Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2023

Entrepreneurs have always believed that their product or service must show real value to customers, but today the smart ones are even able to make their marketing valuable. The days are gone when marketing was all “pushing product.” by the so-called godfather of content marketing, Joe Pulizzi.

Content 104

Content Customer Custom Marketing 104

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2023

The world of marketing is changing faster than technology these days. Winning entrepreneurs have long since supplemented conventional print and video “push” marketing with digital online interactive “pull” marketing, and a while back added social-local-mobile ( SoLoMo ) to the mix. Proactively seek out win-win alliances.

Marketing 107

Marketing Technical Review Startup Innocal 107

socalTECH

OCTOBER 11, 2011

Carlsbad-based Medsphere Systems , which develops open source healthcare software, said today that it has named John Bright as Vice President of Sales and marketing. Medsphere develops a suite of clinical support products and services focused on electronic health record systems. READ MORE>>.

Sales 140

Sales Marketing Research Software 140

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2022

Marketing is everything these days. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. I like the guidance from marketing coach David Newman’s classic book “ Do It! Don’t fall into the marketing-speak trap. How many customers will have any idea what this means to them?

Marketing 141

Marketing Startup Social Media Technical Review 141

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2022

The power and influence of paid media advertising, including print ads, TV commercials, radio, and even online digital campaigns is waning, in favor of unpaid earned and owned messaging from your website, social media, key market influencers, and existing customer word-of-mouth. Long-term sales. marketing is not zero marketing.

Marketing 127

Marketing Framework Social Media Media 127

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2020

The world of marketing is changing faster than technology these days. Winning entrepreneurs have long since supplemented conventional print and video “push” marketing with digital online interactive “pull” marketing, and a while back added social-local-mobile ( SoLoMo ) to the mix. Proactively seek out win-win alliances.

Mobile 173

Mobile Marketing Technical Review Startup 173

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

Since 2009 we’ve been in an unequivocal bull market. You’d imagine that companies selling tons of shelfware would quickly meet their deserved fate in the market, yet the spin around a category of software can fool buyers into thinking they “must have this product to compete.” ROI studies were published.

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2023

Customer service has traditionally been focused on the resolution of complaints , primarily after a transaction. Even the best marketing doesn’t do it. With pervasive access to social media, customers no longer differentiate poor product repair and replacement from a poor shopping experience or customer usage satisfaction.

Competition 109

Competition Services Customer Custom 109

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 26, 2013

Woodland Hills-based ReachLocal said today that it has launched three, brand new services today, including a new website focused on the booking of home services. According to ReachLocal, it has launched three new products, ReachSite , ReachConvert , and ReachCommerce. READ MORE>>.

ReachLocal 178

ReachLocal Woodland Hills Search Engine Optimization Services 178

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2023

Contrary to popular opinion, viral marketing has not eliminated the need for old-fashioned lead generation to bring customers to a startup. His professional background includes having held marketing-executive roles at big companies as well as startups. Email marketing. Direct mail marketing.

Marketing 114

Marketing Invest Social Media SEM 114

Berkonomics

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

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. Capture every compliment and ask if you can use it for marketing purposes.

Resource 156

Resource Customer Custom Product 156

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 31, 2010

This is part of my ongoing Sales & Marketing Series. In the first part of this post I talked about how sales in a startup is often evangelical , requires as consultative sale and needs constant adjustments based on customer feedback. We had 4 or 5 sales reps that had been around since the early days.

Sales 286

Sales Newsletter Technical Review Activity 286

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 22, 2020

Entrepreneurs have always believed that their product or service must show real value to customers, but today the smart ones are even able to make their marketing valuable. The days are gone when marketing was all “pushing product.” by the so-called godfather of content marketing, Joe Pulizzi.

Customer 127

Customer Custom Marketing Content 127

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

Our interview today is with Amos Schwartzfarb , the author of Sell More Faster: The Ultimate Sales Playbook for Start-Ups , which comes out tomorrow, Wednesday. We caught up with Amos to learn about his new book, and to gain some tips for startup entrepreneurs on how to figure out when you're actually ready to scale your sales team.

Sales 113

Sales Startup Custom Development Framework 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2021

If you are a passionate technologist , it’s easy to forget that marketing is required to sell even the most compelling solution, to cut through the information overload everyone sees today on the internet. If marketing is not your thing, then you need to find a partner or outside expert to help you.

Technical Advisors 154

Technical Advisors Tips Marketing Case Study 154

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

But LA-based performance marketing agency MuteSix didn’t wait that long to build its business around scaling DTC brands. If you have growth marketing agencies or freelancers to recommend, please fill out our survey !). Why do you think that performance marketing is the right fit for DTC?

Commerce 211

Commerce Content Marketing Startup 211

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2020

Many entrepreneurs are so enamored with their product vision that they believe their own hype, and are convinced that the market for their solution is so huge that no one will ask them for independent market research data. These are also important for your product positioning in the competitor section of your business plan.

Marketing 157

Marketing Statistics Research Report 157

TechCrunch LA

MAY 3, 2022

The other side of the business is a new monthly subscription service for stylists that helps them market their handcrafted wigs, beauty and other digital products and services. The company makes money on the wig and hair sales and saw revenue triple over the past year. Remember Mary J. That was via Upgrade.

Tool 179

Tool Customer Custom Marketing 179

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 27, 2020

The Los Angeles-based operations and security management software service, Replicated has raised $25 million to ramp up its staffing and scale its sales and marketing efforts. Last year, the company unveiled its tools for managing Kubernetes deployments and immediately saw sales increase.

