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Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Technology Products to Mainstream Customers [Paperback]

Geoffrey A. Moore
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
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Book Description

1 Aug 1998
In Crossing the Chasm, Geoffrey Moore, the world′s leading high–tech and communications guru, throws out old marketing ideas to clear space for the special realities of the high–tech market. Based on a revolutionary new model and filled with practical insights, Crossing the Chasm is a landmark book. This new edition has been updated to include comprehensive coverage of the Internet and World Wide Web.

Frequently Bought Together

Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Technology Products to Mainstream Customers + Inside the Tornado: Strategies for Developing, Leveraging, and Surviving Hypergrowth Markets (Collins Business Essentials) + The Chasm Companion: A Field Guide to Crossing the Chasm and Inside the Tornado
Price For All Three: £35.57

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Product details

  • Paperback: 238 pages
  • Publisher: Capstone; Rev Ed edition (1 Aug 1998)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1841120634
  • ISBN-13: 978-1841120638
  • Product Dimensions: 2.5 x 15.2 x 22.9 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 6,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • See Complete Table of Contents

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Amazon Review

Author Geoffrey Moore makes the case that high- tech products require marketing strategies that differ from those in other industries. His chasm theory describes how high-tech products initially sell well, mainly to a technically literate customer base, but then hit a lull as marketing professionals try to cross the chasm to mainstream buyers. This pattern, says Moore, is unique to the high-tech industry.

Moore suggests remedies for the problems that can help businesses meet their long-term goals. He coaches marketing professionals on how to move slowly through the gulf, teaching them to create profiles and target specific segments of the population rather than trying to plough right into the mainstream. He cites examples of successful chasm crossings by such companies as Apple, Tandem, Oracle and Sun, showing what they all had in common and exposing the different weaknesses in their strategies. Moore also assigns responsibility for success to programmers and developers by suggesting they design a "whole product model." Here, because integration tasks are daunting to the mainstream market, all the components of a technological product must be in one package. Moore also describes strategies for competing with rival companies and assessing the best distribution channels for penetrating the target market.

Written not just for marketing specialists but for all employees whose futures ride on the success of a technical product, Crossing the Chasm delivers crucial information in an engaging, readable tone. --David James

From the Back Cover

"Read this book or risk joining the others at the bottom of the high-technology abyss." Jim Kouzes, Co-author of The Leadership Challenge

"Crossing the Chasm should be the Bible for high-tech companies looking for direction with marketing and distribution challenges." Robert K. Weller, Senior Vice President, North American Business Group

"Geoff Moore's book is full of good medicine for bad marketing." ComputerLetter

"Crossing the Chasm... will change the way you think." Regis McKenna


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Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable book for Marketing Hi-Tech 11 Dec 2001
Format:Paperback
In fact, not only for Hi-Tech... it is also applicable for any high-change industry

Implementing innovative high-tech solutions usually involves a significant change to customers. Mainly depending on the aversion to change/risk, customers can be classified from those willing to try the newest, to those most conservative that are the latest to adopt, if ever, a new solution.

Geoffrey Moore presents his particular view on the technology-adoption lifecycle model, introducing the 'chasm' concept. Based on this model, and using vivid examples, specially from the software industry, the book provides excellent advice on the strategy to success for hi-tech products.

Basic reading for the hi-tech enterpreneur, as well as for those willing to sell new disruptive concepts.

After this one, you will have to read 'Inside the Tornado'.. If you want to save further, add William Davidow's 'Marketing High-Technology'

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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A frighteningly realistic treatment.. 9 Mar 2003
Format:Paperback
I am reading this for the second time, this time much faster thanks to the useful highlighting that I had made in my first reading. Having been through a software development career in several start-ups, and looking back on the not so positive two years of IT economic depression, I find Crossing the Chasm particularly intriguing: The basic idea for a technology company to position its marketing and selling strategy to the right target audience, and more crucially, at the right time, and producing the right perspective.

First of all, I find some of the ideas in the book frighteningly reminiscent of my past experience, especially failures in marketing and sales strategy that our teams have undergone; Although many factors that contribute to the success or failure of an enterprise can be specific and circumstantial, Crossing the Chasm provides a thorough analysis of the generalised scenario. I also find some of the ideas in this book apply equally well to semi-autonomous groups within large organisations, as much as individual organisations.

Highly recommend to anyone who is interested in the technology entrepreneurship, and to the one who want to consolidate the past experiences in to learning instruments for the future.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This book was a revelation for me. I had failed to understand the reasons that prospects didn't appreciate the latest greatest technologies and bought from vendors of outdated systems (in my opinion) instead. Crossing the chasm explains different characteristics of people and what they buy and when they buy it and the reasons behind those compulsions. It also highlights how to break into the marketplace with new products in the most efficient way and how to structure your organisation to cope with demand. I have noticed that some big organisations demonstrate the techniques from this book in their promotional literature and web sites.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting insights 14 Jun 2012
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
A valuable guide for startups and companies planning to introduce new products. It explains why a product that works for the first customer doesn't work for the others. It also explains the importance of niche markets.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a classic must-read for all people involved in product strategy for high-technology. Published in 1991 and updated in 1999, it introduced a very innovative way of how technology is adopted by different segments in the market. The book goes beyond theoretical models and really offers almost hands-on, very systematic approach on what the optimal steps are to market and sell your technology, and this depending on where your product is in the Technology Adoption Life Cycle.

