If your company’s revenues have been flat to declining over the past eight quarters you are probably ‘Stuck in Neutral.’ There are no magic bullets when it comes to reversing long term flat to declining revenue trends for tech companies. Companies get ‘stuck in neutral’ for a reason. Most of the time it is a market problem versus a ‘people’ problem. Breaking out of the rut, however, takes courage and decisive action. This presentation is an overview of three part strategy for getting your revenue growth back in gear. In the coming weeks we will explore each of the three strategies in depth.

1. problems – markets - responsible
Are Your Revenues Stuck in Neutral?
How to Get Out of the Flat Revenue Rut
DevelopmentCorporate

2. problems – markets - responsible
Are Your Revenues Stuck in Neutral?
How to Get Out of the Flat Revenue Rut
Does this chart look uncomfortably familiar?

3. Things You Have Triedresponsiblethe Trend . .
problems – markets - to Change
√ Hired and Fired 3 VPs of Sales
√ Invested $750,000 in a Website Redesign
√ Conducted 293 Email Campaigns to 1,329,865 Prospects
√ Spent $1.5 Million Re-Branding & Re-Positioning the Company
√ Got Rid of Field Sales and Went Entirely to Tele-Sales
√ Spent $825,000 to Get Into a Gartner Magic Quadrant
√ Built ‘Son of Fusion’ and Wondered Why Nobody Upgraded
√ Got Rid of Tele-Sales and Hired Elephant Killers
Are Your Revenues Stuck in Neutral?
√ Opened an Office in London and Hong Kong
√ Implemented SalesForce.com
√ Channel ProgramHow to Get .Out ofNobody Came . . . Rut
– You Built It . . But the Flat Revenue
Does this chart look uncomfortably familiar?
√ Hired Social Media Wonk & Launched on Twitter, Facebook . . .
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4. The Results, Unfortunately Were All The Same

5. problemsThese Years - responsible Forgotten How to Win?
After All – markets Has Your Team
Pirates 1993-2008
Year Won Lost
2008 67 95
2007 68 94
2006 67 95
2005 67 95
2004 72 89
2003 75 87
2002 72 89
2001 62 100
2000 69 93
1999 78 83
1998 69 93
1997 79 83
1996 73 89
1995 58 86
1994 53 61
1993 75 87

6. problemsThese Years - responsible Forgotten How to Win?
After All – markets Has Your Team
There are no magic bullets when it comes to reversing long term flat to
declining revenue trends for tech companies. Companies get ‘stuck in
neutral’ for a reason. Most of the time it’s a market problem versus a
‘people’ problem. Breaking out of the rut, however, takes courage and
decisive action.
The balance of this presentation presents an overview of three strategies
your company could consider. There will be follow on presentations that
explore each strategy in significant detail.

7. After All – Time for Some Significant Change
It’s markets Has Your Team
problemsThese Years - responsible Forgotten How to Win?
The dogmas of the quiet past are Technological change is like Change will not come if we wait
inadequate to the stormy an axe in the hands of a for some other person or some
present. The occasion is piled pathological criminal. other time. We are the ones
high with difficulty, and we must we've been waiting for. We are
rise with the occasion. As our the change that we seek
case is new, so we must think
anew and act anew

8. problemsThese YearsWay Out of Forgotten How 3 Steps
After All – markets - responsible
“Shift” Your Has Your Team
Neutral in to Win?
1st Gear 2nd Gear 3rd Gear
Optimize Buy a Invest in
Existing Revenue Long Term
Revenues Wedge Growth

9. problemsThese Optimize Existing Revenues Win?
After All – markets - responsible Forgotten How to
1. Years Has Your Team
• It’s never popular but it’s the easiest place
to start. Optimization is a nice term for
programs to maximize revenues out of existing
customers
• Some Classic Revenue Optimization Programs
• Billing Audits – Are all of your customers
setup for the correct billing plans?
• Maintenance Price Increases – When was
the last time you raised maintenance
prices?
• Price List Policy Enforcement – Do you sell
add-on products? Do you require customers
to keep maintenance on the base product to Properly executed
get maintenance on the add-on product? revenue optimization
• Test/Disaster Recovery Licenses – Do you programs can generate
sell test/DR licenses 2% to 4% year over year
• ‘Bottom Dweller’ Programs -- Convert low increases in revenues
value month to month customers to
prepaid annual subscriptions

