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Hope is Not A Strategy©Seminar Series SpringBoard West Innovations Inc. lecture series on sales and marketing builds entrepreneurs' awareness of marketing and sales strategies. Attendees will build an awareness of what it takes to compete in the fast paced world of new technology-based businesses. Session 1 - Competitive Intelligence We all assume that we must do market research in order to successfully launch a new high-tech business. But most of us miss out on two levels: First of all, did we thoroughly research the existing market - not only to find out who the current players are and what they have to offer, but doing a detailed assessment of their customers, how the industry works, and what their public documents tell us about their future product plans and strategies? Secondly, do we have a plan to keep a constant eye on the competition? They will not sit still once you are in the market and taking away market share! This session will cover competitive product positioning, pricing strategies, as well as provide tips on tracking the competition. Session 2 - Marketing This session looks at the theory behind marketing, including public relations, branding, marketing communications, reference selling and advertising. The session will also discuss different media and the benefits of using each. Discussions will position how a new start-up with limited budget can be effective in their marketing.
Session 3 looks at the techniques behind effective sales techniques. Many entrepreneurs are uncomfortable as sales person, but as the founder of your company you will have to learn how to sell. Seeing sales as nothing more than assisting your customer in solving their problems helps us get over the stigma of ‘the used car salesman'. The challenges of closing early sales as a new company with an unproven product mean that you will have to quickly become comfortable in handling objections and communicating the overriding value of your solution. The good news? The skills you learn in selling to your first customers will position you as an excellent communicator - after all, every new idea we introduce to our shareholders, employees and partners is nothing but another exercise in selling! Session 4 - Buying Facilitation - Getting to Close There are two sides to every sales cycle - the selling and the buying. This last session in the series looks at how a new entrepreneur can assist the prospective customer in buying. After all, they have their own internal processes to get to a decision about bringing in new technology. There are some simple, effective steps you can take to assist your prospect in getting to a favourable decision - even if your company is new and your product unproven. The discussion will look at how building a sales strategy which looks at both the selling and the buying side of the equation for each sales cycle will assist you in closing more business earlier. The Fall 2009 session of Hope is Not a Strategy has now ended but stay tuned for our 2010 dates. All future sessions will be held in the SpringBoard West Innovations training room, 120 - 2 Research Drive in Regina. Sessions will be broadcast via videoconferencing to other Saskatchewan locations if there is enough interest. "Hope is Not a Strategy" is the title of a book by Rick Page, founder and CEO of The Complex Sale, Inc. and used with permission of the author. Contact SpringBoard West Innovations at 306-789-0535 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any questions.
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