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Strategy   URGENT - Need Help Fast!  
 
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Corporate Clientele - Sme Out Of Their League?
Posted By: cferrando* on 3/1/2007 4:23 PM (CST) 250 Points
Hi All,

I have just taken on a free lance consulting contract with the company, Sunnydale Professional Plant Services, web site
www.sunnydale.com.au . They specialise in providing high quality indoor plants to major corporations. They also so casual hire for weddings and other assorted formal functions.

Currently, the majority of their client's fall into the medium to large enterprise category which they have been able to maintain for a substantial period of time (10+ years). The company has been in operation for over 20 years and is family owned and operated.

My question is this... what are the best ways for me to move this company into the corporate area? I.E What are some ways I can tailor their specific marketing strategies to help them attract and close the sale on corporate client's, or are they out of their league?

Any thoughts or suggestions would be gratefully appreciated, if you have a chance to look at their website and feel something needs to be changed, please don't hold back!!

Thank you all :)

Posted by: mbarber Member Response
3/1/2007 4:31 PM (CST)
Gidday Carolyn

It's a bit hard to say how they can be re positioned without knowing what strategies they currently apply. Also are the medium to large businesses they currently deal with 'non' corporate?

I'd never say that a SME is out of its league in dealing with a much larger firm. Where they are likely to be out of their depth is in volumes of clients at that larger level.

Happy to discuss more offline if you like - give me a call in the Richmond office or send me an email direct and we can chat more
 
Posted by: cferrando* Author Response
3/1/2007 4:41 PM (CST)
Hi Marcus,

Thank you for your response. It did get me thinking which is good and goes to show that just when I thought I had given all the info needed, I had forgot a vital element! Current market strategies!

To answer that question, the answer is - They Have no Current Marketing Strategies! Hence my employment and the degree of difficulty in the job. So far, they have managed to get by on word of mouth and referral clientele. Their current clients have large staff numbers but their turnover and market positioning does not put them into the corporate arena.

They are in a position to put on more staff if client numbers grow and have an adequate marketing budget.

Thank you for your offer to get in touch... I will take you up on that!
 
Posted by: mbarber Member Response
3/1/2007 4:42 PM (CST)
Another thought Carolyn - are they restricted to dealing in Brisvegas or would they cover just the eastern strip etc? Does 'surrounding areas' include the Sunshine and Gold coasts?

Also I notice that your the Business development person but there's also Cameron whose the Sales Director - who exactly is doing the Business development (sales) side of the equation for the business?

The website is clean but doesn't help convince me that Sunnydale is the team I should call. They do emerge as a potential option to call and I feel no compelling reason to do so - lot's of potential improvement available regarding copy and what is being made available on your website.

Marcus :-)
 
Posted by: cferrando* Author Response
3/1/2007 4:49 PM (CST)
Hi Marcus,

Another big THANK YOU! Yes I am listed as the BDM on the website (which I wasn't entirely happy with, but thats another story or shall I say another question!) Cameron is supposed to be spear heading the sales department. That is getting out and networking with clients, meeting needs, answering questions and closing the sale. However, he is the son of the owner - Arthur, and while this gives him the position as Sales Director, he is not very experienced.

I am proposing that he attends a sales and marketing course at the National College of Business on the Gold Coast for a bit of extra training in this area.

In answer to your servicing query, they are limited to the Brisbane metropolitan region however, they do go further if requested by a client or the job is substantial enough to warrant the travel.

What do you think we can offer on the website that would push it into the 'top of the list' position of people to call?
 
Posted by: NuCoPro Member Response
3/1/2007 4:59 PM (CST)
You're not out of your league, as I don't know of any global corporations providing the service your client does. In fact, from their web site it seems they may be one of the largest companies of its sort anywhere.

I'm confused since you say they target corporate customers, have lots of medium to large enterprises and have been successful for many years. Who are the "missing" corporate customers you are talking about?
 
Posted by: cferrando* Author Response
3/1/2007 5:11 PM (CST)
Great response, I understand where you are coming from. It's hard to to define my meaning as I'm not sure I have my head completely around it! The best way is for me to use examples;

A current client is a large business 50+ staff (manufacturing plant), and is located in the outskirts of Brisbane. This is a typical client

The client they want to start attracting are large 200+ staff, national or multinational with a head office in Brisbane. The reason they want this type of client is that they have larger budgets, an emphasis on interior design and are generally protected from market fluctuations where as their other clients tend to cross plants off the list, the moment the markets take a down ward turn.

Hope this simplifies things :)
 
Posted by: michael Member Response
3/1/2007 5:12 PM (CST)
Marcus,

GREEN GREEN GREEN

The larger companies are looking for this, though they don't know they should.

This is a good..and easy..way for a company to say they purchase from small businesses. No competition, but the get credit for choosing a smaller company to provide this service.