Software 224

Software Tool SaaS Los Angeles 224

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. And with scarce resources it’s your job to decide which door this lead must go through – sales or marketing.

Customer 324

Customer Custom Marketing Newsletter 324

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2020

With the availability of high-speed Internet and social media access around the world, it’s easy for entrepreneurs to assume that the world is just one big homogeneous market, and project their business will scale accordingly. The most common mistake is overestimating a particular market’s potential, based on your domestic context.

Marketing 134

Marketing Outsource Development Social Media Entrepreneur 134

socalTECH

OCTOBER 16, 2013

San Diego-based driver monitoring systems provider SmartDrive Systems announced this morning that it has named Michael Baker as its new Vice President of Worldwide Sales. Baker has previously served at Navman Wireless, Qualcomm Omnitracs and HighwayMaster, along with Saunders Cash Control, Trendar and Fleet Control Services American Express.

Sales 138

Sales San Diego Services Marketing 138

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2020

The most memorable businesses, like Starbucks and Apple, no longer sell products, they sell ‘experiences’ with a product at the center. The challenge is to transform and hardwire your entire team to think in these terms, rather than the default focus on distinct towers of product quality, closing the sale, or fixing a complaint.

Customer 168

Customer Custom Services Startup 168

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 21, 2013

I recently wrote a blog post in which I pointed out that many investors & advisors discourage enterprise startups from having a professional services (PS) business and I think this is a big mistake. I think it’s important for enterprise startups to layer in professional services into your revenue stream.

Software Review 321

Software Review Software Services Company 321

TechCrunch LA

JULY 29, 2020

The two companies have announced a new partnership that will see Humana pushing Heal’s in-home and virtual care delivery services to the patients it covers and committing $100 million to spur the Los Angeles-based startup’s growth. “ We think we are… an accelerant for the adoption of those services.”

Services 244

Services Invest Demand Los Angeles 244

socalTECH

MAY 28, 2013

To bring that ability to name your own price on products, Los Angeles-based Greentoe (www.greentoe.com) recently launched, allowing consumers to name their own price to retailers of everything from electronics to baby products. Joe Marrapodi: GreenToe is a name your own price marketplace for products. What is Greentoe?

Pricing 273

Pricing Product Help Sales 273

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2011

There’s a line of thinking in Silicon Valley that you should build product businesses rather than services businesses. It’s nearly impossible to get a services company financed by VCs. And stop effing around trying to create a product company.&#. Why Shouldn’t Most Services Businesses Raise VC?

Services 332

Services Venture Capital IP Startup 332

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2023

Successful entrepreneurs are the ones who think the most creatively, not only in their initial product or service, but more importantly all through the stages of growth from startup to maturity. Sales people tend to remember the latest product when selling to clients, not the one best for that customer. Failure to learn.

Marketing 119

Marketing Metrics Demand Statistics 119

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. His professional background includes having held marketing-executive roles at big companies as well as startups. Email marketing. Direct mail marketing.

Customer 146

Customer Custom Marketing Startup 146

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 2, 2010

This is part of a series on sales & marketing. I previously covered how early phase sales teams should be “evangelical&# and consultative in nature. The first post on scaling sales dealt with “aiming&# your sales teams – making sure they were focused on the right opportunities.

Sales 289

Sales Startup Training Pricing 289

socalTECH

APRIL 19, 2012

Los Angeles-based Mogreet , coming off a new round of venture funding, is in expansion mode, saying that it has opened up a new Midwest sales office for the company. Mogreet said it has opened up a new office headed by Joshua Pyne, who the firm snagged from ChaCha, the mobile questions and answers service. READ MORE>>.

Mogreet 157

Mogreet Sales Draper Mobile 157

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

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2021

While you all recognize that reacting to weak market signals is critical to staying in business and staying competitive, I find that many don’t have the skills and focus to trigger change decisions on a timely basis. Scan for unmet needs to match new products. Proactively evaluate new technologies for impact.

Marketing 162

Marketing Social Media Metrics Customer 162

socalTECH

MARCH 3, 2011

San Diego-based ShowUhow , the developer of video product guides for e-commerce sites, said today that it has named Anthony 'Tony' Wyatt as its EVP Sales and Marketing. Wyatt joins the firm from Indyme Solutions. READ MORE>>.

Marketing 165

Marketing Commerce San Diego Guide 165

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2022

The most common failures are solutions looking for a problem, lack of a defined market, or an inadequate revenue model. Target market. A target market is the group of customers that the startup plans to attract through marketing and sales their product or service. Sales/Marketing.

Sales 102

Sales Customer Custom Outsource 102

socalTECH

JANUARY 24, 2012

Aliso Viejo-based Buy.com , the online Internet retailer, said today that it has named Bernard Luthi as its new Chief Marketing Officer. Luthi comes to the company from NewEgg.com, where he was Vice President of Marketing, Web Management, and Customer Service. Luthi also served at PC Mall and Ingram Micro.

Marketing 157

Marketing Web Sales Customer 157

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

However, many people are not aware that prior to entering academia, Steve was a wily and creative marketing entrepreneur. As the VP of Marketing, Steve inherited a department of 14people that was burning $4M annually. Despite these abundant resources, the team's ineffectiveness was reflected by the company's dismal 11% market share.

Marketing 271

Marketing Startup Sales Customer 271