Seeking Uncertainty

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).

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

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

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.

Continue reading Seeking uncertainty – the origins

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.

Continue reading Just Slow Down (once in a while)

Rain,

Just rain.

Rain of hopes

Hopes in vain

Shuttered in an ocean of pain

Pain that has no gain.

Continue reading Rain

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.

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

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.

Continue reading How to Setup a Lean Online Store Startup