Google campus biz skills for startups

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Biz Skills 4 Startups (& Techs)Biz Skills 4 Startups (& Techs)(21(21stst century products, people, communication and results) century products, people, communication and results)

Presented by Peter JonesPresented by Peter Jones(from Blue Oyster Business Growth)(from Blue Oyster Business Growth)

To access toolkit elements, and NOT to exchange newsletters or spam (we promise)connect on Google+ and Facebook with Peter: [email protected]

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Perception – “UK” vs “US”Perception – “UK” vs “US”

Great engineering Great engineering skills – skills – Brunel, Brunel, StevensonStevenson

Occasional tech Occasional tech successes – successes – ARMARM

Great soft skillsGreat soft skills More team orientedMore team oriented Well educated, top to Well educated, top to

near bottomnear bottom

Great commercial Great commercial skills – skills – Gates, Gates, CarnegieCarnegie

Social media giants – Social media giants – Facebook, TwitterFacebook, Twitter

Very sales orientedVery sales oriented Fierce competitionFierce competition World class at the top, World class at the top,

not so good at the not so good at the bottombottom

A Blue Oyster Business Growth programme managed by Peter Jones

For self-learning, mentoring, training or consultancy, get in touch

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Business Growth ComponentsBusiness Growth ComponentsA Blue Oyster Business Growth service managed by Peter Jones

Free telephone surgeries MON-FRI – +44(0)7711 556 994 – 20:00, 20:30, 21:00, 21:30To Book Appointments – Gmail Calendar – [email protected]

Market Research, Lean Startup, Creativity, Market Research, Lean Startup, Creativity, Product Design, Customer Focus, Innovation, Product Design, Customer Focus, Innovation, Channel Testing, MVP, Web Presence, USP Channel Testing, MVP, Web Presence, USP

Brand, Reputation, Networking, Targetting, Brand, Reputation, Networking, Targetting, Social Media, Soft Selling, Sales Collateral , Social Media, Soft Selling, Sales Collateral , Sales Teams, Global Trade, Events, Presenting Sales Teams, Global Trade, Events, Presenting

Management, Leadership, Virtual Teams, Management, Leadership, Virtual Teams, Virtual Assistants, Communication, Motivation, Virtual Assistants, Communication, Motivation, Empowerment, Ethics, Trust Empowerment, Ethics, Trust

Investment Funding, Operational & Cloud Investment Funding, Operational & Cloud Systems, Knowledge & Connection Capital, Systems, Knowledge & Connection Capital, Sustainability, TransparencySustainability, Transparency

The values you study and aspire to will come The values you study and aspire to will come across in all your communicationsacross in all your communications

Product Services

Marketing & Sales

Team Services

Capital Services

Success Values

mailto:[email protected]

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Some Early ConclusionsSome Early Conclusions

All round skills neededAll round skills needed

We all do better in We all do better in some areas, worse in some areas, worse in othersothers

To speed up, we need To speed up, we need outside assistanceoutside assistance

Four types of people: Four types of people: inventors; chatterers; inventors; chatterers; team builders; bottom team builders; bottom linersliners

Lots to learn, a slow Lots to learn, a slow processprocess

Let’s contribute where Let’s contribute where we are strongest, look we are strongest, look for help where we for help where we need itneed it

Trusted team Trusted team members, co-foundersmembers, co-founders

It takes time to find It takes time to find your teamyour team



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Building Great ProductBuilding Great ProductA Blue Oyster Business Growth service managed by Peter Jones


Address a specific need. Provide a Address a specific need. Provide a service. service. Use your existing Use your existing passions. passions. Don’t just listen to Don’t just listen to friends, neither just your critics.friends, neither just your critics.

The most important activity. Save yourself The most important activity. Save yourself years and thousands. Do this properly !!years and thousands. Do this properly !!

You need a working model that generates real You need a working model that generates real revenue. But a minimalist one taking the least revenue. But a minimalist one taking the least time and money to produce. Speed is vital.time and money to produce. Speed is vital.

The cost of selling can have a material impact The cost of selling can have a material impact on your pricing, which can dent demand.on your pricing, which can dent demand.Conduct lightning, low cost trials.Conduct lightning, low cost trials.

