Cambridge Product Management Network

Product Management Principles in a Services Company

Berenice Mann (Proactive Marketer)Clifford Dive (Argon Design)

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“we're brilliant guys and we can do clever stuff for you”

...or

I’m so brilliant

So where are the

customers?

Intangible No two jobs the same Mutual uncertainty of

◦ What the customer wants◦ What you’ll give them

What are we selling? (“....brilliant guys....”) CTOs who want to do exciting (risky) stuff

rather than boring (profitable) stuff

What’s so special about services?

Getting discovered What do we do? (“Anything anyone will pay

us for”) Who are the customers? (“We work across

markets with anyone who’ll pay us”) Messaging (“...we’re brilliant guys...”) Credibility (“...we can do anything...”)

The challenge of selling services

Selling to mates Referrals Traditional outbound

sales (cold calling, company lists, walking the floor at trade shows, networking)

Bluebirds

How do sales normally happen?

Selling to mates Referrals Traditional outbound

sales (cold calling, company lists, walking the floor at trade shows, networking)

Bluebirds

How do sales normally happen?

• Cheap, effective

• Not scalable• Can decay

with time

Selling to mates Referrals Traditional outbound

sales (cold calling, company lists, walking the floor at trade shows, networking)

Bluebirds

How do sales normally happen?

• Cheap, effective

• Can scale• Unpredictable• Difficult to

control

Selling to mates Referrals Traditional outbound

sales (cold calling, company lists, walking the floor at trade shows, naive networking)

Bluebirds

How do sales normally happen?

Have to find the right person in the right company with the right need at the right time

Selling to mates Referrals Traditional outbound

sales (cold calling, company lists, walking the floor at trade shows, networking)

Bluebirds

How do sales normally happen?

If someone calls you, and you do what they’re looking for, the conversion rate is good

Selling to mates Referrals Traditional outbound

sales (cold calling, company lists, walking the floor at trade shows, networking)

Bluebirds

How do sales normally happen?

Usual answers: Social media SEO Shows Hire a brilliant sales guy

How can we get more bluebirds?

All of the above, but they are not a panacea on their own

Business model◦ Be big and famous (CCL)◦ Be a niche player◦ Product/IP/Services combo (bait)

Repeat business◦ Do a good job◦ Account management◦ Choose the right sort of customer◦ Build relationships, share, take the long view

Improving what we’ve got

But to make a real difference

Define the offering(s)

Identify the customer

What is our business?

Before we can start we need to understand what we are

Define the offering(s)

Identify the customer

What is our business?

• What do we do (or would we like to do)?

• What makes us special?

Before we can start we need to understand what we are

Define the offering(s)

Identify the customer

What is our business?

• Who are they?• Where are they?• What do they do?• Do they exist?• Can/will they pay?• How can we help

them?

Before we can start we need to understand what we are

What do we need to do to bring the offering to the customer? Any pre-requisites?

◦ Can we deliver the offering? How do we get the message to the

customer?◦ Can we deliver the message?

Strategic plan

Sales, marketing and delivery working as a team

Marketing create the messaging and raise profile

Sales create and follow up leads and reinforce the message

Delivery team◦ Strategic R&D coordinated with the “product” and

the message◦ Develop expertise and demos

Coordinated approach

Be proactive◦ Don’t just provide the service but predict, identify

and create the broad offering◦ Thought leadership – identify and communicate

what the next problem will be and have the answer today

This is broadly similar to the process of bringing a product to the market

Strategic approach

Confidence that we have ◦ key skills◦ experience◦ good job in agreed timeframe

With social media we can go further, engage with customer rather than broadcast

Is that how your company uses social media?

What do customers really want?

Strong brand Customer focus Marketing

campaigns Work the shows

better Show strong track

record

What do we need?

Strong brand Customer focus Marketing

campaigns Work the shows

better Demonstrate a

strong track record

What do we need?

• Vision

• Clear, strong messaging

• Everyone on board

• Convey excitement/vision to build brand

Strong brand Customer focus Marketing

campaigns Work the shows

better Demonstrate a

strong track record

What do we need?

Really!

