For those of you who read these blogs frequently, you know that this is an interesting and exciting time for Prolifiq.  The company is quickly expanding into a new vertical market, is finding new and exciting opportunities for partnerships, and is in the process of raising our first VC money.

I chose to spend my summer working at Prolifiq because of the diverse experience I could get from working at a company with so many irons in the fire: sales, business development, and fundraising.  In a few short weeks, I have already gained significant exposure to each of these areas. 

I would like to tell you that I am learning the nuances of each of these three areas of the business.  The reality, however, is that all three have proven to be remarkably similar.  Whether talking to a potential customer, business partner, or investor, the process is pretty much the same: ask them about what they do, listen to what they say, and then tell them about what we do.

Maybe this sounds obvious to you, but it has come as a surprise to me.  The first time I sat in on a sales call, I kept waiting for Jeff Gaus, our CEO, to mention our technology or features.  Instead, he was asking questions.  At first I assumed he was being polite.  After a few of these calls, I began to see how different the needs of each customer can be.  You've got to understand what the customers problem is before you tell them how you can fix it.

Business development is very much the same.  Companies have different challenges and capabilities, not all of which can be found on their website.  Before telling a partner all about the great things we can do together, there is a lot of learning that needs to happen.

Even on VC calls, a significant amount of the conversation is devoted to learning about the venture capital firm.  There are two reasons for this.  First, it is important to know your audience.  For instance, a firm that focuses purely on SaaS companies is going to be deeply familiar with our revenue model, but might not have extensive knowledge of FDA regulatory requirements, as a VC in the Life Sciences space would.  Even more importantly, we are looking for more than money from a potential investor: shared values, industry experience, and revenue generating contacts.

In each of these cases, truly listening is the key to a successful call.  In the words of Jimi Hendrix, "Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens."