product management principles in a services company (or how to sell brains!)
DESCRIPTION
Selling and marketing services is not easy and differs from product marketing, but it also has much in common. Cliff and Berenice discussed this at the Cambridge Product Managers Network on 29 September 2014.TRANSCRIPT
Cambridge Product Management Network
Product Management Principles in a Services Company
Berenice Mann (Proactive Marketer)Clifford Dive (Argon Design)
Thanks to our sponsors
“we're brilliant guys and we can do clever stuff for you”
...or
I’m so brilliant
So where are the
customers?
Intangible No two jobs the same Mutual uncertainty of
◦ What the customer wants◦ What you’ll give them
What are we selling? (“....brilliant guys....”) CTOs who want to do exciting (risky) stuff
rather than boring (profitable) stuff
What’s so special about services?
Getting discovered What do we do? (“Anything anyone will pay
us for”) Who are the customers? (“We work across
markets with anyone who’ll pay us”) Messaging (“...we’re brilliant guys...”) Credibility (“...we can do anything...”)
The challenge of selling services
Selling to mates Referrals Traditional outbound
sales (cold calling, company lists, walking the floor at trade shows, networking)
Bluebirds
How do sales normally happen?
Selling to mates Referrals Traditional outbound
sales (cold calling, company lists, walking the floor at trade shows, networking)
Bluebirds
How do sales normally happen?
• Cheap, effective
• Not scalable• Can decay
with time
Selling to mates Referrals Traditional outbound
sales (cold calling, company lists, walking the floor at trade shows, networking)
Bluebirds
How do sales normally happen?
• Cheap, effective
• Can scale• Unpredictable• Difficult to
control
Selling to mates Referrals Traditional outbound
sales (cold calling, company lists, walking the floor at trade shows, naive networking)
Bluebirds
How do sales normally happen?
Have to find the right person in the right company with the right need at the right time
Selling to mates Referrals Traditional outbound
sales (cold calling, company lists, walking the floor at trade shows, networking)
Bluebirds
How do sales normally happen?
If someone calls you, and you do what they’re looking for, the conversion rate is good
Selling to mates Referrals Traditional outbound
sales (cold calling, company lists, walking the floor at trade shows, networking)
Bluebirds
How do sales normally happen?
Usual answers: Social media SEO Shows Hire a brilliant sales guy
How can we get more bluebirds?
All of the above, but they are not a panacea on their own
Business model◦ Be big and famous (CCL)◦ Be a niche player◦ Product/IP/Services combo (bait)
Repeat business◦ Do a good job◦ Account management◦ Choose the right sort of customer◦ Build relationships, share, take the long view
Improving what we’ve got
But to make a real difference
Define the offering(s)
Identify the customer
What is our business?
Before we can start we need to understand what we are
Define the offering(s)
Identify the customer
What is our business?
• What do we do (or would we like to do)?
• What makes us special?
Before we can start we need to understand what we are
Define the offering(s)
Identify the customer
What is our business?
• Who are they?• Where are they?• What do they do?• Do they exist?• Can/will they pay?• How can we help
them?
Before we can start we need to understand what we are
What do we need to do to bring the offering to the customer? Any pre-requisites?
◦ Can we deliver the offering? How do we get the message to the
customer?◦ Can we deliver the message?
Strategic plan
Sales, marketing and delivery working as a team
Marketing create the messaging and raise profile
Sales create and follow up leads and reinforce the message
Delivery team◦ Strategic R&D coordinated with the “product” and
the message◦ Develop expertise and demos
Coordinated approach
Be proactive◦ Don’t just provide the service but predict, identify
and create the broad offering◦ Thought leadership – identify and communicate
what the next problem will be and have the answer today
This is broadly similar to the process of bringing a product to the market
Strategic approach
Confidence that we have ◦ key skills◦ experience◦ good job in agreed timeframe
With social media we can go further, engage with customer rather than broadcast
Is that how your company uses social media?
What do customers really want?
Strong brand Customer focus Marketing
campaigns Work the shows
better Show strong track
record
What do we need?
Strong brand Customer focus Marketing
campaigns Work the shows
better Demonstrate a
strong track record
What do we need?