Strong brand Customer focus Marketing

campaigns Work the shows

better Demonstrate a

strong track record

What do we need?Content is King!• thought

leadership

• position key staff

Key aims: – • raise profile

• inbound inquiries

Strong brand Customer focus Marketing

campaigns Make the most of

trade shows Demonstrate a

strong track record

What do we need?Strategy!

• Appointments in advance

• Target appropriate prospects

• If there aren’t any, why are you there?

• FOLLOW UP!

Strong brand Customer focus Marketing

campaigns Work the shows

better Demonstrate a

strong track record

What do we need?

• Case studies

• Endorsements

• Genuinely happy customers

Don’t leave this to chance Sales people are not knights in shining

armour who will singlehandedly ‘save’ your business. They need: ◦ Support from marketing (profile, brochures,

inbound marketing)◦ Tech support◦ Operations/delivery to be reliable and of

consistent good quality◦ Vision from the management team/board

and filtering all the way down – everyone on message!

Sales

CEO – you can sell better than your sales guy?Have you: defined an appropriate target market? communicated your enthusiasm and key

knowledge on to other staff? equipped them properly to sell your product

or service? backed them up with appropriate marketing

strategy and campaigns? expected miracle results with no investment?

Sack the rubbish sales guy?

Once upon a time there was a technology consultancy, that wanted to transfer skills and experience from the US smart meter rollout into the European market

Europe was starting to think about smart meter rollouts

Different countries - different needs: infrastructure, comms channels, timescales – one size doesn’t fits all!

= opportunity!

Case study Smart Meter Technology – European Strategy

1. Market research to assess opportunities available and key customers to target (lead list!)

2. Use info to develop new messaging and campaigns3. Devise and conduct a PR campaign to support new

VP European Sales. (why?)◦ Raise profile in new market with thought leadership◦ Introduce key members of team before approaching

companies◦ Create awareness and position the company

Where to start?

Skills and experience in smart metering and sensing – lots of clever people who knew ALL about this stuff!

Track record – 8M US smart meters with their

technology insideNew licensing agreement with National

Grid smart meter for the UK

What can they do for European Utilities?

Proposition – why buy off the shelf meters and crowbar them into your requirements when you can design from scratch and get exactly what you need?

For less money! E.g. Enel in Italy and National Grid in UK.

‘Make versus Buy’ Campaign

New headline message“The world-leading supplier of smart grid and metering technology” No frills, clear, true, defendable message

that the exec team were comfortable with – all on board!

Developed by marketing and sales and exec team ‘final say’ for exact wording

Make v Buy - needed a makeover

Redesign website – clear focus! support ideas and positioning provide content utilities could relate

to

What else?

New content support key message

Highlight thought leadership

New case studies to demo expertise

CTA! Tagging and links

New print collateral New PR agency with European

offices – foot on the ground in relevant countries & translation

Develop thought leadership - trade articles, research and press releases

Drive activities for key trade show, ‘Metering Europe’

Extend communications to social media to boost reach, encourage engagement, drive to website

Focused campaign on all fronts

Twitter · 28 Jan 2011

Congratulations to our partners Onstream for their Meter Manufacturer and Innovation of the Year awards: http://bit.ly/eeIa6U

The Campaign was focused & effective Coverage in Pan European trade journals,

general press e.g. FT Raised overall profile in target market Resulted in inquiries and advanced

bookings for meetings at key show For the first time utilities sought the

company out at Metering Europe European Sales office busy CEO = go-to person for media comment,

raising company and personal profile Board happy! -“punching above our

weight” - marketing investment paid off

Results

Raising profile - It all adds up

Number 5 in list of key influencers in Greenbang Report 2010big achievement for a small

company Report was also picked

up by the FT 6 month survey - greater

recognition and related to smart grid/metering

Real ROI?

“… is expected by the report’s authors to grow significantly as the UK launches its massive smart meter roll-out.”

Worked with a number of European Utilities following the campaign

Formed new partnerships to develop technology

Forged links with key influencers and journalists

Grew from 25-40 people over 2 years Other benefits? – Recruitment!

Did it work?