How to increase your deal value and close $50k/yr. + deals easily

As sales tactics is one of the most important and vital aspects of the SaaS sales process, price optimization is a subsequent key ingredient.

Thus, positioning the right price in proposals is an art per se.

Here are few best practices taken from Nick Nolenda‘s excellent price optimization report. The practices are adapted to the SaaS world.

Here is a brief summary (tl;dr ):

1) Remove the $ sign (it reminds the pain of paying).

2) Remove the comma when possible (2599/mo. instead of 2,599/mo.

3)  Use precise high numbers as Anchor:

4) Have an Anchor price- Always start with high price

5) Start negotiation with a high precise number.

6) Visually Distinguish Higher Price Comparisons when you compare your price to a higher price.

7) Offer a decoy package (the economist experiment)

8) Expose people to any high number (another form of anchoring)
9) Shift focus towards time-related aspects
10) Use the rule of $100
11) Provide a reason for the discount
12) (VP level tips) Use more frequent (yet smaller) price increase

SaaS Pricing Psychology: the entire list

1) Remove the $ sign (it reminds the pain of paying).

tactic

2) Remove the comma when possible (2599/mo. instead of 2,599/mo.).

Besides font size and kerning, another consideration is punctuation. Researchers found that removing commas (e.g., $1,499 vs. $1499) can influence people to perceive your price to be lower

tactic9

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slow_food

The Devil’s in the Details: The Case for a Low Information Diet

The era of massive information

Today more than ever, we’re hooked. We’ve got to stay connected, right? The need to stay up to date is taking over us. We have to stay connected to what is going on and not miss a single bit of information, as it might be that piece of information that is so important for us to know. If we don’t, then others will look at us as an out-dated machine that needs to be replaced. Thus, we convince ourselves that we ought to stay super-connected.

Especially in the tech and startup space, a world of constant innovation (or so we like to think). We don’t want to left behind, don’t want to miss a thing, don’t want to overlook the latest technology that was published. Maybe we’re missing the hottest new startup, new app, new wearable, new fashion trend, and new “you name it.”

Thus, sometimes we just review and consume all this massive data out of fear (and not curiosity necessarily). We don’t want to miss a thing and then be treated by other as an obsolete iOS/Android version that nobody uses anymore.

So, since we have very little time and lots of data to consume, what do we do? You’ve got that right Johnny boy: go to a fast food restaurant! We start to consume via Twitter feed, Linkedin, Facebook feed, Flipboard, Facebook Paper app, and many more.

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show_me_money

Why VCs aren’t Insanely Rich..

Disclaimer: I admire Jason Lemkin @jasonlk and his posts are amazing. I’ve learned some much and I’m humbled to write a follow up post on this topic.

I’ll start with a spoiler, or more precisely the bottom line: VC’s are that insanely rich, or at least most majority of them.

So Jason mentioned in his post that VC’s ends up with personal effective ownership of 32%-40% on a “one company equivalent” basis.

Here is a recap of the assumptions:

1. Total of 20% in 20 companies: VC that does A/B rounds and buys 20% ownership each time they invest

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Seeking uncertainty – the origins

So I wonder why.

Why he asks? yes why.

Why seeking and why seeking uncertainty. I mean why the name of course.

What is the origin of the blog’s name. I thought about it for a while- thinking what will represent a journey that seeks all, but knows nothing.

Then it hit me (It didn’t came to me as some sort of enlightenment or epiphany, but it still hit me while I was daydreaming):

“seeking uncertainty”. In a way..We’re all seeking uncertainty.

I look for uncertainty, as I’m a risk taker or AKA belongs to the cults of ‘brainless people” that act based on hunch and excitement and not but perhaps pure complete analytical analysis of the facts.

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Just Slow Down (once in a while)

It happens too often. sounds like  the story of our life. Stop me if it sounds too familiar.

We’re intensively running in a race: getting the right degree, the right job, the right career path, the right decisions that will make us look in hindsight and say: we made the right thing.

But maybe we didn’t  and maybe we end up try to get it all, but we’re just end up catching a tiger by it’s tail.

Sometimes you just cannot have it all., and you’re just then overwhelmed but your attempts.

You’re overwhelmed, over-worn and then also noticed something and say: “wait a minute, where were I during my 20’s and 30’s, What did I do, where did I go, what tastes I’ve tried and which paths and trails I’ve walked. and your flashback of entire decade is just a quick fast movie of all of the same colleague-work-get a family routine.

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Rain

Rain,

Just rain.

Rain of hopes

Hopes in vain

Shuttered in an ocean of pain

Pain that has no gain.

Continue reading Rain

שרי להו לצדיקיא לסגואי ברמאותא עם רמאי- על טייקונים ומה שבינהם

השבוע שוב עלו הטייקונים הישראלים לכותרות. הפעם לא קושרים להם כתרים ומפארים ומרוממים אותם בכיכר העיר. הפעם מעמידים אותם למשפט שדה מהיר וחורצים את דינם לסקילה.

יטען הטוען, כי באמת יהיה זה פופליסטי לעשות כן, שכן ללא בעלי ההון- אין משק ישראלי מתקדם ואין תעשייה, שוק צרכני ושוק עבודה משוכלל.

ואולם הטיפול הכוללני בבעלי ההון אכן איננו חג סביב שיח מקצועי וענייני- שיח שצריך לבחון את ההשלכות של ריסוקם של בעלי ההן, וכפועל יוצא של חברות מובילות במשק שאחראיות להעסקתם של אלפי עובדים.

עולם היזמות טומן בחובו מושג לא פופלארי, והוא “עושק”. במילים לא מכובסות מטרה העיקרית של חברה, הינה השאת רווחים לבעלי מניותיה (סע’ 11 לחוק החברות). ישאל השואל, על מה מלינם הציבור ומבקרים אחרים- שכן אותם טייקונים פועלים בצדק, להשאת רווחיהם שלהם, רווחי החברות אותם הם מחזיקים. ועושק מוגדר בחלקו כניצול הזדמנויות (ולעיתים של החלש) על מנת להשיא רווח. יזמים זריזים, יזהו פוטנציאל להשאת רווחים וכדרכו של עולם- תמיד יפעלו להשאת רווחים במובן זה. זוהי דרכו של עולם, דרכו של שוק משוכלל.

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How to Setup a Lean Online Store Startup

The “Lean Startup” is a business approach that aims to change the way companies are built and products are launched. It was created by Eric Reis after the failure of his own startup, due to not understanding customer wants, and overspending on their initial product launch. Learning from his mistakes, the goal of a “Lean Startup” is to build a minimal product or product line and gauge customer feedback before investing in something that people don’t want.

They say: “Fail Often, Fail Fast”, and that is some important lesson to bear in mind as you will probably fail at the beginning- that is your outset, and from here you can only improve and start a tedious process of learning- It is OK to fail as long as you learn from that.

Taken as a lesson learned; How can we apply lean startup concepts to the ecommerce world?

1. Validate first, Build later
There are two prominent business strategies employed when starting an online retail business. The first approach is to sell items that other people selling as well, and focus on competitive advantage later (i.e. Price, service, etc.). The second approach is to sell items that are unique or self-made, assuming that no other retailer can sell the exact same item. As a result, the competition strategy changes, and price is not the most important variable.

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