tips

Startups: What’s Your Wow Factor?

By Mark Evans in Startups 3 Comments Tags: , , ,

What’s your wow factor? What impresses, captivates or even blows people away when they experience your product for the first time?

It’s a question startups need to ask themselves in a world in which first impressions can mean everything. With all due to respect to the growing legion of minimal viable product (MVP) disciples, one of the most crucial things for startups is giving users something different, compelling or interesting so they stick around or, as important, they’re willing to give you a second chance.

For startups, wow can happen in different ways. It can be a home page that makes it crystal clear what a product does and why anyone should be interested. It can be a no-grit registration process, or a clever video, or a service that delights. In some way, it captures the imagination of users out of the gate.

It doesn’t mean the product is perfect but there’s something that lifts a product above the pack, which is a huge challenge in a world with endless choices and fickle, multi-tasking consumers.

Here’s a few examples of startups that nailed the “wow”.

1. Goodsie, a do-it-yourself e-commerce player with a video featuring music that is so cool (and, for the most part, synched) that it makes you want to watch it again and again.

2. Thoughtbox.es, which has a registration form that is simple, clean and effective. Far too often these forms don’t get enough love and attention but Thoughtbox.es nails it by being efficient yet injecting some fun into the equation.

3. Fantastical, which makes natural language software (Mac only) that lets you quickly create entries in calendars such as iCal, Entourage and Outlook. After reading a blog post about productivity software, I checked out Fantastical, then happily and quickly paid $19.99 to purchase it because it worked so well that it made me say “wow”

4. Even if you never have a need to use ifttt (if this then that), you can’t help but be intrigued and impressed with its simple but effective homepage messaging. It makes you want to want to click on “Learn More”.

These are just a few example of “wow”. If you’ve bumped into startups that have “wowed” you, leave a comment.

Beta, What Beta?

By Mark Evans in Startups 1 Comment Tags: , ,

I’m not sure about you but I sign up for a lot of betas that seem interesting. After all, they’re free so why not take one for a spin?

For some start-ups, however, there’s a gap between the time they let people sign up for a beta and when it becomes available.

So here’s a tip for start-ups when they send e-mails to people letting them know the beta is ready: include a reminder of what your service does. A good example is CardFlick. I can’t remember signing up for the beta, let alone know what CardFlick does so a short reminder would have been a great idea.

Screen shot 2011 09 11 at 2 57 06 PM

Things Startups Shouldn’t Spend Money On

By Mark Evans in Startups 4 Comments Tags: , , ,

In working with many startups, one of the biggest dangers facing them is, surprisingly, having money in the bank.

It’s one thing to bootstrap an idea because it forces entrepreneurs to be creative and flexible, although it can be frustrating not to have the financial resources to move aggressively or execute quickly.

And while money makes life a lot easier for startups, entrepreneurs also have to be careful about handling their new-found “wealth”. Since plunging into the startup world 10 years ago, I’ve seen too many spend money like it’s burning a hole in their pockets, buying products and services they would never have considered when there was no or little money kicking around.

For most start-ups, here’s “danger list” that should be avoided unless really necessary.

1. Office space, particularly cool, funky space. For whatever reason, too many startups decide the only way they’re going to be successful is moving from the basement or the spare room to an office space in the happening part of town, complete with exposed brick and a fridge full of snacks and soft drinks. It is based on the belief that attractive office space will attract talented people, while forgetting that an exciting idea is far more compelling.

2. Hiring a full-time marketing person. Most startup entrepreneurs are developers as opposed to marketers or communicators. As a result, they don’t understand how marketing works, how marketers do their jobs, and when they’re needed. Since entrepreneurs don’t have marketing expertise, they think hiring a marketer makes sense because, after all, every company should do marketing. The problem is many marketers are hired before they are really needed, and entrepreneurs don’t have the ability to assess how a marketing person is performing. Rather than hiring a full-time marketer, I would recommend hiring someone on a freelance or contract basis.

