Everywhere Technologies

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[everywheretech]

FOCUS is simple in concept, yet incredibly difficult in practice; thus the need for...practice

everywheretech

[everywheretech]

#Focus is so simple in concept but incredibly difficult in practice. As entrepreneurs we make our livelihood from attempting to bring our ideas to life, and what we find is that the birth of one idea does not mean the end of seeing opportunities in almost everything. Personally, what I find hard is being able to put aside awesome distractions and re-focus that energy into the current project. Focus is so simple in concept but incredibly difficult in practice; thus the need for....... practice. #focus #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #practice #experiece #business #businessquotes #smallbusiness #igphotooftheday #ideas #quotes #motivation #thoughts #thoughtfullthursday #peakexexutivegroup #somethingtothinkabout

[everywheretech]

The Salesperson: Investors’ Sweet-spot

"Sell it, or do it"

I swear, the amount of learning that happens in the start-up process…Sallie Mae doesn’t have enough money to cover what this would cost in institutional education!

Anyway, I just had a meeting with the founder & CEO of a successful competitor in our space, who I have to say, was amazingly cool. I have been following his blog for some time so I had a feel for his personality. So I guess what surprised me was that I was not disappointed by the actual interaction! Is that weird?

As we discussed some of the challenges my fetus of a start-up and I are facing, he dropped some insider truth. Being an entrepreneur himself and now an investor, he has had the opportunity to play on both sides of the field. He told me that investors look for founders who can SELL.

Now, to be fair, I was already a bit star-struck just meeting him, so anything he said, I probably would have categorized as gold. However, this particular tidbit was of significant importance because I have been in sales a good part of forever. In-fact, my product, the Everywhere Card is initially targeted at sales professionals. So him telling me that the ability to SELL was a (if not, THE) major attribute that investors are looking for, tickled my fancy.

He further explained that, in light of my current situation (needing a technical co-founder), this point was most crucial because investors want to know that other people not only think you have a great idea, they’re willing to come along side of you and build it…for free. The flip side being, if you can’t sell it, I’m going to have to buckle down and learn it myself (viable alternative, but ‘aint nobody got time for that!’).

See, a successful leader is not just one that is laser focused passionate or convinced about his/her idea; you have to sell someone on it and convince them that:

a) It’s a good idea

b) You have a viable plan for successful execution

c) They will personally benefit immensely by partnering with you

 If you can’t convince quality people to join your team, how are you going to convince people to buy what you’re selling? And if you don’t possess the skills to convince people to buy what you’re selling, then why would I, as an investor what to give you my money to go build it?

I waste no time…

Shortly after meeting with this guy, my partner and I were scheduled to meet with another gentleman who we’ve had previous conversations with around helping us on the technical side. 

The key to successful selling is having a very clear idea of what THAT person’s needs or concerns are. They can care less about what you want. Inherently, they are looking out for their own best interest, so it was our job to discover what those factors were.

And boy did we dig in. My sole mission of the meeting with this potential technical partner was to hear his reservations, his questions and his goals; then speak directly to those. I wanted spend as much time as possible tackling these key areas before even addressing what we wanted.

Now, I have to admit, the conversation did not follow that model exactly. But, that was where our hearts were and at the end of the day, he DID open up about his priorities and concerns. We scheduled a follow up meeting to dive a little deeper on addressing those issues and parted ways with a mutual sense of “This might work!”

Selling is a process, and in entrepreneurship, it rarely ever stops. However, if I, or anyone in a similar start-up situation, wants to enter into that light at the end of the tunnel, we’d better invest in honing our skills of getting that ‘Yes.’ 

[everywheretech]

3 Ways Sex & Startups Are The Same

"Sex without love is a meaningless experience, but as far as meaningless experiences go its pretty damn good"--Woody Allen

So as mentioned in the previous post, I'm going to be taking you on an (hopefully) exciting journey with me in the start-up process of my tech business, Everywhere Technologies. You'll see what I'm seeing, and learn what I'm learning....get it? got it? good!

SEX... (I'm just going to leave this here)

As one who has spent a lot of time in sales and marketing, I have learned quite a bit about methods of getting people's attention, and like anyone who has been alive during any time in modern history, I have learned that SEX is by far one of the best captivators of all time.....So I will now attempt to leverage its power. 

How are sex (ooooooh), start-ups and sales related?

1) THE MEET

As a young man who dabbled in the singles arena for a good portion of time, I was always intrigued by the concept of "The One Night Stand". The idea that you can go to a club or a bar, meet someone you found attractive at some level, convince them to go somewhere less public (home, hotel), then have sex  till one or both of you fell asleep and departed. It was such a CRAZY notion, but according to TV, movies and some of my great story telling friends, it ACTUALLY happened!

