LATEST PODCAST

Overlapping reseller territories back in 2005 used to be a recipe for channel conflict.

Site member garyh learned this firsthand when resellers in the same territory competed with each other by discounting his product. While the discounts came out of the reseller's pocket, garyh was concerned that this practice devalued his product in the marketplace.

IT channel veteran Ken Beam provided garyh guidance on how to eliminate this conflict, and he recommended ISVs avoid the practice of multiple resellers in the same territory.

Now — two short years later — he says overlapping reseller territories are less of a problem. In this podcast, Beam explains why resellers have shifted their focus away from reselling, and he reveals what new motivator drives them to sell an ISV's software.

Duration: 12:02

PODCAST ARCHIVES

Many, many software consultancy firm owners naively think they can easily switch their business from a services company to a product company. Tempted by others who have successfully made the transition, the overwhelming majority who try to switch quickly screw it up.

SoftwareCEO moderator, Robert Dubicki, explains what homework a CEO should do prior to making this strategic decision. Robert also provides guidance on how to create a solid transition plan that addresses the biggest obstacles that must be overcome on your path to profitability.

His current firm, Agili-T helps organizations improve performance by gaining strategic insights from continuous stakeholder feedback.

Duration: 14:05

Salesforce.com's pricing model and metrics have become the de-facto standard for SaaS wannabes.

Some companies (eager to jump on the SaaS bandwagon) blindly believe that success lies in imitating this CRM giant's pricing structure and metrics.

But with imitation comes — risk, confusion, and potentially unfair comparisons — that can put your sw firm at a disadvantage.

And given that SaaS offerings typically are priced much lower than traditional software solutions, there's less margin for error. To win, you need to develop a pricing strategy that includes viral growth with an upsell "tail".

SoftwareCEO moderator and acknowledged pricing expert Jim Geisman has more than 20 years experience in the B2B software world. His boutique firm Marketshare is the only resource on the web devoted to software pricing. Recently, he's turned his attention to SaaS.

In this podcast, learn from Jim the perils associated with imitating Salesforce.com, and unlock the secret on how to create a pricing strategy that's right for your business — and your customers.

Duration: 15:30

Customer privacy is a growing concern for consumers, and it can be a big risk for businesses who think they can adapt someone else's privacy policy for use on their own website.

In this podcast Chip Cooper -- SoftwareCEO moderator, legal expert, and Protect Your Business co-founder -- outlines six critical steps towards a privacy policy that protects and complies.

Backed by 20+ years as a leading intellectual property, licensing, and distribution attorney, Chip covers the issues *and* the steps you need to take to protect your website and your customers. Paid SoftwareCEO members can also download Chip's advice in our Downloads Library.

Don't think it doesn't apply to you. If you collect so little as a visitor's email address, you're at risk!

Duration: 13:24

Good business sense tells you that your software should be accessible to everyone in your target market. But most software businesses neglect to factor in people with disabilities as they design and code their products.

With 55% of the disabled population over 60 -- and a huge portion of the 77 million baby boomers approaching this age over the coming decade -- you can't afford to neglect this market much longer.

SoftwareCEO moderator Susan Haumeder and owner of (The Third Bridge) has researched how to bridge the gap between software and the disabled community.

In this podcast, Susan educates you on recent government regulations, and provides a list of resources that will help ensure your software is accessible to all.

Duration: 9:44

To conclude the 2-part podcast begun in November 2006, SoftwareCEO moderator Mark Paul of(Synergy Consulting) demonstrates how his 3-step process can have dramatic results on your company.

Take the journey of one CEO, who used Mark's plan to turn a $1M acquisition offer into a $20M acquisition deal... all in the course of just 6 months.

Duration: 9:36

In the first segment of this 2-part podcast, SoftwareCEO moderator and strategy expert Mark Paul outlines a simple, scientific 3-step process that helps CEOs eliminate the guesswork and gut-feel from their decision-making.

Mark challenges you to wipe your mind clean, eliminate all your assumptions and preconceived notions, and analyze your best customers' buying habits and motivations. Through it you'll learn what marketing tactics yield top revenue, and which ones waste your hard-earned dollars.

Stop doing trade shows and direct mail campaigns 'just because.' Mark Paul of (Synergy Consulting) shows you techniques that will get your firm firing on all cylinders.

Duration: 10:37

The economic downturn in the early 90s forced SoftwareCEO moderator Steve Kraner from a techie role into a sales role... or as he calls it: crossing over to the dark side.

Steve discovered a Selling System and skyrocketed to become a top rep and he credits the system – not natural talent – with his success.

He’s spent the last 15 years refining and passing the system on to his clients (Sandler Sales Institute) – including 15 of the top 20 software companies, and hundreds of software startups.

In this podcast, listen as Steve tells you why every software CEO needs to be the first salesperson in their firm, how to create a systematic selling system, and how to effectively use sales management techniques.

Then read the thread, take the poll, and compare your sales management techniques with others.

Duration: 11:54

Due diligence expert Charles Mills of StrategicDueDiligence.com spent a good portion of his career buying and selling software companies. He now uses that experience to help SoftwareCEO entrepreneurs sell their software company for a fair price.

In this podcast, Charles tells you how to know when's the right time to sell, how to determine your company's value, and how to negotiate for the best price.

Even if you're not thinking about selling tomorrow, Charles' advice will put you in a prime selling position once that time comes.

Duration: 11:39

Judy Schramm, president and founder of JMR Consulting, tells software CEOs what they need to do to market and start generating leads for their new product.

Don't waste dollars marketing to a broad (or wrong) audience. Listen to this podcast and get tips on how to find your niche, craft your message, and ultimately publicize that message for maximum success.

Duration: 9:04