10. problemsThese 2. Buy a Revenue Wedge to Win?
After All – markets - responsible Forgotten How
Years Has Your Team
• Lowest risk, highest probability strategy to grow
revenues year-over-year is to acquire a small,
but complementary business.
• Target companies that are about 3% to 7% of
your total revenues
• Small companies limit risk to your overall
business
• Can typically be financed from cash
reserves, untapped credit lines, and earn outs
• An acquisition of this size will ensure that your
firm can post some year-over-year growth
• Key requirements A ‘Wedge’ acquisition is
• Target company’s customer base is a close not intended to solve
match to your firm’s target market (High revenue growth
potential to cross sell your offerings to them) problems. It buys time
• Some opportunity for profit improvement and provides cash flow
through consolidation of overhead functions for your true revenue
(HR, Accounting, I.T., etc.) growth initiatives

11. problemsThese Years - responsible Growth How to Win?
After All – markets Has Your Team Forgotten
3. Invest in
• Using a portion of the profits generated from the
incremental revenues from revenue optimization
programs and a wedge acquisition to fund your
company’s version of a Y-Combinator / SeedPhase
/ Startup Riot
• Create a local/regional competition where
entrepreneurs pitch product/service ideas to
create products / services for your company’s
existing / prospective customer base
• Reach out to local entrepreneurs
• Allow selected senior employees from your
firm to participate Companies get ‘Stuck in
• Focus on ‘capital-light’ solutions that leverage Neutral’ because
Web 2.0 technologies / principles traditional product
• Pick 3 opportunities to ‘invest in’ management doesn’t
• $50K to $75K initial funding generate break through
• 3 months to get to public beta stage ideas. A fundamentally
• Host the teams in your facilities to reduce new approach is needed
costs

12. problemsThese Years - responsible Growth How to Win?
After All – markets Has Your Team Forgotten
3. Invest in
• Give the founders attractive compensation
• 15% of total revenues
• 15% of operating profit
• Equity in your overall company if revenues
>$5 million in 18 months
• That’s a better deal than they would ever get from
VCs who would cram down their ownership to
<15% in three rounds of funding
•Huge benefits for your company:
• Great publicity and traction with analysts,
press, investors, existing and prospective
customers Companies get ‘Stuck in
• Re-establish the entrepreneurial passion that Neutral’ because
built your company to begin with traditional product
• Real chance to leverage modern Web 2.0 management doesn’t
technologies in a capital-light manner to generate break through
bring organic revenue growth back to your ideas. A fundamentally
company new approach is needed

13. problemsThese Years - responsible Forgotten How to Win?
After All – markets Has Your Team
Cultural Resistance
When a company is ‘Stuck In Neutral’ it is difficult for everyone – employees,
managers, executives, investors, and even customers. Everyone tries hard, but
at the end of the day revenues, profits, and valuations are flat to declining.
Change is hard. People perceive admitting that the company is ‘Stuck in Neutral’
is a threat to reputations and their continued employment. Politics versus
entrepreneurial passions rules the day. If you want to get out of the rut you are
in you will have to lead your team on a journey they probably do not want to
take.

14. problemsThese Years - responsibleGlass . . .How to Win?
After All – markets Has Your Team Forgotten
Break Some
If your firm is ‘Stuck In Neutral’ it’s been there for a while. While the business
climate is simply horrible now, eventually it will turn and the economy will
recover. When the recovery begins organizations will have funds to invest in
solutions to improve their business. If you start executing the three strategies of
Optimizing Revenues, Buying a Wedge, and Investing in Growth you can get out
of neutral and be positioned to participate in the revitalized economy