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I like to people watch. And this time of year I find myself grabbing food at a roadside stand every once in a while. Have you ever noticed that some people get their fries, and without even trying them, they immediately cover them in a pile of salt? My mother would disapprove… she always told me to try my food before adding seasoning.

Give this salty ’90s song a listen with me as we see what the experts are saying this week…

B2B Throwback – Crossing the Chasm

Speaking of cool ’90s references, how about Geoffrey Moore’s Crossing the Chasm?

I still remember studying this text during my MBA and applying it to B2B sales and marketing activities at Sybase – and I find myself quoting these theories to my clients to this day.

If you’re not familiar with the concepts, give it a quick read. We’ve embraced much of this in B2B over the years, so most people are probably familiar even if they’ve never actually read any of Moore’s books.

The early majority is the center of it all, where you start seeing significant growth. Yet I still see companies having a hard time moving across that chasm, taking their solution from the early adopters to the early majority. Moore shares many strategies to help – which ones have you implemented to help take your product across that ominous chasm?

Musical Throwback – The Resurgence of CDs

Remember CDs? MP3s, streaming, and even vinyl have tried to knock them out, but they’re having a revival. Apparently, CD sales in Canada and the US have been increasing like crazy! According to Alan Cross, the answer may lie in the ongoing vinyl shortage, supply chain issues, and bottlenecks at record pressing plants.

If you’ve been to a record store lately, you may have seen some outrageous prices on LPs. You could encounter a price tag of $70+ for something like The Tragically Hip’s Music @ Work – an album that could be purchased in CD format for less than $20 (probably under $10, if it’s used).

There could be many reasons why this trend is happening – and many factors to consider when picking a physical format to purchase. If your favourite band dropped a new album and you just HAD to own a physical copy… which format are you choosing?

As always, don’t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello.

Looking forward,
Rick

Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat