InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 16, 2013

Tracy DiNunzio, Founder and CEO of Tradesy , recently shared her insights regarding the best approach for entrepreneurs to address competition. Tracy''s frank, pragmatic and somewhat controversial comments were presented as part of UC Santa Barbara''s Distinguished Lecture Series. competition''s a really interesting thing.

Competition 254

Competition SaaS Santa Barbara Entrepreneur 254

SoCal Tech Calendar

MARCH 17, 2012

Tuesday, March 20, 2012 -- Competitive Intelligence: 007 Market Intel. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to estimate market size, competitive market share, how many potential customers are there, and price points. Several case studies will be presented, although the names will be changed to protect the innocent.

Competition 100

Competition Innocal Case Study SoCal 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2014

Most entrepreneurs spend far too much time thinking negatively about competitors, and can’t resist making derogatory statements about them to their own team, investors and even to customers. As an investor, I always listen carefully to what an entrepreneur says, and does not say, about competition.

Competition 107

Competition Entrepreneur Patents Customer 107

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 13, 2011

I believe in this so much that, despite my post advising you to be prepared for the *norm* in VC, I wrote a post about a company that came in for a presentation and never even got the slides out or presented a demo. The “Triple Play&# of VC Presentations. Be ready to map your presentation to their preferred method.

Venture Capital 299

Venture Capital Slides Technical Advisors Startup 299

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 12, 2019

Much has been written recently about the requirement to focus today on the total customer experience, as a competitive edge or even for survival. The challenge I hear from savvy business owners and entrepreneurs operating on a shoestring is that providing a superior customer experience costs money.

Customer 96

Customer Custom Coach Pricing 96

SoCal Tech Calendar

MAY 19, 2010

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 -- TechAmerica Century City Greater LA Finance Network Group Presents: 5 Financial Strategies that will always beat your Competition. 5 5 Financial Strategies that will always beat your competition: 1. Have provable and quantifiable customer benefits 5. Invest in CPI 3.Improved

Competition 100

Competition Century City Customer Custom 100

Berkonomics

MARCH 10, 2010

Your customers know what they want more than you do. Find one to teach you. This insight came from personal experience and from a good friend who advanced the notion of the “teacher-customer” years ago. Together we would work out solutions in the form of new functions, new controls, new reports, and new safeguards.

Customer 149

Customer Custom Design Conference 149

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 19, 2010

As a member of the local angel group Selection Committee, I’ve seen a lot of startup presentations to investors, and I’ve never seen one that was too short - maybe short on content, but not short on pages! Every startup needs both a business plan and an investor presentation, completed before you formally approach any investors.

Slides 94

Slides Competition Sample Sales 94

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 26, 2010

Competition. And the reality is that if you have no competition it will likely be perceived as a negative, not positive. And the reality is that if you have no competition it will likely be perceived as a negative, not positive. Leaving your real competitors off of you presentation to a VC is not recommended.

Venture Capital 313

Venture Capital Slides Competition Education 313

Berkonomics

JUNE 2, 2022

Are you working with or selling to a particularly important competitor to your target customer? Dropping that name will often immediately draw a response if the decision maker is curious or particularly competitive. Let me reinforce this: never reveal competitive information to gain access or advantage. But what power.

Ideas 156

Ideas Sales Competition Venture Capital 156

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

With the latter, you can make the price seem higher just by calculating the full amount of interest to be earned by the seller over time, adding that to the stated purchase price, and announcing a price much higher than the present value of the purchase. It’s an easy rule to remember. You name the price; I’ll name the terms. What power!

Pricing 156

Pricing Sales Examples Tool 156

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2023

Diagnosing and understanding the customer problem. This means all business people, especially entrepreneurs, need to get beyond the presentations and the experts, to actively listen to real customers. When dealing with customers or partners, only win-win deals make sense. Opening relationships and creating opportunities.

Startup 154

Startup Sales Entrepreneur Customer 154

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2021

The recent pandemic was a strong signal for change, and I see most of you entrepreneurs and business owners responding to the business changes required and new opportunities presented. Here are some key strategies that I recommend to prompt you when changes to your business may be required: Look for a changing customer sense of value.

Marketing 162

Marketing Social Media Metrics Customer 162

Tech.Co

FEBRUARY 16, 2024

Unlike a lot of grants on this list, the competition is open to all US small businesses, as long as they have fewer than 99 employees, have been operating for at least six months, and have a FedEx business account that's been open before September 1, 2023. It's competitive though – last year 18,000 applicants competed for only 12 slots.

Technical Review 194

Technical Review Software Review Startup Competition 194

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 15, 2023

Skip the background story and customer pitch, which every investor has heard all too often. Investors want to hear a quantified problem, a simple solution description, opportunity size, competition, traction, team qualifications, how much money you need, and what equity you are willing to give.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Sample Ideas Customer 111

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2023

These requirements must be based on market analysis, expert input, and existing customer feedback. It allows all members of your team, including marketing, support, and sales, to size and build the business plan processes they need to find customers, deliver, and maintain grow the business. Provide details on the business model.

Product 112

Product Summary Activity Entrepreneur 112

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2023

Your concept has to be understood by customers and investors in 30 seconds or less, and everyone needs to immediately see how awesome it would be, or that they would be nuts not to have it. I’m looking for the “hook” right up front, or I lose interest quickly, just like every customer and investor these days.

Startup 96

Startup Education Ideas Customer 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 9, 2023

Even in this age of videos and text messages, the quickest way to kill your startup dream with investors, business partners, or even customers, is embarrassingly poor writing. In the competitive realm of business, you only get one chance to make a great first impression. You can’t afford that competitive disadvantage.

