We recently launched content creation services. (Article creation, infographic design, etc) We have 3 funded startups that we currently work with. Acquired through my network. How can I get more, what would be the best way to do this?
Have a solid new business development process and an action plan. Like any sales activity, you need a strong proposition and a tested process to present your offering to the market.
You are (sadly) no different from any other B2B biz dev client we have.
1 – research and build a database of your prospects (funded startups)
2 – make an offer to them that is compelling and they respond to your approach
3 – have a range of services that are easy to buy, demonstrate added value and encourage re-purchase
4 – rinse, repeat.
https://creativeagencysecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/startups.png551738Rebecca Caroehttps://creativeagencysecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CAS_Logo_1line_RGB.jpgRebecca Caroe2014-06-09 10:00:002019-08-01 15:38:03How do I get funded startups to buy Content Creation services?
Many businesses use direct email and purchased mailing lists for new business development. It’s a tried and tested technique.
No more cold calls or emails. [Image credit http://muddycolors.blogspot.co.nz/]
But it only works when you have a VERY compelling and well-written message.
Here’s an example we received
Would you like to have just one invoice to pay every month for all of you property maintenance? And only have to remember one number. Then give us a call and let us and our team do it all for you. From a one off job, or a complete maintenance package that works just for you
I have attached our company profile for you to see who we are and what we do
Also here is a link to our website [included but not hyperlined]
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any queries or quote requests
Kind regards
Improve your cold email text
Thanks very much for getting in touch.
As you probably can see I run a marketing business and my eagle eye couldn’t help noticing a couple of things you could improve with your approach email which I just got.
You forgot the company profile attachment. And the link isn’t formatted correctly to open your website.
But the main thing your email lacks is a strong reason for me (the recipient) to DO ANYTHING.
Take a read of a couple of our blog posts about writing cold emails
Whether you are a young entrepreneur looking to venture out into the world of small business, or you are a high level marketing
Image from auocoms.com
firm, you need to fully comprehend the ins and outs of basic marketing and law. It’s important to know what will get you (or your clients) in hot water, or even worse, put out of business. Claiming ignorance will not work as a defence when you’ve been dragged into court over trademark or copyright issues. There is a very thin line between what is protected and what isn’t; the following are ways in which you can assure that you are properly protected from a costly and time consuming lawsuit.
Trademarking
When it comes to names, catch phrases and images it’s generally a good idea to check a Trademark Database. If you find what you’re looking for in the database, it doesn’t mean that you cannot use it; however, you would be wise to ask permission from the trademark holder. Unless you are a direct competitor of the trademark holder, they tend to give or sell permission. This rings especially true in regards to using stock photos for websites and catalogs.
Copywriting and Ad Copy
If you make your living writing ads that capture and engage an individual into purchasing your product, it might behoove you to check and see if your country has specifics on what is and isn’t acceptable. I check in with The American Writers And Artist Inc frequently to ensure that no new laws have been passed regarding copyright or trademark infringements.
It astounds me the number of websites and marketing ads that promise unobtainable results due to their products. Perhaps the most abused clientele are those attempting to purchase weight loss diets, pills, and exercise equipment. An example of this would be using false testimonials in advertising.
Copycatting Isn’t Only for Serial Killers
Anyone who has ever watched a crime show eventually sees an episode about a copycat serial killer. It’s inevitable. Now, I’m not saying that those in marketing that copy other people’s work are perpetrating as severe a crime, but nonetheless, it is a crime (and like all copycat serial killers, they will get caught).
It’s a simple concept to grasp. It was cheating to copy a friend’s homework in school, and it’s cheating to copy someone’s marketing work in the real world.
Just because someone else was successful using an idea or phrase in his or her ad copy does not allow you to copy it into your advertising campaign.
Faking It on the Internet
Possibly the fastest growing form of illegal marketing is the growth of black hat SEO techniques. This is the attempt to use hidden text, improper link building, and cloaking to raise a company’s website profile in search results.
Another illegal form of online marketing is creating fake reviews of companies and products. In a recent case, in which nineteen companies were fined for created fake reviews on Yelp and Google Local, New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, stated:
“What we’ve found is even worse than old-fashioned false advertising. When you look at a billboard, you can tell it’s a paid advertisement — but on Yelp or Citysearch, you assume you’re reading authentic consumer opinions, making this practice even more deceiving.” Schneiderman continued “This investigation into large-scale, intentional deceit across the Internet tells us that we should approach online reviews with caution.”
