At Manchester Digital, we like to interview our members to find out a bit more about what they do and their work in the Greater Manchester digital and technology sphere. This week we're speaking with Richard Adler from Global Connectiv IT
First of all, can you introduce yourself??
I am the company Director of Global ConnectivIT and work with small to medium businesses to help them scale nationally and globally.
The area of expertise covers sales activities on a fractional basis to support startups and growing businesses in the tech sector.
What are some common gaps you see in startups' sales processes and go-to-market strategies?
Often small businesses lack the resources to be great at everything and being able to engage with the market confidently, whilst juggling product development, having limited market engagement and experience can hold a business back. Often expectations are very high with limited funding, resources and experience to make it all work which is so critical I the early stages of any business.
Being able to focus and target specific organisations that will benefit from the product or service is imperative as it is to secure some anchor clients. Often it takes time to onboard and build a team or to become an expert in running all avenues of a business and not knowing where to go for advice or who to trust.
How can having an ineffective sales process hold back a startup's growth, even if they have a strong product?
Having an ineffective sales process is like trying to drive a car without any fuel. If there isn’t a consistent, tenacious approach why will companies buy or know to come to that company over others when the time is right.
Could you walk through a real (anonymized) example of a startup you advised to illustrate the impact your sales process guidance had?
One example is a small business that had not undertaken any real market engagement. Supporting the business to scale involved contacting and supporting businesses around the globe with their services and a quick turnaround during the pandemic. The client was delighted to see a six figure revenue stream within 6 months for services that were previously not recurring revenue streams.
What motivated you to start sharing your sales process expertise with startups in the first place?
SME businesses are a large part of the UK economy. Working with various regional support groups it rapidly became evident that so many small businesses are often entrepreneurial and cannot always afford the best talent and advice full time which is one of the reasons the services are fractional or part time.
What resources or tools do you recommend startups use to implement the sales process improvements you advise on?
It is vital for startups to focus on the right type of prospective clients and look after client as they are onboarded. A key resource that sits at the heart of sales is the CRM system to help track and manage customer engagement, prospects, contractual documentation, and NDAs. Today, these services are available as a monthly low-cost service and whilst there are lower cost alternatives, the most effective way is usually to utilise a service. If it’s used with discipline, it can improve productivity and reporting to measure successes.
Thank you Richard!
