Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

I’ve taken to saying, “Email is our personal to-do list that anybody adds to – whether they know us or not.” about their marathon 4-hour sessions to get to zero inbox or somebody else claiming email bankruptcy ( definition if you don’t know it already ). I have taken to limiting my outbound email.

Email 314

Email Product Startup Writing 314

Berkonomics

JUNE 27, 2019

Especially in your growing company, you are drawn into daily process issues by all of your direct reports, often responding to questions and problems, leaving little time for strategic thought. And that behavior results in leaving little time for outreach to the most critical component in your chain – your key customers. Find the pain.

Customer 120

Customer Custom Course Email 120

Berkonomics

JANUARY 24, 2019

Usually that means one they once or recently spent time in as an employee or manager within a company where they had little or no ownership. Some of these entrepreneurs starting a new company are alumni from companies that would be a competitor to the enterprise being created or joined. Are you one of those? Digital or analog!

Company 120

Company Companies News Startup 120

Berkonomics

JANUARY 24, 2019

Usually that means one they once or recently spent time in as an employee or manager within a company where they had little or no ownership. Some of these entrepreneurs starting a new company are alumni from companies that would be a competitor to the enterprise being created or joined. Are you one of those? Digital or analog!

Company 120

Company Companies News Startup 120

socalTECH

JULY 24, 2014

Southern California has a growing number of companies in the customer relationship management area, including a fairly new company in the area, Pipeliner CRM (www.pipelinersales.com). We spoke with Nikolaus Kimla , the CEO of Pipeliner CRM, to learn more about the company, its move here, and its software.

Sales 229

Sales Startup Software Customer 229

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 17, 2016

Everyone who manages a company or its sales force wants to write as many new deals as possible, and is usually warry about doing anything that might threaten the positive outcome of a pending sale. Deadlines are an important sales tool. The most powerful tool you have in a sales environment is a deadline.

Sales 120

Sales Tool Writing Customer 120

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 4, 2009

Many entrepreneurs who start technology companies are product people, technologists or savvy business people who worked previously for a larger company. Most start-up entrepreneurs have little or no sales experience. But through nearly a decade of startups I learned that sales comes down to three essential elements: 1.

Sales 319

Sales Startup Platform Tips 319

socalTECH

MARCH 1, 2018

As part of the lead in to the conference, and as a part of our sponsor relationship with the conference, we're running a series of interviews with speakers from the conference about their experience in the area of recurring revenues, customer service, and similar topics. We respond very quickly to all of our customers. Kevin Anderson.

Customer 113

Customer Custom Services Conference 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2022

I know companies who collect sensitive data from consumers all the time, and still seem to keep a trusted image (Amazon.com, Ebay). Here are a few specifics on how to be part of the solution, without the costs, rather than part of the problem: Put a personal face and address on your site; don’t hide behind an “info” email address.

Customer 137

Customer Custom Technical Review Symantec 137

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 3, 2010

I’d like to talk about Crocodile Salesmen in 3 scenarios: 1) when YOU are selling (or someone on your team), 2) when you are trying to recruit a sales person. But how to apply “listening&# in a sales meeting? Let’s assume you run a Customer Support software company. I still do this sometimes, too.

Sales 314

Sales Startup Venture Capital Customer 314

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 20, 2020

Contrary to popular opinion, viral marketing has not eliminated the need for old-fashioned lead generation to bring customers to a startup. His professional background includes having held marketing-executive roles at big companies as well as startups. Email marketing. Display advertising.

Customer 146

Customer Custom Marketing Startup 146

Berkonomics

APRIL 21, 2022

Owned media comes from the databases you own, such as your company’s web site, email newsletters, profiles in social media, or apps you have created requiring registration or download. One of “my” companies learned and grew to spectacular size. What resources do you already own? And here’s the most powerful new media model.

