|
1.0 Minnesota Business and Technology Forums The Minnesota Business and Technology Forums are useful for many purposes. In order to view and post information on the web forums, you need to register by creating an account. There are many reasons to create a free account. In order to fully participate as a "NetSudser" in the Minnesota hightech community, you should create an account and use it to full advantage. The Minnesota Business and Technology Forums - http://www.masvf.com/forums/index.php Upcoming Events - http://www.masvf.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=4 HighTech Companies - http://www.masvf.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 People On The Move - http://www.masvf.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=12 Press Releases - http://www.masvf.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13 Why email only to your small email list of associates when you can post this information on Minnesota Business and Technology Forums and have access to 5500+ NetSudsers. 2.0 Jobs in the "com and .com" Market Click on http://www.masvf.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=28 for a list of available HighTech Jobs in Minnesota that have been posted at the Minnesota Business & Technology Forums. We encourage you to post available jobs for hightech professionals in Minnesota. You must identify which company you represent. If your company is already listed, please do not create a duplicate thread. Instead, post to the same thread. If you are a recruiter, you must identify yourself as such.
3.0 Calendar of Events The calendar for hightech and medtech events in Minnesota is scattered all over in print, email and online publications. Up until now, there has been no single definitive calendar. NetSuds and MedSuds has created the first and only online calendar for all hightech, medtech, biotech and life science events in Minnesota. Calendar of Events - http://www.masvf.com/forums/calendar.php? You can use the online calendar to post your organization's events. We will even allow the posting of events which compete with NetSuds and MedSuds events. The calendars are free to use for both tracking events and for posting your own events. Non-Minnesota companies conducting events in Minnesota will not be allowed to post events for free, even if they are teaming up with a Minnesota company. Non-Minnesota companies or organizations should contact matt@netsuds.com to discuss the fees associated with posting such events.
4.0 Tidbits
Visiting
http://www.masvf.com/forums/index.php
allows one to visit the Minnesota Business and Technology Forums and observe
what is available. However, in order to become a member of the community,
one must register. Registration is simple and has several advantages.
First, you can search for other members in the community using names, IDs and
keywords related to industries. Second, you can identify yourself to the
community through the use of keywords and interests. Third, you can
subscribe to certain "threads" and receive email when these threads experience
activity. You may also unsubscribe from any thread at any time.
Fourth, you can post to the Forums. This is extremely powerful.
Members can post their opinions, information and engage in online discussions.
Jobs can be posted. Events can be posted.
NetSuds encourages members to choose
usernames which readily identify one's self to the community. For example,
the username "johnsmith" identifies the member as John Smith (or at least we
hope!). Use of IDs to hide one's identity is not encouraged in these
Forums. Remember, this is a professional Web Forum and not some
adolescent, rumor-spreading chatroom. Even after you register you can alter your user profile in the "CP" section
along the top of the Forum webpage. 4.2 Wisconsin Governor's Business
Plan Contest FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(4-8-05) Contact: Tom Still or Marlene
Smith at 608-442-7557 Entrepreneurs advance to
final round Governor’s Business Plan Contest MADISON – Twenty contestants
from 15 communities will compete as finalists in the second Wisconsin
Governor’s Business Plan Contest, contest producers announced Friday. Finalists were picked this
week from a field of 49 semi-finalists by a panel of independent panel of
judges organized through the Wisconsin Technology Council, which is producing
the contest in conjunction with its membership subsidiary, the Wisconsin
Innovation Network (WIN) Foundation, and other statewide affiliates. A small number of other
contestants will emerge from business plan contests at Marquette University
and UW-Madison, two founding partners in the Governor’s Business Plan Contest.
