will have the most dynamic workforces? Will American manufacturing rebound as Asia's population declines? Upside puts this powerful yet little-understood science to work finding answers.

Bypassed is your how-to business guide to adopt the brand-building tactics that work in today’s real estate market. In this action-oriented playbook, you’ll learn how to build vital brand visibility online to generate influence in your community; why just having a Facebook business page isn’t enough and how to harness the power of LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram, so you don’t miss a lead; the 10-step checklist you need to get more quality online reviews; how to become a legendary lead master; and the entire road map on how to create an unforgettable customer experience.

Behavior change is hard, but O’Mara shows that by adopting strategies that are well-founded in the science of brain and behavior, individuals and organizations can adapt to the demands of the modern world.

We live in an era of tribalism, polarization, and intense social division - separating people along lines of religion, political conviction, race, ethnicity, and sometimes gender. How did this happen? In Conformity, Cass R. Sunstein argues that the key to making sense of living in this fractured world lies in understanding the idea of conformity - what it is and how it works - as well as the countervailing force of dissent.