I came across something recently that really struck me. In reading Peter Levine's "SaaS Manifesto," I was surprised to learn that half of all SaaS purchasing decisions are now made or influenced by operating departments, like Sales, HR and Marketing. Now, I know Sales VPs have always had a say in which CRM to buy, and I read IBM's study from a few years back on CMOs on track to spend more than CIOs on technology. I am also well aware of (and complicit in) the "consumerization of IT" trend. But … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2014
Keeping the Audience Engaged with Presentation “Spikes”
Humans are prone to distraction. In today’s world, smartphones are addictive little distractions that sit temptingly right in our pockets or purses. So, even if you are a good presenter and your topic is interesting, you should always check in with the audience, to keep them with you. In their book Conversations That Win the Complex Sale, messaging gurus Erik Peterson and Tim Riesterer call the pattern of people’s attention “the hammock.” Why? Because, as shown below, it peaks at the … [Read more...]