Advertising 156

Advertising Media Social Media Newsletter 156

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

Celebrating that strategic partnership Many of us make it a priority to find and partner with companies that can add to our offering or extend our reach. It takes real effort and planning on both sides of a partnership between companies to make it work. Why would this partnership – one that benefits both companies – fail to succeed?

Press 156

Press Sales Training Resource 156

Berkonomics

JANUARY 5, 2023

Public companies looking to acquire your growing enterprise usually have a few financial measures that help them weed out those candidates that will be too expensive in terms of effort or of too little financial attractiveness. Email readers, continue here…] Here are some of the checklist items your acquirer will consider.

.Net 156

.Net Acquisition Sales Email 156

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

The most striking example was the one hundred million–dollar purchase of one of my companies by a New York private equity investor using only five million of its cash. If there are enough of these, the CEO or founder can announce a valuation as high as double the actual negotiated enterprise value of the company.

Pricing 156

Pricing Sales Examples Tool 156

Berkonomics

JUNE 25, 2020

There are several key performance indicators that help new generation company management see more clearly their progress and corporate health. But businesses that expose their story to tens of millions of potential customers through the Internet need additional tools. CHURN (% customer cancelling each month).

Acquisition 156

Acquisition Statistics Sales Customer 156

Berkonomics

MAY 16, 2019

There must be at least several companies out there right now positioning to compete with you. And although many positioning efforts cross the lines between these, great companies play to the strength of just one. Innovation certainly defines a number of companies catering to early adopters and the mass audiences that follow.

Company 120

Company Companies Pricing Competition 120

Berkonomics

AUGUST 2, 2012

Especially in a growing company, the CEO is drawn into daily process issues by all of his or her direct reports, often responding to questions and problems, leaving little time for strategic thought. And that behavior results in leaving little time for outreach to the most critical possible component in your chain – your key customers.

Customer 159

Customer Custom Course Email 159

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

However, what if you could take advantage of those ubiquitous smart devices, and turn that into a huge asset for your company? Daniel Tawfik: Vonjour is a cloud-based phone system for enhanced, customer support service. It''s really a service to orchestrate all of a company''s customer support and inbound inquiries.

Customer 133

Customer Custom Startup Mobile 133

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 27, 2022

I recall one of my CEO’s when I was his chairman, stating, “If you are not serving our customers, then you should be supporting those who do”. How do you frame menial desk jobs as “customer support?”. Some accounts payable invoices come from suppliers providing the company resources to serve the customer.

Resource 156

Resource Customer Custom Coach 156

Berkonomics

MAY 8, 2014

I am chairman of a company that, as I write this, is twelve years old and has not yet taken a dollar of outside investment. The company has been funded entirely by grants from the National Institute of Health, amounting to millions of non-dilutive dollars in all. How refreshing!

Company 166

Company Companies Writing Education 166

Berkonomics

JUNE 4, 2020

Let’s say that your company is exactly at breakeven. There is amazing leverage in high gross profit margins once a company is past breakeven. A ten percent increase in revenues for a company with 50% gross margin and 5% net profit before the increase would double net profit for the period with that ten percent increase in revenue.

.Net 156

.Net Sales Tool Email 156

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 17, 2013

In my last post I pointed out that many of the media commentators who have criticized the YouTube video network companies as not having strong businesses were mistaken. The next part of the margin mix online video companies must get control of is talent margins. The best companies look at data to know what time to post.

Company 339

Company Companies Technical Review Content 339

Berkonomics

JULY 26, 2018

These are so succinct, so well defined, so precise that everyone in sales and everyone involved in marketing must be able to answer these three questions without pause, and convincingly. It would pay you to work over this set of questions in a special session with sales, marketing and senior management in the room at once.

Sales 226

Sales Customer Custom Pricing 226

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 29, 2016

Some types of businesses generate more and more recurring revenues over time, often growing to a size where recurring revenues pay all of the overhead of the company – an enviable position. There is a phenomenon I have observed time after time with mature companies receiving over 75% of their revenues from recurring sources.

