One of the companies I started working with recently has been in startup mode for the past 5 years. They started out by doing everything according to the Silicon Valley playbook: they created buzz, have an active (social) media presence, even have a lot of people excited about their services… but they‘re also still struggling to get credit worthy customers to actually buy from them!

(Social) media attention is great to build a brand, but that brand will gain a negative reputation if you don’t show substance behind. You have to make a first sale work to attract others.

Where this company sent out many communications through as many channels as possible to reach as many people as possible and for which they received very positive initial feedback, maybe it would have been better had they sent out a limited number to specifically targeted prospects with a more personalised approach… not only more effective but also a more budget friendly option.

SPARK OF THE DAY

Any kind of business success always starts with a proof of concept. This proof of concept serves two purposes: one is to test and validate the market (opportunity), the other is to create testimonials for other customers to refer to.

When you’re starting something new, it is often better to shoot with a few targeted arrows focusing on your bull’s eye, rather than to take unlimited chances hoping and praying for a hit.