“The quality of competition
supports my belief that Wisconsin has the ideas and the entrepreneurs
necessary to succeed in the 21st century economy. This contest will
help ideas grow into companies and to create jobs,” Gov. Jim Doyle said. The
winners will be announced at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference, June 7-8
in Milwaukee. More than $100,000 in prize
money and “in-kind” prizes are at stake. In late January, 200 plans from 138
individuals in 54 communities were submitted. The 49 semi-finalists wrote
summary business plans of no more than 1,250 words. The eight elements of
their plans included an executive summary, product and service description,
customer definition, market size, sales and marketing strategy, management
team, financial highlights, capital requested and planned use of funds. Final plans must be submitted
to the Tech Council by 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 4; final judging will take place
throughout May. All prizes – including a Grand Prize that will total $50,000--
will be announced June 7 at the annual Entrepreneurs’ Conference, to be held
at the Milwaukee Hyatt Regency. Entries were submitted in
four categories: Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology
and e-Commerce, and Business Services. Judges used a numerical scoring system
to rank each plan within each category. Communities with plans
represented in the final round are: Madison (3); Pewaukee, Hortonville, Eau
Claire, Brown Deer, Wind Lake, West Allis, Brookfield (2), Oregon, Hartland,
Oconomowoc, Franklin, Verona, Fitchburg (2), Milwaukee (2). Finalists, their community
and the name of their plan are listed on the website,
www.govsbizplancontest.com, as well as below. Sponsors of the Governor’s Business Plan Contest include: The state
Department of Commerce, Mason Wells Private Equity, American Transmission Co.,
the law firm of Michael, Best & Friedrich, Madison Gas & Electric, J.P. Cullen
& Sons, the law firm of Axley Brynelson, Cory L. Nettles of the Quarles and
Brady law firm, the architectural firm of Potter Lawson, the Wisconsin
Technology Network, the accounting firm of Smith & Gesteland and Loughrin
Accounting & Tax Services. Consulting services provided by Makin' HEY!
Communications and Applied Tech. Finalists in alphabetical
order by city are:
Idea Name
Name
City
DataStick
Bruce Bathurst
Brookfield
HealtheCare Solutions
Jay Mason
Brookfield
Enhanced Personal Video
Recorders
Anil Gupte
Brown Deer
Online-Kiosks.net
Mike Strand
Eau Claire
Breaking New Ground in
Alzheimer’s Disease Therapies
Trevor Twose
Fitchburg
PDCA Sensor-Based
Pick-to-Light Products
Tom Wiesen
Fitchburg
Pediabridge series of
variable diameter stents
John LaDisa
Franklin
Brainpool Online
Suzanne Warell
Hartland
Temperature Monitoring of
Dairy Cattle
Roger Meads
Hortonville
Prion Detection
Don Warren
Madison
Composite Rebar Technologies, Inc. (CRT)
Robert Gibson
Madison
Blue Spark, LLC Energy ED
Software
Deborah Still
Madison
ZeroWire Digital
Communications
Brad Rake
Milwaukee
D-Poly Technologies
Kurt Willms
Milwaukee
Vector Surgical, LLC
Janet Phillips
Oconomowoc
Matching Talent and Opportunity .
Lyle Heller
Oregon
Stand-off, Non-invasive,
Non-radiological Container Inspection
Kurt Brandt
Pewaukee
Broad-spectrum antiviral
drug
Hansi Dean
Verona
Research and Development
Outsourcing Management
Jovan Jevtic
West Allis
Intuistic Solutions
Pradeep Jain
Wind Lake
4.3 News: Home Depot Self-Checkout Boosts Sales Home
Depot asked its customers to work its cash registers. The result: more staffers on the floor to help them put stuff in their carts,
and more dollars per customer per visit.
http://ct.enews.eweek.com/rd/cts?d=186-1901-2-79-101270-214353-0-0-0-1
4.4 Case Study: DoD Medical-Record System
Is Model for National Version The world's largest electronic medical implementation is slowly reaching its
goals, but isn't likely to be complete for several more years. Still, it serves
as a model for the regional and national roll-out of EMRs. The Future of Health Care IT http://ct.enews.eweek.com/rd/cts?d=186-1901-2-79-101270-214359-0-0-0-1
4.5 News:
Google Video Accepts Uploads Extending its reach again, Google begins
accepting files for its developing video service and lays out plans to support
playback, downloads and paid access to videos. Google's Global Reach http://ct.enews.eweek.com/rd/cts?d=186-1901-2-79-101270-214365-0-0-0-14.6 Step Into The Future New technology, security, and reliability requirements are changing the data-center infrastructure. informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=160901346 4.7
Google Desktop Stealing Cycles? How many
of you are running Google Desktop Search? I started a couple of months
ago and have found that my PC performance is slowing down noticeably.