Now, such opportunities never crossed my path, but as I started this company and thought about my previous career in both inside and outside sales, it dawned on me that being able to connect with another person rather quickly is crucial in this business. Some dating hackers will tell you that there are physical ques that can be read and specific conversations that can be had to significantly heighten your chances of "scoring". I haven't spent a lot of time researching these hacks, but I don't completely disagree that an almost scientific knowledge of your audience is key in getting to the next level. In the start-up world, I have 30 seconds to convince an investor that what I am doing is viable. Without a lot of explaining, I have to get a potential technical co-founder, or customer to buy in to what I am building. It is on me to know the cues; to understand what "turns them on". If I fail to be intentional about doing this for the folks I talk to, I'll probably end up with a Cosmo thrown in my face and going home alone.

2) No One Likes the '2-Minute Man'

"Make it Last Forever" by Kieth Sweat immediately came to mind as I started this section! Now, to be fair, the song isn't talking about endurance in-between the sheets, its talking about love...but anyway...there's that.

Everyone loves to make a good feeling last as long as possible right? Now even though "as long as possible" is very subjective, I think that we can all agree that longer than a VERY short amount of time is the general consensus. (Hit me up if this confused you)

Now, just like any decent man wouldn't want to be done when his lady is just getting warmed up, as a start-up co-founder, I want to make sure that what I am building continues to add value over time. I don't want to make a one-hit-wonder. My customers, employees and investors don't want something that will fizzle out before they have fully benefited. Therefore, I have to continually revisit my value proposition and make sure this has continuity built in. Otherwise, I am sure to get the infamous unimpressed eye-roll.

3) The Boom!

Everyone is happy when everyone is happy. But everyone won't be happy if you don't know what makes them happy. (The previous two sentences are code for THAT moment...*wink*).

The human body is SUCH an amazing specimen! Miles and miles of nerves each with a variety or triggers and stimulants...different with every human being. As a newly married man, I have to make it my priority to navigate this maze of nerves and be a selfless student of what makes her "happy". The Bible says "It is better to give than to receive". But not only because giving makes the other person happy, no; the person doing the giving also feels a washing over of joy to see the receiver experience happiness.

In this start-up journey, I am learning that it is ALL about others. Fulfilling THEIR needs and delivering what makes THEM happy. Investors, partners, employees and customers. Once I make this my priority and I am able to execute successfully, inevitably, I will reap rewards and get that tingling, toe-curling feeling!

[everywheretech]

Just Doing What They Say

I'm not a blogger...

So just to get that out of the way. But I am a listener...and when people say, "invest in your digital presence"...I listen.

So I am going to dedicate some time to tracking my experience and learnings in this startup journey through this here blog. I can't guarantee the frequency of posts, but I can guarantee a commitment to try. 

So here goes...

1st things first...

Outside of the epic slo-mo and gore, I love the movie 300 because it is a story about confidence, persistence and passion in the face of near impossible odds.

I am sales & marketing professional with no programming experience looking to launch a mobile solution for my kind. So, I decided to get a partner...who also happened to be a sales & marketing professional with no programming or technical experience. Building a technology based startup is hard....but now try doing it with no technical experience! No-bueno.

So I guess this is a good place to start. Walking you through the challenges and learnings we have faced and are going to face in this adventure.

There will be action, romance, suspense, heartbreak, victories, defeats and NO CONCLUSION...because this story doesn't end. 

Here's a treat....listen to this first Episode of StartUp Podcast (http://gimletmedia.com/episode/1-how-not-to-pitch-a-billionaire/) that describes the true narrative with gruesome details of starting a business. You'll love what you hear.....I guarantee it.

follow me on twitter @Naija_Royalty

[everywheretech]

Your Contact Concierge!

Everywhere Card is the mobile solution for managing initial and on-going engagement with your contacts. You meet someone; professionally connect with them instantly, then, effortlessly stay top of mind. Everywhere helps professionals network smarter. It gives professionals, entrepreneurs, and businesses a platform to significantly differentiate themselves to their customers or contacts. Everywhere Card not only maximizes new and existing relationships, it also automates engagement. This is done through its inherent sharing model, incentivized 2-way engagement, actionable insights based on real-time data and social integrations.

One button and you are professionally connected to your contact in the most meaningful ways.

The new generation of automated, incentivized engagement.

[everywheretech]

Everywhere Card Coming Soon!