Prepare to Prepare to innovate,innovate, pivot & discard often. pivot & discard often. Even the greats like Twitter started off as very Even the greats like Twitter started off as very different concepts. Value different concepts. Value creativitycreativity. Prepare for . Prepare for the the long-haullong-haul !!! !!!

s s

Product Concept

Market Research

Minimum Viable Product

Sales Channels

Success Values


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Product ExerciseProduct Exercise

Trial your product ideaTrial your product idea

Look for feedbackLook for feedback

Listen to answersListen to answers

Move on to the next Move on to the next personperson

Explain your concept Explain your concept in a single short in a single short sentencesentence

Ask “who do you think Ask “who do you think might buy this?”might buy this?”

Note who your Note who your audience might beaudience might be

Repeat the processRepeat the process



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Connecting With AudiencesConnecting With AudiencesA Blue Oyster Business Growth service managed by Peter Jones


As you are providing a As you are providing a service, service, focus on focus on customer benefits, not product featurescustomer benefits, not product features. . Ask Ask questions, questions, listen morelisten more, talk less., talk less.

Very easy now to use Google+ and build a Very easy now to use Google+ and build a publicly visible sales catalogue showing client publicly visible sales catalogue showing client benefitsbenefits

Perhaps the hardest activity. Use trial offers to Perhaps the hardest activity. Use trial offers to test marketing partners, constantly check test marketing partners, constantly check results. Will partners results. Will partners shareshare your success? your success?

Live feedback is priceless. Take yourself out of Live feedback is priceless. Take yourself out of the equation and ask simply about the the equation and ask simply about the message.message.

Be Be determineddetermined, and be , and be focusedfocused. You must . You must guide the success of your business !!! Be a guide the success of your business !!! Be a conduit, not necessarily a star. Connect, build conduit, not necessarily a star. Connect, build relationships, don’t be desperate to sell.relationships, don’t be desperate to sell.

s s

Finding The Words

Build a Sales Catalogue

Finding Audiences

Testing Messages

Success Values


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Message ExerciseMessage Exercise

Look for your messageLook for your message

Look for feedbackLook for feedback

Listen hard to answersListen hard to answers

Move on to the next Move on to the next personperson

What did you learn?What did you learn?

How valuable is live How valuable is live audience feedback?audience feedback?

Explain your concept in a Explain your concept in a single short sentencesingle short sentence

Ask “What would buyers Ask “What would buyers want from this?”want from this?”

Note the benefits your Note the benefits your partner listspartner lists

Repeat the processRepeat the process

Different to your pre-Different to your pre-conceptions?conceptions?

The most valuable thing The most valuable thing you have in your business!you have in your business!



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Learning Communication & SalesLearning Communication & Sales Be personable, build trust, meet Be personable, build trust, meet

up 1-2-1up 1-2-1

Keep messages simpleKeep messages simple Always ask in third person, Always ask in third person,

second person is too direct second person is too direct Prepare questions, be Prepare questions, be

disciplined, make sure you disciplined, make sure you collect vital results & feedbackcollect vital results & feedback

Note messages with most and Note messages with most and least impactleast impact

Update sales collateral Update sales collateral constantlyconstantly

Ask constantly: “Where can I Ask constantly: “Where can I find my audiences?”find my audiences?”

The relationship The relationship must must outlast the outlast the product. Don’t make failure your product. Don’t make failure your fault. Be “on their side”.fault. Be “on their side”.

Beware of the “Fogg Factor”Beware of the “Fogg Factor” Less like selling, more like Less like selling, more like

asking for opinionsasking for opinions PPPPPPP – Extract maximum PPPPPPP – Extract maximum

value from every dialoguevalue from every dialogue

Understand what switches Understand what switches different different listeners on and offlisteners on and off

Capture great sales impact for Capture great sales impact for online consumptiononline consumption

Vital both to sales and to a Vital both to sales and to a sustainable businesssustainable business



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Building a “Growth Team”Building a “Growth Team”A Blue Oyster Business Growth service managed by Peter Jones


Provide Direction

Consult

Collaborate

Reward

Success Values


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Team ExerciseTeam Exercise Possible team member?Possible team member?

What values do they portray?What values do they portray? Will they share rewards?Will they share rewards? Can they explore new ideas?Can they explore new ideas?

Are they “business first”, or Are they “business first”, or “customer first”?“customer first”?

