Want to start selling software 1

[mark01]

I was wondering which would be the best way to start selling software. I have a fully function demo of the app, which is in a single extracting executable, so downloading a trial version would be easy... So I have the following questions...

What would be the best way to start selling it?
How would I advertise it?

If anyone can tell me how they started selling software, and their most successful way's of spreading it out, I'd really love to hear about it...

(The software is mainly a network utility for net admins that will be run on most machines in a corporation. It will mostly be for corporations with 50+ users. Designed for any corporation.)

Thanks

 

[Dimandja]

I have had success at Users Group Meetings and at Conventions. If you are not explicitly invited to participate at one of those, you could be charged a fee to display your wares.

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[chiph]

Do you have a marketing plan yet? You'll need to spend almost as much time on figuring out who will buy it, and how to to tell them about your product's advantages, as you did in writing the code.

A coupld of good books to read are:
Bootstrap: Lessons Learned Building a Successful Company from Scratch
ISBN: 0971187304

Art of the Start, The : The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything
ISBN: 1591840562

Chip H.


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[Dimandja]

You will have to answer two questions convincingly.

1. Why should I buy it?
2. Who will maintain it?

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[dgillz]

What is "the software"?

Obviously you did not create this package. I think the only ethical thing to do is to work through their reseller program.


Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Exact Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.srhconsulting.com

 

[myCMDB]

Usually people prefer an online Demo/screen shots to downloading and installing yet another app.

Here's what seems to work well for us:
Advertise on Google and Lycos (you'll get people on your website)
Provide an online Demo so they can use the software without installing it.
Record a "how to" video (Check out

http://www.camtasia.com)

I agree with Dimandja, the easiest and most effective way is to participate in industry events which is usually not for free. That way you get access to your target audience.

Jim Davis
myCMDB Sales
>>How do you document your network?<<

http://www.myCMDB.com

<

http://www.myCMDB.com/>

Network Inventory and Configuration Management

 

[mark01]

dgillz - Sorry, it is my software. I should have made this more clear. I created this application.

myCMDB - Just curious on how well your company does...
Do you make a full time living off of selling your software?
How did you get started?
Would you say you make a sell everyday?
Did you start with just yourself, or did you start with multiple employee's?

(Not just for myCMDB, if anyone would like to answer these questions about their business, i'd love to hear your reply)

Thanks

 

[myCMDB]

>>myCMDB - Just curious on how well your company does...
We're surviving

The core team started about three years ago but it took until last year to finally break even and pay off startup loans.

>>>Do you make a full time living off of selling your
>>>software?
Yes, except we are an application service provider and don't sell the software. We "rent" it out.

>>>>How did you get started?
Many enterprise companies don't get their promised ROI when it comes to asset management/discovery software. Discovery solutions don't hook into asset management systems very easily (because companies customize it or because it takes specialty knowledge to set it up). Many systems are so powerful and complex that once the initial project/implementation team moves on, these systems are hard to maintain and difficult to adjust to the business process.

myCMDB was initially just a proof of concept to show companies that they don't have to spend a fortune to keep track of their equipment and to be able to perform periodic inventory audits. There are many reasons why you want to know what you own, where it is and how it is configured. (SOX, license compliance, technology planning ...)


>>>Would you say you make a sell everyday?
No. Our service works on a subscription basis.
Currently we add about 70-100 subscribers/month to our customer base. Some of them just sign up to play around and to check out what myCMDB is all about.
As sad as this is but even if we add 10 paying subscribers it barely affects our bottom line. On the other hand companies see value in our offering and they usually continue using the service which makes cash flow planning easy because we have good recurring revenue.

myCMDB is free if you manage < 10 configuration items. We also have customers who work creatively around the 10 configuration item limitations by creating two accounts which represent two offices or two floors...

>>Did you start with just yourself, or did you start with
>>>multiple employee
Initially three people started the company, took out an SBA loan and got the ball rolling. I joined mid 2003 when the company focus moved towards sales/marketing to increase the subscriber base.


Jim Davis
myCMDB Sales
>>How do you document your network?<<

http://www.myCMDB.com

<

http://www.myCMDB.com/>

Network Inventory and Configuration Management

 

[mark01]

Thank you very much for answering my questions...

 

[mark01]

Would it be better to start selling a demo that some of the advanced functions are disabled, then when they buy send them a working executable?

Or should I just make the trial a full version, then expire after a certain amount of time? (a product key would unlock the restrictions)

Obviously the first option is safer, but the second option would allow the user to see all the options...

Has anyone had luck with limited demo's?

Thanks

 

[chelseatech]

Hi Mark,

We set a goal seven years ago to sell utilitys software in our particular niche. We now have 20 paying products sold in over 25 countries. Based in New Zealand, the Internet ignores international boundaries.

We used to get excitied when a sale came in every week. Now we can get multiple sales on the same day. Every day, there are inquiries, suggestions and requests from clients.

Just the two of us here. Writing code and adding improvements doesn't take too much time.

A lot more time is needed to contact users/prospects to understand why the feature they are using isn't doing what they expected. Often something they have configured wrong but sometimes a combination of things not planned for in the original app.

You need a strong support structure in place.

We went for a fully functional trial version, that expires after 30 days. A sale generates a license file that unlocks the trial version.

People don't like a "demo" with limited functionality. One of those locked features might be the entire reason they will buy your app.

As for sales. You can get a lot of leverage out of resellers. See who has related products in your field and see if yours fills a gap in their product range. They will expect and will earn a margin for the extra coverage they provide.

Also keep an eye on your competitors. What do they have, that you don't have yet (and you can add to the next version)? What do you have that they don't currently do? Watch them copy your neat feature into their next version.

Best wishes

Bruce



Editor and Publisher of Crystal Clear

http://www.chelseatech.co.nz/pubs.htm