ERIC SINK ON THE BUSINESS OF SOFTWARE

Twenty-SixCLOSING THE GAP, PART 2

MONDAY, MAY 10, 2004

Last month we introduced a concept that I call the gap:

Product -------------------------------- Customer

This gap is the distance between the prospective customer and your product. As long as it continues to exist, your customer has less software, and you have less money. In order for the sale to occur, this gap must be closed. Until that happens, the gap represents all of the issues and obstacles that are preventing the customer from making the purchase.

As Chief Sales Geek in your ISV, it is your responsibility to figure out how this gap is going to get closed. You have exactly two ways to do it:

• Move your product to the right.
• Move your customer to the left.

Last month, we talked ...