WHATS NEXT? June 24 @ 7:30 PM EV3 4412 Pitch Like a Pro July 8 & 9 @ 7:00PM QNC 0101 $5K Qualifiers velocity.uwaterloo.ca/events.

WHATS NEXT?

June 24 @ 7:30 PM EV3 4412Pitch Like a Pro

July 8 & 9 @ 7:00PM QNC 0101

$5K Qualifiers

velocity.uwaterloo.ca/events

DO PEOPLE WANT YOUR SH*T?

• Segment your customers

• How do you find them?

• Start the conversation

• Carry the conversation

• End the conversation

• Track what you promised/learned

Does anyone want it?

How big is your market?

5 P KEY QUESTIONS

• Who are the PEOPLE who will buy your product or service?

• What is the right PRODUCT or service to provide?

• What is the right PRICE to charge?

• How should you PROMOTE your product or service?

• What PLACE should you distribute your product/service from?

STEVE BLANK ON THE TOPIC

• http://bit.ly/1vtrLUT

TYPE OF RESEARCH

• Primary – focus groups, interviews, surveys, observation, testing and phone, competitor analysis (SWOT)

• Secondary (TAM) – demographics, environmental influences

STEP 1

Define your products and/or services

STEP 2

Define your potential customers

STEP 3

What you need / want to know?

B2C – B2B

• B2C– Talk to potential customers– Surveys, focus groups etc.

• B2B– Key informants– Industry thought leaders– Industry research and publications

SEGMENT YOUR CUSTOMERS

• Look for early adopters• Vitamin vs. painkiller• Timeframe to close• Influencers• Ability to deliver product• Users vs. customers

HOW DO YOU FIND THEM?

• Think about channels• Use your Personal Network• Get help with introductions• Look at Clubs and Organizations• Leverage LinkedIn

START THE CONVERSATION

• Introductions– Follow up as soon as possible– Respect for person who intro’d you

• Cold emails– BCC the introducer (be explicit)– Write out your cold email template

• GET FEEDBACK!

• Cold calls– Write out elevator pitch and questions– Don’t use a script

CARRY THE CONVERSATION

• Ask open-ended questions• Listen, don’t talk• Encourage but don’t influence• Follow your nose and drill down• Parrot back to confirm• Ask about pricing

END THE CONVERSATION

• Thank them!• Clarify follow up tasks• Ask to add them to your mailing

list• Ask for additional introductions• Ask where they would hear

about your product

TRACK WHAT YOU LEARNED AND PROMISED

• Systems vs. spreadsheets• Finding holes• Filtering out the noise• Use it to validate assumptions

– You will operate under assumptions• GET USED TO IT!

QUESTIONS? FEEDBACK?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

ONLINE SURVEYS

• A few examples on online survey services to consider are:

• Survey Monkey• Zoomerang• eSurveyPro• SurveyGizmo• QuestionPro• Google Drive Forms

SURVEY TIPS

• Use a combination of open, closed, scaled and ranking - Survey Question Types

• Test your surveys before completing them – you need to be able to reach the people you will survey

• Be sure to include a question related to how people would find out about your program or business – the answers help determine your marketing and promotion strategies

• Leave personal questions to the end of the survey

• Think about how you’ll report results when creating the survey – statistical results are best e.g. 78% said creating a resume is very important

WHATS NEXT?

June 24 @ 7:30 PM EV3 4412Pitch Like a Pro

July 8 & 9 @ 7:00PM QNC 0101

$5K Qualifiers

velocity.uwaterloo.ca/events