sales and marketing jujitsu for startups

April Dunford @aprildunford

Small Budget, Big Impact

Sales & Marketing Jujitsu for Startups

Who am I and Why Should You Care?

6 Startups 4 exits Some Big Companies 9 Product Launches Currently: COO Tulip Retail @aprildunford

Using an Opponents’ Energy Against Them, Rather than Directly Opposing it.

Jujitsu is the Art of

Big Companies Seem Powerful

Team: Gigantic Budget: Massive Customer base: Bazillions Brand Recognition: Everyone Products: Families of Full-Featured

Products Ecosystem: SI’s, ISV’s, VAR’s,

Extension Providers

Team: Tiny, Sleep deprived Budget: Nonexistent Customer base: Your Mom Brand Recognition: Not Even Your Mom Products: An MVP that does pretty

much nothing Ecosystem: You don’t know what that

means but you’re pretty sure you don’t have one

Big Company XYZ

Your Startup

But Those Strengths Are Also Weaknesses

Team: Gigantic Budget: Massive Customer base: Bazillions Brand Recognition: Everyone Products: Many, Full-Featured

Products Ecosystem: SI’s, ISV’s, VAR’s,

Extension Providers

Slowed by bureaucracy and politics Wasted on ineffective generic tactics Few personal relationships with them Can’t move outside that brand Bloated, overly complex products that

even employees don’t understand Market feedback loop is slow and

ineffective

Big Company Strength

But…

Startups Have Unique Strengths

But Not All Startups Leverage Them

How Do We Do That?

Be Smarter

Talking to Prospects is So Easy (You Should Try it)

Ask Open Ended Questions

Customer Discovery Tips

Focus on Problems (Not Solutions)

Talk Less, Listen More

DO NOT SELL

Be More

Focused

Choosing a Market

What is it about your Segment that makes them love your Product?

What is it about your Product that makes it loved by your Segment?

Worry about

the Next 10

Don’t Worry About How to Get 1,000,000

Customers

Founder-Sell Early Customers Because Everyone Loves a Non-Salesy Sales Person

Understand The Buying Process

No Need Need Eval Buy Enjoy Re-new

Knowing the cost of not solving the problem

Knowing the Value of solving the problem

Knowing the value of your solution

Why purchase now?

Using and enjoy the offering

Knowing I can’t do without the offering

Current solution good enough

Value not compelling Risks too high

Not knowing how to evaluate Great but not for me

I might change my mind Too much $

Bad service, Bad user experience Not using

Decided there was no need Move to other solution

Accelerators

Friction points

Mapping Marketing The Buying Process Buying Stage

No Need, Need Eval, Buy Enjoy, Refer, Renew

What Problem-Focused Content and Programs

Solution-Focused Content and Programs

Activation & Engagement-focused Content, Programs

Examples Articles, blog posts, Industry data, trend reports, curated content

Articles, blog posts, webinars, events, case studies, ROI calculators, advertising

Support content, How to guides, Best practices guides Forums, User Conferences

Where Where prospects are Partly where they are, partly your turf

Mainly your turf

Purpose Entertain, Educate, Engage

Educate, differentiate, move to eval or sell

Experience value, create raving fans

Action Permission to “market”: likes, follows, newsletter/blog signups

Permission to “sell”: give contact info, trial sign-up, purchase

Renewals, Referrals

Be Faster

Implement a Rapid Cycle Document

Inputs, Assumptions

Choose Tactics

Execute Tactics

Measure Results

Analyze and Check

Assumptions

•  Segmentation • Buying Process • Accelerators/���

Friction Points

Be Good

Big Companies Are Hard to Love (because we care about different things)

Stand for What Your Customers

Care About

Fans and Community Extend Your Reach

Love Early Customers Like You Would Die Without Them

(Because You Will)

Go Be Your Best Ninja Self

Questions?

@aprildunford Rocketwatcher.com Tulip.io