Without a business law degree, it’s not always possible to know what is and isn’t allowed. Thankfully, the internet is always full of advice and answers, and there are always sites like Legal Vision that make it their goal to provide insight and solutions to legal needs.
When all else fails, remember the words of Anita Roddick, the founder of The Body Shop, “Being good is good business.”
If it feels wrong, it probably is wrong…
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https://creativeagencysecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/copyright.png215600Rebecca Caroehttps://creativeagencysecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CAS_Logo_1line_RGB.jpgRebecca Caroe2014-06-03 09:40:422022-12-19 11:57:07The Legal Side of Marketing - what you need to know
We were lucky to find out about TrustRadius the enterprise software comparison site founded by Vinay Bhagat
Image via CrunchBase
through a search we were doing for clients. As a result, we got in touch with them and secured an interview.
Why did you start TrustRadius?
We’re trying to change the way software is bought and sold. If you’re a consumer who wants to buy a product or service there’s a wealth of information out there. But if you’re trying to buy a piece of technology which could have a huge impact on your career, or business – it’s more challenging; more opaque.
Technology marketers try to control the information flow a customer gets.
Our belief is that through a platform like TrustRadius we can give buyers a more authentic, rapid way to make smarter decisions. It’s not just picking the right product – it’s the right product for your use case.
Every business has unique needs – on TrustRadius you can crowdsource different perspectives about the context around the problem the business is trying to solve. This allows the user to made a more informed choice.
This isn’t trying to provide all the answers. TrustRadius is a layer to get intelligent and get insights, way to avoid mistakes. It’s more than a content layer, it’s a way to allow people to connect with each other. a contextual social network.
What are the issues with other solutions?
The Gartner magic quadrant is not appropriate for everyone.
We have a user who contacted people through the site and did information exchanges to get to the real story behind their tech selection and purchase.
People have tried to do backchannel references for years – it’s hard to get peer input rapidly at scale.
Reviewers have authentication – and we use Linked In – in connect button to verify identities.
What’s your business model?
Today we are not focused on making money – we’re trying to create a trusted at scale network – as a young company we
have to concentrate at this. If we can wedge ourselves between the buyer and seller its a $4trilliion marketplace. We bootstrapped for 1 year and now have raised VC money last June – we maniacally focus on getting to scale through effectively recruiting reviewers, sourcing content and engaging vendors. Read more
We advised a client today about how to make 3 improvements to their proposal ending texts. Writing a descriptive of your service or product and pricing it is only part of the new business development process. It is essential that it leads to a next step to keep the discussion going and lead towards a buy/no-buy decision by the prospect.
Three key information points in a proposal
clarifying next steps
adding a timescale
pushing the client towards buying what you want to sell
Here is the original ending paragraph they wrote:
Let me know if you are interested in talking more. If it would help, we can quickly provide a demo of steps 1 and 2 if you provide us with some game event data. As part of that demo we can demonstrate how simple creating new reports / analyses is.
By improving the text the reader is given clear expectations about next steps in the discussion process .
We recommended editing the last paragraph to give clarity on the 3 key information points
“The next step is for you to send us with some game event data and we can quickly provide a demo of steps 1 and 2.
As part of that demo we can demonstrate how simple creating new reports / analyses is. We would make a nominal charge for this work of $XXX which will be fully refundable if we proceed to a full implementation.
I will call you on Wednesday next week to confirm when you can send us the data and a date for the demo.”
Although sounding rather presumptuous this text sets clear expectations with regard to timeframes and next steps against which you can update your biz dev pipeline.
What are your favourite closing sentences in a proposal?
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GoHachi threatens to make this history with its network-of-networks approach to business referrals and introductory sales.
I was an early beta tester and I love the idea of joining together all my networks and using whichever works best to connect with prospects.
So when Hachi invited me to test it out again, I jumped at the chance.
Hachi is improved
Take a look at the nice graphics and easy site layout. All good for UX.
I added in my Linked In contacts.
Hachi linked in connections
– but was a bit confused because I thought I’d already done them.
My profile photo isn’t rendering properly (but I know what I look like).
