Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 5, 2011

Most technology startups seem to be funded by product people or business people. I had never had any sales training so everything we did for the first couple of years was instinctual. So I did want any rational person who wants to improve does – I hired a coach. Sales people often blame the product.

Sales 316

Sales Startup Pricing Customer 316

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

In all cases, don’t skip the basic training. Any startup coach or business advisor will tell you that, on your way to being a great chef, you don't start your journey by inventing the ultimate entre. If you can’t identify customer interest, it doesn’t matter how good your product is. But don’t practice too long.

Startup 156

Startup Coach Metrics Marketing 156

socalTECH

MAY 30, 2019

I think, to be a great entrepreneur, you have to look at what is missing in the category that you will be playing in the industry, and figure what you can deploy with a little bit of strategy and technology to bring a better service and price. They wanted to get help getting their resume out there. more) READ MORE>>.

Content 193

Content Social Network Coach Help 193

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2010

I’ve written about the topic of convertible debt at length before specifically about how angels & entrepreneurs should think about pricing. Convertible debt is an investment that “converts&# into equity in the future usually at a discount to your next funding round price and sometimes has a “cap&# (maximum price).

Equity 319

Equity Pricing Venture Capital Entrepreneur 319

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2019

Early-stage entrepreneurs rightly keep their focus on creating an innovative product or service. Growth is more than simply repackaging existing products, and adding bells and whistles or slick incentives. Switch your attention from product development to sales. Keep delivering something new and fresh.

Startup 97

Startup Sales Metrics Guide 97

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 8, 2013

Traditional” marketing, sales, and product management organizations often lead to mediocrity. The portfolio should be much more than just product improvements, and should include better business models, customer service improvements, as well as continuous process improvements. Train all the time. Set your standards very high.

Startup 101

Startup Training Study Customer 101

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2018

In all cases, don’t skip the basic training. Any startup coach or business advisor will tell you that, on your way to being a great chef, you don't start your journey by inventing the ultimate entre. If you can’t identify customer interest, it doesn’t matter how good your product is. But don’t practice too long.

Startup 81

Startup Coach Metrics Marketing 81

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2012

Traditional” marketing, sales, and product management organizations often lead to mediocrity. The portfolio should be much more than just product improvements, and should include better business models, customer service improvements, as well as continuous process improvements. Train all the time. Set your standards very high.

Training 109

Training Startup Study Customer 109

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2013

Train them fully, give them authority, make them accountable, and tie their pay to customer satisfaction. Train and coach continuously. Companies with great service routinely spend 3% to 5% of salaries training team members – experienced as well as new. Know your customers intimately.

Customer 92

Customer Custom Startup Services 92

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 12, 2010

This is probably because many founders are product or technology people. The mistake many startup people make is they hire a “sales person&# to go out and talk with customers so they can do what they’re good at which is building product or “running the company.&# Sales people are a different breed, you say.

Sales 346

Sales Startup Technical Review Customer 346

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2016

In all cases, don’t skip the basic training. Any startup coach or business advisor will tell you that, on your way to being a great chef, you don't start your journey by inventing the ultimate entre. If you can’t identify customer interest, it doesn’t matter how good your product is. But don’t practice too long.

Entrepreneur 93

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 93

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

If there happens to be a gas station along the way where you can fill up for a reasonable price, great. One way to combat reckless spending is to instill a sense of pride in your employees to never pay full price. Rather, you should be ashamed to pay full price. Encourage all of your employees to ask, “Is that your best price?”

Startup 221

Startup Pricing Entrepreneur Email 221

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2015

Early-stage entrepreneurs rightly keep their focus on creating an innovative product or service. Growth is more than simply repackaging existing products, and adding bells and whistles or slick incentives. Switch your attention from product development to sales. Keep delivering something new and fresh.

Startup 108

Startup Sales Metrics Entrepreneur 108

InfoChachkie

MARCH 30, 2015

For many years after Microsoft became highly successful, its executives (yes, including Mr. Gates) flew coach. However, Gates and company realized that there were far more productive uses of Microsoft’s cash than to expend it to ensure the temporal comfort of a handful of traveling Executives. However, do not count on it.

