About This Webinar
Part 1 of the Photonics Entrepreneurship Series 2021-2022, presented by Bruce Forman of QED Technologies and brought to you by Photonics Media.
This series is aimed toward helping photonics specialists understand the greatest pitfalls and challenges of effective entrepreneurship in their fields, and how to address them.
Sixty-four percent of new jobs in the United States are created within new and small businesses. The global startup economy is worth nearly $3 trillion, a rise of 20% over the last two years. The greatest challenge in selling a new product in a startup venture is getting the revenue stream up quickly: How do you commercialize your innovation before you run out of money? What does it take to move from the early adopters to the early majority customers? In this webinar, Bruce Forman will take you through an Entrepreneurial Journey (“ENJO”) of the obstacles in closing new business and the business traits needed for successful sales. Forman will explore what organizations do to:
- Understand the economics that define the profile of the early adopter customers: Who are they and why are they buying?
- Avoid curiosity-driven opportunities that do not result in sales.
- Establish trust and deep understanding of customers’ challenges.
- Help customers assess the risks associated with change.
About the presenter:
Bruce Forman is North American sales manager at QED Technologies, where he is responsible for business development and product sales into commercial and government markets. QED Technologies designs and builds high-precision CNC systems for the manufacturing of high-precision optics that are required in semiconductor fabrication, laser energy systems, and space and airborne imaging.
He is also an adjunct faculty member at Framingham State University, graduate studies, teaching entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial courses. In addition to his current work at Framingham, he is currently a guest lecturer at the University of Rochester, AIN Entrepreneurship Center. Forman works with Duncan Moore, Vice Provost of Entrepreneurship on the elements of “Effective Technology Sales” for startup ventures. He has also been a mentor and guest lecturer at Emerson College, NSF I-Corps, VentureWell, and NSF SBIR/STTR new venture programs.
Prior to joining QED Technologies, Forman held progressive senior sales and business development positions at Optima Corp., Advanced Electron Beams, Cognex Corp., and Texas Instruments with a focus on manufacturing and technology automation.