3. Hiring a PR agency on anything other than a project basis. Much like entrepreneurs are not terribly savvy when it comes to marketing, they have little insight into public relations. When they are looking to attract attention, entrepreneurs realize they may need a PR firm but the trouble is PR firms are looking to get what they need – an assignment with a healthy monthly retainer – as opposed to what the startup needs. My advice to startups when it comes to PR is to hire an agency on a project basis for a month or so. If the relationship is successful, the startup can hire the PR agency for another engagement when they’re needed.

4. Swag. There’s a mystery between a startup and the need to have swag – stickers, t-shirts, jackets, hoodies, pens, USB keys, bags, etc. Like cool office space, too many startups believe a sign of making it is placing a large order for swag. It may look good when your employees descend on an event with matching t-shirts but how much return does swag really generate.

5. New computers. Startups are dominated by geeks; geeks like new technology so if there are a few bucks collecting dust, buying a new computer, laptop or tablet is easy to justify. Truth be told, most of these new “toys” aren’t needed because existing devices are perfectly fine. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule. If your lead developer needs a more powerful computer to be more efficient, that can be justified. If, however, a non-developer wants a new computer so they can have run more tabs in their browser or create a PowerPoint presentation in less time, that should get the alarms bells ringing.

6. Travel. Travel is expensive. It costs money and, as important, time, and it can be a major disruption to have a key person out of the office when there is a lot going on. Travel to attend or speak at a conference seems like a great idea but it can often be a waste of time because it generates few of the returns (e.g. new contacts, potential customers) that are envisioned. While it is a good idea to “get out of the house” once in awhile, startups need to think about things through. Another rule should be not sending more than one person to an out-of-town event, which is complete overkill.

7. Hiring too many friends. On one hand, it’s good to hire people you know and trust given the time people who work for a startup spend together. The danger is people are hired based more on friendship than how good they are at doing their jobs. Given each hire for a startup is crucial, employing a friend who isn’t as good as another candidate is a mistake. Another reason not to hire too many friends is it can be difficult to fire them if they’re not performing well given how it could impact the friendship.

Are there any other things startups should avoid spending money on?

Seven Survival Tips for RIM

By Mark Evans in Wireless/Research in Motion 5 Comments Tags: , ,

With all the talk about Research in Motion’s financial and marketshare struggles, many people tend to overlook it is still a wireless behemoth, albeit one with intense and growing competition. That said, it’s far from being a doom and gloom scenario that will see RIM pull “a Nortel.”

Still, RIM needs to make some major moves to jump-start and revitalize its prospects. Here are some ideas:

1. It should hire a chief operating officer with strong marketing expertise, as well as a kick-ass chief marketing officer. While no one is going to match the coolness of Apple, RIM’s marketing efforts in the pro-sumer marketplace have not been inspiring, creative or noteworthy. That said, there’s lots of potential to develop compelling campaigns that appeal to non-corporate users. Here’s a free one: the young’uns love the BlackBerry keyboard so they can pound out BBMs, text-messages, tweets and Facebook updates. How about a fun, quirky ad campaign that worships the keyboard?

2. BlackBerry’s Web browser needs to rock the house. I’m not talking about good, I’m talking awesome. For years, RIM ignored the sad reality it’s Web browser was crap. Now, people are surfing the Web anywhere and any time so RIM must make browsing on the BlackBerry easy, efficient and intutive. If need be, make a major acquisition to get it done.

3. It should make strategic acquisitions to enhance the BlackBerry features. The deals for Tungle, a scheduling service, and Scoreloop, a social and gaming application maker, were smart moves. RIM should make more small, but strategic, acquisitions so it can provide BlackBerry and PlayBook users with a strong suite of in-house applications.

4. Do whatever it takes to bring the developer community into the tent. With multiple devices and two operating systems – the upcoming BlackBerry OS 7 and the next-generation QNX – it is challenging for developers to play with RIM. While RIM will never have the same size developer ecosystem as Apple or Android, it has to have a big enough community to provide the BlackBerry and PlayBook with enough support. And, at the same time, RIM needs to bend over backward to keep its current developer partners.

5. Lose the hubris and arrogance. When I first started covering RIM more than 10 years ago, it was a friendly, accessible organization. As it grew, the company became more remote and impenetrable. At the same time, its co-CEOs, Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, seemed to become more cocky, which no longer goes over well when you’re no longer king of the hill.

