Berkonomics

SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

Recently a CEO friend told me her story of a dinner including her director of business development and an executive of a major company, a candidate for a large sale. I would have been thinking about the sales relationship and the sale, and would probably have let the guy drive home, acknowledging his discomfort, and ending the dinner early.

Sales 156

Sales Conference Startup Course 156

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 29, 2014

One of the hardest things for most entrepreneurs to know is how hard to push in situations where people tell you “no.” ” But then again most entrepreneurs fail. I’d say less than 20% of of entrepreneurs fit into that bucket. Do you think that every conference organizer will promptly meet your needs?

Venture Capital 389

Venture Capital Email Startup Conference 389

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2018

If you’ve got the skills to be a strong entrepreneur then it shouldn’t be too difficult to find people who know a partner at a VC firm and if you can build relationship with them you can get introduced. Most entrepreneurs (and VCs raising from LPs) think this means progress. Some people find this elitist?—?I It doesn’t.

Funding 336

Funding Venture Capital Startup Email 336

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 29, 2010

This is part of my series on what makes an entrepreneur successful. I originally posted it on VentureHacks , one of my favorite websites for entrepreneurs. I started the series talking about what I consider the most important attribute of an entrepreneur : Tenacity. Entrepreneurs play to win and they take losing seriously.

Competition 296

Competition Entrepreneur Startup GRP Partners 296

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 31, 2010

TechCrunch Europe ran an article in November of last year that European startups need to work as hard as those in Silicon Valley and I echoed the sentiment in my post about the need for entrepreneurs to be maniacal about their businesses if one wants to work in the hyper competitive tech world. We were based in London.

Entrepreneur 308

Entrepreneur Startup Venture Capital Conference 308

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 29, 2012

Being an entrepreneur is scary. That’s what Kevin’s conference, Silicon Beach Fest (SBF), did for Los Angeles entrepreneurs. That’s what Kevin’s conference, Silicon Beach Fest (SBF), did for Los Angeles entrepreneurs. Founder of VuePlus shares how to increase your sales using video marketing.

Entrepreneur 71

Entrepreneur Startup Outsource Development Southern California 71

InfoChachkie

JULY 26, 2010

Entrepreneurs can emulate de la Guerra’s strategy and make their adVenture appear far larger than reality and thus increasing its influence and market reach while discouraging competitive threats by creating an industry alliance. Revenue – We generated significant fees, over and above our product sales, from our members.

Entrepreneur 168

Entrepreneur Santa Barbara Startup Conference 168

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. When sales fall off, you need to dig deep for the “why,” rather than just assuming the price needs to go down.

Marketing 162

Marketing Social Media Metrics Custom 162

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

The most important advice I could give you before you set out in fund raising mode is to understand that fund-raising a sales & marketing process and needs to be managed. Somehow many first-time founders equate “sales” with something that is beneath them. In sales there are also three rules: Qualify, qualify, qualify.

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 9, 2018

This is a very common scenario when entrepreneurs pitch VCs and frankly is a very common scenario when VCs try to raise money from LPs. At night I had a group dinner where I met 6 new entrepreneurs and hung out with some old friends from law firms, banks and other VC funds. I always tell people that fund raising is a sales process.

Software Review 381

Software Review Startup Email Conference 381

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

I’d like to do a few posts on what life looks like on the way up and perhaps how to keep your head on straight and avoid drinking your own Kool Aid because as I often advise entrepreneurs on irrational exuberance, “ In a strong wind even turkeys can fly.” Have sales bonus plans based on more than just sales targets.

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2023

On the product side, once you have a proven product and business model, all you need is money to build inventory, and a sales and marketing operation to drive the business. Be accessible on social media, write a blog or articles for industry publications, and participate in conference panels and speaking engagements.

Startup 111

Startup Training Services Writing 111

socalTECH

MARCH 1, 2018

This year, we're again sponsoring the Recurring Revenue Conference (www.recurringrevenueconference.com), presented by Sutton Capital Partners. Whether that's our help desk, our account managers, or even the sales guys, to a certain degree, we put the customer first.We We respond very quickly to all of our customers. READ MORE>>.

