The Sales Archaeologist

If you're like me – then you are pretty happy  to see more investments and acquisitions of new companies and emerging technologies.  VC’s seem to be more active, Investment companies are keen to rebuild their portfolios and if you are one of those exciting new startups, then the timing might be right to finally get some help and get your great offering off your desk and out to the commercial world.

But – whether an investor or investee you need to think about something sorely missing from most business plans and strategies. I have spoken with a number of investors and they tell me that what I am about to address often a missing element – “we want to know who is going to buy it and how you are going to sell it!” is a common refrain amount investors and VCs. That means that before ithey part with their money they would like to know how this product or service is going to be SOLD. Of course they want to know the product is viable, if the financial goals are acceptable, the make-up of an executive team is balanced, the patents secure etc….But they also want to know this – Five years from now what will a sales person be saying to a prospect in order to sell this? What will the positioning be that will even get you the appointment?

That is a great question and is certainly something I woudl like answered before I invested money in a company. In my mind, nothing would demonstrate the viability of a company more – If you can't sell the solution in theory, how can you sell it in reality?

One of the things that Harry Beckwith often talks about is that if a mission statement, marketing plan or a concise statement about your company doesn’t come easily then you might have a problem with the offering or with the company. The question "How will I sell this?" should be top of mind in any entrepreneurs mind. Nothing will tell an investor that your “idea” isn’t fully baked like not having an easy way to talk about whom and how your Idea will help people – in the real world.

Now if you are a designer, creator, engineer, inventor or founder of a company you may be thinking "but my ____ is so great that it will sell itself."  Maybe you're right but that won't help you woo potential investors. Many were badly burned during the last downturn and a lot of those wounds were caused by that very mentality. Many a nifty, creative and even important idea resulted in a business model that went belly up because there was no sales strategy.

If you are looking for funding then please get your positioning straight. Something we cover in module 2 and 3 of our On-Demand Sales Development Webinar Series