1. Don’t try to find customers.
Get customers to find you.
Helpful Marketing™ training by Kevin Dewalt
Chinaccelerator, 5/9/2014

2. Helpful Marketing
A strategy for winning customers by
proving you help them solve problems.
(or in a game … satisfy needs)

3. Why help customers?

4. Your Biggest Startup Challenge
Idea?
Product?
Money?
Team?
Errr….Nope.

5. Getting Customers!!!
Your biggest problem is …
… finding customers &
…… getting insight into their needs &
……… winning their trust.

6. Why help customers?
… they will find you &
…… tell you their needs &
……… instantly trust you.

7. Our goals today
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Why should I help customers? ✔
Who is my customer?
What should I write about?
How should I write it?
How can I get them to find it?
How can sell to them later?

8. Today’s activity guide
No picture
I’m speaking – x mins total. Listen.
80 mins.
Individual/team activity – x mins total. Create. 40 mins.
Individual presentations – x mins total. Listen + Suggest.
Group activity – x mins total. Share + Help.
55 mins.
85 mins.

9. 10 Mins – Divide into groups
1. Divide into ~4 people/group
2. Repeat last person’s startup
3. Then intro your startup

10. Our goals today
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Why should I help customers? ✔
Who is my customer? 
What should I write about?
How should I write it?
How can I get them to find it?
How can sell to them later?

11. Target Personas bring focus
A fictitious caricature of your customers.

12. My “Dave” Target Persona
Dave is a 35-year-old American who lives in
Wichita, Kansas. He is married, college educated,
and has a daughter. Dave’s life dream is become an
entrepreneur and sell web and mobile products
online. He has a full-time job and is willing to work
very hard to make his dream a reality. He has some
technical skills but unfortunately doesn’t live near a
startup hub - and thus he has a hard time
connecting with entrepreneurs to get advice when
he needs it.

13. 10 mins – Create your target persona
See the checklist in your handout

14. 10 mins – Share a few Target Personas
Read yours aloud: “Dave is…

15. 20 mins - revise + share personas
1. Refine your persona
2. Share it within your group
3. Using persona checklist … evaluate

16. 15 mins – Target persona tips,
warnings, & questions

17. Our goals today
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Why should I help customers? ✔
Who is my customer? ✔
What should I write about? 
How should I write it?
How can I get them to find it?
How can sell to them later?

18. CUSTOMERS. DON’T. CARE.

19. CUSTOMERS. DON’T. CARE.
About ANYTHING but solving their problems
This is wonderful news…

20. Write helpful content
• What “super-powers” are you giving your
Target?
• What can they IMMEDIATELY do after they
read it?
This is the hardest part.

21. 10 mins – How can you help them?
Come up with a problem they have and what
you could write about to help them solve it.

22. 10 mins – Share a few problems
1. Tell us your Target Persona
2. Tell us a problem they have
3. Tell us a solution you can write about

23. Warning! Don’t make this hard
You DON’T …
… need a hard problem.
…… need to be original.
……… need to be clever.
Are you helpful? Otherwise NOBODY CARES!

24. 20 mins – revise + discuss your
problems
1. Revise your problem/solution.
2. Share within your group.
3. Using checklist … give feedback & help.

25. Lunch!

26. Our goals today
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Why should I help customers? ✔
Who is my customer? ✔
What should I write about? ✔
How should I write it? 
How can I get them to find it?
How can sell to them later?

27. Write TO your Target
“Dear Dave, …”

28. Kevin’s Example
Problem: Startups told to move to SF but not
sure if it is the right move.
Solution: Help them see tradeoffs of decision.

29. What’s the Difference?

30. 15 mins – Outline the conversation
Develop an outline of how you’ll write to your
target
Use the examples & checklists

31. 10 mins – Share the conversation
1.
2.
3.
4.
Tell us your Target Persona
Tell us a problem they have
Tell us a solution you can write about
Pretend we’re your target – and talk to us

32. Tips
1. Clear problem & expectations
2. Specific solution
3. Personalize – your experiences
…

33. 20 mins – revise + discuss your
conversation outline
1. Revise your conversation.
2. Share within your group.
3. Using checklist … give feedback & help.

34. Our goals today
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Why should I help customers? ✔
Who is my customer? ✔
What should I write about? ✔
How should I write it? ✔
How can I get them to find it? 
How can sell to them later?

35. The magic word: Advice
Ask for feedback, help, and advice from
influential people

36. Write down …
1. Everyone you know who fits your Target
Persona.
2. Everyone who knows Target Personas.
3. Every place where Target Personas organize.
Then ask for advice

37. Email asking for advice
Hey Ray,
How are things! I just wrote a blog post and I was wondering if
you know of anyone who could give me some advice on it. I’m
trying to help entrepreneurs figure out whether they should do
their startup in their home town or move to San Francisco. I
imagine some of the startups you work with in Singapore have this
question too.
Could I trouble you to give this a quick read and give me some
advice? …

38. 5 mins – Who can you ask for advice?
Write down a list of who, where.
See some suggestions

39. 25 mins – Everyone shares
1.
2.
3.
4.
Tell us your Target Persona
Tell us about some Targets you know
Tell us some people who know Targets
Tell us where you can find Targets
Everyone else: offer to make intros

40. Our goals today
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Why should I help customers? ✔
Who is my customer? ✔
What should I write about? ✔
How should I write it? ✔
How can I get them to find it? ✔
How can sell to them later? 

41. Capture the relationship
Newsletter?
Product trial?
Landing page?
Social media?

42. 15 mins – Discuss strategies
Just talk about your options & give each other
Feedback within your group.

43. Tips + Q&A on email

44. Our goals today
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Why should I help customers? ✔
Who is my customer? ✔
What should I write about? ✔
How should I write it? ✔
How can I get them to find it? ✔
How can sell to them later? ✔

45. About Part B: 1-on-1 Help