Custom 113

Custom Customer Services Conference 113

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2020

On the product side, once you have a proven product and business model, all you need is money to build inventory, and a sales and marketing operation to drive the business. Be accessible on social media, write a blog or articles for industry publications, and participate in conference panels and speaking engagements.

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 27, 2012

Then there is the EIR (entrepreneur in residence) who is usually at a VC for a temporary period of time and other individuals such as venture partners or operating partners. The process for raising money from a VC is a sales process and as such much of what is taught in enterprise sales can be applied.

Venture Capital 308

Venture Capital Sales Entrepreneur Startup 308

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 20, 2018

Every entrepreneur wants to hear “yes” during the fund-raising process but I would argue that being too risk averse and not pushing hard enough and be willing to hear a “no” is what holds back many people from “yes.” Possibly offend and entrepreneur leading to reputation risk amongst other entrepreneurs.

Funding 189

Funding Software Review Entrepreneur Venture Capital 189

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 13, 2011

With all these companies vying for attention & others just here to soak up the vibe I thought I’d write a much broader piece on how startups can make the most of their attendance at conferences & events. Many startups get caught up in the conference circuit. Be very targeted in which events you attend. Choose wisely.

Conference 289

Conference Startup Technical Review Writing 289

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

Conferences. Now, I’m pretty on the record that being an entrepreneur is about being great at The Do. How do VCs break out of group think when they are shuttling from one board meeting to the next, from one conference to the other and talking with all the same people? I’ve written about these sales mavericks before.

Venture Capital 400

Venture Capital Conference Ideas Entrepreneur 400

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 19, 2013

The era of VCs investing in successful consumer Internet startups such as eBay led to a belief system that seemed to permeate many enterprise software startups that hiring sales or implementation people was a bad thing. But the “no sales people” mantra isn’t what I’m here to take on. I believe it’s flawed.

Startup 403

Startup Sales Software Review Technical Review 403

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2011

A great recent example of this was a successful group of entrepreneurs who had created a company that will do $10-12 million in revenue at their system integration business (read: services business) in 2011 after having done $5 million or so in 2010 and $2-3 million in 2009. And stop effing around trying to create a product company.&#.

Services 332

Services Venture Capital IP Startup 332

socalTECH

APRIL 18, 2017

Ahead of the Recurring Revenue Conference ([link] which we are helping to sponsor next week, we are chatting with a few companies in the recurring revenue area space. Additionally, we're very sales and marketing driven. When we started out, it was all about new revenues and new sales. What's the idea behind SnackNation?

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Services Sales Custom 124

SoCal CTO

JUNE 9, 2010

Draw Your Ideas - A VC : Venture Capital and Technology , May 16, 2010 I saw Jack Dorsey give this talk at The 99% Conference last month. saw Jack Dorsey give this talk at The 99% Conference last month. Why Entrepreneurs Hate Lawyers. Of the ones I have been to recently, the Nantucket Conference has been my favorite.

Startup 248

Startup Venture Capital Conference Social Media 248

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 23, 2017

Put Serious Effort Into Your Pre-Game I find most entrepreneurs put all of their effort into creating a perfect deck and then asking existing investors which VCs to talk with but they put almost no effort into the real “pre-game” work. Raising money is a sale and selling requires persistence and follow up. Get Back in Person.

Funding 238

Funding Venture Capital Startup Course 238

Berkonomics

MARCH 26, 2015

Recently a CEO friend told me her story of a dinner with her director of business development and an executive of a major company, a candidate for a large sale. I would have been thinking about the sales relationship and the sale, and would probably have let the guy drive home, acknowledging his discomfort, and ending the dinner early.

Sales 120

Sales Conference Startup Course 120

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 3, 2013

Startup Grind was a truly awesome conference and Derek the consumate host. We talked about how business school historically hasn’t positioned entrepreneurs well for success. I wrote about that before in a post about “ whether MBAs are necessary for entrepreneurs. I hope to be asked back for next year’s event.

Venture Capital 403

Venture Capital Education Offshore Outsource Development 403

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 25, 2013

After all, I am no stranger to the publicly expressing the frustrations of dealing with the downside of this industry as I wrote about in 2006 when I was an entrepreneur. The best VCs don’t try to help entrepreneurs. Nothing was more heart warming than the photo of David Karp hugging Bijan Sabet after the sale to Yahoo!

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Invest Funding 374

Tech Zulu Event

JUNE 3, 2015

Women in sales or real estate, were more savvy with negotiation than those who weren’t and often asked for, and received, the better price as a result. It’s been a fascinating sociology study starting with the first panel of all female executives I heard during a conference on the Santa Monica Pier all the way up until now.

Conference 40

Conference Entertainment Startup Digital Hollywood 40

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 16, 2011

It’s the entrepreneur’s equivalent of “ 10,000 hours.&#. Talented brand sales people? If you wait until you need to fill somebody in a roll you’re losing valuable time as an entrepreneur. unless you’re a conference ho … then it’s too much ). Recruiting.

Startup 410

Startup Writing Press Venture Capital 410

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2010

I get paid (well) for interesting people to come in and tell me how they want to change the world – Being an entrepreneur is like having blinders on. At least for the best entrepreneurs. Some people do the conference circuit too much, get involved in lots of side projects and attend every entrepreneur dinner.

Venture Capital 312

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Entrepreneur 312

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 1, 2011

Fast forward to Socialstay, my current mobile start up which allows guest centric venues (hotels, conferences, dorms, etc…) to build and deploy custom mobile apps. This year, the annual Hospitality Technology conference was held in Austin. Do not, whatever you do, step foot on the conference center grounds. I was stunned.

Marketing 230

Marketing Conference Startup Santa Barbara 230

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 23, 2019

The serial entrepreneur behind the Dubai-based online fashion retailer, Elabelz and marketing studio Elephant Nation had always wanted to redesign the shopping experience for how customers actually shopped in stores and online. Then he met Jonathan Ellman at the Summit conference in Los Angeles. “ We met at a party.

Social Media 184

Social Media Commerce Los Angeles Social Network 184

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 3, 2015

My long-time friend Jason Lemkin is on the verge of launching a spectacular SaaS conference called SaaStr this week. In 2006 when I was a budding entrepreneur building my second startup I ran into a young (ish) enthusiastic founder of an electronic signature company called EchoSign. We shared information about building sales teams.

SaaS 150

SaaS Venture Capital Conference Technical Review 150

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 3, 2010

I sat on two panels in the past week – once at LeadsCon (** see appendix if you’re interested in a back story here) and today at the America’s Growth Capital conference. Things to know: mix of entrepreneurs, big tech company execs, service providers, media people, VCs, etc. Jogged to the conference area.

Startup 284

Startup Conference Venture Capital Tips 284

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 5, 2010

The conversations bleed into the sales messages the next time, they wend their way into software designs and form the plan of attach against competition. In a world where 90% of communications is non-verbal imagine what is lost on conference calls. I prefer the first sales hires to be in the home office. What about offshoring?

Technical Advisors 335

Technical Advisors Outsource Development Offshore Startup 335

InfoChachkie

JULY 30, 2012

I always enjoy a great guerilla marketing story, such as TestFlight’s use of T-shirts and Tacos to gain Steve Jobs’ attention at Apple’s 2011 developers’ conference. Thus, I was inspired when I heard about the impact collaboration-in-the-cloud innovator Central Desktop made at the April 2012 San Francisco ad:tech conference.

Marketing 209

Marketing Conference RSS Angel 209

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 2, 2013

gaming and mobile tracks others took advantage of during the course of the three-day conference held consecutively at ROC , Cross Campus and Santa Monica Place. One such entrepreneur was Adam Miller , Cornerstone OnDemand , CEO, who kicked off the conference at ROC. 4 P’s of Success. Meet The Accelerators.

Cornerstone OnDemand 93

Cornerstone OnDemand Santa Monica Technical Review Startup 93

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 15, 2011

TechZulu is pleased to announce that we will be streaming live from the Biz2Beach conference presented by CallFire this Friday August 19 at 2pm PST. For those who may be unfamiliar with the Biz2Beach conference, its a networking conference of thought leaders, innovators, and trendsetters for a day of exchanging ideas.

SEO 85

SEO CTO Coach Conference Social Media 85