Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 22, 2021

As I talk to many of you in my role as business advisor, I still often hear the concern for maximum return to the business and stakeholders, more than a passion for sustainably enriching the lives of your customers and team. This applies to your own team, as well as customers. Make every customer experience memorable.

Custom 114

Custom Customer Metrics Satisfaction 114

TechEmpower

JULY 24, 2023

Even when they have talked to multiple developers or development firms, we’re often the first to ask basic questions like “Who are your customers?” Who are the customers? Can you provide specific examples of different types of customers, what they need, and what the system will do for them? Free trials?

Develop 520

Develop Development Technical Review SEO 520

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 1, 2020

Attracting the right customers is the key to success in business, whether you have a new startup or a mature enterprise. For example, Xerox tried to broaden the use of "xerox" as the standard term for "photocopying" to extend their existing customer segment into office automation and all kinds of computing.

Custom 123

Custom Customer Technical Review Examples 123

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

The world keeps changing, and visible business strategies that worked well in the past, including being the premium brand or low price producer, simply don’t get the customer loyalty they once did. Today, customers are looking for real relationships, a memorable shopping experience, and satisfaction of a higher purpose.

Customer 133

Customer Custom Satisfaction Examples 133

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2023

Businesses see this as the Holy Grail for finally being able to predict who, where, and when customers will buy their existing solutions, and what their future solutions must look like to be attractive. For example, Google’s Ngram service has already datafied over 5.2 quintillion bytes a day.

Customer 115

Customer Custom Social Media Examples 115

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2020

They forget that adapting their company and themselves as their customers evolve is the key to long-term survival. Think of Blockbuster and Toys ‘R’ Us , both of whom missed customer changes and the move to online. For example, Uber recently made the move into food delivery with UberEATS. Remember when you were a startup?

Customer 143

Customer Custom Examples IBM 143

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2021

New generations of customers respond better to the “ participative ” approach, where they get to provide input via social media and the Internet. Some call it a move from always “ hunting ” for new customers in the wild, to “gardening” or nurturing loyalty and value from the ones you already have.

Custom 168

Custom Customer Marketing Social Media 168

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 22, 2020

Entrepreneurs have always believed that their product or service must show real value to customers, but today the smart ones are even able to make their marketing valuable. Now customers seek out people who are willing and able to add value, with expertise and insight, even before they have a product. Value is in your point of view.

Custom 127

Custom Customer Marketing Content 127

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 25, 2022

I’m sure you have all noticed how today’s customers have changed the way they shop, but I still find, as an advisor and consultant, that many of you aren’t sure how to deal with the new mode, or are still waiting for things to get back to the old normal. Convenience is in the eye of the customer, not your company.

Demand 126

Demand Custom Customer Startup 126

SoCal CTO

JUNE 15, 2011

However, funny enough, I don't see the job search and showing you who you know at the company as being particularly well done. As one review put it: Searching by company to find connections you might have is arduous at best, and in my mind, basically useless. As an example, they walk you through getting your profile more complete.

Examples 331

Examples Startup Course Networking 331

SoCal CTO

JUNE 15, 2011

However, funny enough, I don't see the job search and showing you who you know at the company as being particularly well done. As one review put it: Searching by company to find connections you might have is arduous at best, and in my mind, basically useless. As an example, they walk you through getting your profile more complete.

Examples 323

Examples Startup Course Networking 323

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 11, 2021

Photo by Vanna Phon on Unsplash Customer acquisition is the lifeblood of many startups from e-commerce to gaming to marketplace companies, among others. that’s where the customers are. For these companies, it looks like a rosy picture. But if you ask anyone in the ecosystem of customer acquisition?—?founders,

Product 424

Product Platform Advertising Acquisition 424

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

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 5, 2020

As an advisor to entrepreneurs, I find that I often have to remind them that the world of customers has changed since they started their last business. Pushing yourself on customers by touting features and price doesn’t work anymore. Use analytics to see why customers are buying, as well as what.

Customer 133

Customer Custom Social Media Startup 133

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 19, 2023

As my enterprise computer software company which produced innovative lodging systems for hotels and resorts grew quickly, we found ourselves straining to keep up with the hiring and training of good customer support representatives, a critical part of the equation then and still so today in the 24-hour environment of hotel front desk operations.

Training 156

Training Resource Customer Custom 156

Berkonomics

JANUARY 12, 2017

I recently experienced an amazing effort of outreach by a vice president of a large national customer asking for a meeting with the product development team of a critical supplier, one of “my” companies. How often have you worried over having to be the protector of your team, the intentional barrier between team and customer?

Customer 120

Customer Custom Email Examples 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2019

Is your marketing focus product-centric or customer-centric ? With a wealth of products now available, customers look for the most memorable experience , not just the best product. Amazon is very customer-centric, but it can make all the difference in retail as well as online. Status factors are more important than demographics.

Customer 85

Customer Custom Product Metrics 85

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 9, 2013

This is final part of a series that describes a sales methodology for technology companies or frankly many other types of companies, too. We developed this at our first company and called it PUCCKA – the overall methodology is described here. The buying company many not be able to buy in your time frames.

