 |
Great
products don't sell themselves. Factors that affect short-term results and mid-
to long-term performance include: product positioning, competitive pressures
and strategies, personal relationships, availability of resources, sales
skills, focus and motivation, and interested prospects (i.e., leads).
You probably have an idea, product or service (possibly your
own skills) but you need people or organizations to help you make the idea a
moneymaking reality. This article will briefly address the basics of finding
interested parties.
It doesn't matter whether you seek a relationship
with one large account or thousands of smaller ones, or whether you're looking
at the extremes of a venture capital source or a technical end-user, the basic
philosophy and tactics to find them remain the same.
Identify your
audience and their needs, then deliver a compelling argument how your product,
service or opportunity satisfies their need. Clearly, the needs of a venture
capital firm are immensely different from those of a technical user, but you
won't get the attention of either unless you have a solution to their
problem.
Turn the question around. Instead of thinking what your
product or service will do for you, think about how and why others would
benefit. For instance, do you need engineering talent to help you move from
concept to prototype? If so, the engineers you seek may see a creative outlet
for their skill, and equity opportunity. These factors would suggest you seek
engineers willing to take a chance. Older, younger, or adventuresome engineers
may be better candidates. Do you have a device or application that speeds up
Internet connections? If so, your audience is comprised of people needing an
increase in productivity and willing to pay for it. As you can see, these
benefits will not interest all engineers or all Internet users. You must
identify and target only those that are in need of the benefits you
provide.
By carefully targeting your audience, then creating and
delivering messages pertinent to their needs, you'll minimize costs and
increase the likelihood of your success. |
