Most of my clients want me to work on New Business Development, which typically means they want help in the following areas:
I’ve been selling PCB’s and building and managing sales organizations for 46 years. I help clients in bare PCB’s, wire harnesses, cable assemblies, circuit assemblies or box build industries grow their revenues. That’s what I do and have done for a very long time.
I was one of three owners of Photocircuits, that grew from $17MM in the early 80’s to over $420MM in 2005. During that time, I was fortunate to have access to my partners plus the best Direct Sales and Manufacturer’s and technical people that the PCB/EMS industry has ever seen. I learned most of what I know about PCB/EMS customer development and characteristics of good sales and tech support people from them.
My clients come to me wanting to identify contacts and emails and phone numbers for selected companies. I use my own network of associates and available data sources to provide that info. My focus is to help the client grow their sales. Virtually all my experience is in PCB’s and related industries so as I study contacts, I have a sense of what people will be helpful to my clients; and likewise what customers would fit the capabilities that my client has. This “sixth sense” comes with the years of experience with all kinds of PCB or EMS manufacturers: domestic and international; large and small; manufacturers and resellers –I’ve done it all. Not only do I find people and companies, but I can help with strategy development and implementation. I like to become a “trusted advisor” to my clients.
Yes, Company, plus names, and contact info for the company they wish to penetrate. Or if it’s direct hire, a resume of the candidate and set and participate in the intro call between management and the candidate. And if the client wants reps, then I find the rep that has access to the accounts/markets that the client wants to address and then set the intro call where the rep outlines the accounts they sell to, how long have they been selling, how many lines etc.
Also, some clients are interested in competitors, acquisition targets or partner candidates and want the contact info for key executives in those companies. I can search and provide that info as well – in some cases I already know the key people.
Yes, getting access to enough people in engineering or supply chain to break through the resistance is the key. Cold calls always take time and persistence, but it’s helpful to have multiple points of penetration. Talking to engineering, supply chain and design you can do better at identifying the elusive “need or pain point” that only the insiders know.
Yes. Or if the client is looking for salespeople or independent reps, I can help them recruit those entities and then once the directs or reps are on board then I can manage and direct a new business development activity that keeps the focus on penetrating the new accounts. It’s where I spend most of my time. Reviewing progress with management and identifying obstacles to penetration and growth is the key. I don’t get involved in the management of established business. My sole focus is on new business generation. And, if a client is focused on certain target accounts, I’ll find contacts for those accounts as well as similar accounts in the same end use market.
As you can see, I provide many different services. Thus, my fees are a function of what combination of services my clients want. But know that what I charge is a fraction of the cost of a full-time business development person – and very few people have the sales and business development experience that I do.
But as an example. I recently did a search for a client who wanted me to identify companies in a certain state that would be candidates for their products/services. We agreed on the size of the target company that would be a good fit. The client wanted me to also identify key people in engineering and supply chain in those companies that could be influencers.
I went through approximately 200 companies, identified approximately 50 companies that fit the size and other criteria that were specified. The 50+ companies generated hundreds of people that were in various engineering and purchasing positions. But after sifting through the contacts and studying the websites of the companies I ended up with 54 people in 14 companies that were good targets and I provided the client with the names, positions, emails and phone #’s for the contacts in the 14 companies. The cost of that project was about $4K. The return on the investment is good. One order from one of the companies can pay for the target account/lead generation service.
If a client wants contacts at a single company the cost could be as little as $500.
As I said earlier, the cost of the effort is a function of the size, scope and difficulty of the project.
As you say, finding the reps that have access to the market that a client wants to penetrate is difficult. There is no magic formula; networking with colleagues, studying rep sites, phone calls, etc. – it’s mostly just work aided by contacts, industry data and prior experiences.
Once you sign the rep, the difficulty is getting them to focus on your line; I’ve learned that a disciplined, rigorous, structured review process is the way to succeed. Years ago, I instituted a process for doing that and have improved the process over the years.
Plus, I’ve learned some techniques over the years that help ensure growth at target accounts. Reps give the client access to the account, many points of contact due to multiple lines being sold, and relationships that are years-in-the-making that provide real “equity” at the targeted account. So, it’s worth the effort and expense to find the “right” rep and then manage them to successful bookings.
I’ve always preferred a mix of directs and reps to grow PCB sales. They complement each other well and you can clearly grow faster if you have both working for you. I can manage both and develop both for my clients. Too often the clients that choose the rep approach do so to avoid the fixed cost associated with a direct salesperson – and they are typically the clients that don’t have the experience or time to manage the reps. So, they fail. I can solve that problem for them.
I have a perspective on this industry that may be different from others. I’ve learned that it’s still a people business, no matter what segment of the industry you’re in; developing long lasting, solid relationships is still critical; the customer is still king so treat established customers and prospects with dignity and respect. And pay special attention to customers who are not happy with your product or service right now. That’s the time to really respond quickly, provide service and professionalism.
Visit me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-robbins-18a58b2/