If it were me, I'd have their bus dev person (in this case she's a she) make contact with the procurement people. They normally have diversity initiatives that they have to meet.

Michael
 
Posted by: NuCoPro Accepted Answer
3/1/2007 5:56 PM (CST)
Everything is relative! A 50 person business in the US is considered to be small and a 200 person business is at the lower end of the medium sized business spectrum. :)

I would put together a high quality, four color glossy brochure; one sheet folded over to a standard paper size. Take some of the information from the web site and REALLY highlight the productivity and environmental benefits of the service. Show the plants in office settings, too.

I would then find out who the top execs are at the local corporation offices and have a beautiful plant along with a card and the brochure hand delivered to them. Then I would have a good sales person contact them the next day and ask for a brief meeting with them to discuss an introductory program for creating a better workplace.

It really won't cost much for the doors it will open. I would be willing to bet that you have a better than 50% rate of follow up meetings from the phone calls.
 
Posted by: CarolBlaha Member Response
3/1/2007 6:13 PM (CST)
With 20 years of experience and the track record you have-- I imagine there is a small field who can match your experience. Leverage that -- the only diff between going corporate is the size of the contract. I've found some major corps easier to deal with than smaller co's.

You have to build a program for face to face selling. That is what your competitors do, they have a rep in there providing consultative selling solutions.

Carol
Sell Well and Prosper tm
 
Posted by: cferrando* Author Response
3/1/2007 6:29 PM (CST)
Hi All - thank you for the great response, I really like the idea of a hand delivered plant - I am working on a glossy brochure and a business card size CD with a presentation on it.

FYI - these guys also sell water coolers which get the water from the air! It's not actually hooked up to any water mains at all - Now that is Green and Clean :)
 
Posted by: mbarber Accepted Answer
3/2/2007 4:27 AM (CST)
Gidday again Carolyn. Get him along to a Top Gun course - I'm not sure when Wayne Berry next has something happening in QLD and it would REALLY be worth the inquiry - excellent, practical and action orientated strategies for selling skills. If he is going to have the title he'd also benefit from being able to do the job really well.

Re the call to action. There's almost nothing on the front page that sells me on the benefits of having plants. Specifically productivity gains from employees based on better workplaces. Specifically health benefits from plants absorbing many of the petrochemical toxins given off by the various workdesk glues, carpets and paints (which is one reason plants die as quickly as they do!).

We can go on here and if I was due back in Brissy in the next week or two would pop in for a chat.

Now whilst you are suggesting corporate clients it sounds like you'd actually be happy with bigger clients. Let's have a chat off line and see what we can come up with.
 
Posted by: Jon Aston Member Response
3/2/2007 9:08 AM (CST)
Forgive me for saying it, but - on the surface - it sounds like more market research would be a good place to start...before you get too far into developing and executing a new strategy.

The asumptions(?) you and your client are making sound optimistic, rather than realistic. Not suggesting the assumptions(?) are wrong, but merely "rosy". Through research, you might find that there is more competition for the larger corporate accounts, that margins are unattractive, that higher service levels (and costs) are needed, or that they're already locked into long term contracts. In other words, maybe this business isn't as attractive as one might assume.

Of course, your research should also provide valuable insight into what needs competitors aren't currently fulfilling, etc. Better to start out with, make decisions and develop strategy based on more facts.

Have you spoken with the client about a research budget?
 
Posted by: iwonapavala Accepted Answer
3/2/2007 9:33 PM (CST)
How about offering services to companies like this for one month free. Offer to do the main lobby, or some other highly visible area (helps generate more clients). Have a tastefully designed (unobtrusive but visible) sign or some leaflets carefully placed. They get a free face lift, you get free advertising.

Also arrange to feature them on your website for that period - placing a link back to their web site if they have one. This would also open the door for you asking them to do the same. This could generate more views of both sites.

This could be part of your market research.

You could also offer to work on their most depressing - for lack of better word - area. Any space where the staff seems less productive/creative. This can be offered free for a month or at a reduced cost for a month so that you can prove that your work will also work for them.

I find the descriptions for the plants too techy. Needs to be more non-plant people friendly. E.g. The Golden Cane Palm -- "Bring the warmth of the tropics indoors with the beautiful Golden Cane Palm. It looks great in etc.... Would also be great to see them in an indoor setting.

What does normal mean when watering plants? 1 cup once a week?? Needs to be more pratical if the watering is being done by the client's staff. Even if your company comes in to do it, the client would need to know how often you have to come in to water the plants - I suspect this might be an issue with some companies.

That's it for now
 
Posted by: cferrando* Author Response
3/4/2007 4:29 PM (CST)
Thank you to all who responded to my question/query. I appreciate the thought and insight you have shared with me and will take all suggestions on board. I look forward to touching base with you all again. Cheers!
 


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