the kind of market-size forecasts that come out of even the most highly respected firms

the Market Development Strategy Checklist. This list consists of a set of issues around which go-to-market plans are built, each of which incorporates a chasm-crossing factor, as follows: • Target customer • Compelling reason to buy • Whole product • Partners and allies • Distribution • Pricing • Competition • Positioning • Next target customer

during the chasm period, the number-one concern of pricing is not to satisfy the customer or to satisfy the investors, but to motivate the channel. To sum up, when crossing the chasm, we are looking to attract customer-oriented distribution with one of our primary lures being distribution-oriented pricing.

From a distribution perspective, there are two pricing issues that have significant impact on channel motivation: • Is it priced to sell? • Is it worthwhile to sell?

The second key is to have lined up other market segments into which you can leverage your initial niche solution. This allows you to reframe the financial gain in crossing the chasm. It is not just about the money you make from the first niche: It is the sum of that money plus the gains from all subsequent niches. It is a bowling alley estimate, no

If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go with others. In the age of the Internet you need to do both at the same time, and that’s where whole product partners can make all the difference.

Mapping out a global assault plan, attacking on all fronts at once, may work for massively intimidating market leaders who already have troops in place throughout the world, but it is just plain silly for stripling challengers. Instead, we need to pick our spots carefully, attack fiercely, and then dig in and hold.

To maintain leadership in a mainstream market, you must at least keep pace with the competition. At this point it is no longer necessary to be the technology leader, nor is it necessary to have the very best product. But the product must be good enough, and should a competitor make a major breakthrough, you have to make at least a catch-up response

Enterprise buyers making major systems purchases expect to pay hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. In that context they are looking for a consultative sales experience that identifies their key needs and custom-fits the vendor’s offering to meet them. The direct sales approach meets this expectation via a top-down approach to marketing, s