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by Udi Dahan.
Original Post: Twas a good day
Feed Title: Udi Dahan - The Software Simplist
Feed URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/UdiDahan-TheSoftwareSimplist
Feed Description: I am a software simplist. I make this beast of architecting, analysing, designing, developing, testing, managing, deploying software systems simple.
This blog is about how I do it.
Today I was at the Israel DevDays conference. As I sat down for the first presentation, somebody came up to me. It was one of the people who was at my VB User Group presentation. I remember him asking me about consulting/contracting.
His question was this: My first customer pretty much came to me, and I built him a custom system. Now, I want to get more customers, how do I do that ?
My reply was as follows - after finding out that the client was a "low-tech" proprietership - I think it was a jewlery shop or something - I suggested this:
1. Marketing is everything
2. Know what you're marketing
3. If your clients don't understand what value your marketing message brings them, you're toast
4. Combining the proprietership with a beginning contractor means that you can't/shouldn't market yourself - "who the hell are you, and what can you do for me", said the potential client.
5. Find out what your niche is - small to medium shops in the jewlery industry is good. small grocery shops is bad. Big jewlery heavyweights is bad. Big grocery chains is just stupid.
6. Market to your niche - that "custom development" you did - it ain't custom - that's your product, that's what you market. Doesn't matter if for the next customer you'll have to rewrite it from scratch, its the only thing of value you have to offer your niche, so do that.
That was the main, censored - and therefore more clear - message.
Anyway ... back to DevDays ( today, one week after the VB User group ). He comes up to me, after a short exchange of pleasantries, he excitedly blurts out that thanks to my advice, he got 2 more customers !
Well, doesn't it just make you feel all warm and cuddly inside helping people like that ?
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