'sales' Tag
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What packing can teach us about management at a startup
May 27, 2014Ever notice how packing a suitcase always seems a lot more stressful and time-consuming when you’re planning what to bring on your trip at the same time? Conversely, drafting a packing list before actually opening the empty suitcase makes the packing exercise flow so much more smoothly. Behind this phenomenon lies a trait inherent in […]
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Ode to the salesperson
January 15, 2013For the bulk of my portfolio companies, this is the time of year that I brace myself for a dip in financial performance. While the reasons differ, the effect in Q1 is similar. In the web and mobile companies whose products follow consumer buying patterns, the short month of February translates directly into fewer days […]
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The power of immediate feedback
October 16, 2012Probably the best recruitment I ever made when I was running my internet real estate startup was of a salesman named Bob. I stumbled onto Bob by accident and hired him in a daze of desperation after a disastrous experience with a previous salesperson. Bob was coaching high school football when I met him, and […]