6. Fix the PlayBook as quickly as possible. Without sugar-coating it, the PlayBook was launched as a half-baked product. Anyone who purchased one out of the gate was a fool. Sure, it has some nice features, including the ability to handle Flash, but there are also so many holes it’s nowhere ready for prime time. Yes, I can understand why RIM had to get the PlayBook out the door but it must bring out a ready-for-primetime PlayBook 2.0, along with an ad campaign that delights and entices.

7. Share the love with the blogging community. I’m only talking from personal experience but I find it strange to have almost no relationship with RIM even though I consider myself to be a modestly prominent member of the Canadian high-tech community. In the past five years, the only time I’ve been invited to a RIM event was a launch party for the Torch last year. Then again, nearly everyone was invited to that party, which was held at a nightclub in downtown Toronto, which struck me as odd. Other than that, RIM and I are strangers, which means I’ve never had a chance to check out the PlayBook, for example. Maybe it’s just me but I suspect RIM has a similar approach to the overall community.

Links:
- Last week, I had a blog post about why RIM is different from Nortel.
- Here’s a Globe & Mail feature on their suggestions to fix RIM.
- A RIM employee writes a letter to Balsille and Lazaridis, and provides eight suggestions about to get the company back on the right track.

10 Key Lessons About Speaking and Presenting

By Mark Evans in Advertising/Marketing 8 Comments Tags: , ,

Since starting my digital marketing consulting business in late-2008, one of the most interesting and challenging aspects has been making presentations. I hadn’t done a lot of them before, perhaps because there wasn’t much demand to hear from a high-tech reporter.

But given the emergence of social media, there is a lot of interest from companies and organizations looking for people who can explain what’s happening and what to do. Presentations are a lot more work than I had imagined but they are good for business because being able to demonstrate your expertise first-hand is a great way to connect with people.

While I haven’t taken the plunge and signed up for a presentation course, I have been spending a lot of time reading about best practices and watching videos of people who are good at delivering presentations that captivate and resonate. Thee biggest lesson I’ve learned is while there are people who are natural presenters, many of the best speakers do well because they’re prepared and experienced.

Here are some of the key lessons I’ve learned about making presentations:

1. Being prepared can’t be under-estimated. It’s not enough to know your subject matter inside out, a good presentation happens because the speaker knows what they’re going to deliver and how it’s going to be done. A crucial element is rehearsing your presentations, which means going through everything as if you were doing it for real. It is always surprising to discover while rehearsing that some parts of your presentation don’t work, which is something you’d never know until it was late otherwise.

2. Think of a presentation as a story or narrative. It’s more than a series of slides with interesting facts and graphics. Instead, you’re drawing people into your presentation by delivering an interesting, engaging or enlightening tale that starts with an introduction, provides some drama or entertainment, and then ends with a conclusion of what you’ve told the audience. An effective technique is telling stories that involve personal experiences so people can relate to the person on-stage.

3. Arrive early to prepare and get a lay of the land. I like to get to a venue at least 30 minutes before the presentation starts. This lets me learn about the technical set-up, the layout of the room, and get a sense of the audience from the organizers. Ideally, the room is empty so I can set up the presentation and run through a few slides, including those featuring videos.

4. Make yourself available before and after the presentation. It’s not enough to get on stage and deliver what you were asked to do. It is important to connect with the audience so they can get a sense of your personality and skill-set. Again, you want to make a connection as opposed to simply being a performer.

5. Turn everything off on your computer to avoid any technical surprises. I learned this lesson the hard way when during a presentation, there was soft music playing in the background. At first, I thought it was the audio system but soon learned I had left iTunes running. Needless to say, it was embarrassing but an important lesson. You should turn off applications running the background such as Twitter and DropBox that may provide notification alerts.

6. Be prepared for things to go wrong. As much as you’re prepared and well-rehearsed, not everything always goes according to plan. It could be that the videos you created don’t work or there’s no audio system.

7. Be ready to shift the focus on your presentation if you discover it’s not resonating with the audience. It could be something you learn before the presentation in talking with people attending the event. Or it could be something you sense during the presentation itself. It may not be a matter of abandoning your presentation but shifting gears and doing some ad-libbing. It means you need to be aware of the visual clues. Are people nodding their heads or writing notes as you speak? Are they laughing in the right spots, or not laughing at all?