.Net 226

.Net Sales Customer Custom 226

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 31, 2023

Selecting the right sales channels is one of the first strategic decisions that every startup faces. Hidalgo recommends a focus on engagement stage indicators including customers by channel, conversion ratio, and cost per revenue. Nurturing stage email performance. Lead-stage content performance. Lead management performance.

Metrics 102

Metrics Demand Paramount Content 102

Berkonomics

MAY 17, 2018

This one may be like one or more you have experienced in your company. It is a story about focus upon the customer, first. And about reinforcing the culture of the company in support of that important focus by senior management, and by all employees who see that leadership in action…. An event of extraordinary customer service.

Customer 226

Customer Custom Sales Course 226

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 24, 2022

In one industry I know well, the dominant player with 22% market share was acquired by one of the largest companies in the technology world. Everyone, including those connected with the newly acquired dominant player, wondered what changes would affect their company and their personal lives and fortunes.

Resource 156

Resource Competition Examples Customer 156

Berkonomics

JUNE 2, 2022

Looking for an entrance into a VC, an angel group, a bank, a CxO for a sales opportunity, or any other entity? Few of your contacts will be willing to use their valuable social or political capital helping you with a sales effort, and you will definitely strain your relationship with the intermediary if not a close friend.

Ideas 156

Ideas Sales Competition Venture Capital 156

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 14, 2013

If you have your eyes and ears open, you can discover sales lessons in unexpected places, including the cable TV show, Say Yes To The Dress. There are a number of solid sales techniques on display by the Say Yes team. Throughout the sales process, they continually probe and modify their sales approach, based on the bride's feedback.

Sales 251

Sales Startup Activity RSS 251

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2020

Selecting the right sales channels is one of the first strategic decisions that every startup faces. Hidalgo recommends a focus on engagement stage indicators including customers by channel, conversion ratio, and cost per revenue. Nurturing stage email performance. Lead-stage content performance. Lead management performance.

Marketing 174

Marketing Invest Demand Metrics 174

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 3, 2022

It is perfectly OK for you to want to grow your company and plan to keep control for you and your offspring, with no intention to sell. The advantage of creating an evergreen company. I was able to negotiate a “put” of my shares back to the company at 5x my investment. What if you later decide to just keep control?

Equity 156

Equity Course Sales Invest 156

Berkonomics

JUNE 11, 2015

In my case as a young software entrepreneur, I had a different approach: Fail Locally, one customer at a time. Email readers, continue here…] I’ve often looked back and said that you didn’t have to be a genius at that time. And I would learn customer service. But there was something else at work here.

Customer 120

Customer Custom Writing Southern California 120

Tech.Co

JUNE 3, 2022

Square is teaming up with Apple to enable the ‘Tap to Pay' iPhone functionality within the Square Point of Sale app. With it, customers can quickly use contactless payment, giving consumers an easier shopping experience while helping sellers use the Square system with even less friction. Please fill in your email.

News 155

News Newsletter Sales Tips 155

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 14, 2018

I know that you can use an email system with this to track my open rate, whether I forwarded the email, the IP address where I read it, whether I was on a mobile device or a wired computer and you can tell who else read the document. I would likely open up your deck, read it again and begin contemplating your company again.

Funding 239

Funding Venture Capital IP Email 239

socalTECH

MARCH 4, 2013

Nimble , the developer of customer relationship management software, said today that it has launched a program for startups, which will offer up a free year of its service. The company said the effort is part of an effort to both support the startup community--as well as connect with future integration partners. READ MORE>>.

Software 183

Software Startup Social Network Email 183

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 1, 2009

The world has changed much since I started my first company in 1999. As organizations we have become more open and I believe this is great for businesses and their customers. Our sales guys were on the front line and heard what they needed to win deals. He made customer-to-customer dialog possible and visible.

Organization 280

Organization Customer Custom Tips 280