Many startups approach marketing in a very tactics-oriented way by selecting how they will market and then tuning that based on prospect responses. In this presentation I make a case for a more systematic approach that starts and ends with customer knowledge. This presentation was given at The International Startup Festival in Montreal on July 12, 2012
14. Inputs
3 aspects of customer knowledge
Who they are
How they view solutions
How they buy stuff
15. Customer Worksheet
Segment 1, 2, 3
Company Characteristics:
Geography, size, industry
Stuff they do, type of customer they serve, how they sell, their
ecosystem, budgets, risk tolerance, power structure, etc.
Consumer/Decision Maker 1, 2, 3:
Characteristics:
demographics, education, skills, interests, motivations, goals
Pain:
list of things that drives this group crazy
Where they hang out:
Social networks, communities, associations/groups, events
Where they find out about stuff:
Search engines, word of mouth, peers, media outlets, blogs,
experts, influencers/famous people
16. Offering Worksheet
(Customer Perspective)
What do we do?
What market are we in?
Competitive Alternatives:
Examples: Do nothing, manual effort, Word/Excel,
competitive product
Key Differentiated Points of Value
When compared to the alternatives above the specific
value you bring that the others don’t.
Proof
Customer references, 3rd party
reviews, statistics, metrics, expert endorsements,
17. Sales Process
Consider-
Awareness Purchase Renewal
ation
18. Buying Process
Accelerators
Knowing Knowing Knowing Why Using and Knowing I
the cost of the Value the value purchase enjoy the can’t do
not solving of solving of your now? offering without the
the the solution offering
problem problem
No Re-
Need Eval Buy Enjoy
Need new
Current Value not Not I might Bad Decided
solution compelling knowing change service, there was
good Risks too how to my mind Bad user no need
enough high evaluate Too much experience Move to
Great but $ Not using other
not for me solution
Friction points
19. Tactics
Selected based on:
Who you need to reach
Where you can reach them
Stages where the friction is
What you need to do to move them to the
next stage
20. Operations
Plans based on selected tactics
Email marketing plan/process/calendar
Paid traffic plan/process
Content plan/calendar
Social media plan/calendar
Media/Influencer relations plan/calendar
…