article thumbnail

9 Messages From Sales Training May Save Your Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

Most aspiring entrepreneurs believe that a great idea alone will assure business success. Yet in this age when customers have a thousand alternatives, and are overwhelmed by a multitude of messages, sales efforts can make or break a business. No pain usually means no sales. Customers set value based on similar products found.

Sales 139
article thumbnail

Every New Venture Needs A Product And A Business Plan

Startup Professionals Musings

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Serious investors, on the other hand, look for a professional business plan or summary first, and hardly ever look at the product plan.

Product 112
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Why Your Startup Needs a Sales Methodology

Both Sides of the Table

Like most startup entrepreneurs, when I began my first company in 1999 I had no formal sales experience. It’s what I call “ the evangelical phase ” of a company in which you’re out trying to persuade customers that a product you’ve designed is going to meet their needs better than other solutions on the market.

Sales 393
article thumbnail

Entrepreneurism is all about personal risk.

Berkonomics

Here’s the ultimate thing about entrepreneurism. Resources such as money, experience, statistics about your target, experienced marketing and sales talent, and especially a compelling need and attractive product are all important to the ultimate success of an enterprise. The post Entrepreneurism is all about personal risk.

article thumbnail

Does Your Entrepreneur View Match Your Startup Stage?

Startup Professionals Musings

According to most definitions, an entrepreneur is one who envisions a new and different business, meaning one that is not a copy of an existing business model. Many entrepreneurs have a passion and an idea, or even invent a new product, but are never able to execute to the point of creating a startup. Funding and rollout stage.

article thumbnail

4 Entrepreneur Categories Hunt For Market Innovations

Startup Professionals Musings

Most entrepreneurs believe they are “different,” but they can’t quite understand how. The classic book, “ Hunting in a Farmer's World: Celebrating the Mind of an Entrepreneur ,” by serial entrepreneur and business coach John F. Dini makes the case that entrepreneurs are hunters, while the rest of us (large majority) are farmers.

article thumbnail

Why Entrepreneurs Should Be Respected More Than Loved

Both Sides of the Table

Eventually you need a VP of Product to handle your product roadmap, a CTO for engineering leadership and VPs of sales, marketing & biz dev. Of if your VP Sales isn’t complaining about marketing she’s trying to get the function reporting to her. And then there’s product management. Engineering?