{"product_id":"book-f29b","title":"The Soft Edge","description":" Success in business has traditionally meant having a strategy  and excelling at the hard skills: controlling costs, boosting  speed, effectively managing the supply chain, and superior  number-crunching and analytics. For years, mastering these  hard factors was enoughbut in  todays climate, its not so simple. The very appeal of  the hard stuff, the fact that it can be measured and quantified,  also means it can be analyzed and copied by the competition. So  what does it really take to get ahead, and stay there?    THE SOFT EDGE argues that certain key soft\" factors are  the only remaining edge to any businesss ability to  succeed in the modern economy for the long  run. They move beyond strategy and the hard, to  the next level - seeing companies through the disruption  of a rapidly changing environment.  Five key  advantages make up THE SOFT EDGE:    Trust: Customers must trust that your product or service  is authentic and robust enough to withstand the immediacy of  todays media. When things go wrong, customers and  stakeholders believe youll do the right thing.  Smarts: In the age of Google, true smartness means the  ability to see and recognize patternsand constitutes the  difference between forecasting a likely future or simply following  the conventional wisdom  Teamwork: Team-oriented selling and sales commissions  outperform individually focused sales teams by 30 percent.  Taste: Clever product design and integration are proxies  for intelligencethey make customers feel smart. If your  product or service is seen as a badge of intelligence, youre  far along the road to lasting success.  Story: In a world where outsiders can weigh in and have  a greater voice on your brand, the ability to create an effective  narrative is more important than ever.    The post-recession economy can  reward you if you do the  right things, but will punish you, swiftly and severely, if you  dont.  THE SOFT EDGE provides the essential tools for  any organization to stay competitive, now and in the  future.   ","brand":"Ascent Audio","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":49367213539632,"sku":"BDf29b","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audio CD","offer_id":49367213572400,"sku":"ZEf29b","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audio MP3-CD","offer_id":49367213703472,"sku":"ZMf29b","price":45.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2784\/9264\/files\/f29b-cover.jpg?v=1762992967","url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-f29b","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}