1. The Big Fish
Battle Tested Strategies for Winning the
Deal that Changes Everything

2. The Art of the Deal
There are many books on product
market fit, agile development,
marketing for start ups, etc. that
give you blueprints for success.
But sales and esp. winning big
deals is still a black art….
The Big Fish process is about creating a science where previously there was only
art; it is a repeatable, process driven way of landing game changing deals.

3. What is a Big Fish?
• A major, name brand endorsement of your
company/product in the form of:
– a large purchase order
– a distribution deal
– a validation of your technology
– a celebrity endorsement
– any other form of major validation
A Big Fish provides credibility
(and credibility is everything)

5. The Big Fish Principles
1. People make decisions, not corporations
2. Your job/role determines your motivations
3. Motivations are the key to getting deals done
4. Pro bigfishermen use a systematic, repeatable
process for understanding motivations and getting
deals done

6. The Big Fish Principles
1. People make decisions, not corporations

7. Corporate Strategy

8. Corporate Strategy

9. Corporate Strategy

10. The Big Fish Principles
1. People make decisions, not corporations
2. Your job/role determines your motivations

11. Psychology of Large Orgs
Start Up vs. Large Org.
– Start ups are all about risk (since
they have nothing to lose)
– Big companies are all about risk
avoidance (no matter what they
say)
The key is using an understanding of
personal motivations to help
overcome institutional risk.

12. Psychology of Large Orgs
Motivations depend on where you sit!
– Like sibling birth order, your position
in the large org. defines your
thinking. It’s human nature…
– What motivates employee #23,345 is
not the stock price!
– If you were them you’d think exactly
the same way….

13. Psychology of Large Orgs
2 Key Big Fish Motivations
– I want to be important
– I am afraid of looking dumb
Keep these mind and many
things will become clear

14. The Big Fish Principles
1. People make decisions, not corporations
2. Your job/role determines your motivations
3. Motivations are the key to getting deals done

15. The Big Fish, Key Players
• Start-ups need to be concerned
with 3 types:
– Champions: your advocate,
guide and all around domain
expert who’s mission it is to help
you get a deal done
– Decision Makers: those with the
power to sign a contract and
your ultimate target
– Blockers: those that don’t have
the power to say yes, but do
have the power to say no

16. Champions
• Champions can come from anywhere, but
typically they have the have these essential
characteristics:
– are well respected in their domain
– rarely have any real power
– have deep knowledge about their organization
– want to/motivated and able to help you
* Champions want to be/feel important*

17. Blockers
• Those who present roadblocks to be overcome. They
can’t say yes, but they can say no. Very similar in
character to Champions they are usually:
– are well respected in their domain
– have deep knowledge about their organization
– have little to lose by saying no
– have contrary goals to your own
* Blockers want to feel/be important, but they
accomplish this by saying no as opposed to yes*

18. Decision Makers
• Those with the power, typically they have these
essential characteristics:
– They don’t have a detailed understanding of your
product/company
– Rely on others for recommendations
– Are risk adverse and need to have a solid underlying
foundation that reduces their exposure in case they
make the wrong decision (i.e. the deal goes bad).
* Decision Makers are afraid of looking dumb*

19. The Big Fish Principles
1. People make decisions, not corporations
2. Your job/role determines your motivations
3. Motivations are the key to getting deals done
4. Pro bigfishermen use a systematic, repeatable
process for understanding motivations and getting
deals done

20. The Process
Here’s how the process works:
1. Find champion and refine
your pitch
2. Identify the Decision
Maker(s) & Blockers
3. Work with Champion to
reduce risk for Decision
makers and convert or
neutralize Blockers
4. Sign deal, repeat

21. Finding Champions
Leads from free product,
traditional marketing, PR/Buzz,
direct outreach, etc
Buying next 90 days? No? Ignore.
But wait…, look again!
Look for brand names, interesting
titles, email addresses, etc. and
mark for further qualification

22. Champion Archetypes
• The Dreamer – usually someone with
deep domain expertise who’s vision
of the future matches yours.
“wouldn’t it be cool if….”
• The Schemer – wants to use you to
solidify his/her position gain
advantage over a rival
person/division
• The Climber – looking to use the
attention you bring to rise above the
pack
• The Old-Timer - wants someone to
pay attention to him, value his input

23. Qualifying Champions
• How can he/she help?
– Who are the decision makers?
– Can your champion access them?
– Are they well respected or can they connect you
with someone who is?
– Do you connect with them personally?
Professionally?
– Is the timeline reasonable? Be realistic….
Caution: be aware of time wasters!

24. Refine the Pitch
What you
have to offer
Market
pressures
What they
care
about
Champions will help you refine
your pitch based on internal
priorities. Listen! The answer is not
always obvious…..
Examples include:
• competitive pressure
• product differentiation
• blocking function
• option on the future
• pressing need
• personal interest

25. Blocker Archetypes
• The Realist – Has looked at the data or
the numbers and just doesn’t believe.
Saying no is a matter of logic.
• The Traditionalist – Has always done
something a particular way and sees
no reason to change.
• The Expert – Knows all the minute
details and is focused on the trees, not
the forest.
• The Enemy – The Champion of a
competing solution.
• The Doubter – Doesn’t say no, but
points out everything that could go
wrong to everyone else

26. Getting Around Roadblocks
• Two ways of dealing with Blockers
– Turn them into Champions
• Bring them in on the benefit
• Make them important
• Spend the time so they know they are being heard
– Isolate and/or Neutralize Them
• Win over their boss
• Isolate their opinion
• Make their objection seem personal

27. Decision Maker Archetypes
• Top Dogs (CEO, President,
COO) – Big picture thinkers.
• Practice Leaders - (IT, CSO,
CIO, CFO, Ops) Typically run
cost centers as opposed to
generating revenue.
• Business Leaders (Sales,
Marketing, GMs, Product) -
Directly involved with
generating revenue and
usually judged on their
numbers.

28. Getting the Green Light
• Remember its about reducing the appearance
of risk, not actual risk. How do you defend the
decision if it goes bad….
• Build a Credibility Platform
– Press/media attention
– Other customers
– Support from thought leaders
– Competitive pressures
– Internal support

29. There’s much more…
• So much more:
– Negotiating the deal
– Dealing with lawyers/accountants and others
– Competitive situations
– Multiple company alliances
– Strategic Investments
– Products that cross departmental/business
boundaries
– Big Fish support structure
– And, and, and….

30. Be Careful What you Wish for
• Cautionary note: can you handle a big fish?
– Potential heavy demands on R&D
– Product integration
– Product roadmap drift
– Milestones, deliverables, accountability, yikes!
– Reliance on a small number of customers
– Skewed view of the market (what’s good for the
Big Fish isn’t necessarily good for you.)

31. The Big Fish Principles
1. People make decisions, not corporations
2. Your job/role determines your motivations
3. Motivations are the key to getting deals done
4. Pro bigfishermen use a systematic, repeatable
process for understanding motivations and getting
deals done

32. Thank You
Paul Weinstein
paul@paradem.com