Re: How to get business


"Martin Brown" <|||newspam|||@nezumi.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:HOlvRxL8d36HFwny@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In message <OlEGj.16708$5K1.9651@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Jon
Slaughter <Jon_Slaughter@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes

"mpm" <mpmillard@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:6b2de374-6e00-4127-8a1b-c3e33cbe954c@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Mar 26, 7:37?pm, "Jon Slaughter" <Jon_Slaugh...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Suppose I have a product that will probably help out a company. What is
the
best method to approach that company to discuss the product and find out
information. Are there formal methods or can one really just call them
up
and request a metting?

Finding the name of someone in the organisation at the right level to make
a decision on it or at least make a recommendation to someone who can.
Company website, financial reports, in-house magazine, patents anything
like that may get you a possible first contact name.

Yeah.


It would help if we knew a little bit more about the size of the
Company, and how competitive they must be in the market. Are they
niche, or competing in a very mature industry, for example?


Its pretty mature but the company is still a bit behind in technology and
this is where we come in. They have maybe 300-500 stores and AFAIK the
other
company is only putting there product in the newer stores.

So a retail sales operation then rather than a manufacturer ?
But from what you have said here implies the other company already has an
established business relationship with them and is shipping kit.


Yes, they might. I am not sure. All I have really is 2nd and 3rd hand
information. Most of what I know is really speculation ;/ This is really
why I want to contact someone and get more info.

it will be hard cause they already have a contract. The only benefit our
product has is cost(I believe, I really have no idea what the other
product
is costing them but I imagine we can do it cheaper).

Are you *sure* that you can really do it cheaper *and* install, support
the product over a potentially wide geographical area.

I don't know. Information is the key and I have very little. I know the
product itself is relatively inexpensive and this is what I'm basing
everything on. I have not yet estimated the other costs.



* - or a WebEx meeting, Trade Show, or similar if it's completely
impractical to meet face-to-face. But if all else fails, you can
certainly sell remotely.

I'm sure if we get past the first call we can set up a face to face
metting
and get more info.

Have an Introduction, optional Positioning Statement and VALUE
statement ready before you call. Speak to their needs, not your
solution's unique features, etc... That will all wash out anyway if
you are successful. In other words, people could care less how great
your widget is - they want to know how it can help them. It's a
pretty important difference. Don't get bogged down in details unless
they ask.

There need is simple: To save money. I think we can easily fulfill that
need because the device is very simple and from my experience with my
father
that services them in other areas they easily will end up paying 10-50x
the
cost of the product.

You do realise that Usenet is a public access archived medium and easily
searchable with Google. It isn't a good idea to give away any pricing info
or disclose family connections. I hope your are not using your own name.


What do you mean? I am not saying my father charges them that much if thats
what you think. My father doesn't supply a product. I am simply saying that
from my experience in that side of the business I know how inflated some
products are. I'm guessing that chances are the same thing is happening with
the other companies product.

I do not think I've said anything that would be harmful to myself, my
business, or my family. I guess the really the only thing is that if someone
looked it up they would see my inexperience.

A BBC investigative reporter came unstuck recently whilst wired for sound
and vision and working in a boilerhouse dodgy broker selling operation.
His new boss Googled his name and he had to leave very very quickly.

What specifically have I said that you think looks bad? (So I'll know for
future reference)


Even then, you might better save your gunpowder for the face-to-
face. That's my two-cents.
(I was formerly VP-Ops for a $800M Public Company, if that helps.)

Thanks. We are trying to get everything situated and get contacts by next
week because we want to move fast. My gap in knowledge about business is
tremendous(allthough I'm trying to learn about it) and my business partner
is a bit unsure how we can pull it off. (In fact we don't loose much if
we
fail but can learn a lot so it's no loss)

Main thing I'm trying to accomplish at this point is to get our foot in
the
door. I think once we can present the product then we have a shot.

You need to think about it from their perspective to figure out in advance
what they need to know about your solution to sell it (and without giving
away so many details as to hand your solution to them on a plate).

The latter is a tricky one. It is all too easy in the early stages through
inexperience to end up giving away free consultancy by accident.


True. I suppose if we tell them some of our features they could simply get
the other company to support it. I suppose thats what a NDA is for?

I think are real selling point is simply the the cost. I do believe we can
do it cheaper, at least the product itself. Now of course when you start
factoring in services such as installation and maintenance then the price
will skyrocket but theres a chance we can get out of that. (it should be
simple enough anyone can install and replace the unit(almost anyways))

We'll have to put something together though and see what we can do. If we
fail at least we tried and I'd rather try and fail then not try at all.
(and we at least have a product that we can approach other companies with)

Thanks,
Jon


.

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