• Vision
• Clear, strong messaging
• Everyone on board
• Convey excitement/vision to build brand
Strong brand Customer focus Marketing
campaigns Work the shows
better Demonstrate a
strong track record
What do we need?
Really!
Strong brand Customer focus Marketing
campaigns Work the shows
better Demonstrate a
strong track record
What do we need?Content is King!• thought
leadership
• position key staff
Key aims: – • raise profile
• inbound inquiries
Strong brand Customer focus Marketing
campaigns Make the most of
trade shows Demonstrate a
strong track record
What do we need?Strategy!
• Appointments in advance
• Target appropriate prospects
• If there aren’t any, why are you there?
• FOLLOW UP!
Strong brand Customer focus Marketing
campaigns Work the shows
better Demonstrate a
strong track record
What do we need?
• Case studies
• Endorsements
• Genuinely happy customers
Don’t leave this to chance Sales people are not knights in shining
armour who will singlehandedly ‘save’ your business. They need: ◦ Support from marketing (profile, brochures,
inbound marketing)◦ Tech support◦ Operations/delivery to be reliable and of
consistent good quality◦ Vision from the management team/board
and filtering all the way down – everyone on message!
Sales
CEO – you can sell better than your sales guy?Have you: defined an appropriate target market? communicated your enthusiasm and key
knowledge on to other staff? equipped them properly to sell your product
or service? backed them up with appropriate marketing
strategy and campaigns? expected miracle results with no investment?
Sack the rubbish sales guy?
Once upon a time there was a technology consultancy, that wanted to transfer skills and experience from the US smart meter rollout into the European market
Europe was starting to think about smart meter rollouts
Different countries - different needs: infrastructure, comms channels, timescales – one size doesn’t fits all!
= opportunity!
Case study Smart Meter Technology – European Strategy
1. Market research to assess opportunities available and key customers to target (lead list!)
2. Use info to develop new messaging and campaigns3. Devise and conduct a PR campaign to support new
VP European Sales. (why?)◦ Raise profile in new market with thought leadership◦ Introduce key members of team before approaching
companies◦ Create awareness and position the company
Where to start?
Skills and experience in smart metering and sensing – lots of clever people who knew ALL about this stuff!
Track record – 8M US smart meters with their
technology insideNew licensing agreement with National
Grid smart meter for the UK
What can they do for European Utilities?
Proposition – why buy off the shelf meters and crowbar them into your requirements when you can design from scratch and get exactly what you need?
For less money! E.g. Enel in Italy and National Grid in UK.
‘Make versus Buy’ Campaign
New headline message“The world-leading supplier of smart grid and metering technology” No frills, clear, true, defendable message
that the exec team were comfortable with – all on board!
Developed by marketing and sales and exec team ‘final say’ for exact wording
Make v Buy - needed a makeover
Redesign website – clear focus! support ideas and positioning provide content utilities could relate
to
What else?
New content support key message
Highlight thought leadership
New case studies to demo expertise
CTA! Tagging and links
New print collateral New PR agency with European
offices – foot on the ground in relevant countries & translation
Develop thought leadership - trade articles, research and press releases
Drive activities for key trade show, ‘Metering Europe’
Extend communications to social media to boost reach, encourage engagement, drive to website
Focused campaign on all fronts
Twitter · 28 Jan 2011
Congratulations to our partners Onstream for their Meter Manufacturer and Innovation of the Year awards: http://bit.ly/eeIa6U
The Campaign was focused & effective Coverage in Pan European trade journals,
general press e.g. FT Raised overall profile in target market Resulted in inquiries and advanced
bookings for meetings at key show For the first time utilities sought the
company out at Metering Europe European Sales office busy CEO = go-to person for media comment,
raising company and personal profile Board happy! -“punching above our
weight” - marketing investment paid off
Results
Raising profile - It all adds up
Number 5 in list of key influencers in Greenbang Report 2010big achievement for a small
company Report was also picked
up by the FT 6 month survey - greater
recognition and related to smart grid/metering
Real ROI?
“… is expected by the report’s authors to grow significantly as the UK launches its massive smart meter roll-out.”
Worked with a number of European Utilities following the campaign
Formed new partnerships to develop technology
Forged links with key influencers and journalists
Grew from 25-40 people over 2 years Other benefits? – Recruitment!
Did it work?