Hachi helps make a connection to a prospect
So I thought I’d try out a couple of new introductions.
I browsed the “surprise me” tab to see who Hachi thought I should connect to.
Then I ran and saved a search for “marketing managers” in Auckland, New Zealand. Came up with someone at Fonterra – a milk marketing and buying company so I thought I’d give it a go.
Hachi offered me 5 possible routes to connect and I selected Jason – who I know from PocketSmith (cute financial planning tool).
Irritatingly, it doesn’t offer me the chance to just click and send. I have to manually type in his email (necessitated going to Linked In which I thought I’d connected).
Hachi requires you to insert email
There’s a nice page where you can keep track of all the introductions you have in progress.
Let’s see what comes back.
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Ever got an introduction to a new business prospect and wondered why they didn’t reply to your email enquiry?
Let us show you how to guarantee they read your message
Scenario: Rebecca (that’s me) introduces you to Jonathan Lewis. Hey, you should meet Jonathan, I’m sure you guys could work together.
What happens next is one of three possibilities
Rebecca emails Jonathan and cc you into the message – this is the best possible next step because Rebecca is known and trusted by Jonathan so he’ll open the message and see the introduction. PLUS you are cc so he gets your email and you see his and can reply direct keeping Rebecca cc if appropriate.
Rebecca says she’ll email Jonathan and ask him to get in touch – this is the worst possible next step because you have no control over whether she does it, what she says, you don’t get Jonathan’s email address and you don’t see the message. AVOID
Rebecca gives you Jonathan’s email so you can get in touch – this is the median situation. Your message will arrive in his in-box but he doesn’t know you, your email address won’t be white-listed and you risk being ignored
How to overcome scenario 3 above.
Your email subject line is critical
Writing this email is important – it’s your one big chance for Jonathan to notice you and make direct contact.
Ready for the perfect subject line?
Subject: Rebecca Caroe
Yes – that’s it. Make the introducer’s name the subject of the message – this will grab their attention and they will surely notice your message. Why is he writing to me about Rebecca? Hey, I know Rebecca maybe that’s news about her?
Dear [First Name]
Rebecca Caroe and I met this week and we were talking about [name the project / expertise] and she has recommended you and I connect. Her reason is that we are [state your business] and we need [state their business].
Can we fix a time to speak. I am available on [name 2 dates and times here – at least 3 days ahead of today].
Very much looking forward to learning more about [name their business].
[your name]
Why this email works
It sets the context quickly – it does all the ‘thinking’ for the recipient.
You should be trusted with one phone chat or meeting because of the mutual connection (Rebecca) and you’ve given them an easy route for the reply message by suggesting the dates.
Go on, try it and tell me whether it worked for you!
September is the time business gets down to work after the summer break. Blair Enns at the Win Without Pitching team say this is the perfect time to clean out your list of prospects and new business opportunities.
Find out which ones are going to buy and which aren’t worth your time chasing further. Blair writes
Below is a simple email template that you can use to raise deals from the dead. It works throughout the year but this week, more than any other period in the calendar, is when it works best.
THE EMAIL
It was taught to me as The Takeaway but I refer to it by the subject line that I prefer: Closing The Loop. Draft it, modify it if you dare, but send it to all those prospects you were talking to over the summer about real projects only for them to disappear on you. That’s the intended purpose of this email – to raise deals from the dead and solicit a response from someone who has been avoiding you over the summer.
Your natural inclination is probably to do the opposite of what I’m about to suggest. Resist. Do not send an overly polite email. Do not make excuses for your prospect’s behaviour over the last few weeks. Do not email in pursuit of a yes or even an answer. No, your mission is to strip away all emotions and matter-of-factly just let your prospect go. Below is how to do this and then what to expect afterwards.
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A process must underpin successful, reliably consistent new business
Only by getting buy in from all the senior team can it work in the medium term
Our new business methodology underpins all our work and that’s why, like Blair, our recommendations from past clients fall into 2 camps. The politely nice and the ecstatic. For the latter, we succeed in embedding a process that has continued long after our consulting assignment ended. That is the difference the Creative Agency Secrets team makes in new business development.
Follow our 8 step New Business Methodology in the categories on the right side you’ll see articles listed on each step that can help your business embed, codify and practice new business development successfully.
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