Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2020

Having the best solution is a good start these days, but a solution alone is no longer enough to keep customer attention and loyalty. The most memorable businesses, like Starbucks and Apple, no longer sell products, they sell ‘experiences’ with a product at the center. Tie customer experience to all compensation and recognition.

Customer 168

Customer Custom Services Startup 168

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2022

Today’s customers are much more in control of their buying decision, as they have more choices and more information than ever before. Bloom’s classic book, “ The New Experts: Win Today's Newly Empowered Customers.” This is a key moment where your customer acquisition costs go way down, and your profits go way up.

Customer 146

Customer Custom Startup Course 146

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 23, 2021

As a consumer, I rarely pay attention to your marketing pitch, but I certainly always remember a exceptionally positive total experience with your team, based on a memorable set of interactions from first contact to discussions with friends. Incent and reward employees who delight customers. That approach still is meaningful today.

Customer 147

Customer Custom Technical Review Metrics 147

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 20, 2023

Instead, they need to validate a customer problem and real market need first. Don’t create solutions looking for a problem , since investors ignore these, and customers other than early adopters will be hard to find. I say again, customers buy solutions, not technology. Look for customer willingness and ability to pay.

Customer 110

Customer Custom Social Media Technology 110

TechCrunch LA

JULY 19, 2022

It also handles the back end as well by automating the posting, sale and shipment of unsold inventory while offering immediate payment to creditworthy sellers. More people are focused on the beginning of the product lifecycle; very few are focused at the end.”. That’s our vision.”.

Product 191

Product Funding Technical Review Equity 191

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). In support of this, despite qualms, consumers seem very quick these days to provide more personal data to get something they want.

Customer 137

Customer Custom Technical Review Symantec 137

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. Well think of it this way – you have your sales process. You know exactly when you want to sell to this customer and presumably it’s this quarter! Unique Selling Proposition.

Customer 324

Customer Custom Marketing Newsletter 324

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 27, 2013

However, the Woodland Hills-based firm isn't satisfied with stopping there--it now wants to own the entire transaction--from finding a local service provider, to booking an appointment with that provider, to presenting estimates, invoices, and collecting payments, and has launched a whole set of products in that area yesterday.

ReachLocal 217

ReachLocal Technical Review Woodland Hills Services 217

SoCal CTO

OCTOBER 6, 2011

I’m going to take that thought out into the field and validate it with my customers." I’ve spoken to dozens of customers, I have a validated customer persona, built an MVP to test key behavioral hypotheses, and the data doesn’t back what you’re saying." " One was an enterprise software product.

Customer 227

Customer Custom CTO Coach Startup 227

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

InfoChachkie

JULY 7, 2016

The entrepreneur cannot wait to show me their product via a demo. You’re the first one I’ve met who didn’t want to see our product.” I then explain that I evaluate the veracity of a product by seeking guidance from current, past and prospective users, rather than relying on a product demonstration. Don’t Demo Me Bro.

Venture Capital 176

Venture Capital Product Software Review Technical Review 176

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2020

Today’s customers are much more in control of their buying decision, as they have more choices and more information than ever before. Bloom’s classic book, “ The New Experts: Win Today's Newly Empowered Customers.” This is a key moment where your customer acquisition costs go way down, and your profits go way up.

Customer 124

Customer Custom Startup Course 124

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. For new product startups, search engine marketing (SEM) is still one of the most cost-effective and scalable lead-generation approaches. Display advertising. Email marketing. Trade shows.

Customer 146

Customer Custom Marketing Startup 146

socalTECH

JANUARY 6, 2020

San Jose-based PayPal Holdings said this morning that it has completed its $4 billion cash acquisition of Los Angeles-based Honey , the developer of a browser plug-in that helps consumers find the best coupons for purchases when they are shopping online. READ MORE>>.

Acquisition 145

Acquisition Southern California Pasadena Sales 145

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. Many of you have read or at least know the primary thesis of “ Crossing the Chasm &# the seminal book on marketing your products to mainstream consumers by Geoffrey Moore.

Marketing 294

Marketing Customer Custom Technical Review 294

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 26, 2013

The new products are part of a push by the company to expand the services it offers to small and medium sized businesses, beyond its roots in helping those firms advertise their businesses online. According to ReachLocal, it has launched three new products, ReachSite , ReachConvert , and ReachCommerce.

ReachLocal 178

ReachLocal Woodland Hills Search Engine Optimization Services 178

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2018

In today’s totally interconnected world with its abundance of information, choices, and marketing, how your customers buy has drastically changed. Whether you are an executive, an entrepreneur, a marketer, or a salesperson, it’s time to look beyond how you sell, and focus on how your customers buy.

Customer 94

Customer Custom Social Media Startup 94

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

As direct-to-consumer and upstart brands look for new ways to sell, they’re increasingly turning to online partners to grow their businesses. They have to get through an approval process and verify that you’re a real direct to consumer brand you can sell on the platform.”

Commerce 173

Commerce Startup Platform Los Angeles 173

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

There has always been tension between CPG (consumer packaged goods) companies and the retailers who sell their products to consumers. This is true whether it’s physical products or media products. Many of us learned about substitute products in undergrad economics courses. from Charter’s subscribers.

Product 296

Product Course Customer Custom 296

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 5, 2020

Companies that have leveraged technology to make the procurement and delivery of food more accessible to more people have been seeing a big surge of business this year, as millions of consumers are encouraged (or outright mandated, due to Covid-19) to socially distance or want to avoid the crowds of physical shopping and eating excursions.

