I have some general questions about marketing. Lot's of technical info but I was wondering how people are getting the business to begin with. I'm from the IT end of things but Telco is quite a bit different. Is cold calling still the way to go or networking? General stuff like that. Are there any resources on the web I can search for? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
shadowym wrote:> > I have some general questions about marketing. Lot's of technical info but > I was wondering how people are getting the business to begin with. I'm from > the IT end of things but Telco is quite a bit different. Is cold calling > still the way to go or networking? General stuff like that. > > Are there any resources on the web I can search for? Any suggestions would > be appreciated. > > _______________________________________________ > --Bandwidth and Colocation provided by Easynews.com -- > > asterisk-users mailing list > To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: > http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users >This depends a LOT on what you're marketing. A service? A product? A combination of the two? It also depends on who your target market is what kind of marketing will work best, etc, etc. Head to the bookstore and thumb through some marketing primers, taking careful note of the table of contents to see if any of it is applicable to what you're trying to market. Find something that points you in the right direction or discusses a similar business model and start from there. Remember, not all approaches will work for all situations.
shadowym, best thing to do is talk to a lot of consultants, coaches, and marketing people... take the approach you do with learning open source only reverse it... instead of reading source (internal) ask people (external)... it is a big undertaking and the most important task you have... marketing is a bigger task than the technical (for a tech anyway) don't go it alone.... nothing happens without marketing (and sales)... marketing is *not* sales... daveC shadowym wrote:> > I have some general questions about marketing. Lot's of technical info but > I was wondering how people are getting the business to begin with. I'm from > the IT end of things but Telco is quite a bit different. Is cold calling > still the way to go or networking? General stuff like that. > > Are there any resources on the web I can search for? Any suggestions would > be appreciated. > > _______________________________________________ > --Bandwidth and Colocation provided by Easynews.com -- > > asterisk-users mailing list > To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: > http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users > > > >-- Building Strong Relationships w/ Intelligent Customer Service -- Interlocking Business Solutions, LLC 856-380-0894 x5000
Here is my top ten list of a couple thousand dollar tips each. I want my commission if they work out. 1. Sign up for a www.buyerzone.com account and get qualified leads. 2. Get in good with commercial realtors, they can provide huge leads. 3. Go to buildings with and slide fliers under doors, especially new buildings and empty offices. 4. Cold call very early or at the end of the day when receptionists have left, you are more likely to not get screened and actually get to a decision maker since they are more apt to stay late. 5. Buy lists from InfoUSA for direct mailing and cold calls. You can narrow your searches by company demographics. 6. Networking events cannot hurt but don't waste too much time. 7. A good logo, slogan and telephone number along with services on your company vehicle, work trunk, Van. 8. If you go on a sales call or demo, make a habit of going to neighboring offices and explain that you are doing a demo for such and such company and thought that they may want to see the demo too. 9. Set a goal of the number of contacts you will make in a day and stick to it. Donald Trump's goal was something like 100 cold calls a day starting out. 10. Don't take no and people being rude as personal. Cold calls and sales is a numbers game. Depending on your confidence and style those numbers go up. I have heard statements that if you ask one hundred women off the street to sleep with you, one of them will probably say yes. Let's make it a nice round number. 11. Make friends with sales people at the different telcos. I have received many leads from these people, just be sure to pay them back by trying to send them customers in return. At least let them bid for the business. Thanks, Steve Totaro http://www.asteriskhelpdesk.com KB3OPB> -----Original Message----- > From: asterisk-users-bounces@lists.digium.com [mailto:asterisk-users- > bounces@lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of shadowym > Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 12:35 PM > To: 'Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion' > Subject: RE: [asterisk-users] Marketing 101 > > Thanks for the advice. > > Maybe I should clarify what I was asking. It's not so much the howbut> the > what. > > What are people doing to get PBX Sales/Support business. I know howto> get > IT business but potential customers still see the Telco business asquite> different and are used to using separate companies for that. > > What I was asking is how the traditional telco guys get new > sales/support/consulting business. With IT it's usually a combinationof> cold call/networking/word of mouth. I'm hoping that Telco is the samebut> I > never see any telco guys at networking events so I am thinking theycold> call and advertise targeted at business owners. I'm not sure though. > > -----Original Message----- > From: dave cantera [mailto:david.cantera@iacnet.net] > Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 9:12 PM > To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion > Subject: Re: [asterisk-users] Marketing 101 > > shadowym, > best thing to do is talk to a lot of consultants, coaches, andmarketing> people... take the approach you do with learning open source onlyreverse> it... instead of reading source (internal) ask people (external)...it is> a > big undertaking and the most important task you > have... marketing is a bigger task than the technical (for a tech > anyway) don't go it alone.... > > nothing happens without marketing (and sales)... marketing is *not* > sales... > daveC > > shadowym wrote: > > > > I have some general questions about marketing. Lot's of technical > > info but I was wondering how people are getting the business tobegin> > with. I'm from the IT end of things but Telco is quite a bit > > different. Is cold calling still the way to go or networking?General> stuff like that. > > > > Are there any resources on the web I can search for? Anysuggestions> > would be appreciated. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > --Bandwidth and Colocation provided by Easynews.com -- > > > > asterisk-users mailing list > > To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: > > http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users > > > > > > > > > > -- > Building Strong Relationships w/ Intelligent Customer Service > -- > > Interlocking Business Solutions, LLC > 856-380-0894 x5000 > > > > > _______________________________________________ > --Bandwidth and Colocation provided by Easynews.com -- > > asterisk-users mailing list > To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: > http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users
I posted this before but I will put it up again modified slightly. You can base an entire business on these leads generation ideas and tools. I have weighted them for priority. They key is finding companies that are just starting, moving, or expanding. These are all excellent opportunities to sell your wares. Here is my top ten list of a couple thousand dollar tips each. I want my commission if they work out. 1. Sign up for a www.buyerzone.com account and get qualified leads. Leads cost money but they are HOT. 20% 2. Get in good with commercial realtors, they can provide huge leads. 15% 3. Go to buildings with and slide fliers under doors, especially new buildings and empty offices. In DC I have gone into several empty offices to prep for my customer to move in. I went into the phone closet and there was a very basic flyer for a company doing telcom work pinned to the wall where the old PBX used to be. 10% 4. Cold call very early or at the end of the day when receptionists have left, you are more likely to not get screened and actually get to a decision maker since they are more apt to stay late. 5% 5. Buy lists from InfoUSA for direct mailing and cold calls. You can narrow your searches by company demographics. 5% 6. Networking events cannot hurt but don't waste too much time. 5% 7. A good logo, slogan and telephone number along with services on your company vehicle, work trunk, Van. This one takes time but gets you name recognition, even driving around sometimes just to think can bring in sales. 15% 8. If you go on a sales call or demo, make a habit of going to neighboring offices and explain that you are doing a demo for such and such company and thought that they may want to see the demo too. 10% 9. Set a goal of the number of contacts you will make in a day and stick to it. Donald Trump's goal was something like 100 cold calls a day starting out. 10% 10. Don't take no and people being rude as personal. Cold calls and sales is a numbers game. Depending on your confidence and style those numbers go up. I have heard statements that if you ask one hundred women off the street to sleep with you, one of them will probably say yes. Let's make it a nice round number. 11. Make friends with sales people at the different telcos. I have received many leads from these people, just be sure to pay them back by trying to send them customers in return. At least let them bid for the business. 5% Thanks, Steve Totaro http://www.asteriskhelpdesk.com KB3OPB> -----Original Message----- > From: asterisk-users-bounces@lists.digium.com [mailto:asterisk-users- > bounces@lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of dave cantera > Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 7:00 PM > To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion > Subject: Re: [asterisk-users] Marketing 101 > > shadowym, > wow, I see telco guys at all our networking events and chamber > events... they come and go mostly. since you already have a customer > base that trusts you, that is the best way to make an entry point... > keep letting them know your new service and eventually, they will be > prep'd when the opportunity arises... I have to start from scratch, > ugh.. but at least I can see that it is doable. this is wheremarketing> and sales differ... > daveC > > shadowym wrote: > > Thanks for the advice. > > > > Maybe I should clarify what I was asking. It's not so much the howbut> the > > what. > > > > What are people doing to get PBX Sales/Support business. I know howto> get > > IT business but potential customers still see the Telco business as > quite > > different and are used to using separate companies for that. > > > > What I was asking is how the traditional telco guys get new > > sales/support/consulting business. With IT it's usually acombination> of > > cold call/networking/word of mouth. I'm hoping that Telco is thesame> but I > > never see any telco guys at networking events so I am thinking theycold> > call and advertise targeted at business owners. I'm not surethough.> > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: dave cantera [mailto:david.cantera@iacnet.net] > > Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 9:12 PM > > To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion > > Subject: Re: [asterisk-users] Marketing 101 > > > > shadowym, > > best thing to do is talk to a lot of consultants, coaches, andmarketing> > people... take the approach you do with learning open source only > reverse > > it... instead of reading source (internal) ask people (external)...it> is a > > big undertaking and the most important task you > > have... marketing is a bigger task than the technical (for a tech > > anyway) don't go it alone.... > > > > nothing happens without marketing (and sales)... marketing is *not* > > sales... > > daveC > > > > shadowym wrote: > > > >> > >> I have some general questions about marketing. Lot's of technical > >> info but I was wondering how people are getting the business tobegin> >> with. I'm from the IT end of things but Telco is quite a bit > >> different. Is cold calling still the way to go or networking?General> >> > > stuff like that. > > > >> Are there any resources on the web I can search for? Anysuggestions> >> would be appreciated. > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> --Bandwidth and Colocation provided by Easynews.com -- > >> > >> asterisk-users mailing list > >> To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: > >> http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > > > -- > > Building Strong Relationships w/ Intelligent Customer Service > > -- > > > > Interlocking Business Solutions, LLC > > 856-380-0894 x5000 > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > --Bandwidth and Colocation provided by Easynews.com -- > > > > asterisk-users mailing list > > To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: > > http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users > > > > > > > > > > -- > Building Strong Relationships w/ Intelligent Customer Service > -- > > Interlocking Business Solutions, LLC > 856-380-0894 x5000 > > > _______________________________________________ > --Bandwidth and Colocation provided by Easynews.com -- > > asterisk-users mailing list > To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: > http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users