Morettini on (High Tech) Management

VAR vs. Retail Distribution in Software and Technology Markets

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:19:02 PST

There is much talk in the software and technology industry about distribution through the "Channel". Generically that means selling through some type of a third party company, rather than selling directly to the end customer. But in reality the "Channel" includes a wide variety of disparate types of third party resellers. Today we'll take a look at when to consider partnering with two of the main

Will SaaS Lead to the Death of Software Product Management?

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:59:20 PDT

There is a lot of talk in the software business these days about changing business models, particularly the trend toward SaaS (Software as a Service). Will SaaS business models dominate the software business? Many consultants, pundits and other industry figures are proclaiming that SaaS will very soon take over the world; saying if you're not on the bus soon, you're going to be out of business

Startup Mistakes by Software and Tech Companies

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:17:07 PDT

Starting a company, any kind of company is the hardest thing to do in business. Sez me. It's also one of the most rewarding and fun, if you're built for the startup experience--though not everyone is. Technology startups have their own unique challenges. There are many different ways to drive off the road, some of which I list below. Keep in mind that no startup is perfect, and mistakes will be

Compensating the High Tech Sales Force

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:31:55 PDT

A very controversial topic within many software and other tech companies is how to best compensate the sales force. How much is required? How much is too much? What's the best mix of salary and incentive comp?If you've read anything I've written before, you'll find my next comment familiar:It all depends on your particular situation.There is no across-the-board best practice for optimizing your

All atwitter About Twitter Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:25:58 PDT

There's been a lot said and written about the newest Social Media craze, Twitter.Particularly in the popular press, there's also been a lot of misinformation. Sometimes the only way to get the real story is to try it yourself. I thought I'd give it a shot, and throw in my two cents on what Twitter's really all about with respect to marketing.I've been on Twitter for a few months now. As of today,

Business Intelligence Software 101

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:29:59 PDT

This month we have a guest Blogger: The Actuate Corporation Team. Acutuate is an Open Source Business Intelligence Software vendor. Hope you enjoy their post-Phil MorettiniThanks to the global recession, companies worldwide are looking for ways to streamline their organizations and cut costs. Increasingly, they’re turning to business intelligence software to help find solutions. Developed by

Will Microsoft's BING Finally Bring Success in the Search Engine Market?

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:08:46 PDT

Microsoft's new search service is called BING, and takes a contrarian approach to the simple Google Interface. The BING interface is kind of a cross between Google and the Yahoo Directory, with a bit of Expedia, MapQuest, Shopping.com, UTube and Flicker thrown in for good measure. Never accuse Microsoft of being modest in their ambitions--this site takes on directly just about every major

Cloud Computing, SaaS and Such--Have We Read This Story Before?

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:30:56 PDT

I have this incredible feeling of déjà vu.Cloud computing and Software as a Service is all the rage. In my practice at PJM Consulting, I am very involved in software startup activity. Nearly every new software company that I see today is being built on the Software as a Service business model. It's all the rage--so much so that it appears that any self-respecting software entrepreneur would be

Oracle is buying Sun?

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:25:41 PDT

Breaking News…. Oracle buys Sun!? What's wrong with this picture?What's surprising is that a very large software company is buying a very large hardware company. You often see a hardware company buying a software company, but I can't really think of a deal that's gone the other way around. Certainly not at this level. My practice at PJM Consulting serves all kinds of technology companies--but a

White Papers in the High Tech and Software Marketing Mix

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:52:39 PDT

There are many marketing methods in Software and IT marketing that can be appropriate in some, but not all situations. I'd put White Papers in that category. The term "white paper" is a broadly used term, and can mean different things to different people. I define a white paper as a document written to provide insight or expertise specific to a market, process or product category.PRODUCT & MARKET

The Future of Venture Capital Funding in High Tech

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:44:49 PST

Like almost every aspect of the current economy, Venture Capital Fundings of High Tech and Software startups are way down.There is pressure on virtually every segment of our economy, and the worldwide financial system is in by far the greatest disarray of our lifetime. The preferred exit strategy for Venture Capitalists, the IPO, pretty much shut down quite a while back. Financial returns at

Inside TeleSales versus Outside Sales in Software and High Tech Companies

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:09:39 PST

There are many ways to deliver your software and technology products to the market. For example, one and two step distribution through third party channels, direct marketing/sales over the Internet, OEM relationships and many variations of these, as well as other methods.One classic method of delivering products to the marketplace is by using a direct sales force. Within the direct sales

Effective Management During an Economic Crisis

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:59:58 PST

This month we're doing something a bit different--we have a guest post from Holly McCarthy. Please be aware that Ms. McCarthy is not affiliated with PJM Consulting, and the views expressed in this post are her own.In the current economic climate, there is much that can still be done to turn business around. Certainly, technology has come a long way in helping businesses to maximize productivity

What Happens to Apple after Steve Jobs?

