Today we have a guest writer Cristian Dorobantescu, that has been involved working both with software development and software marketing. Here he shares some interesting insights in this sometimes bipolar landscape.
Read on to find out what Cristian has to say…
Back in 2002 I joined a software start-up to work on their sales. You know the regular geek company, 7 or 8 programmers in an apartment, coding all day and doing innovative products. I bet that most (small) software companies start like that, with some technical guys developing some products, placing the products on the site then waiting for the sales to happen.
Then, the same technical guys try to make some sales things, which might not be the most efficient approach in terms of sale results (but probably better than some sale guys trying to code 🙂
If you are in this situation (technical guy trying to work on sales), then you should handle at least the following aspects in selling and marketing your software.
Chicken and egg problem in software development
Now, most technical people are very feature oriented and while working on their baby are more interested in technical challenges and innovation than in making features requested by the market. So, should you develop a product to showcase your expertise or should you implement “useless” features that are requested by the customers?
You can’t have sales without features and at some point, you can’t have features if you don’t have sales. So before you think about starting a product, define your goal; making money or features?
Features/benefits/needs
From the same “toward features” orientation, the product descriptions and presentations are a …list of features. On a more advanced level we could probably have a list of benefits.
But really you want to get to Needs. Start by thinking what needs/pains your product can or should solve. Then make sure the market hears the right message: what needs you solve and how.
Market your products through look & feel and ease of use
No matter how hard your work on marketing and selling your products, there is no better tool than the look & feel and ease of use of the product itself. From my experience I know most technical people don’t think this way, so I should make some sort of explanation. So here it is: would you buy a car that is full of gadgets but with a terrible bad handling and a nightmare look, or a nice looking one, easy to drive and with some gadgets?
Listen to your customers
If you decided that you want to actually have a successful selling product and not just features, you need to start listening to your customers. Because they are the one that pay your work, have a pain than need solved and really matter at the end.
The best way to market your product is to start from the customer. Hear his pains and translate them into features. Make them nice and easy to use. Then half of your marketing is done. What do you think?
Care for some more articles on marketing and selling your products? We have some more advices on how to sell software online and offline (http://www.avangate.com/articles/software-business )
Cristian Dorobantescu has been involved in international software sales since 2002, with a special interest for online sales. Currently the Avangate Affiliate Network Coordinator, he has previously worked on distribution channel development and online sales for international software companies.
Hello I am aswin ramakrishnan working as a business development profile in solution marketing. how to make as a perfect person in this field. as in this field we have to be very clear about the products and services we can offer with the brands we are giving. i whish to receive some paper from you to suggest me to improve myself.
Aswin ramakrishnan
Hclinfosystem
Coinbatore
i want to know that m pursuing my bms n want to be in marketing in future so can u please elaborate exactly what customers look for in a product how to convince them..please m waiting in anticipation..
This entry has enlightened me actually. This is really the situation we are in right now and I will try to change our marketing strategy.
Thanks
Thanks Harun Baris Bulut ,
I really appreciate your input.
Best of luck with your new marketing strategy!
Peter Gillberg
Yes, have to agree that I see far more people trying to program a challenge rather than simply implement what users asked for.
Then again .. users never really know what they want until a programmer make such suggestions 🙂
Yes, you are absolutely right, but what would be the solid statement to convince our potential customer to use software, while they are in manual system. The question is why software? why?
Hello i am working for a software company and i am in to sales ,we have a real estate software its is a new one ,we have given free trail period and we are having 200 customers registered in it, Because it is free.now the trail period has been completed and i when i am contacting them for sale no one is showing Interest,
Can u suggest me some tips in to make sales
Hi Sunny,
Good to hear from you. 200 registered downloaders is a great start. It seems you have some kind of marketing channel in place to get new people to try it out so now it’s just to figure out the next step – Why they aren’t buying your software…
If they liked your software I am sure some of them would convert to clients so you need to ask them why they didn’t proceed.
Perhaps the price is too high, perhaps your software lacks functionality.
I would suggest something like emailing them a special offer after the trial period. It should be time limited and be a good deal for them. When the time limit period is over and they haven’t bought you need to email them again and ask them why they didn’t go ahead. Hopefully you will get the answer to your question there.
Best of luck!
Peter Gillberg
Software Marketing Secrets
Hello Peter,
I am sending Invitation emails regularly and i have extended the trail period for them,and giving follow up calls regularly ,more over the cost is very cheap its only for 7000rs in Indian currency.for one year.
The problem is like they have only registered but they are not using the software.
The process which i follow Currently is:- I do cold calling for the new customers but no one gives me good response,
2, I try to fix an appointment with the registered customers no gives me convenient time
Go through my CRM once:-www.smartrealtoronline.com.
My officials are screwing me,to make sale
Please Peter help me out in this ,ill be very thank full to you at least i make one sale by using your tips and suggestions.
Hello Peter,
I am sending Invitation emails regularly and i have extended the trail period for them,and giving follow up calls regularly ,more over the cost is very cheap its only for 7000rs in Indian currency.for one year.
The problem is like they have only registered but they are not using the software.
The process which i follow Currently is:- I do cold calling for the new customers but no one gives me good response,
2, I try to fix an appointment with the registered customers no gives me convenient time
Go through my CRM once:-www.smartrealtoronline.com.
My officials are screwing me,to make sale
Please Peter help me out in this ,ill be very thank full to you at least i make one sale by using your tips and suggestions.
Regards,
Sunny
Hi,
I’am new to software marketing development, I don’t know what i have to do before i worked has a recruiter, I want know something about software marketing development i want to listen with your voice.
regards,
shashi
Hi Shashi,
Welcome to the exciting world of Software Marketing. You can ask any questions on this blog and I’ll do my best to see if I can answer.
All the best,
Peter
Hello Peter,
I am sending Invitation emails regularly and i have extended the trail period for them,and giving follow up calls regularly ,more over the cost is very cheap its only for 7000rs in Indian currency.for one year.
The problem is like they have only registered but they are not using the software.
The process which i follow Currently is:- I do cold calling for the new customers but no one gives me good response,
2, I try to fix an appointment with the registered customers no gives me convenient time
Go through my CRM once:-www.smartrealtoronline.com.
Hi Peter,
I am from India and become citizen of India, I am basically from Japan. I lost my family in natural disaster when I was 5years old, and was alone and someone adopt me.
I am challenging my career and I want to become a successful businesman.
I found this site and you are really so much helpful…! You provide idea, suggestions, tactics strategy to become good and reliable most trusted in Online Market.
We want to start a Software Company that is going provide Data Recovery and Database Conversion/Migration tool.
Here we have an biggest issue is we bogged down while developing application.
We are developing software and we have been working on it for 9months, we are facing problem and bogged down completely, We tried our best contacts and online search with good knowledge but no expert developer available…!
What to do the Program is related to database migration and recovery…!
Please suggest I will be thankful for you.
Thank you
yenky oram