Capitalizing on Niche Markets

Selling to Product Development Engineers Businesses

The problem with selling to product development engineers businesses is that misguided efforts can threaten your entire plan for success. If you're tired of underdelivering on your sales numbers, maybe it's time to start selling to product development engineers businesses.

There's no such thing as an easy B2B sale. To succeed in this environment, you need a strategy that is built on the fundamentals of good business.

Young businesses need to develop a comprehensive sales plan that is built on industry fundamentals.

Niche Selling

New businesses that attempt to tackle the entire marketplace face a difficult task. A better approach is to customize your approach to an underserved niche.

In the product development engineers business industry, niches can be based on location, business size or sub-specialties within the industry. For niche sellers, market research is a non-negotiable. Don't assume that there will be demand for a niche product line unless you have done your homework and can support your expectations with solid research.

Networking Tips

The product development engineers business industry is relationship-based. Businesses that sell in the industry routinely use networking to advance the sales cycle.

Lead lists are helpful in expanding your network, but only to the extent that your team invests time and effort to develop lead list contacts into long-term business relationships. As an owner or manager, you need to train your team in networking strategies and proactively model relational sales techniques.

Reaching Prospective Customers

Prospecting transforms contacts into qualified leads.

Networking can fine tunes prospecting performance and conversion ratios. However, it's important to make sure your sales force isn't so focused on meeting new people that they miss the point of prospecting, i.e. the identification of likely buyers, key decision makers and high value industry contacts. In other words, the type of people you meet is just as important as the number of people you meet when prospecting for product development engineers businesses.

Lead lists are useful because they narrow the field for your team. Third-party lists from reputable vendors (e.g. Experian Business Services) provide a database of likely conversion targets, making it easier for your company to balance the quantity and quality demands that are prerequisites for effective prospecting.

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary