Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 29, 2014

It is impossible advice to give because there is such a fine line between being persistent and being annoying and it’s something you probably can’t teach. I called it “the worst startup advice I had ever heard somebody give.” Will every customer who feels bombarded with sales requests want to take your call?

Venture Capital 389

Venture Capital Email Startup Conference 389

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 7, 2014

I spend a lot of time with startups and thus hear many companies talk about their approach to sales and their interactions with customers. From these meetings you can really tell the leaders that care deeply about their customers and those the look down on them. You’d be very wrong. Contrast that with a VC conversation I had.

Customer 341

Customer Custom Venture Capital Software Review 341

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2009

release out the door and get some customers using it, or friendly people piloting it then at least there is some validation to the product and some people to speak to about their experiences. They have advice to share. Ask them for advice. Tags: Pitching VCs Start-up Advice. But if you CAN find a way to even get your 0.1

Angel 291

Angel Funding Venture Capital Startup 291

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

Even when you do sign-up initial customers it’s still not clear that your company will be a success and you’re still likely paying yourself under market rates. But I also have advice for the 15% that really do want to be a startup CEO. These people wished they had done it in their 20s but didn’t make that choice.

Technical Review 150

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital IP 150

Tech.Co

MAY 30, 2017

We talked with Kyle Goguen, founder and president of Pawstruck.com , an online retailer and manufacturer of natural dog treats and chews, and asked him what advice he has for small business owners and lessons learned. What advice helped shape who you are as an entrepreneur today? Read more advice from founders here at Tech.Co.

Tips 87

Tips Email Entrepreneur Startup 87

InfoChachkie

JULY 7, 2011

My entrepreneurial students at the University of California, Santa Barbara, often ask my advice regarding their career choices. Although my advice is geared to recent college graduates, it is also applicable to anyone with a boss, irrespective of their age and experience level. Advice For Emerging Entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneur 256

Entrepreneur Startup Santa Barbara Tips 256

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

You know exactly when you want to sell to this customer and presumably it’s this quarter! And when I say this I’m assuming that you’re already identified the customer pain and talked about how you’re uniquely qualified to solve their business problems. .” Which customers to target: Elephants, Deer or Rabbits ?

Customer 324

Customer Custom Marketing Newsletter 324

Berkonomics

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

First customers are critical. Your first customers for any product or service form your reference base, the important group of allies that your marketing and salespeople rely upon when attempting to create buzz and make a mass market for a new product. These first customers are critical. What if my resources are limited?

Resource 156

Resource Customer Custom Product 156

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 26, 2010

Social proof is defined as “looking for others to guide our decisions&# and is also one of the most important techniques in acquiring customers in your company. We would take every day users from our customer base and make them heroes. Tags: Sales & Marketing Advice Startup Advice.

Marketing 294

Marketing Customer Custom Technical Review 294

Tech.Co

JANUARY 10, 2018

If you’re needing some tips to jumpstart your strategy and attract female consumers, take this advice from these female startups founders. “Focusing on emotion is key when communicating with female customers. Most importantly, humor can get customers talking about your product or service. Connect With Your Customers.

Tips 71

Tips Customer Custom Dollar Shave Club 71

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

Forming business relationships at the highest level As you follow these insights from ignition to liquidity event, you’ll detect a continuing theme, emphasizing the need for deep and wide relationships that the CEO and senior staff can call upon for advice and guidance. How much time do you devote to each type of activity?

Class 194

Class Organization Technical Review Activity 194

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2019

Many entrepreneurs think that adapting to the new technologies, like smart phones and Internet commerce, are the key to attracting new customers. High-technology product startups, without customers, don’t make a business. Solis outlines the heuristics of social psychology that are key to building positive customer experiences today.

Customer 85

Customer Custom Social Media Technical Review 85

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. We need video reel to show customers that you care. ” customer segment.

Netflix 287

Netflix Customer Custom Pricing 287

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 1, 2009

This is part of my ongoing posts on Startup Advice. As organizations we have become more open and I believe this is great for businesses and their customers. some came from our customer service, some were to improve performance / scalability from tech ops, some were bug fixes, etc.) Tim started to change our processes.

Organization 280

Organization Customer Custom Tips 280

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 18, 2012

As part of UC Santa Barbara’s Distinguished Lecture Series, serial entrepreneur and noted venture capitalist Mark Suster recently shared his advice with a large crowd of emerging entrepreneurs. Winning customers is sales. Go see customers yourself. Focus On Customers – Nothing Else Matters. Number one is sales.

Entrepreneur 272

Entrepreneur Startup Conference Santa Barbara 272

Berkonomics

MARCH 24, 2010

First customers are critical. Your first customers for any product or service form your reference base, the important group of allies that your marketing and sales people rely upon when attempting to create buzz and make a mass market for a new product. Make your customer a partner in the process. The fight for quality.

Customer 149

Customer Custom Resource Sales 149

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

The source of this information was typically the purchasing decision-maker for a friendly customer or candidate customer. My advice is to be very careful, think of the golden rule, never use this information publicly, and certainly never reproduce it, let alone disseminate it internally.

Examples 156

Examples Guide Conference Course 156

Berkonomics

MAY 18, 2023

Most employers have all of their employees sign non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements to protect the company’s trade secrets, customer lists and business plans. But that right clearly stops when the entrepreneur uses any trade secret data from the past employer, especially customer lists for contacts and confidential business plans.

Company 156

Company Companies Layoffs Competition 156

Berkonomics

JUNE 11, 2015

It’s good advice; the theory being that entrepreneurs can discover the flaws in their business models sooner, make course corrections and move in a more favorable direction. In my case as a young software entrepreneur, I had a different approach: Fail Locally, one customer at a time. And I would learn customer service.

Customer 120

Customer Custom Writing Southern California 120

TechCrunch LA

JULY 29, 2019

When Stackin initially pitched itself as part of Techstars Los Angeles accelerator program two years ago, the company was a video platform for financial advice targeting a millennial audience too savvy for traditional advisory services.

Services 212

Services Mobile Platform Los Angeles 212

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 19, 2011

He is very hands-on and helpful – especially for any company looking into customer acquisition. Good listener, take in information, • Have pulse on what the market wants (hard to train that) cannot take this from customers only. Passion: Have to be able to motivate people, customers, team, yourself. we both love Jason).

Acquisition 304

Acquisition Startup Customer Custom 304

socalTECH

AUGUST 29, 2013

Can tapping the power of the crowd not only help you find customers and help fund your project, but also help you shape your startup idea and find funding? A new, Los Angeles area startup, JumpStartFund (www.jumpstartfund.com) recently launched, offering up a combination of crowdfunding and crowd-advice for entrepreneurial ideas.

Ideas 178

Ideas Patents Funding Startup 178

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 26, 2023

Often, despite your passion and expectation, customers don’t immediately see the value and need that you see, and you have no idea why the initiative is stuck , and what could be the real customer issue or fix. Customers won’t buy what they can’t find or don’t understand. Customers need supporting approvals to fully benefit.

Product 141

Product Services Technical Review Artificial Inteligence 141

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 11, 2013

As I visit the websites of many startups, as well as more mature businesses, I still too often see a “contact” page offering nothing but a sterile form for customers to submit, never to be heard from again. Customers are not all like you, and they have choices, so a “one size fits all” customer service is no longer a viable option.

Social Media 99

Social Media Customer Custom Media 99

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

MAY 15, 2013

Customer service has always been reactionary, meaning someone has to wake up and answer website email requests. That’s just not savvy enough to hold today’s fickle, less loyal, and ready to jump customer. This exemplary customer service is just savvy marketing. Respect your customer’s view of usability.

Customer 89

Customer Custom Services High Tech 89

Berkonomics

JANUARY 27, 2022

Why is this important advice? Or when a major customer signs a significant deal. Because the first rule for raising money is to do it on good news – right when sales are increasing at an accelerating rate. Or when something happens that makes an investor think this company is about to break out.

News 156

News SaaS Platform Sales 156

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 17, 2013

I’m sure you’ve all heard saying derived from Voltaire, “don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good” which in a way is encapsulated in the lean startup movement and the ideology of shipping a “minimum viable product” (MVP) and then learning from your customer base. Startup Advice'

Startup 371

Startup Press Product Blogging 371

socalTECH

AUGUST 21, 2014

Put yourself in your customer/consumers shoes and ask the following questions: Why do I need this? In my experience, the often-quoted phrase in business "the customer always comes first" is old school thinking from the days when employees and employers were loyal to each other for a lifetime. Who else is in the market? Continued.).

Entrepreneur 159

Entrepreneur SoCalTech Advertising Ideas 159

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2013

Many entrepreneurs think that adapting to the new technologies, like smart phones and Internet commerce, are the key to attracting new customers. High-technology product startups, without customers, don’t make a business. Solis outlines the heuristics of social psychology that are key to building positive customer experiences today.

Customer 100

Customer Custom Startup Social Media 100

socalTECH

OCTOBER 22, 2015

For today's Insights and Opinions section, where we feature contributions from our readers and the community, we have a bit of advice from angel investor Dave Berkus , who says, Raise Money On Good News. Or when a major customer signs a significant deal. Read more advice and insights at our Insights and Opinions section.

News 100

News Sales Customer Custom 100

Berkonomics

APRIL 23, 2020

And indeed, former employees (not necessarily disaffected or threatening in their departure) have shown up regularly as suppliers and customers in various companies in subsequent months and years. Remember Mom’s advice. Mom’s advice is almost always right – for business as well as for personal relationships.

Startup 156

Startup Email Customer Custom 156

InfoChachkie

JULY 4, 2011

The story begins with the unwitting, future customer relaxing and reading the paper. Humility – Sam exhibits a Humble Pride and remains committed to his Prospect’s satisfaction throughout the sales cycle, even after the Prospect becomes a customer and admits that he loves the product. This is Sam’s cold call.

Sales 219

Sales Entrepreneur Startup Product 219

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2023

Others schedule exhaustive training sessions for everyone on the team, including showcase customers, to make sure that everyone paints a consistent picture. My best advice is to stick to the middle ground. Visit reference customers, partners, and vendors. Don’t let the due diligence process be a surprise to the team.

Technical Review 118

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Invest 118

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 25, 2009

I’ve sat through a lot of VC pitches and having been CEO of an enterprise software firm for many years I’ve also sat through many customer meetings with sales teams. Tags: Pitching VCs Start-up Advice startup technology vc venture capital.

Venture Capital 292

Venture Capital Sales Startup Blogging 292

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2022

The challenge for each of you is to get it handled quickly and effectively, without losing the trust of constituents , as well as customers. Get advice before jumping to conclusions. Look for a mentor, or expert in this area, and ask their advice. Every business leader expects to encounter one or more crises eventually.

Develop 138

Develop Development Coach Satisfaction 138