Now, understand
that I don’t mean to sell all six counties – I mean, who would buy them? Only the Russians, the Arabs and the Chinese
have any money these days and there’s not enough bling, natural resources
(apart from beauty) or even, sadly, big industry to interest any of them in our
little part of the world. No, what I
mean, is selling our products and services with a specific focus on our knowledge
industry. I was recently at IdeaFest
at the NISP where about 80 of us were exploring ideas to make NI a start-up
powerhouse for science and tech entrepreneurs.
Check out http://www.nisp.co.uk/?p=1913
for an overview.
Here are just
some of the sales ideas that we discussed:
1. The brightest and best need to be
attracted into the knowledge economy as both entrepreneurs and professional
sales people – we need to change the cultural middle-class focus from valuing doctors/dentists/lawyers
above all others and get them to value careers in the job-creating knowledge
sector.
2. Put the market back into research on a
regular global basis. Research should
not just be product-led (nor single-company driven). We need to actively encourage
ideas/innovation in market areas that have true global growth potential. The only way we will know which areas is
through regular Market Research on tracking trends around the world and
actively encouraging entrepreneurs to develop ideas to meet the fastest growing
opportunities (perhaps triggering “second-mover advantage” which many times can
be better than “first mover advantage”).
3. Everyone needs to sell but not everyone
can sell. Let’s admit this. Too often entrepreneurs attend a 3-5 day sales
course and then everyone assumes (including themselves) they can now sell – not
only locally but around the globe. Would
you employ someone to code for you on the basis of a one-week training course?
4. Establish a Sales Academy to properly
embed sales psychology, tools and processes, build exporting expertise, and raise the status of
professional sales people.
5. Marketing and Sales needs to be more
tightly linked in how companies operate and how they are supported – too often
I see companies thinking and acting as if these are two entirely different
activities (and the grants process only encourages such thinking).
6. Clustering/Incubation needs to be supported
at multiple locations across NI. While Belfast should be the major hub, we
need to encourage and support ideas throughout the north.
Finally,
professional marketing and sales support should be on-going for high-growth
companies – a combination of hands-on support, mentoring and structuring of
their sales activity appropriately. Once we have identified the
high-growth companies then let’s ensure they are supported to achieve their
potential. Now, I would say that,
wouldn’t I? But let’s not forget that key
measures of success for companies (and our economy) are sales and jobs, and the
first drives the later!
Geraldine Fusciardi