Technical Review 343

Technical Review Startup Marketing San Diego 343

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2012

All the experts these days are talking about the increasing need for customer focus and maximizing sales. According to Kevin Davis, as outlined in a recent book “ Slow Down, Sell Faster! ” and a related article, the single biggest mistake people make is that they try to close the sale too fast.

Sales 96

Sales Customer Custom Competition 96

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 21, 2019

PayPal said the acquisition will help it in its efforts in digital commerce, and add an "extensive" set of consumer commerce capabilities to the company. PayPal said that the acquisition will "transform the shopping experience" for its consumers and also increase sales and customer engagement for its merchants.

Southern California 133

Southern California Commerce Acquisition .Net 133

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2023

When entrepreneurs introduce new products to the market, their passion and conviction often leads them to assume that every potential customer will see the immediate need and value, and will quickly adopt the solution. If your solution alleviates a high level of existing pain, customers more readily change.

Case Study 89

Case Study Customer Custom Study 89

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2011

All the experts these days are talking about the increasing need for customer focus and maximizing sales. Typically entrepreneurs and even professional sales people think this means more emphasis on the customer selling process, when in fact it means spending more time understanding the customer buying process (view from the customer).

Sales 93

Sales Customer Custom Competition 93

Tech.Co

JANUARY 10, 2018

On a global scale, more women are in the workforce, and within the household they drive 70-80 percent of all consumer purchasing decisions. In the Harvard Business Review Female Economy 2009 report, women purchasing power was predicted to control about $28 trillion in annual global consumer spending, if not more. The Emotional Sell.

Tips 71

Tips Customer Custom Dollar Shave Club 71

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 18, 2016

When entrepreneurs introduce new products to the market, their passion and conviction often leads them to assume that every potential customer will see the immediate need and value, and will quickly adopt the solution. If your solution alleviates a high level of existing pain, customers more readily change.

Product 95

Product Case Study Customer Custom 95

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2020

When entrepreneurs introduce new products to the market, their passion and conviction often leads them to assume that every potential customer will see the immediate need and value, and will quickly adopt the solution. If your solution alleviates a high level of existing pain, customers more readily change.

Case Study 174

Case Study Startup Customer Custom 174

socalTECH

DECEMBER 28, 2020

In 2020, the pandemic radically changed the customer acquisition process for many consumer-facing industries. This presented MomentFeed with an immense opportunity to help multi-location consumer brands meet the challenges brought on by an overnight shift in consumer shopping patterns.

Technical Review 140

Technical Review Software Review Organic Search Startup 140

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 28, 2020

There’s a new company that’s sitting on top of some of the fastest growing consumer-facing businesses in the world — liquor and marijuana delivery — and its name is Pacific Consolidated Holdings Group. The liquor side of the PCH business is indeed incredibly strong.

Company 188

Company Companies Los Angeles San Diego 188

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

GrubMarket , which provides software and services that help link up and manage relationships between food suppliers and their customers — which can include wholesalers and other distributors, markets and supermarkets, delivery startups, restaurants, and consumers — has picked up $120 million in a Series E round of funding.

Startup 249

Startup Platform Software Los Angeles 249

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 10, 2011

The remainder of this article will deal with this decision but it comes down to the different economics of DVD rentals due to “ the first sale doctrine ” which gives Netflix a complete library of films and the fact that the first-sale doctrine doesn’t apply to digital downloads. So how will consumers react?

Netflix 287

Netflix Customer Custom Pricing 287

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2021

Traction is evidence that your product or service has started that “hockey- stick” adoption rate which implies a large market, a valid business model, and sustainable growth. As an investor, I would like to see one month of sales, and see how that compares to your projections. Free and freemium products need a solid base.

Startup 121

Startup Metrics Customer Custom 121

Tech.Co

FEBRUARY 19, 2021

Selz, run by a team of around 50 in Sydney, Australia, bills itself as a one-stop-shop for small businesses to start selling products and services online. Nothing is changing for our customers at this time, and we’ll be in touch with customers as and when we have further updates.

News 136

News Acquisition Platform Sales 136

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2021

As an advisor to new business owners, I’m accustomed to seeing primarily the simple traditional product pricing strategies , usually driven by competitor prices, or cost plus a reasonable margin. Here it is important to monitor customer feedback, as you may find one of these services could be a revenue source in itself.

Pricing 145

Pricing Startup Competition Examples 145

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 25, 2019

I’m more convinced that technology merely enables disruption, and changing customer interests and needs really causes it. Other companies keep the focus on their customers, and seem to thrive on disruption, much less survive. They make it their top business priority to understand, anticipate, and gratify customers’ needs.

Customer 54

Customer Custom Technical Review Design 54

Berkonomics

JUNE 11, 2015

In my case as a young software entrepreneur, I had a different approach: Fail Locally, one customer at a time. You just had to be lucky, write reasonably good code and land in an industry with some legs, and of course, treat the customer well. And I would learn customer service. And I would learn customer service.

Customer 120

Customer Custom Writing Southern California 120

socalTECH

JANUARY 5, 2017

Wingsland Technology , a Chinese manufactuer of drones for the consumer market, announced on Wednesday that it has opened up its first international office, in Los Angeles. Local efforts of the manufacturer will be led by Brian Chacone, Director of Sales and Marketing. READ MORE>>.

City of Industry 140

City of Industry City of Industry Sales Los Angeles 140