The Issues WE (STARTUPS) Face: PART 2- SALES and MARKETING

Here's something for Sunday morning read! 

To start with I am a Sales Guy!

And as the world kept telling me that management people are worthless specially marketing guys (Off course not the IIM lads).
And yes, if you are in Sales- that's really looked down upon.
LOW SALARIES - LOW RESPECT - EVEN MARRIAGE PROPOSALS don't come to SALES PEOPLE.

Sadly, while I took off in corporate world in 2009 between Slowdown phase I started believing in it. SALARY post MBA: 6700/- Per month.

In last 7 years I worked with Newark 18, Indiamart, Shoppers Stop, Spinalogy, Bestseller (Denmark), Aditya Birla and Airtel.

I shifted for money with strong performance in every co. I worked with.
The journey of Management Trainee to Operations Manager- Delhi went just about awesome.

In my journey I sold Advertisements, Workshops, Events, men's formals to casuals and women's clothing to shoes, Telecom products to Apple 5S and all mobile phones.

But then everyone said the same: Sales and Marketing is SO GENERIC THAT ALMOST EVERYONE CAN DO. AND IT'S SO LOW THAT NO ONE WANTS TO DO IT.

Never really thought the worth of a Sales, until when I met Startup Communities.

I always have held the position of Sales way up in my head and past 2 years I am take workshops for MBA students to create respect for Sales in their mind.

Startups and problems they faced 50% of the problems are :

1. It's not selling; if it is, it's not selling enough
2. Who will sell
3. Why will others sell your product
4. Sales is generally done with interest and passion : Is there that passion for this product?

Entreprenuers have only two types:
1. One WHO SELLS 

and

2. One WHO MAKES the product (IT-MECH Engineers)

So here are some ideas of the problems STARTUP Guys face in marketing, Hope you guys will find it interesting and relevant:

Take an Example:
Business Dev. Of New Delivery Services:
- Convince the owner of Kirana Shop/ Restaurants/ Cake shop/ Flower shop to make you the delivery partner

1. Even If we have a great product it will sell automatically:
Sorry, NO!
People Now are spoilt for choices, so it won't be sold automatically.

You have to sell it yourself (or one of the members of Core team) to make it work.

How?

I. Don't be afraid- You will fail to convince the first 10. And it's ok.
Keep selling.

II. Talk to your team and know the cases where owners tell you NO! Practice what to say.
Minimum words and Max effect.

III. Talk Benefit for the Onwer rather than what you offer.
Eg.
- Cost of 10 daily deliveries is 500-700 by Roadrunnr
- 2 delivery avg fail
- 2 delivery loss because you don't have a delivery boy

Talk! Talk which can make sense to the owner. And tell that decision is theirs.
Leave the YES or NO to him.

But when they say NO- Ask WHY don't you want it?
(This last WHY is often the Most Difficult one)

So you see you have to sell it!

Even one the great applications in market needs to be downloaded - Right?

There are cos which can get ur app downloaded with a price tag of 40 -100 Rs / Download.
Go the hard way of SALES: and that's possible in 18-19 rs/ Download.

2. Selling within team is often embarrassing and asking what will you talk there?

Role plays or Enacting the situation of sales is not done in startups. We rely that they know sales, and that's why they are hired.
But then- It's your product.

Please keep listening to what WORD going out in market through your sales team.

- 30 sec tele-call practice sessions
- Managing tough sales customers is great for startups

3. Sales Team Selection:
Most new guys coming in sales are the ones who can talk good in English and Hindi and talk about exciting startup culture and stuffs.

Young recruiters get impressed.

However in sales selections, there is a saying:
"BABY SHOULD CRY"

Just before the final round of interview the guy himself should be pumped up, so leave the offer and selected guy in open for a while, You will see how much eager is he to join and why?

Sales guys will come at a price - But don't just take guys who can talk the best. Funding ones whoCAN CLOSE THE CALL the best is important. Every sales manager or Co-founder has his own way of finding the one.

Ideally it goes beyond language barrier.

The way the sales guy Smiles, and the way sale guy cuts a sentence is so important.
Judging is tough but practicing will make it possible.

4. Sales Team Targets Setting: 

Often have ways to meet the target and sit at home if the targets are low.

If the targets are too high they won't even try!

Finding the right target is important.

5. DELIVERABLES: Process and Results 

NOT JUST THE RESULTS - PROCESS also is deliverable. Make ways for it in KRA SHEET. 
- Eg. One co. Has had 10 NEW vendors in last  month What should be the target? 
You won't know if you haven't set the target for no. Of meetings DONE by the sales exec.

- So knowing no. Of sales calls made (tele calls)  eg. 300

- No. Of new meetings fixed  eg. 32

- No. Of repeat meets happen eg. 12

- No. Of conversion eg. 10

Do.this 3 months and you will see nos growing from 10 to 15 or more.

6. Not just Sales but RELATIONSHIP with existing customer is so crutial. 
Lot of happy vendors bring more business.

Monitor that and push your sales team to do that regularly. If they say nothing coming out of their vendors. Find why? 
Do the same process REPEAT Again.

7. JUST HAVING A WEBSITE WON'T HELP : WEBSITE Optimization

I have seen quite a few websites of this group, which are just not ready for any sort of sales and client servicing now!

Having a page which is exactly right for CALL TO ACTION is so critical for all of us!

8. FACEBOOK and GOOGLE ADS: 

Putting ads on Facebook for the inorganic increase of fake likes is one way, but if you want results there are hosts of things we have to be doing. 

- Right words in ads

- Interesting content

- Pictures

- Publishing Post Plans  even the time to publish the regular posts.

Doesnt matter how big or small our business is now- but we all aim to make it bigger than yesterday!

So, LEARN- PLAN- DO- REPEAT!

I know is been a long article and I am not even half way through, but I think these 6 points can be a good start!

Looking forward for all you guys to say things about it!

If you have ready till this point- Then either You are either a good reader or I am a good writer! Thank you anyways!