Question

Topic: Strategy

Small Business To Business Marketing

Posted by Anonymous on 9/14/2005 at 8:17 PM ET 250 Points
To develop leads in small business is proving a difficult task to plan for. So far I’ve looked at cold calling and a direct mail approach but have being told by a marketing guru, which he is, that this won’t work. His only advice has being stress the benefits to them, but.

He is reluctant to offer any advice on what strategies I should adopt. This encloses my question, as I’m new to the marketing world and only have a programming and computer background.




What strategies I should adopt and plan for?


So far I’ve looked at:
Cold calling, approaching the targeted small businesses (at the moment its restaurants and hairdressers)

Direct mail to the targeted businesses announcing and offering the benefits of the new product

And combining the two by cold calling after the letters have been sent.



Are these valid and successful approaches?



Also I’m a one man business at the moment and running a very small budget, and the product is a computer program which they don’t have to operate; they have its benefits without using it. (I’ve being deliberately vague so not to give the product idea away)
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by michael on 9/14/2005 at 11:06 PM Member
    Shane,
    Many of the people on this forum have been in your shoes, so stay at the task!

    As far as your guru, that's where this forum differs. Advise is offered free of charge. BUT, if you want your guru's specifics, offer him a % of sales based on the performance of his ideas.

    You've already discovered the limited amount of time restaurant people have (maybe 130pm to 3pm) to visit with you. Hairdressers have a little more time.

    With limited funds available, I'd focus on your time which you have a lot of, likely. Make sure you have a fast laptop with the program loaded and go see these people cold. BUT don't barge in with the programming running. Go in and ask questions. Order coffee at the counter of you have to and ask for the manager. You're a paying customer then. You won't get a lot of time, but you'll get a courtesy visit. Done properly, you'll get good referrals.

    "Does this seem like it would have some value here?" (if no) "Is it because of the menu or the size of restaurant or something else?"

    In my mind, nothing beats walking into a place cold, but at $2.82/gallon of gas you really need to be careful to use your time wisely. You might want to take the Ecolab sales rep out for coffee.

    I understand the need to be vague. If you'd rather e-mail me offline, please do that by clicking on my name.

    Michael

  • Posted on 9/16/2005 at 7:29 PM Author
    Thank you all for your responses, they have being a great help knowing that I wasn’t planning a strategy that wouldn’t work, with your comments there were a lot of ideas I hadn’t thought of and will certainly be including. I’m a lot more confident and will be a lot more persistent is perusing leads

    Cheers
    Shane
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