According to my guest today, Vijay Mahajan, most businesses focus on selling to the wealthiest of the world's population – which is about 14% of people, and found only in developed countries. But he suggests these markets are oversaturated, over competitive and aging. His newest book suggests that the best route to new growth and profitability is to serve everyone else.

Vijay Mahajan is the 2007 American Marketing Association Foundation Berry Book Prize winner for the best book in marketing, and former editor of the Journal of Market Research. He is the author or editor of nine books and is one of the world’s most cited researchers in business and economics. It was highly informative to have him on the show.

As with all great guests and robust topics, I only got to about 10% of the questions I had for Vijay. But what I did hear was excellent. What struck me the most is the need for (and I'll speak only for my country) American businesses to redevelop their mindsets to incorporate the 86% markets. These are peoples who want high quality and have access to the same imagery, information, and the needs the 14% have. But, they need those things delivered to meet their local requirements. That blend of providing high quality goods that meet localized environments is critical to achieving success in the 86% markets -- and by the way, success is in the billions of US dollars.

Mindset, alignment, and localization -- these are the themes in The 86% Solution. And if Vijay is right, and that market is continuing to grow while the 14% shrinks, by the sheer size of it the 86% will soon command a response that only the foolish and blind won't appreciate.