Startup 100

Startup Pricing Coach Incubator 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

Early-stage entrepreneurs rightly keep their focus on creating an innovative product or service. Growth is more than simply repackaging existing products, and adding bells and whistles or slick incentives. Switch your attention from product development to sales. Keep delivering something new and fresh.

Startup 56

Startup Sales Metrics Guide 56

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2013

Early-stage entrepreneurs rightly keep their focus on creating an innovative product or service. Growth is more than simply repackaging existing products, and adding bells and whistles or slick incentives. Switch your attention from product development to sales. Keep delivering something new and fresh.

Sales 96

Sales Metrics Startup Entrepreneur 96

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2010

In other words, you may have the best product, but no distribution means no business. Here are the steps I recommend to face this issue successfully, and effectively build or align with productive channels: Finalize an overall ‘go to market’ strategy before you begin. Ensure proper product and technical training.

Startup 85

Startup Outsource Development Training Resource 85

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2010

It is never as rewarding when you’re the coach (but coaching has many other benefits. I keep my competitors as friends and those that didn’t choose me or my product as friends, too. They had a team trained up in Documentum and we certainly had enemies from the inside. Quite the opposite. I move on.

Outsource Development 333

Outsource Development Software Review Technical Review News 333

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2010

It is never as rewarding when you’re the coach (but coaching has many other benefits. I keep my competitors as friends and those that didn’t choose me or my product as friends, too. They had a team trained up in Documentum and we certainly had enemies from the inside. Quite the opposite. I move on.

Outsource Development 328

Outsource Development Software Review Technical Review News 328

Tech Coast Venture Network

AUGUST 11, 2015

New employees are offered $2,000 to quit after the first week of training if they decide the job isn’t for them. It designs its own glasses, and sells directly to customers, cutting out the middleman and keeping prices low. It offers other health-oriented programs such as massages and personal training.

Examples 100

Examples Company Companies Google 100

Tech Coast Venture Network

AUGUST 11, 2015

New employees are offered $2,000 to quit after the first week of training if they decide the job isn’t for them. It designs its own glasses, and sells directly to customers, cutting out the middleman and keeping prices low. It offers other health-oriented programs such as massages and personal training.

Examples 100

Examples Company Companies Google 100

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 15, 2009

It is never as rewarding when you’re the coach (but coaching has many other benefits ;-). I keep my competitors as friends and those that didn’t choose me or my product as friends, too. They had a team trained up in Documentum and we certainly had enemies from the inside. Quite the opposite. I move on.

Startup 151

Startup Outsource Development Software Review Technical Review 151

Tech Zulu Event

JUNE 20, 2013

But Spurs coach, Gregg Popovich used his many years of experience to deliberate a plan that was well executed and surprised even the experts in the game, leading the underdog team to a Game 7 against the defending champions. Heat coach, Eric Spoelstra adapted to what the Spurs were doing because their initial game plan was not working.

Startup 94

Startup CTO Coach Coach Study 94

socalTECH

JULY 29, 2009

More recently, we licensed our platform to leadership guru Marshall Goldsmith, so that he could transform his $200,000 coaching engagements into a virtual program, so that a much wider audience could benefit from Marshall's process and work. Can you talk about the pricing and how the business model works?

Geni 100

Geni Web Guide Platform 100

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 22, 2009

Everyone in the outside world is talking about how great you are but internally you know that your sales aren’t ramping, your product isn’t shipping on time, you have doubts about the quality of your code, you’re not convinced you’re doing a good job on marketing – whatever. You’re stressed. Your solution?

Startup 327

Startup Sales Class CIO 327

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2012

As with any sales campaign you need to: Qualify your buyers early so you focus your scarce resources on people likely to buy your product. ” These are people with whom there is a likely match for your product or service. I get many Tweets directed at me that say, “come check out my product.” Meet in person.

Develop 366

Develop Development Funding Venture Capital 366