boot strap marketing finding customers – getting sales

BOOT STRAP MARKETINGFinding Customers – Getting Sales

Chris Walker BA MA MCIMPeople Systems International &

Venture Wales

Marketing & Sales

• Background in Marketing and sales for multinationals – P & G, ExxonMobil, M & S and for SME’s in Wales

• Concentrate on SME’s• Entrepreneurs have good and innovative ideas but

don’t perform to forecast or fail to achieve sales• Success is more about planning, targeting and effort • Less on spending £thousands on marketing: more

about focussed effort

Bootstrapping

Bootstrapping or booting refers to a group of metaphors that share a common meaning: a self-sustaining process that proceeds without external help.

Wikipaedia

http://blog.bootstrappingwithoutboots.com/

Key Concept

Front loadingStart your marketing and sales effort at the beginning of the start-up process

DON’T WAIT!

Scubacraft – case study• Local Company – global aspirations• Ambition• Benchmark - World Class • Problem: Limited finance for prototyping and getting to

market• Solution: Boot-strap marketing

How to do Bootstrap Marketing

• Defining the brand– What product/ service are you offering?– What’s the story – the narrative?– What are the brand values?– Where is the wow?

TARGETTING IS THE KEY

• Have ambition• Be Bold – What’s the worst that can happen?• Who do you want to be your customers?• You need less marketing ‘stuff’ than you think• Find innovative ways of getting something for

nothing (or as little as possible)• JFDI – Just do it!

So who are your target customers?

• Clearly define your market segments and target customers – primary/ secondary

• How will you get to your customers• Getting to talk to the MAN – • Define your goal – Get in the ‘zone’ - Meeting? Sale?

Be Creative - Dealer Network

Your pen or mine?

• Get sales commitments / get sales orders

Be Bold – help others to advertise and promote your product or service

Nigel Harwood, CEO InterGlobe Established Products Private Limited, launches a range of luxury products in Delhi and features Scubacraft alongside Koenigsegg Cars and Sikorsky Helicopters.

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Bootstrapping? Do it. You know it makes sense.