Questions regarding selling products to both new and existing customers of the business.
2
votes
13answers
772 views
The Single Most Important Trait of a Founder
So I've been thinking a lot about important traits of startup founders. I keep coming back to the notion that the single, most indispensable trait of a startup founder is the ability to pick up the ...
2
votes
3answers
479 views
My foreign client requested me to send him a copy of my passport page
I am a business translator/interpreter in Hangzhou, China. A British client said that he is going to China and he will hire me as his interpreter when he is in China. He asked my bank information ...
2
votes
5answers
281 views
Consulting while working
I kinda have a dilemma! My partner and I, who are coworkers, came up with the idea to start our own consulting firm. Our firm will target our present clients. We are Medicaid consultants in a ...
2
votes
3answers
156 views
Selling using the honor system
This is sort of a follow up to a post a few months back. I recently converted a solo software project into a "business" (in quotes because it has a non-profit motivation and I make very little at ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
First time meeting a CEO
We are in the process of getting a new project. It is our first project building a corporate website for a chip company.
This is the first time we are going to meet a CEO. We are a small group of ...
2
votes
5answers
380 views
How to find salespeople for a startup?
I have bootstrapped a startup and am at the stage where I need salespeople who can go out and acquire some customers. Online marketing doesn't seem to be helping since my startup is a B2B focusing on ...
2
votes
2answers
82 views
How to get excited about selling?
I usually like selling our new product, but today I'm not very excited about it. It really reflects on the feeling in my sales-calls. How do I get more excited about it?
2
votes
3answers
225 views
How to determine competitor's pricing model when impersonating a customer is challenging
This question accompanies my recent previous question, Are there any methods you can think of to determine a comptetitors pricing model under these stipulations:
The pricing sheet is not publicly ...
2
votes
5answers
316 views
How to negotiate with a sales guy
I started developing a product in 2001. It was a one off web site for a particular client in which I retained all rights / ownership of the software. By early 2009, the code base had been extended ...
2
votes
1answer
220 views
retail point of sale software
Does anyone know what Point of Sale software that large retailers in the US (from Macys to CVS to Bestbuy) use?
What do you suggest for a person with a brand new idea in a better point of sale ...
2
votes
3answers
181 views
Annual Maintenance Payments
We are planning on introducing an annual maintenance fee for a new enterprise-level product we will soon be launching.
How do you handle when the payments are to be made?
For example, let's say a ...
2
votes
4answers
355 views
Sales for my startup job portal
I just launched my Job portal last week and now i am really wanted to know which is best way to generate sales for a startup company like us.
is it really hard to convince the recruiters to post thier ...
2
votes
2answers
73 views
Paying sales and use taxes in the state of incorporation for sales outside the state?
I have an LLC that is formed in NC. The LLC sells software online; the software is downloaded through the website. The website is run through GoDaddy, which is in Arizona, I think. The programmer ...
2
votes
1answer
218 views
How to sell software tools to developers?
I have Windows desktop tools for developers. I have a few large companies that bought them. It is mostly project managers that did the buying and so far they found me via Google search(I have done a ...
2
votes
2answers
118 views
Sales and Marketing Co-founder-Ivy League MBA or Industry Expert?
I am working on a software product, which is going to revolutionize a specific industry. I checked with couple of top guys in this industry and they are all impressed. It is a billion dollar problem. ...
2
votes
5answers
267 views
Possible To Sell Product To Current Employer?
I have an idea for productivity software that would be very beneficial to my current company (and to me in my current role). My current role involves no software development at all (I'm working for a ...
2
votes
2answers
845 views
How to project sales in the development stage?
Happy New Year!
I am beginning to write a business plan for a future startup based on an innovative software technology I developed. An actual product is still in development.
I am using a dedicated ...
2
votes
1answer
87 views
Verifying commodities in China before buying
I found some commodities in China, and I'm very interested in import them for reselling in my country. However I'd like to verify the commodity's status before make my first buy.
Do you know a way to ...
2
votes
5answers
146 views
Negotiation with potential large customer
I am looking for some feedback regarding this situation.
We provide software in the form of SaaS.
Now, we have been working with this 1 company for over 3 years. They have 1200 employees, of which ...
2
votes
2answers
107 views
What to say when contacting a potential partner for the first time?
I am trying to use LinkedIn to contact people that work for potential partner companies to resell my software. Can you offer any advice on what to say to gain information from them?
Would it be ...
2
votes
6answers
302 views
Do you think cold calling is dead?
I get the trend is towards social media to meet potential prospects but for high tech companies selling to mid sized organizations do you think cold calling doesn't work anymore?
2
votes
4answers
316 views
Why are big software companies going freemium?
There's a lot of criticism of freemium in the startup community, but in 2009, some of my favourite large software companies moved towards, rather than away from it.
Atlassian started their $10 ...
2
votes
2answers
158 views
Terms And Conditions for Website Advertising
I am curious if anyone has any experience with selling website Ad space directly to customers. If so, what are some of the Terms and Conditions that you have used?
2
votes
6answers
329 views
How do you discover who are the customers for your “alpha” product?
You have a product alpha. How do you discover who are the customers for your product?
2
votes
1answer
117 views
When is a business cofounder needed
I am technical founder right now of my own software startup.
Right now, I'm developing the software and am seeking a business cofounder.
I lack domain expertise in the various parts of the business ...