Provide me your feedback for the June 1 NetSuds Monthly Report. Email
matt@netsuds.com, Matt Noah. 4.8 Wisconsin Angel Network Accepting Executive Summaries Starting May 9 4.9 News: Beware How You Google
Security researchers warn that a one-letter typo in Google's domain name
could lead to a massive virus- and spyware- infection attack. Find out which
domain could spell trouble for you. Exploiting Google http://ct.enews.eweek.com/rd/cts?d=186-1961-2-79-101270-221370-0-0-0-14.10 Dr. Ronald Bennett named founding dean of University of St. Thomas School of Engineering For immediate release: April 28, 2005 Contacts: Jim Winterer, News Service (651)
962-6404 St. Paul, Minn. -- Dr. Ronald Bennett, who has been associated with engineering education at the University of St. Thomas for the past dozen years, recently was named founding dean of its School of Engineering. The School of Engineering was created this past year when the university united its two bachelor of science programs in mechanical and electrical engineering with its three master’s programs in manufacturing systems and technology management. Bennett, who was selected for the post following a national search for a founding dean, came to St. Thomas in 1993 after 20 years in industry at companies such as Buckbee Mears, Cardiac Pacemakers and Teltech. He holds one patent, and teaches and publishes on topics that include materials engineering, information technologies and engineering education. Bennett has directed the university’s undergraduate engineering programs since they began in 1993. He has directed the graduate programs, now in their 19th year, since 1995. Bennett served as interim dean of the School of Engineering for several months before being named founding dean. He grew up in Chippewa Falls, Wis., and received his undergraduate degree in physics and mathematics at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. Two of his graduate degrees, a 1967 master of science in metallurgical engineering and a 1971 Ph.D. in metallurgy, are from the University of Minnesota. He also completed an M.B.A. at St. Thomas in 1980. He lived for many years in southeast Minneapolis and now lives in St. Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood. The university also named Dr. Jeffrey Jalkio as department chair of the School of Engineering. He will assume responsibility for the day-to-day management of the school’s degree programs. A 1983 summa cum laude graduate of St. Thomas, Jalkio joined the St. Thomas faculty in 1997 and has taught at undergraduate and graduate levels. During his corporate career he was awarded nine patents and, from 1994 to 1997, served as vice president for research at Cyberoptics Corp. The School of Engineering enrolls approximately 250 students at both graduate and undergraduate levels. The school also offers nondegree certificate programs in quality, product development, medical device, and manufacturing management and leadership. 4.11 2005 MN VC Conference - May 9-10 Once a year, NetSuds and MedSuds hosts the Minnesota Venture Capital Conference. This year, we've added a seed stage conference entitled the Midwest Association of Seed & Venture Funds Conference. These conferences can be found on the web at www.mnvcc.com and www.masvfc.com. Registrations for both conferences are strong (250+). The list of investors for the VC Conference can be found at www.mnvcc.com/agenda/investorprofiles/2005.htm. 4.12 Minnesota Breakthrough Ideas Contest - $25,000
Have a great new idea? Need some cash to get the idea commercialized?
Enter the first-ever Minnesota Cup "Breakthrough Ideas" competition.
