Ask a Jedi: Resources for selling ColdFusion?

Camilo asks:

How do ya sell Cold Fusion Services?

How do you compete with PHP or ASP?

I just got this internship with XXX, & their web site is in CF. (AMEN)

But I am a telecommunications and networking major with a double major wit E-BEZ supply chain management. I am very fortunate to get the internship and just now digging though the new hire HR paperwork before I get the working schedule.

Here is my question to the Jedi, how do you up-sell or market CF features?

Number one tip - spell it right. ;) ColdFusion, not Cold Fusion. It may seem picky, but getting the spelling right helps keep the brand alive in search engines.

I would not consider myself the best salesman, so let me share some resources first from people smarter than I who can probably help better. Than I'll give my own feeble answer to the question.

First up is How To: Selling ColdFusion to your Manager. I know "Manager" isn't the same as "Client", but this page, by Ben Nadel, links to other resources in this area that would be helpful.

Second is Michael Smith. Last year he gave a talk on selling ColdFusion to clients at CFUNITED. I'm not sure if he is giving it again this year, but thats another option.

Next up - and this is the real gem here, is GotCFM?com. This site includes around 1.75K sites that use ColdFusion. This would be an excellent way to dig up good example sites. (Hint, don't use MySpace.)

So how do I do it? Most of my clients come to me using ColdFusion already. If they come to me with no technology choice or ask why I use ColdFusion, I try not to tell them about tag level stuff, since most clients would head <cfthread> and assume you are sewing. I instead focus on the features that are built in and how these features, plus the language itself, leads to very rapid application development. While a non-technical client won't get threading, they will get "less development time" and "easier upkeep." Don't be suckered in by the "PHP/Net" is free argument. You may have to educate your client on the fact that other costs exist (like possible additional packages for things built into ColdFusion, or OS costs, or greater development time). If a client is at a level where they can't afford ColdFusion, most likely they can't afford a dedicated machine, which means they are on an ISP, and affordable ColdFusion hosting does exist.

So as I said - kind of a feeble answer there, but it's worked so far for me.

Raymond Camden's Picture

About Raymond Camden


Lafayette, LA