Sales for Startups

Nine out of ten  startups fail. But don’t let that statistic stop you. The opportunity to build your own business and create something from nothing is well worth the risk. Life’s too short not to experience the joy of building your own business.  The life of the entrepreneur is fortune filled.  But it starts with sales for startups.

Unfortunately most hardware and software startups never reach the finish line.   But luckily there are things you can do to tip the scales in your favor.  Let’s first look at where others have failed. 

Number One Reason Startups Fail

According to a study by CB Insights, the  primary reason B2B startups perished was they built something nobody wanted.   Too often they built a solution in search of a problem. They got an idea that seemed intriguing. And then they ran with it. But they didn’t consider if there were customers for this solution.  They just assumed they had a good idea and they went with it. 

Too often entrepreneurs over value their gut. We call this  hubris. Eventually the market will reveals the truth that you’re not working on a valuable solution. Nobody’s going to buy it. No matter how hard you work. The market only buys things that provide real value. 

Consider the idea you have. Are you 100% certain people really want it? Are you 100% certain people would pay you handsomely for it? If not, you are risking failure out of the gate.

Number Two Reason Startups Fail

The next most common reason startups fail is they run out of money. This is usually tied to the first reason. When startups  realize their idea is weak, they pivot and go searching for a better idea.  

Pivots cost money. The lack of money starts a domino effect of staffing gaps, burnout, poor product development, poor marketing, poor customer service and schedule slip.

Number One Reason Your Startup Will Succeed

If you take the time to understand the issues startup’s face, you can address these problems BEFORE they happen. Unlike other failed startups, you’re going to be proactive.  Instead of winging,  let’s adopt a startup business process.  With hard work you will avoid the pitfalls and hazards others have faced. You’re going to create products and services the market loves and build a portfolio of loyal clients that sings your praises.  It’s often said with sales and the revenue it brings, all problems are solved. Figuring out marketing and sales for startups is the first step towards success. 

How We Help B2B Startup

We’re going to assume you have:

• • • No customers,
    • No leads,
    • No marketing, 
    • No sales staff, 
    • No  test team,
    • No customer service,
    • Nothing… nada… zilch. 

You are at square one (or maybe it would make more sense to say, square zero!)  We’re going to assume you have some idea and a team to build it. Maybe yourself! But these gaps are not insurmountable.    

With our Sales for Startups process we’ll fill these gaps as we go. We’ll make sure at every turn you’re serving the market and grow revenue. 

We provide you with a step by step process.  Each step builds on the past. If you follow as directed, you’ll find success. It’s not complicated at all.  

B2B Sales for Startups Challenges

Startups face a series of challenges that must be addressed. Each challenge is the gateway of further challenges.  For example it’s important to:

1. •  Validate your idea and see if you can actually make money.  
   •  Laser focus your business on one or two key benefits. 
   • Build a minimum viable product as economically as possible.
   • Enroll friendly customers to use and provide feedback on what we’ve built. 
   • Find a set of prospective customers, and set up some  meetings. 
   • Craft a killer presentation that will motivate the audience to buy on the spot.
   • Get buyers to close themselves as new clients OR enroll them to become investors
   • Automate what we’ve learned with marketing.  Scale sales, hire only the best staff and put processes in place for repeatable success.

Startup Technology Sales Process

Our process is biased toward B2B sales, specifically the enterprise sale. By that we mean we’re selling an expensive high ticket hardware and software product to a large organization. Buying decisions are often done by committee. Everybody on the committee needs to weigh in their opinion. These stakeholders make the process long and drawn out. These are difficult sales but well worth the trouble.  Enterprise products and services have loyal clients and terrific margins. 

But the process is also applicable to B2C. Many B2C business never interact with customers face to face. The selling process resides in the marketing space. But how you approach building a product or service, that’s all the same. How you speak to your ideal client, that’s all the same too.

This is an eight step sales for startups process: 

1. 1. 1. Validate your idea
      2. Build an MVP
      3. Beta test and iterate
      4. Generate qualified leads 
      5. Give a persuasive demo 
      6. Close the deal
      7. Repeat and automate sales
      8. Scale the business 

What you do after this is your choice. Do you want to sell? Do you want to go to IPO? Do you need another round of fundraising to scale?   You have many options. 

Who We Are

We help businesses discover the true value they bring to market, find customers who deeply appreciate that value then scale that process to extraordinary profits. We do this with modern 2020 sales and marketing techniques. We work with technology and client-based companies for sales training in Chicago and throughout Chicagoland. We also have clients in Silicon Valley, Africa and across the USA. 

Pat Helmers consults, coaches, hosts a podcast and teaches selling secrets to non-sellers:  engineers, specialists, and subject matter experts who have a passion with aspirations of sharing it to the world.  He exclusively focuses on marketing and sales for startups and organizations introducing new products and services.

No Pushy Selling Here

Pushy sales doesn’t work! The key is to build trust over time. What  tools do we use?  LinkedIn, Email and the power of the Voice Mail.

We believe and teach the value of a helping mindset. Your prospective customers have challenges, hopes and aspirations. They need your help. All you need to do is build their trust, and faith, in your organization.

Buying Process, Not Selling Process

People like to buy, but they hate to be sold. Once you understand how your ideal customers shop, you can manage that process for optimization. It requires  putting 100% of the attention on the buyer, NOT the seller.

Time To Take Action

Have you built something and now struggling to bring your baby to the world? It’s time to make some sales for startups. Stop kicking the can down the road working on your project. Let’s get you talking to qualified buyers today.