If you haven't read it yet, don't hesitate any longer. Seriously. If you're short of time (hey - the book is only about 200 pages...) then I suggest you read the summary (free download, google it or check my blog for the link) from the nice people at Parker Hill Technology - but you will miss out on a great read by doing so.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars An ISV View of the Chasm 12 Jun 2009
Format:Paperback
This book was recommended to me - and rightly so.
I have read 'Crossing the Chasm' and its successor, 'Inside the Tornado'.
As a technologist, the world of marketing seemed even less tangible than software, but this book really opened my eyes by providing an almost algorithmic approach to the phases involved in getting our product (TriSys Recruitment Software) from the 'glint of an eye' into being a market leader and best of breed with thousands of real-world paying customers.
The 'technology adoption lifecycle', 'whole-product offering', and 'D-Day' are now IT industry standard terms defined by the author in this landmark book.
I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone thinking of, or running their own technology business.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Painfully familiar 5 July 2000
Format:Paperback
This is a very enlightening book. I have worked in several companies that have had great products, but have fallen into the "chasm" the author talks about.

I'm starting my own up at the moment, and this book is my bedside read!

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Helpful Revision of a High-Tech Marketing Classic 22 July 2004
By Donald Mitchell HALL OF FAME TOP 500 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
Crossing the Chasm deserves more than five stars for putting "a vocabulary to a market development problem that has given untold grief to any number of high-tech enterprises."

Crossing the Chasm is the most influential book about high technology in the last 10 years. When I meet with CEOs of the most successful high technology firms, this is the book that they always bring up. What most people do not realize is that Geoffrey Moore did an excellent update of the book in a revised edition in 1999. If you liked the original, you will like the revision even more. It contains many better and more up-top-date examples, and explores several new ways that companies have crossed the chasm that he had not yet observed in 1991 when the original came out (such as "piggybacking," the way that Lotus 1-2-3 built from VisiCalc's initial success).

If you plan to work or invest in any high technology companies, you owe it to yourself to read and understand this book. The understanding won't be hard, because the material is clear and well articulated.

The book's focus is on a well-known psychological trait (referred to as Social Proof in Influence by Robert Cialdini). There is a potential delay in people using new things "based on a tendency of pragmatic people to adopt new technology when they see other people like them doing the same." As a result, companies must concentrate on cracking the right initial markets in a segmented way to get lots of references and a bandwagon effect going. One market segment will often influence the next one. Crossing the Chasm is all about how to select and attack the right segments.

Many companies fail because innovators and early adopters are very interested in new technology and opportunities to create setrategic breakthroughs based on technology....

The next group you must appeal to are the Late Majority, who want to wait until you are the new standard and these people are very price sensitive. Many U.S. high technology companies also fail to make the transitions needed to satisfy this large part of the market (usually one-third of demand). The final group is technology adverse, and simply hopes you will go away (the Laggards).

The book describes its principles in terms of D-Day. While that metaphor is apt, I wonder how well people under 35 know D-Day. In the next revision, I suggest that Desert Storm or some more recent metaphor be exchanged for this one.

The book's key weakness is that it tries to homogenize high technology markets too much. Rather than present this segmentation as immutable, it would have been a good idea to provide ways to test the form of the psychological attitudes that a given company will face.

The sections on how to do scenario thinking about potential segments to serve first are the best parts of the book. Be sure you do these steps. That's where most of the book's value will come for you. Otherwise, all you will have added is a terminology for describing how you failed to cross the chasm.

I also commend the brief sections on how finance, research, and development, and human resources executives need to change their behavior in order to help the enterprise be more successful in crossing the chasm.

After you finish reading and employing the book, I suggest that you also think about what other psychological perceptions will limit interest in and use of your new developments. You have more chasms to cross than simply the psychological orientation towards technology. You also have to deal with the tradition, misconception, disbelief, ugly duckling, bureaucracy, and communications stalls. Keep looking until you have found and dealt with them all!

May you move across the chasm so fast, that you don't even notice that it's there! Read more ›

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars 20 year-old material that remains relevant today
This was recommended by my mentor, a strategy director;

I was aiming to establish a transitional/recovery strategy for a business that successful at tender stages, but... Read more
Published on 3 April 2011 by Andy in Bristol
2.0 out of 5 stars Too many wasting pages
If the author can concise it into 1/3 of the book lenght, this book might worth reading.

IMO, there are too many "feelings", not solid evidence. Read more
Published on 13 Mar 2011 by NOTT
4.0 out of 5 stars Understand launch
If you want to learn how to launch offerings in the right way this book is it!
Published on 2 Jan 2010 by Henrik Bustrup
5.0 out of 5 stars I rediscover this book every year
If you are looking to launch a new technology consumer product or are thinking about launching a new internet or technology startup, this is the first book you need to read. Read more
Published on 5 Mar 2008 by Javier Foncillas
5.0 out of 5 stars unmissable
This is certainly one of the most insightful business books i have ever read. It is of biblical importance to anyone in the technology business, especially operating in a B2B... Read more
Published on 6 Jun 2007 by N. Marik
5.0 out of 5 stars How to get the public to love your high-tech product
This serious, detailed book offers a nonconventional marketing approach for high-tech promoters and investors. Read more
Published on 11 Dec 2006 by Rolf Dobelli
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Take on the Technology Adoption Cycle
Moore has some very interesting takes ont the technology adoption cycle. It will probably explain a lot of difficulties experienced by hitech companies. Read more
Published on 7 Feb 2004 by A. G. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic
Crossing the Chasm is a marketing book by which others are measured. If you are in a technology environment it is a must read. Read more
Published on 5 Feb 2004 by Richard Scott
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