2
votes
2answers
143 views
Dealing with Free and Lite Version of Competitors
We are new to the software field and have been launched ~4 months = 8 sales so far.The conversion rate is 0.5 %.Product is priced around $25-$30
We are in a market with lot of competition,in fact the ...
2
votes
2answers
69 views
How to change my part time business in to a permanent business?
I've had a small, part time email sales business for the last 3 years which shows good potential. I do however have a permanent day job which I can not afford to leave yet but I want to increase my ...
2
votes
3answers
93 views
How to market and distribute an app targeted to small retailers
In the planning stage of building an app with a monthly subscription element targeted to small business merchants having 1 - 10 retail venues.
Looking for any advice on a go to market strategy to ...
2
votes
3answers
348 views
What is standard marketing practice for a niche SAAS product?
My product solves a known problem for a specific industry and I am wondering how best to sell this. Eventhough it is a SAAS based product, our leads won't come online to search for this type of ...
2
votes
1answer
156 views
Where do Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) hang out?
We are launching a new quoting software product targeted at ISVs, but don't know where to find them. I won't include the link as I don't want to seem spammy, but it's in my profile if you want to ...
2
votes
3answers
356 views
What's the best book on pricing you've ever read? [closed]
What's the best book you've ever read on pricing?
2
votes
3answers
165 views
Trouble in building content for E learning tool designed for medical school/college & motivating the content designers
We are a start up company, buiding a E learning content for our medical schools/college and we are in good situaltion with the E learning tool however we do not have the content for our tool. We had ...
2
votes
1answer
221 views
Prospect asks for client references, you don't have any what do you say to get the deal?
If you are doing a direct sale and don't have any client references to offer, and the prospect is interested in going forward but needs client references what do you do?
How can you still get the ...
2
votes
2answers
872 views
How to hire a salesman?
Usually salesmen have a base pay and then commission on each sale. I want to know how a company handles this? I mean for example a salesman's basic pay is $1000 and commission ratio is 10% for each ...
2
votes
3answers
132 views
How can I cope with price/cost inquiry tactfully?
I'm a private English-Chinese interpreter in China. People often send Email to me to ask my rate. As soon as I tell them my rate, they often don't contact me any more. I don't think my rate is very ...
2
votes
1answer
80 views
Seeking sales and marketing stakeholder
StreamingCulture, a venture that I am involved with is looking for a stakeholder with sales and marketing experience. Our mission is to help nonprofit institutions (focusing for now on performing arts ...
2
votes
3answers
96 views
“Segmenting” visitors to my sales website
I have made a simple sales web page to generate leads for my new business.
One problem I think I have is that the current web page tries to be "all things to all visitors", when in actuality I know ...
2
votes
4answers
208 views
How do you find and choose the best cofounder who can manage sales?
Let's say that you have a great idea, great market niche and you can build a prototype and you need a cofounder who has experience in selling and who is connected. How do you find and choose the ...
2
votes
3answers
62 views
Why is it necessary for online marketing to be mobile-friendly?
Can online marketing still survive even if it isn't mobile-friendly? What advantages can it give to online marketing?
2
votes
3answers
151 views
Have any advice on getting good at sales?
We're ready to start selling our (free) software product to local businesses. Don't worry, we make money another way :)
So, by selling, I mean of course, pitching them and getting them to use the ...
2
votes
2answers
268 views
Head of Sales/BD/Marketing Equity Share for Prefunded Startup?
I'm considering joining a great team/early startup.
Founder A engineer / mba, brought the vision.
Founder B phd relevant to product
C head of Product - person poached from another company very ...
2
votes
2answers
236 views
Good sales strategy for startups?
I am one of the first employees of a start-up and joined with a technical background. Now a few years down the line, I would like getting into sales. While I am getting good results, I know they can ...
2
votes
2answers
175 views
Profit sharing with sales person
I am trying to start yet another offshore development company. I have couple of people (onshore) who might be generating leads for us and closing the sales.
Now the point is that these guys are not ...
2
votes
1answer
183 views
What is a fair amount to pay for consulting referrals?
I'm an independent software consultant who is looking for referrals.
I've come to the conclusion that perhaps I should pay for them and earlier today posted this question about a teired commision ...
2
votes
2answers
179 views
Hourly billing application
What application do you guys use for hourly client billing/tracking?
Probably a "stupid" question, but very useful for those just starting.
2
votes
11answers
662 views
What's the best sales book you've ever read? [closed]
Any recommendation? Is sale a process to deliver comfort which is declared in the book "E-myth revisited"?
2
votes
3answers
87 views
Accept payment over the phone
We are using paypal for a subscription software product. We are about to start selling over the phone and want to accept CCs over the phone. It seems like paypal should be able to do this, but I have ...
2
votes
5answers
266 views
How can we communicate our message effectively without being seen as what exists already in the market?
We provide a new software that allows service based companies to present orders, invoices and cash receipts through a web portal with matching,workflow and a communication platform for trading ...
2
votes
1answer
618 views
When does an artist need to pay sales tax?
As a free-lance artist, tax preparers tell me I am like a printer and or graphics artist ... a service and no sales tax is required. The bulk of my work is portraits, murals, and some graphic design ...
2
votes
2answers
220 views
Should a founding partner receive a sales commission or vig?
I'm one of four partners in a litigation technology startup. We're a great mix of skills, everyone brings their own strengths to the table.
One of our partners is our head of sales because he has ...