Tips 123

Tips Writing Startup Summary 123

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2023

Be collaborative rather than present a monologue. For customers and clients, let them have it both ways. Consider the listener perspective rather than the presenter. More is not always better, so reduce the length of presentations and speeches. Are you one of these? Let others help you listen, and tune your response.

Class 143

Class Help Competition Activity 143

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2010

In my own effort to keep up with the times, I just finished a new book by Landy Chase, titled “ Competitive Selling: Out-Plan, Out-Think, Out-Sell to Win Every Time.” This concept applies equally well to convincing investors to fund you, employees to join you, or customers to buy from you. Establish the competitive playing field early.

Competition 92

Competition Entrepreneur Startup Customer 92

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2021

To keep you on a positive track with potential investors, I recommend the following logic principles, to balance your passion in presenting your vision of a new business: Make sure your plan includes some business metrics. For example, if you have ever watched the Shark Tank show on TV, they always ask about the cost of customer acquisition.

Entrepreneur 162

Entrepreneur Social Media Examples Metrics 162

Berkonomics

JULY 26, 2018

Turning these into statements instead of questions provides a framework for the sales presentation from the highest levels of collateral materials and marketing support, to the salesperson on the front line. Is your product or service one that responds to a customer need, real or perceived? Why buy it?”. Why buy MINE? .

Sales 226

Sales Customer Custom Pricing 226

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

He has forgotten that new technologies are perceived by most customers as causing more pain than the problems they hope to eliminate. Yet we all know that many customers delay their adoption of the latest software platform, and fancy new hardware, for a year or two until all the “kinks” are worked out of them.

Customer 95

Customer Custom Technology Marketing 95

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2020

Your concept has to be understood by customers and investors in 30 seconds or less, and everyone needs to immediately see how awesome it would be, or that they would be nuts not to have it. I’m looking for the “hook” right up front, or I lose interest quickly, just like every customer and investor these days.

Startup 166

Startup Education Ideas Customer 166

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

Today’s business world has become totally customer driven, so customer-centric and people abilities really make the difference between winners and losers. I found these required attributes outlined well in the classic book, “ Customer Service the Sandler Way ,” by customer care expert Anne MacKeigan.

Startup 135

Startup Customer Custom Tool 135

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 14, 2018

after all you aren’t presenting this at TED. Summary: Send the Deck Pitch decks are sales & marketing decks and like in any sales activity, any great sales person assumes his or her competition will eventually get their deck. Competition isn’t won or lost by your marketing decks?—?it’s What should be in your deck?

Funding 239

Funding Venture Capital IP Email 239

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 18, 2022

Recognizing this is as much about culture as about language, ensures an understanding of regional motivators, cultural taboos and local customs – so that your solutions are ideally designed and marketed to deliver value that has genuine local relevance. An international brand will command higher prices and additional customer demand.

Patents 106

Patents Offshore Startup Demand 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 14, 2020

Skip the background story and customer pitch, which every investor has heard all too often. Investors want to hear a quantified problem, a simple solution description, opportunity size, competition, traction, team qualifications, how much money you need, and what equity you are willing to give.

Entrepreneur 127

Entrepreneur Sample Ideas Customer 127

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2020

These requirements must be based on market analysis, expert input, and existing customer feedback. It allows all members of your team, including marketing, support, and sales, to size and build the business plan processes they need to find customers, deliver, and maintain grow the business. Provide details on the business model.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Startup Summary Product 124

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2020

While this approach appears to cost more on the surface, it often actually costs you less, when you consider the hidden costs of rework, poor customer satisfaction, employee management, and training required. Direct customer-facing non-technical roles should be the last ones outsourced.

Outsource 123

Outsource Startup Technical Review Training 123

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2021

This is a good time for the CEO to present the final investor charts, and answer any questions from employees. Contact key vendors and existing customers. This will cover the technology, the current state of development, and customer satisfaction. If the product is in customer hands, expect some customers to be interviewed.

Technical Review 152

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Summary 152

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2022

In addition, today’s customers judge a company by perceived people relationships through social media, phone conversations, and sales experiences. Customers demand more engagement and flexibility. People-centric leaders drive ownership and engagement down to their customer-facing team members. What goes around, comes around.

Coach 128

Coach Organization Mentor Startup 128

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2020

Diagnosing and understanding the customer problem. This means all business people, especially entrepreneurs, need to get beyond the presentations and the experts, to actively listen to real customers. When dealing with customers or partners, only win-win deals make sense. Opening relationships and creating opportunities.

Entrepreneur 134

Entrepreneur Startup Sales Customer 134

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2012

As a member of the local Angel group selection committee, I’ve seen a lot of startup presentations to investors, and I’ve never seen one that was too short - maybe short on content, but not short on pages! Every startup needs both a business plan and an investor presentation, completed before you formally approach any investors.

Slides 99

Slides Competition Sample Sales 99

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2010

Conventional wisdom in most companies is that “the competition is the enemy&# – it’s the rallying cry to dig deeper, get more features out the door, issue press releases citing differences and attack the competition’s weaknesses in sales presentations. You know, frenemies. When Enemies are Good.

Cloud Computing 320

Cloud Computing Competition Press Startup 320

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2023

In my experience advising businesses, large and small, I have often been surprised by the level of complacency and general malaise I find in the ranks, with a resultant direct loss of productivity and competitiveness. In addition to the right words, be sure you present the right body language. Develop metrics to monitor work intensity.

Satisfaction 108

Satisfaction Metrics Competition Examples 108

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2021

That story has to begin with a painful problem shared by a large collection of viable customers, with your competitive solution. I’ve asked this question many times of presenters in Angel meetings, and often get a blank look. Lack of clear objectives/goals. Then you have to have evidence to support your request.

Software Review 123

Software Review Seed Funding Funding Startup 123