How We Coach and Consult

Our consulting starts with a meetup with the executive team. We will discover your ideal client, value to the market, the challenges your buyers face, the benefits your products and services bring.

We thoroughly research the team for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Next we create a structure for generating leads with digital marketing, social media and industry networks. From those leads we design a qualifying process that turns suspects into prospects.

Next we consult on productive sales calls, presentations, demonstrations and a process where buyers close themselves.

This is how you like to buy, right? Your customers are the same way. We’ll  teach you and your team how to do this.

Why hire us?

We come from tech: Software, Hardware, Manufacturing and IT/MSP. We understand the unique issues that innovators face. We understand the world is skeptical and finds it difficult to understand there are better, faster, cheaper, reliable and safer ways to doing what they’ve done in the past.

We speak your language. We’re good listeners. We know it’s hard for you to sell. We want to help.

We’re local with ties to the start-up scene at 1871, Silicon Valley, Nhub and Fox.Build.  But also old friends like Bell Labs and Lucent.

Sales and Marketing Skills You’ll Learn

The way we grow your companies revenue is through a partnership. Depending on your needs,  we’ll customize a program based on role play and recording for immediate feedback:

1. 1. How to connect with strangers on LinkedIn  (Listen here for an example)
   2. How to turn those connections into a conversation
   3. How to create trust with VALUE-based marketing campaigns using social media, blog posts, SEO, podcasting and vlogging
   4. How to generate a fresh set of leads specific for your industry.
   5. How to cold call in a way that’s non-pushy, (building on the groundwork of your LinkedIn and Email work)
   6. How to qualify leads from your marketing campaigns and turn suspects into prospects
   7. How to give a persuasive  technology presentation
   8. How to get your prospects to close YOUR deal
   9. How to deal with rejection and avoiding sales.  This is an important one. If you’ve been putting off selling let’s get you focused with a good attitude
   10. How to stop building and start selling. It’s time to work on your business, not in it

Fractional Sales Management Consulting

In some instances we can provide fractional sales management services.  This includes both marketing and sales for startups. Secondly we can best practices for managing a sales staff to their fullest potential. Some details skills your organization will grow:

1. 1. How to hire sales staff who significantly contribute to your business
   2. How to manage sales staff and keep on track
   3. How to staff Sales Development Reps and Account Executives and build processes that work
   4. How to know what metrics to watch and which to skip

Let’s hop on a call and see if there is a match.

Free Talks and Presentation

We also provide local  onsite Sales Workshops and business development events in your  area. Follow us on LinkedIn for the next event.

 IEEE presentation at Harper College January 2020

 

In these free workshops we  teach the Selling With Confidence Sales System, the same system highlighted in our self-paced and webinar based courses.

Throughout Chicagoland

Along with Sales Training in Chicago we also provide  Sales Consulting,  Sales Coaching and Sales Tips for small to medium-sized businesses throughout the Chicagoland area and the world.   We’re only a Zoom call away.

Assess Your Companies Sales Skills

Take a moment and reflect on your B2B startup. Answer the following questions:

• • Is your startup struggling to close sales?
  • Are your sales reps  fumbling with setting appointments?
  • Do you have a brand that is jumbled, mixed-up, and confusing?
  • Do you have a website that is too technical, dense, and distracting?
  • Do you lack a clear manageable sales process?
  • Do prospective clients keeping stalling and never agreeing to buy?
  • Are you running out of time?

Marketing and Sales for Startups

We differ from other consulting firms that focus on the Fortune 500  companies. The majority of companies are small and medium in size and we specialize working with entrepreneurs , solopreneurs and sales professionals in start-ups  looking to grow their skills. We are headquartered in Plano IL but can easily travel throughout Chicago and it’s suburbs.

Sales  is  NOT rocket science it’s teachable. Why struggle in sales when you can learn proven sales techniques in short order?  What you need is a trusted and respected consulting. We are respected and acknowledged by the industry as a true expert.. Say goodbye to blah marketing materials, long sales cycles, and demonstrations that don’t click.

With our help we can provide:

1. 1. Targeted Consulting: Processes in place that fit your selling, marketing, and business model.
   2. Custom Work Products: Reference material and scripts you can use over and over again.
   3. Hands On Training: Role play and practice that allows you to enter a sales call prepared.

Recommendations – What they say about us

“I highly recommend Pat if you need someone with deep insight into sales strategy and execution. Before Pat joined our team I was very hesitant to do direct sales or to talk to customers early on in the development process. Our sales strategy was vague and not focused. Pat’s continued beating of the drums “focus on a niche” and “let your customers guide you” eventually hit home. We now engage with potential customers early on and constantly ask the right questions to make sure we are developing the right products. Thanks Pat!”  – Hanz van Aardt – CEO VoyagerNetz

“Pat Helmers is truly a sales expert. He helped me hone my sales strategy and gave me sound actionable advice that I was able to put into immediate use. He is very customer focused. With his guidance, I have a strong strategic plan and am making a positive difference for my customers and business associates every day. Pat is prompt to respond and flexible with his time. He makes you think, and I recommend Pat’s services to anyone looking to increase sales and productivity” – Mridula Saini – VP of Sales Ikasi

“I had zero sales when I started my new company. Selling With Confidence helped me learn sales step-by-step. I immediately earned my first client and developed a pipeline since that has been growing and converting new customers.” – Mano Behera – CEO Digital Restaurant 

Read them all here

Let’s Chat

Pat Helmers is the host of the Sales Babble podcast and author of Selling With Confidence Sales System .    Reach out and connect with him on LinkedIn here.