Matthews on Marketing

Matthews on Marketing

Kickstarter for “The Professional Marketer” Launched

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Just launched my Kickstarter yesterday. Even though it's relatively small money, it's strangely thrilling. Found myself furtively checking my Kickstarter iPhone app at dinner last night.In addition to raising the money to bring the book to market, I'll be noting along the way what tactics work when it comes to promoting the campaign. When it's done, I'll post them here.Meanwhile, take a look. There's a link to the draft manuscript for anyone who wants a … [Read more...]

SaaS Tactics: Do You Mean “Freemium” or “Free Trial”?

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I work in the software industry - SaaS specifically - and online customer acquisition is a hot topic these days. Getting prospective customers to use your software before talking to a sales person benefits both sides. Customers get to try out a product on their own terms and schedule. Salespeople can work more efficiently by talking only to those customers who are ready to buy. There are two models for acquiring customers this way: freemium and free trial. Freemium is a model where customers … [Read more...]

SaaS and the Buyer Persona Imperative

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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...]

Keeping the Audience Engaged with Presentation “Spikes”

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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...]