Crossing the Chasm

I recently read a great book on what technology entrepreneurs needs to do to be successful. The book is called "Crossing the Chasm"

It is a really great book that gives some great advice on how to get through that phase where you have been succesful in selling to visionary people and on to selling to the main stream market.



This phase is called the Chasm, because there is a big gab between the two type of customers. The visionaries are willing to invest in new and exiting technology, where as the pragmatics is interested in stable technology that:
- has been proven in the marked
- has full documentation and support
- has a eco system of partners
And most important of all - the pragmatics is interested in references from other pragmatics in their own industry. They do not accept references from visionaries, because they know that do not share the same standards and priorities.

I will recommend this book to any IT startup company. It gives a very good understanding of the marked and the customers, and there is some good and practical advices of how to move forward.

I first learned about this book at MIT, where attended the Enterpreneurship Development Programm (EDP). More about this programm later.

Reserve time and space for cold calls

When you are busy I have a tendency to constantly push the cold calls ahead of me.

I have a hard time setting aside the time for making new cold calls to prospective customers. When I am busy with active opportunities, it can be difficult to priorities the cold calling. The reason for this is often:

• Cold calling requires a lot of energy and concentration
• Cold calling requires a lot of preparation to be successful
  
• The success rate is low

But on the other hand the amount of cold calling is directly related to the quality and size of my pipeline. Cold calling brings in new leads, and if done effectively it is a very good way for qualifying customers and leads.

So I have found that it is very important that I reserve time for cold calling each week. But also I have found that is very effective to reserve a space for the cold calling - a place where I will not be disturbed for several hours in a row.

Personally I have found it effective to sit at my home office (actually just my diner table) at least half a day each week where I can do cold calling.

First post in the new year

This is my first post in the new year.

It has been a long time since I wrote to the blog. It has been a very busy year end as for everybody in sales, but more surprisingly it has been an even more busy start of the year.

I have working on some highly resource requiring but very interesting deals, including a full weeks Proof of Concept abroad.

But I hope to get a bit more time to write again now. If you have any comments or topics that you would like me to touch on please let me know.