Custom 324

Custom Customer Marketing Newsletter 324

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2012

You have to build a web presence with marketing content to get visibility above the 300 million other new websites created last year, and attract the customers you need. by an expert and friend in this space, Arnie Kuenn , which offers guidance and examples on new and modern approaches for the rest of us: Build a blog.

Examples 93

Examples Content Marketing Entrepreneur 93

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 26, 2023

You’re fighting to put out the fires from customer complaints, or incomplete work, or are suffering from an inability to focus upon new development or new customers before cleaning up the mess inside your organization. The customer pays for all or at least 90% of the bill, perhaps holding back a retainer awaiting completion.

Resource 156

Resource Custom Customer Software 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

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

A fair example In my former industry, I became an informal centralized source for knowledge about the revenues of each of the many competitors, with a special skill for asking just the right questions to obtain the information. Most CEOs want to obtain information about their competitors in the most subtle and non-obvious ways.

Examples 156

Examples Guide Conference Course 156

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2019

After working in business at all levels, and consulting to entrepreneurs for years, I’m still surprised to see so many situations where things that should be easy are painful to customers, and lead to customers hating your business. For example, I recently picked up my phone to call a well-advertised local company for a TV repair.

Customer 83

Customer Custom Demand Training 83

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2022

Every entrepreneur believes that their product or service is memorable, and that every customer will quickly see the advantage over competitors. Yet true product differentiation in the eye of the customer is rarely achieved. Quantify the difference for your customers. Customize to differentiate, but do it efficiently.

Competition 123

Competition Customer Custom Examples 123

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

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2016

In my role as a business advisor, I often see well-meaning entrepreneurs try to be everything to everyone, which results in many things done poorly, and few totally delighted customers. People are confused by multiple messages, and employees are frustrated trying to personalize customer experiences. Stewart and Patricia O’Connell.

Customer 94

Customer Custom Design Oracle 94

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 25, 2019

I’m more convinced that technology merely enables disruption, and changing customer interests and needs really causes it. Many companies try to recover with more advertising and rebranding, and discover that these strategies don’t work well in today’s market. I recommend creating new services and products for existing customers.

Customer 54

Customer Custom Technical Review Design 54

InfoChachkie

APRIL 29, 2013

You operate your business from a small boat in the remote waters of northern Fiji and your customers are spread across the globe, residing in the US, Europe and Asia. How can you protect your company''s reputation when a rouge customer unjustly flames your startup? Bipolar Reviewers.

Social Media 213

Social Media Customer Custom Media 213

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

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 10, 2011

Some customer segments value the DVD business and these may be more price sensitive. Some customer segments value the convenience of instantly available films. Netflix needs to segment their customers and charge each what is appropriate. Netflix announced the changes to its company via a blog post. A blog post!

Netflix 287

Netflix Custom Customer Pricing 287

Tech.Co

JANUARY 10, 2018

“Focusing on emotion is key when communicating with female customers. Maxeme Tuchman, CEO and cofounder of Caribu.co , an app that allows you to video call and have story time with your children together from anywhere in the world, targeted her company’s efforts on gaining referrals from women customers.

Tips 71

Tips Custom Customer Dollar Shave Club 71

Berkonomics

JUNE 3, 2021

An estimate of the number of customers, of the amount of traffic to your website, of the numbers of products sold or hours spent in development – there are thousands of areas where a number sounds better when it is larger. Sometimes it seems to you to be just an unimportant little stretch of the facts. Yes, we’ve seen gray areas.

Customer 156

Customer Custom Examples Competition 156

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 24, 2022

Yet, there are constant examples of new entrants into a niche that do grow, prosper and sometimes even become dominant. 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. Been skewered for slow customer service? Quietly abandon a niche?

Resource 156

Resource Competition Examples Custom 156

Berkonomics

JANUARY 26, 2023

I recently experienced an amazing effort of outreach by a vice president of a large national customer asking for a meeting with the product development team of a critical supplier, one of “my” companies. How often have you worried over having to be the protector of your team, the intentional barrier between team and customer?

Customer 156

Customer Custom Email Examples 156

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2018

Every entrepreneur believes that their product or service is memorable, and that every customer will quickly see the advantage over competitors. Yet true product differentiation in the eye of the customer is rarely achieved. Quantify the difference for your customers. Customize to differentiate, but do it efficiently.

Custom 63

Custom Customer Examples Product 63

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 19, 2019

And that certainly counts for customers too, although the customer jungle drums don’t communicate quite as fast as the virtual water cooler system, even with today’s many ways of posting negative reviews about company behavior. An example of doing this right. A personal example of reinforcing corporate culture.

Southern California 156

Southern California Examples Custom Customer 156

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2023

A common initiative I hear from business owners today is their effort to improve the customer experience. To achieve real growth, business leaders need to improve both employee as well as customer experiences. Flexible – listen to allow flex hours and customization. Proactive – timely communication to build trust.

Custom 113

Custom Customer Training Tool 113