Writing a book on Cloud Services

Yep. The body of American Literacy is about to take a huge step back. I am incredibly literate when I spell check and proof things so we’ll see. The stuff I’ve written is so far very similar to Vladville so hopefully it will make for very enjoyable, quick read.

Why? I’ve traveled a lot this year and I’ve spoken with literally thousands of people about the subject of cloud. I have to admit, most conversations are rather scary. The way most of the people I’ve spoken to are approaching the cloud is effectively signing off their clients to the service providers that will put them out of business – not a good way to make money. And after 13 years of moving vapor, I know a bunch of stuff that I don’t think anyone would pay attention unless it was on a dead tree, read far away from the distractions. Here is the general outline so far:

Section 1: What’s In The Cloud
Overview of different cloud-based solutions, from colocation to hosting, virtual and dedicated servers, online services and utility computing.

Section 2: Cashing In The Cloud
Overview of existing business models that integrate the cloud: from all-in to hosted infrastructure and services to complementing solutions that extend the existing service provider solutions.

Section 3: Does That Cloud Look Like…
Marketing strategies for positioning, implementing and delivering cloud services. Basically, a chapter on marketing and designing differentiation assuming all the underlying bricks are the same.

Section 4: Selling Clouds & Vapor
Section covering sales strategies, role playing, handling objections, pricing concessions and cross-selling.

Section 5: Is This For Me?
Perhaps the most important part of the book – how to decide if this is something you’re going to do and which steps to take first, second, third, thirteenth..

Here is where I ask for a favor: Email me at vlad@vladville.com and tell me what you’d like to see in there as far as these sections are concerned.

The goal of this book is to take you from knowing relatively little to having a full marketing, sales, positioning and implementation process. In two hours. And since I’ve already made a ton off the community (and don’t have speaker / presenter / educator aspirations by any means) this is not going to be an expensive book.

The goal is to help people be a part of the cloud revolution, not just a reselling bystander. And training on this business model is thus required of every tech, accountant, support and sales person on your staff.

So help me make this something truly valuable.

Email vlad@vladville.com with your ideas and suggestions. Thanks!!!