The sales process is a very vital part of business success. You can have the world’s best product but it doesn’t really matter if your sales team can’t transfer that to the real world. One thing to keep in mind is that the sales process is never a one-size-fits-all deal. On the other hand, it has to be specifically tailored to your business, your product, your market environment, and even the competition you face.
One dilemma many tech startups like us face is how to compete with the established names? For a startup, mounting an expensive marketing and sales campaign isn’t possible, and you’re up against a brand or business who can keep throwing cash at any sales challenge.
The key to overcoming this sales challenge lies in the common error any powerful person or entity often ends up making: Arrogance. Many of the heavy hitters often seem to be struck with this malaise of arrogance and overconfidence. In their minds, only the big deals are worth making, and the customer will come on their own. Targeting this is what will allow startups and small businesses to compete with large businesses and corporations.
Networking opens doors:
Bigger businesses end up becoming faceless entities. But as the employee of a startup, you are a vital face of the company. Network with your college buddies and school friends, get noticed, and meet as many people as you can. You never know where the next big deal might come from.
Get out and meet people:
The sales departments of bigger firms often fall prey to the thought that customers should seek them out. Also, as companies grow big, they end up getting bogged down in red tape and procedural issues. As a startup, you don’t have this issue. Build an enthusiastic and proactive sales team that can go the extra mile to finalise a deal.
Target SMEs:
Many of the larger vendors and businesses seem to display no interest in making sales to smaller firms. At times, they almost display an attitude of not needing your business. This is a fantastic entry door for you –today’s startups and small firms are tomorrow’s Fortune 500 corporations. And as a small startup yourself, you can easily relate to their issues and can tailor-make your products for them. Target new and upcoming firms, build long-lasting relationships, and see your firm grow.
About the Author:-
Ambarish Gupta came up with the vision of hosted telephony products for enterprises in India in 2008. He looks at the overall strategic direction of Knowlarity. Ambarish has global work experience in business strategy, marketing, technology and organizational effectiveness. He worked for McKinsey & Company in US as strategy consultant and Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics, Germany as researcher. He graduated from Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur with degree in Computer Science in 2000 and MBA from Carnegie Mellon University, USA in 2007. You can reach him at twitter @ambarishKnow.
Image Credit: Burt Corp
