 OUR TAKE -
Pent Up Indefinitely
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| Lasting Impressions:
The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser -- in case you thought optimism was dead.
-
Robert Brault
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As promised, today I will share some additional reader comments on my columns about pent-up demand that may make drive an upswing as you prepare to ride the rebound.
One reader responded, "It surprises me to see so many companies cutting back on their sales teams. Now is the time when we need to invest in sales and marketing to take advantage of the pent up demand when it breaks loose. If we wait to start selling until the boom starts, the competition will have taken over our position in the customers' minds and we'll lose once again."
That reminds me of the old saying of skating to where the puck will be rather than where it is right now. On the other side, one reader wrote that if people are unemployed, wallowing in debt, or simply do not have available credit, the pent-up demand can be indefinite. In that case, there is no puck.
It is indeed an interesting balance. That's my take. What's your take?
Gary Lemke, Publisher
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| Stock Ticker |
| Selectica | 0.46 |  | 0.11 |
| eLoyalty | 3.82 | | 0.8 |
| SPSS | 29 | | 2 |
| ClickSoftware | 3.03 | | 0.17 |
| Pegasystems | 15.07 | | 0.82 |
| Interactive | 7.93 | | 0.43 |
| ATG | 2.32 | | 0.08 |
| Unica | 4.78 | | 0.15 |
| NetSuite | 9.7 | | 0.3 |
| RightNow | 8.82 | | 0.22 |
| SupportSoft | 2.05 | | 0.04 |
| HP | 35.87 | | 0.63 |
| Epicor | 3.6 | | 0.04 |
| Oracle | 17.72 | | 0.17 |
| SAP | 37.12 | | 0.21 |
| LivePerson | 1.99 | | 0 |
| ICT | 5.34 |  | -0.02 |
| Chordiant | 2.69 | | -0.01 |
| Sykes | 15.67 | | -0.09 |
| APAC | 1.52 | | -0.01 |
| Salesforce | 26.86 | | -0.22 |
| Amdocs | 18.88 | | -0.16 |
| Teletech | 8.08 | | -0.11 |
| NCR | 10.21 | | -0.2 |
| Tekelc | 13.48 | | -0.3 |
| Convergys | 7.59 | | -0.17 |
| Vignette | 7.51 | | -0.18 |
| NICE | 21.7 | | -0.73 |
| CDC | 0.88 | | -0.04 |
| Astea | 2.14 | | -0.11 |
| Rainmaker | 1 | | -0.06 |
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As of 4:00 p.m. on 2/16/09 |
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