Do they admit mistakes?Do they admit mistakes? Do they ask for a structured brief, Do they ask for a structured brief,

and for clarification?and for clarification? Are they most interested in product, Are they most interested in product,

chat, people or bottom line?chat, people or bottom line? Which type are you?Which type are you?

Ask them to explain their customer Ask them to explain their customer service ethosservice ethos

Do these values match yours?Do these values match yours? Will your work be rewarded?Will your work be rewarded? Can they include you in their team?Can they include you in their team?

Or just “money first”? What is their Or just “money first”? What is their primary focus? Themselves?primary focus? Themselves?

And how do they recompense?And how do they recompense? Are they a “professional” supplier?Are they a “professional” supplier?

Will they complement people Will they complement people

already in your team?already in your team? What do other delegates think?What do other delegates think?



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Capitalising on GrowthCapitalising on GrowthA Blue Oyster Business Growth service managed by Peter Jones


Underpin Cashflow

Build Trusted Connections

Deploy Cloud Systems

Build Reputation

Success Values


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Building Capital ExerciseBuilding Capital Exercise Possible team member?Possible team member?

Do they share rewards?Do they share rewards? Can you exchange resources?Can you exchange resources?

Can you exchange product Can you exchange product feedback and market research?feedback and market research?

Can you explore reputation, and Can you explore reputation, and look at ways to build it for each look at ways to build it for each other?other?

Will they help you ? Can you Will they help you ? Can you help them back ?help them back ?

Is your work rewarded?Is your work rewarded? Providing each other with Providing each other with

resources, tools, communities resources, tools, communities and market places that helpand market places that help

Helping each other understand Helping each other understand market response and trendsmarket response and trends

Aiming to advance each other’s Aiming to advance each other’s reputation with their chosen reputation with their chosen product and marketproduct and market



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Working With Success ValuesWorking With Success Values

Values are aspirational, Values are aspirational, and we can infuse them and we can infuse them into every day businessinto every day business

A compelling message for A compelling message for audiencesaudiences

A clear sign about those A clear sign about those we’d like to work withwe’d like to work with

Implementing values is Implementing values is something we can something we can measure in terms of our measure in terms of our successsuccess

We work towards these We work towards these values, not always values, not always reaching themreaching them

But we have to live the But we have to live the message, not just talk itmessage, not just talk it

Not a stick to beat us, but Not a stick to beat us, but a set of common goalsa set of common goals

It’s worth doing, so we It’s worth doing, so we should accept the hard should accept the hard work involved and do itwork involved and do it

A Blue Oyster Business Growth service managed by Peter Jones


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Business Skills - RecapBusiness Skills - Recap

Building great productBuilding great product

Modern day global Modern day global marketing & salesmarketing & sales

Building a support teamBuilding a support team

Building your business Building your business capital and reputationcapital and reputation

Great product “sells itself”; Great product “sells itself”; ask for audience reactionask for audience reaction

Different messages for Different messages for different audiences and different audiences and channelschannels

Delegating and managing Delegating and managing tasks & functions; finding tasks & functions; finding trusted partners & agents; trusted partners & agents; leadershipleadership

Managing finances, Managing finances, operational systems, operational systems, contacts, niche knowledge, contacts, niche knowledge, capital, cash flow, trustcapital, cash flow, trust

A Blue Oyster Business Growth service managed by Peter Jones


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Enterprise Investment

Lean Startup, Entrepreneur DNA, Cash Flow FocusedInvestment Solutions: Financial Capital, Knowledge Capital, Connection Capital, Team Capital, Networking. Corporate Operations, Cloud & Systems Solutions

Business Architect / Engineer

Creative, Innovative, Experienced, Positive, Change Agent, Growth Focused, Formally Trained

Community Transformer

Social, Caring, Service Oriented, Collaborator, Team Manager, Trainer, Motivator, Leadership Values

Sales & Social Media Automator

Personable, Listener, Contributor, Need Sensitive, Relationship Builder, Solution Broker, New Media Advocate & Harnesser, Brand & Reputation, Affiliate Solutions,Pitch Analysis

Peter M C JonesPeter M C JonesA Blue Oyster Business Growth consultant

Twitter: @innov8tor3 | LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/petermcjones

G+ & Facebook: Blue Oyster Business Growth

Google campus biz skills for startups

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