The deadline for applications is May 6. The prize is $25,000 to help
you get started. For details and to enter, visit
http://breakthroughideas.umn.edu/. Then join us May 9 for
the Minnesota Cup banquet as we update you on the contest. 5.0 The Science and Art of 'Go for the No' Selling Trying to make a complex sale? You must help a customer calculate the cost of his problem . . . and always be willing to walk away. by NetSudser Jeff Thull, CEO, Prime Resource Group, support@primeresource.com, 1.800.876.0378 As salespeople, we are taught from Day One not to take no for an answer. Consider the salesman who refuses to acknowledge the words We’re just looking” . . . the telemarketer who recites scripted answers to objections until the victim slams down the phone . . . the sales rep who must practically be removed from a potential customer’s office with the jaws of life. These images have become stereotypes for a reason: we tend to equate anything other than a yes with failure. Probably the most debilitating myth ever perpetuated on the world of selling is: “A good salesperson can sell anything to anybody.” But those of us pursuing a complex sale should be taking the opposite approach. We should be thinking “go for the no.” Conventional selling grew up in a world of unlimited prospects and unlimited demand and was based on a “go for the yes” approach. In short, the salesperson’s role was to engage the prospect, who was qualified to buy and use the product, and relentlessly present, pursue, persist, cajole, convince and persuade until the prospect said yes. Too many salespeople are so focused on ‘getting the order’ that they actually lose track of reality. And that’s a mistake. Selling has become such a complex process that if you don’t consider ‘no sale’ as a valid outcome and ‘go for the no’ right away you could end up wasting valuable time, company resources and delaying access to more lucrative opportunities. Real professionals recognize that a no—after a quality diagnosis, that is—wins the potential customer’s respect, leaves the door wide open for future business and frees you up to pursue a better match. You should always ask yourself, ‘Is there someplace better I could be?’ Remember: about 35 percent of all sales are bad sales. Going for the no helps you steer clear of the trap of making a sale that turns out to be wrong for you and the customer. And ultimately, this helps you avoid customer dissatisfaction and bad press. Today’s environment—characterized by long sales cycles, multiple layers of decision and influence, and numerous perspectives that often cross national and cultural borders—has become so complex that the very nature of selling has changed. A system called Diagnostic Business Development® provides a navigable path from the first step of identifying potential customers through the sale itself and onto expanding and retaining profitable customer relationships. These are the four phases in this system: üDiscover: The sales professional researches and prepares and sets the stage for a compelling engagement and a continuing relationship based on trust and respect. üDiagnose: An in-depth determination of the existence, extent and financial impact of the customer’s current situation is pursued. Diagnosis is meant to maximize the customer’s objective awareness of their dissatisfaction and determine whether or not that dissatisfaction supports the salesperson’s offerings. üDesign: The goal is to get the sales professional and customer working together to identify the optimal solution to the problems that were uncovered and quantified in the Diagnose phase—even if it involves alternative solutions offered by competitors. This phase is the “dress rehearsal” before the final presentation is made. It is here that many salespeople make the mistake of becoming an unpaid consultant. üDeliver: This phase begins with the presentation of a formal proposal and the customer’s subsequent formal acceptance of the solution. Implementation and support of the solution are next, followed by maintaining and growing of the relationship with the customer. A diagnostic method of selling, backed by plenty of preparation and old-fashioned hard work, is what it takes to succeed in today’s world. This method requires that sales professionals understand, up front, that sometimes, stepping back from an unsuitable situation is the right thing to do. Consider the following insights: • If there is no pain, there will be no sale. Pain is the most basic human motivator for change. It is the natural defense mechanism that tells people that if they don’t change and deal with a problem, they will face consequences. And of course, change itself is painful. Therefore, change will not occur until an individual or company recognizes that the pain of change is less than the pain of staying the same. The Diagnostic approach contends that pain is the result of indicators or symptoms of suboptimal situations that are objective, observable and quantifiable. If, in the course of a diagnosis, you discover that sufficient pain does not exist to motivate the customer to solve his problem, a yes decision to change is not advisable or likely. Accept it and move on. • You must help the customer calculate the cost of his problem. If you don’t have a cost of the problem, you don’t have a problem. Think of the customer’s pain and dissatisfaction as the vehicle that drives the decision and the cost of the problem as the decision accelerator. The higher the cost