How are you good people?  I was having a chat with a few marketing managers in Zimbabwe and they told me that there are always opportunities for startups to get consultancy jobs in big organisations.  This is simply because the more established service providers either do not have the resources to provide a full range of services or they are not willing to do so as it might not be profitable for them.  This of course provides immense opportunities for startups to capitalize on these gaps.  What might seem like a small amount for Accenture would be a killing for me and Plexis Strategy, for example.  As we discussed I picked up a few pointers as to how us startups can capitalize on the gaps that are being left by the big firms.  Here goes…

Identify Opportunities:  You have to know how to identify the gaps.  Start with the competing organisation.  Give them a call, walk into their offices and ask for information on their services.  Their sales pitch will let you know what they provide and what they do not provide.  You will get an idea of how far they will go in providing their services.  Connect with the key decision makers in the client organisations and find out what they are looking for.  That way you can see where you fit.  It is actually not hard to find them you can join associations and various interest clubs.  This approach is better than trying to get in touch with them in their offices where they might not be so welcoming.  Meeting them in these informal settings also gives you the opportunity to befriend them and this personal touch will go a long way into you connecting with them on a business level.

Price:  Everyone understands the language called money.  Everyone would like to save.  If a manager can get the same or better service from you at a lower price he will do business with you instead.  Remember that your more established competitors have to add things like overheads and various expenses to their prices, expenses that you do not have.  Charge fairly but reasonably, do not try to make a killing at once but make sure that your price suggests that you provide a quality service.  Remember, Rome was not built in a day.

Effort:  A classic example of this is the Avis ‘We Try Harder’ campaign.  The fact that you are not considered as the first and best option by potential clients means you have to ‘try harder’.  Be more clinical, produce better results at every opportunity, spend more time on a project, and pay attention to detail among other tactics.  Trust me it is very easy to be better than a larger marketing firm in Zimbabwe and the world over, especially if you are operating in the gap that they left out.  They have the big brands and market presence but does that mean that they have more talented people than you.  Show that this is not always the case.  They are mass producers, you should provide custom made precise solutions.

Education:  The perception that some clients have of marketing consultants and other consultants is that you are a consultant because you failed to become a manager or something along those lines.  Counter this perception by having good qualifications.  Most managers in developing countries like Zimbabwe would want to see a Master’s Degree on your CV.  Whether or not you actually use it is up to you but call it an investment in your brand.  As you know the customer is king and what they say goes so go to school and get those papers.

Branding: You should make the most of what you have.  A lot of startups are briefcase businesses and as such your visual image has to be on point.  You have to wear better suits, have a better website (or a decent one at least), have better business cards and brochures, and drive a better car than your client if possible.  A client has to be reassured that you are who you say you are and these visual aids will go a long way in convincing them that this is the case.  I have been interacting with a lot of marketing and other managers in Zimbabwe lately and I have seen that you can gain someone’s respect when you look better than them or bring out a better looking business card for example.  They will then take you seriously.

So, do not despair, just tweak your strategy a little.  There are ways of ensuring that you will get business in all types of organisations.  You just have to think of the right way of doing it.  Remember, the quality of your thoughts will determine the quality of your life.  What do you think of my ‘Penetration Approach’?  Do you have any more tips you would like to share to add on to what I have said or there are points that I made that you would like to challenge?  Comment below.

Have a nice day

RM