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:31:47 PST

I've written several times on Steve Jobs and Apple, one of the most fascinating companies and executives that we've seen in the history of high technology.I don't mean to make this a morbid article; the current speculation on Steve Job's health has been well-documented. I hope that Mr. Jobs is fine, and that he has many more years of good health, with a continued long reign at Apple.But it does

Integrating Sales and Marketing at Software and Technology Companies

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:42:31 PST

In some, but not all tech companies, the Sales and Marketing functions are managed separately. They are separate, but closely related functions that some people (especially technical folks) have a tendency to confuse. Normally, there is a VP or Director heading up the Marketing department, and another VP or Director leading the Sales staff. But it is also not unusual to see a VP or Director of

Structuring a High Tech Sales Force

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:45:12 PST

There are many ways to organize a sales force. In my opinion, there is no one "right" way. There is only the BEST way for unique circumstances of your current company.Like most aspects of developing a software or technology company, there are guidelines, but no exact roadmap to building a successful sales force. In my practice at PJM Consulting, I often suggest that a management exercise like

Google Chrome--a Strategic Platform or just another Browser?

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:27:15 PDT

Google's new Chrome Browser came out a few weeks ago to quite a bit of attention. It's big news 1) because it's from Google and 2) it brings back memories of the "browser wars", and seems like it could potentially signal the next big battleground in the intense rivalry between Google and Microsoft.I've downloaded Chrome and played with it a bit, but this isn't intended to be a technical review of

Structuring Channel Discounts for Software and Technology Companies

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:44:11 PDT

Selling through sales and distribution channels of various types is very important to many software and tech companies. Yet channel programs, and specifically discount structures, are often thrown together quickly and haphazardly, without looking at any real hard data. Let's examine some of the key items it's advisable to consider, when structuring a channel discount program:Market NormsThe

Competing with Entrenched Software & Technology Industry Giants

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:56:19 PDT

I was reading an article in the business section of our local newspaper recently about a new Search Engine name CUIL (pronounced Cool). I already knew about CUIL, because I had noticed that it had recently indexed the PJM Consulting website. One of their claimed differentiating factors is that they've their search index is twice as large as Google's is. In addition, they believe that they have

Integrating the Marketing and Engineering Functions at Technology Companies

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:09:56 PDT

In most tech companies, Product Marketing and Product Development/Engineering are managed separately. There is usually a VP over the Product Development function and another over the overall marketing function, which usually includes future product marketing/planning.While this is certainly an appropriate way to organize a tech company, there is a great danger in one are when it comes to these

Trade Shows for Software & Technology Firms - Do They Still Make Sense?

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:15:06 PDT

Let's talk about what, for some people, is a marketing method from a bygone era: Trade shows, or Trade Fairs, as they're referred to in most places outside of the US.At one point in time, Trade Shows were a staple in most every tech company's marketing budget--shows like Comdex, PC Expo, Network World and a host of others were annual rites of passage. But in this Internet age, they have been

The End of Customer Service

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:11:04 PDT

No one answers the telephone anymore.At least, technology companies in the US surely don't. With big companies, you are either presented with an endless phone tree--"press 1 for a company directory"--or the newest innovation in communications technology: the cheerful "automated voice attendant". In many cases these attendants, and several other "innovative" service options, can lead to a great

Retail Distribution of Software Products

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:48:59 PDT

Selling software at retail at one point in time was the "Holy Grail" for consumer, home office and small office software suppliers. That's where the volume was. Everything that a company did starting up was intended to build enough volume to get into a distributor, so they could then pursue shelf space at the major retailers of software.But oh, how times have changed. The advent of the Internet

High Tech Market Research for New Products

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:24:49 PDT

One of the biggest problems in High Tech businesses is the "technology-driven" approach that tends to predominate, especially among startups. Much of this occurs due to the fact the many founders of software and technology companies tend to come from an engineering, programming or other technical background. While a strength in creating a flow of technical innovation, this can be a real problem

Which Online Advertising Platforms Should You Include in Your Marketing Mix?

noreply@blogger.com (Phil Morettini of PJM Consulting) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 08:59:41 PST

I often write about online marketing, as many of my regular readers know. A frequent topic of mine is Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, also known as Cost-Per-Click (CPC). Occasionally, people will refer to this marketing vehicle as Search Engine Advertising. What you're hearing this called more and more is "Google Adwords".HAS GOOGLE ADWORDS "BECOME" ONLINE ADVERTISING?Of course, its kind of like