Sales, Marketing, and Strategy
Do You Need to Think Big to Win?
I was recently in a new product idea meeting, and Greg was proposing his latest idea. Greg and I have worked together, on and off, for over 20 years. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. Greg has always thought big ever since we met. Today was no…
Read MoreHow Do You Position Your Product Versus The Competition?
I’ve been watching a lot of Steve Jobs product launches for a project I’m working on. Jobs communication skills are beyond good. They are also utterly simple to copy. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] In every single product launch, Jobs follows a predictable script. It’s the same…
Read MoreWhat Are The Keys To Successful Minimum Viable Products?
There’s a lot of misinformation out there about Minimum Viable Products (MVPs). There’s a belief that it’s the right way to go if you develop an MVP because people are naturally going to buy your product. I want to debunk this idea right now. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help.…
Read More5 Avoidable Marketing Mistakes That Can Kill Your Startup
Let me ask you a question. If you had a machine where you could put money into the machine, and for every dollar you put in you got three dollars back, wouldn’t you be stuffing money into that machine as fast as you could? Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help.…
Read MoreHow You Can Avoid Nine Startup Sales Killers
“It’s too early to hire a VP of Sales!” The VC said to me. “You should be doing the selling!” Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. “I hear where you’re coming from,” I said. “And believe me, I will be selling.” “’Ken’s’ been part of the company since…
Read MoreWhat Are The Early Signs Your Startup Is In Trouble?
“There is no negotiation on this term sheet,” “Raul”, the Venture Capitalist, said to me. I was stunned. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. There’s always negotiation, isn’t there? Everyone negotiates, right? Not this VC. The terms we were given were horrible. I tried everything I could to…
Read MoreHow Do You Dethrone A Competitor With A Monopoly?
“Why in the hell are you selling your part for $20,” The VP at Vitesse angrily said to me. “You’re screwing it up for the rest of us. We’re selling our part for $100!” I smiled and said, “$100 is way too high a price. $20 seemed like a fair price for customers.” [Do you…
Read MoreWhat Is The Real Truth About Creating Killer Products?
“You just go visit customers. They’ll tell you what to do,” the job candidate said to me. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. Read any trade publication, listen to an earnings call, or listen to any podcast. You’ll hear the same advice: “Listen to your customers. They’ll tell…
Read MoreWhy You Shouldn’t Follow The Lean Startup Methodology?
I was at work when I heard that Steve Jobs died. Vivi, our layout manager, told me her husband (who worked at Apple) called to let her know. I felt sad. I’d only met Steve once, and the encounter was brief. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] Blossom,…
Read MoreHow Do You Compete Against A Large Company?
“You’re going up against Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, Linear Technology, National Semiconductor, and Maxim,” the Venture Capitalist, Jim, said to me. “These companies have all been in business for over twenty years. How do expect to compete against them?” [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] Jim’s question was almost…
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