Know-How Exchange : Strategy

Sunil,
What you are requesting could be a 100 page marketing study. But, here is a quick start to get your own juices flowing.

Market Segmentation:
This depends on how detailed you want it. But, I would think about 3 classifications who would fall into each segment. They are OEM, End User, Systems Integrator.
(my guess is you could be classified as a Systems Integrator). Now the Market segmentation:
Food (could be subed into processing and packaged)
Health & Pharma (again could be sub's)
Pulp & Paper
Off Road Equipment
汽车
Consumer Products
半导体
Mining and Metals
Utilities
Government
Petro and Chemical

Each segment needs a different strategy. And, since you are just now developing strategies, I would start off with the ones who are most resiliant to recessions.

Major account strategies would come after you have devised a strategy for the industry segment.

Finally, marketing tools. First no single tool is enough. Secondly, no amount of marketing will short circuit the need for person to person selling. To do that you need to develop very specific targets and build a strong value proposition.

As I said when I started. This question is gigantic. I work in the knowledge based sales arena. If you want to talk in more detail, contact me via my profile page.

I would forget about "industry verticals" plural for the short term. Instead use a segmentation process to discover the very best fit, a single segment of a industry vertical, that provides your best current opportunity to be successful. Once your business "owns" a strong position within this segment of a vertical, then go forward and choose a second segment of a vertical.

hope this helps,

Steve

Some might suggest that it would've been better to do the analysis before deciding on a strategy.

However, you had said that you've already restructured sales force. If all options were on the table, I would have suggested beginning with a single vertical market, as I believe Steve has suggested. I would have selected that single vertical market based on several factors, including the availability of excellent references, a compelling combat advantage, and significant sized market.

However, if I'm reading between the lines properly, you've already restructured the sales force, and it is incumbent on the marketing department to support all members of the sales force and their respective target markets relatively independent of their potential.

Can you provide more information about the new structure of your sales force, about your geographical location (are you still in India?), about your position in the firm, and so forth?

正如弗兰克所说, it could take scores or hundreds of pages to fully address this topic. In practice, it may be that the best possible solution is not an option due to your internal company politics.

I know that you may be reluctant to post lots of sensitive information on a public forum. If you would like to explore this further, please send me an e-mail (click on my name to the upper right) and we can discuss further.

Good luck.

Hi Fiatuno,

I have to agree with both Steve and telemoxie.

Without knowing too much about your product(s) and size, capability and capacity of your operation.

For a start up it is often tough to find a niche. Cash flow is always paramount for a small start up and it is tempting to go to market and try to talk to all kinds of potential customers and say " we can build anything".

The problem is, that this is not what customers want to hear. They want to hear that you can build exactly what they need and that you have done it many times before. They want references from former clients and they want to see a similar installation actually working in the real world.

Try to find an industry sector where you believe that your skill sets and core competencies most closely match. Go after what you are already confident in and have case studies that you can show. (your own of course).

Develop a reputation of successful cost effective installations in this sector and once you have a big enough name, it is easier to slide sideways into other industries or sectors.

It is all about reputation; this only comes by actually signing deals and delivering on spec on time and on budget.

If you can demonstrate your ability to do this, even if they are only small projects initially, the big projects will cone down the road.

Good luck.

Matthew