of the problem, the faster the decision to solve it. It’s unlikely that the customer can or will quantify the cost of the problem on his own—he probably doesn’t have the expertise. That’s why you must help him calculate the cost of the problem, by providing a formula and plugging in numbers derived from the customer’s reality. Doing so not only helps the customer prioritize the problem, it differentiates you from the vast majority of salespeople. Too many salespeople shy away from fixing costs. Many complain that it is too hard to determine and it’s not their responsibility, they say ‘the customer should know,’ but we find that the real reason is that they are afraid that the cost of the problem will be too low to be addressed and the engagement will be over. They are reluctant to admit anything that might interfere with ‘going for the yes.’ This is always a possible outcome and it is a legitimate one. If the cost of the customer’s problem does not support the investment for the solutions being offered, the professional will acknowledge that reality and move on to a better-qualified prospect and perhaps determine proper timing to re-engage this prospect. • It’s all done without any pressure from you. The beauty of the Diagnostic Business Development Process is that it allows you to guide the customer through the process without ever resorting to the “sales techniques” that customers find so distasteful. The fact is that you manage the decision process for the customer; you don’t make the decision for him. You don’t even make a presentation until the last phase of the process. This progression of events—not to mention the fact that you’ve demonstrated (or at least implied) that you’re willing to walk away—gains the customer’s trust and establishes credibility for you and the company you represent. You haven’t sold him on anything. You’ve helped him recognize, measure and solve his problem. Ultimately, the “go for the no” mindset that shatters the stereotypes that have long plagued salespeople and almost guarantees that the customer will select your product to solve the problem. After all, why wouldn’t he? At the same time the customer is reaching the critical stage in the change progression, the salesperson has been establishing her own value in the customer’s eyes. The sales professional has earned the customer’s respect because of her ability to conduct a high-quality diagnosis. She has gained the customer’s trust because of her willingness to end the engagement at any time the diagnosis revealed that the problem did not exist or was not worth acting upon. The true professional creates exceptional credibility by demonstrating an in-depth understanding of the customer’s business. Now that the customer has made the decision to change, who do you think the customer believes is best qualified to help design and deliver a high-quality solution to the problem? About The Author: Jeff Thull (tool), the President and CEO of Prime Resource Group, a strategy and performance-consulting firm, has gained the reputation for being an expert in the arena of sales and marketing strategies for companies involved in complex sales. Thull’s 23 years of real world experience has made him a leading authority and valued advisor for executive teams of major companies worldwide. He has designed, tested and proven transforming programs and solutions for companies like Shell Global Solutions, 3M, Microsoft, Citicorp, IBM, and Georgia-Pacific, as well as many fast track, start-up companies. Thull is also a compelling, entertaining, and thought-provoking keynote speaker with a track record of over 2,500 speeches and seminars to blue chip companies and associations around the world. Additionally, as a leading strategist, Thull’s work is published in hundreds of business and trade publications, including: Chief Learning Officer, Harvard Management Update, Velocity Magazine (SAMA), Sales and Marketing Management Magazine, Selling Power, Sales and Service Excellence, One to One Magazine, Business to Business Marketing, MarketingProfs.com, CEO Refresher, VAR Business, Management Consulting News, and many more. For more information contact: Prime Resource Group, 3655 Plymouth Blvd, Suite 110, Plymouth, MN 55446, support@primeresource.com, http://www.primeresource.com, 1.800.876.0378 or 763.473.7529, Fax: 763.473.0792 6.0 Midwest Association of Seed & Venture Funds Conference - May 11 What it is The first ever MASVF Conference will take place in Bloomington, Minnesota on May 11. For those wringing their hands and complaining about the lack of seed capital, you can either be part of the problem or part of the solution. We have the solution. Learn how entrepreneur Michael Haider raised a $15M angel round. Find out what professionals in the neighboring states of Iowa, Wisconsin and North Dakota are doing to provide incentives to investors and entrepreneurs. Find out about the newly resurrected SBIR/STRR program in Minnesota. Who it is for This conference is for current angel investors, prospective angel investors, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, economic development directors, legislators, academic innovators, university licensing and business development professionals, attorneys, accountants, PR professionals, marketing professionals, and anyone with an interest in seed and early stage capital. Register today at www.mnvcc.com/register/. The early-bird discount ends April 15.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||