In the dimly lit streets of Silicon Valley and other tech hubs around the World, there was an eerie sense of anticipation in the air. Halloween was upon us, and it was the one night of the year when long-forgotten ghosts, zombies, and mysterious entities from the realm of sales technology could be glimpsed by the living.
Thanks to Ján Jakub Naništa for the image.
Most of them in California where a full 12.9% of once-was sales tech eventually bit the dust. California has supplied 18.5% of all tech on our list of sales technology, so they would always be an equally solid supplier of belly ups.
Cali is followed surprisingly closely Canada (11.29%) - with the UK and India sharing third (6.45% each).
The ghostly specters of 45% of dead sales technology that had met their demise due to a loss of traction roamed the streets. They were the Funnel IQs, the Platformaxes, the Kiites, and a motley crew of others who had once promised to revolutionize the sales world but had faded into oblivion. Now, they were cursed to wander the digital world as restless spirits, forever seeking traction they could never regain.
On the other side of the ethereal divide were the angelic entities, 32% of dead sales technology - those that had been acquired and transcended to a higher plane. These were Ciara, Automate.io, and PieSync, among others. They had found salvation through acquisition, their technologies living on within larger corporations. They were the protectors of the sales world, guarding against inefficiency and redundancy.
Innocent victims of corporate strategy had their own tale to tell. Datarosa, Quote Roller, and PowerDialer had met their untimely end due to decisions made by their creators. Now, they floated through the digital ether, the 18% of dead sales technology seeking answers and redemption for their unjust fate.
Then, there were the mystery cases—Aithena, LeadsFinder, LiveHive, and KiteDesk—sales technology that had vanished for reasons unknown, leaving everyone puzzled. Their stories were enigmatic, their presence cryptic, and on Halloween night, they materialized as enigmas of the sales tech world.
The night began with a gathering of these spectral beings in a virtual graveyard of defunct websites. It was a place where sales technology went to rest eternally, and this Halloween, it was the epicenter of their spectral reunion. They called it the "Sales Tech Graveyard," and it was where the ghosts, angels, innocents, and the mysteries converged.
Thanks to Scott Rodgerson for the artwork.
Their creators and masters were gone. Scattered to all winds - on to new, exciting ventures and jobs; their hosting contracts long expired, collecting dust on some virtual ledger somewhere in long-forgotten annals of Amazon, Microsoft, or Google.
As the moon cast an otherworldly glow, Funnel IQ, a particularly transparent ghost, moaned, "I lost my way to success, and now I'm forever haunted by my lack of traction."
Platformax, with its haunting zombie interface, chimed in, "I too once promised a sales paradise, but alas, I fell into the abyss of forgotten tools."
The room was filled with sorrowful wails from Kiite, Comtura, 366 Degrees, and the rest of the fallen. They yearned for the days when sales teams had put their faith in them.
Suddenly, a soft, heavenly glow descended upon the scene, and the angels arrived. Ciara, a guardian angel of sales tech, spoke with a soothing voice, "Fear not, for we were acquired, and our purpose was not in vain. Our codes live on, and we protect salespeople across the realms."
Thanks to nicolas reymond for the artwork.
Automate.io added, "We - the 32% - were saved by the giants, but our purpose remains unchanged, and we shall guide you through the sales heavens."
The innocent victims appeared with a sense of bewilderment. "We never saw it coming," said PowerDialer, a victim of strategic decisions. "We were sacrificed on the corporate altar."
Datarosa, a.k.a. ColdCRM, couldn't hide its despair. "We were discarded like obsolete data. But we shall find the truth, even in the shadows of corporate deception."
As the gathering continued, the mysterious cases stood in the corner, shrouded in curiosity. Aithena spoke with an air of mystique, "Our purpose remains enigmatic, even to ourselves. Yet, we linger on in the digital unknown."
LeadsFinder, LiveHive, and KiteDesk shared similar sentiments, a riddle wrapped in a puzzle, wrapped in an enigma.
The night was filled with conversations, stories, and shared pain. The ghosts, angels, innocents, and the mysteries found solace in one another's presence. Even though they came from different backgrounds and met different fates, they were all united by their passion for helping sales professionals all over the World be the best version of themselves.
Artwork by santhosh verma - thanks!
But as the first rays of dawn broke, the spectral gathering began to fade away. The night had passed, and they would return to their digital resting places once again. As they vanished, they left behind a whispered promise—a promise that, one day, they might find their way back into the hearts and screens of salespeople, that their innovations might be revived, and they might live again - one dial, email, conversation, and report at the time.
So, on Halloween night, as you explore the world of sales technology, remember the ghosts, angels, innocents, and mysteries that dwell in the shadows, for they are the forgotten pioneers of a world that constantly evolves. And who knows, one day, their legacy may rise from the digital grave to haunt, protect, inspire, or simply baffle the lands of sales globally once more.
Happy Halloween.