8. As much as it would be great to create a presentation that could be used repeatedly (aka shampoo, rinse, repeat), the reality is presentations need to be customized to meet the needs and interests of the audience. In particular, case studies or examples have to feature companies within a particular sector. If you’re doing a presentation for event planners, for example, show them event planners, hotels and caterers using social media.

9. Thank the audience for attending. As much as you’re the “star attraction”, it takes two to tango. A good and engaged audience can make a presentation work really well. An audience not into it can easily kill a presentation.

10. Think of your presentation as a script that constantly changes and evolves. The parts/slides that resonate are retained while sections that don’t work should be replaced. I’m amazed, for example, how dramatically my social media presentation has changed and improved over the past six months.

Resources: Some of the good books I’ve read about presenting include the “The Naked Presenter” by Garr Reynolds and “Confessions of a Public Speaker” by Scott Berkun. Scott Stratten has a good post offering 30 quick tips for speakers.

What I Learned about Business in 2010

By Mark Evans in Main Page No Comments Tags: , , ,

It is sometimes difficult to believe that it’s been two years since I started ME Consulting – a move that came more out of necessity after parting ways to PlanetEye, an online travel startup.

In many respects, it has been a huge education, as well as a tremendously exciting and satisfying personal and professional adventure. Althought I had worked for three start-ups (Blanketware, b5Media and PlanetEye), there is really nothing like starting and running your own company. When there is no one else to support the business, you can either sink or swim.

In 2009, ME Consulting was all about survival and experimentation. You have to remember the economic downturn was alive and well. so it probably wasn’t the best time to go into business for yourself. My biggest focus was getting enough business to operate for another month. Every new client meant another brick within the foundation, which meant there was no lack of motivation.

As 2010 rolled around, ME Consulting was a going concern. Rather than thinking about surviving, I started to focus on growing the business and doing a better job of telling the world what I do and why they should care. At the same time, the learning curve stayed front and centre. Here are the biggest things I learned in 2010.

1. Life gets a lot easier and more fun with the right partners and people. My partnership with Seth Singer (aka Think 33) has been a win-win professionally and personally. By having Seth as a partner, we’ve been able to expand into a digital agency that offers social media strategy and tactics, Web site development and design, content creation and video production. Basically, we’ve become a one-stop shop – something that wasn’t possible without our partnership.

2. Sell, sell and then sell some more. As much as it’s great having clients, the reality is you can never rest on your laurels, and stop selling. Clients come and clients go, which means the hunt for new business never ceases. It can take a lot of energy and time to be prospecting but it’s a necessary evil to keep a business thriving.

3. Don’t take on business you can’t do. It seems like a simple proposition but it can be difficult to turn down business, particularly if your company isn’t running at full capacity. It is a lesson I learned the hard way after accepting a marketing gig that didn’t seem like a natural fit but the dollars were difficult to turn down. After spending a month scrambling to do the work, I had to concede it wasn’t in my wheelhouse – a decision that frustrated the client, who had entered into the project in good faith.

4. Referrals are good (and the right thing to do). In some ways, this lesson is closely linked to #3. If there is a situation that’s not a good fit, the best move is referring someone to another person or company who can meet their needs. This has three benefits: it avoids you taking on work you can’t do, it helps the other party, and it scores point with the company getting the referral. One of my biggest and most interesting clients happened because I made a referral with no expectations other than doing the right thing.

5. It’s smart to invest in your business. As much as we’re living in a lean and mean environment, there are many benefits to investments that make your business operate more efficiently and effectively. It could be buying office equipment, computer hardware or online services. It could be hiring people to do work that would consume too much of your time. The key is spending where it makes the more sense and you get the biggest return.

6. Make sure your books and finances are well organized. The biggest mistake I made in 2009 was not spending enough time on my finances. It meant having to spend several weeks reviewing receipts, back-dating transactions and categorizing spending to get my books properly organized. While I didn’t perfect my finances in 2010, I was a lot better organized. Next year, maybe the shoebox full of receipts will disappear!

What were the biggest lessons you learned in 2010?

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