Specifically what is often not in the DNA of founders are sales skills. The result is a lack of knowledge of the process and of sales people themselves. I had never had any sales training so everything we did for the first couple of years was instinctual. boil it down to this: sales people are sales people. MORE >>

When you’re setting out to hire sales people it’s important to know what type of sale you’re making. While there are many distinctions in the types of sales that companies make, one noteworthy paradigm is what I call the Pro vs. Bro sale. A “Pro” sale means selling to a professional audience in a professional way. MORE >>

One of the principles of Customer Development is to get out of the building and understand the smallest feature-set customers will pay for in the first release.). can’t get more than one of ten potential customers to think that this is something they’d buy.”  Or worse, that every potential customer should want it. MORE >>

Gathering real-world feedback from customers is a core concept of Customer Development as well as the Lean Startup. When I asked him if he actually had personally left the building and talked to these potential customers, or even had gotten them on the phone, he sounded confused.  Customer needs are non-deterministic. MORE >>

I’d like to talk about Crocodile Salesmen in 3 scenarios: 1) when YOU are selling (or someone on your team), 2) when you are trying to recruit a sales person. But how to apply “listening&# in a sales meeting? Let’s assume you run a Customer Support software company. Beware of Crocodile Sales. Never. MORE >>