This document provides advice for early stage startups selling to large enterprises. It recommends focusing on learning who the ideal customers are in different size segments. For emerging enterprises, executives may relate better to startups and see opportunities. The document outlines common mistakes like overcommitting and not closing deals. It advises finding early adopters through networks to get feedback and references quickly. Selling requires pushing deals along instead of letting prospects drag things out without commitment. Incumbents will use tactics to prolong deals so startups must qualify prospects and not get stuck in unnecessary meetings or proposals.

1. CONQUERING
THE
ENTERPRISE
BEST PRACTICES FOR EARLY STAGE
STARTUP SELLING TO LARGE COMPANIES

2. RULES
interactive working session
some content, lots of real-time discussion
this is your session, tell me what you want…
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Just Say “No!”

3. ME
cofounder & CEO of Drumbi
• 500Startups portfolio company, focused on business-
consumer communications
former Accenture Partner
did a startup and sold it
management consultant at heart
wife, two kids, dog… live in San Clemente, So-Cal
food, cooking and music
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Just Say “No!”

4. YOU
tell me about yourself, and your company
what are you selling? to whom?
what do you think when i use the words…
selling
salesperson
4
Just Say “No!”

5. SELLING AS A FORM
OF TESTING
will anyone care about your product
who cares (what segment)
how much will they pay
what is the right sales model (distribution)
what is the right sales process
what is your customer acquisition cost
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6. STAGE SPECIFIC
APPROACH
Learn
Revenue Learn Revenue Revenue
Learn
MVP R1.0 Scale
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Just Say “No!”

7. KNOW YOUR
SEGMENT
Emerging
VSB SMB F5000
Enterprise
Formal
$50-500M
1 or 2 people some process procurement
Revenue
process
Owner still Lots of
Lifestyle,
Quickbooks influencing vendors and
home-office
decisions consultants
Complexity of
millions of Departmental
lots of pain F5000, but no
them budgets
human capital
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Just Say “No!”

8. KNOW YOUR BUYER
Emerging
VSB SMB F5000
Enterprise
We are I was told to
forced to do buy this…
it…
We can’t
We need
I need it… build it
it…
ourselves…
I’m going to
change the Faster time-
game… to-market
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Just Say “No!”

9. EMERGING
ENTERPRISE
executives often have large unmet business potential, and
see opportunities in your offering
innovation in their segment may be scarce
margin pressure across the sector
small improvements may lead to significant upside
impacts them as much as the business
they can relate to a startup better…and you as well
low tolerance for bullshit
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Just Say “No!”

10. TERMINOLOGY
procurement/sourcing = purchasing, but with process and
guidelines
women and minority owned businesses
GSA contracts
mandatory rebid process
RFI = Request for Information
RFP = Request for Proposal
SLA = Service Level Agreements
MSA = Master Services Agreement
SOW = Statement of Work
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Just Say “No!”

11. COMMON MISTAKES
hiring sales people too soon
focusing on channel relationships too early
selling, and not listening
not selling (“this shit sells itself!”)
not closing (“it’s a done deal!”)
not mentioning money
not saying no!
overcommitting and under-delivering
marketing
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Just Say “No!”

12. THE ONLY THING YOU
NEED
the first reference customer (paying, the other type don’t
count)
a business-case or other proof of results
someone who will take a call, and validate your claims
rinse
repeat
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Just Say “No!”

13. HOW TO DO IT
use Data.com, LinkedIn, FB, your neighbor, alumni network or
whatever tool you have
find your ideal early-adopter
focus on two goals: getting to a “no” quickly, and finding your
champion
early adopters will not buy without a champion, no matter what
the benefit
exhaust your network, then go to 2nd degree
let early adopters self-select
issue a press-release
fake sign-up page, with some blog directed traffic
ask for help…beg borrow and steal your way into referrals
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Just Say “No!”

14. EMAIL
Friends,
I am targeting a select group of companies for the second stage of Drumbi rollout, in 2012. Here is a list of target prospects. Please
respond to me if you have a VP or C-level contact at any of these businesses, that you would feel comfortable making an introduction to.
We simply want to see if our solutions are a good fit, and identify early adopters for the second half of the year. No hard selling, just trying
to identify great opportunities to help companies reduce op-ex, increase customer satisfaction, and improve lead conversion rates.
Many thanks.
Shervin
United Panam Financial Corp. Mp Biomedicals, LLC Wonderware Corporation
Roth Staffing Companies, L.P. Harte-Hanks Shoppers, Inc. Biolabs Inc
Metagenics, Inc. Zee Medical, Inc. Roger Cleveland Golf Company, Inc.
Nikken International, Inc. St Joseph Home Care Network Hireright, Inc.
Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc. Anaheim Arena Management, LLC Sir Speedy , Inc.
Smith Micro Software, Inc. Remedytemp, Inc. Orange Coast Title Company
Fletcher Jones Motor Cars Inc AGR Group, Inc. Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc.
Crescent Healthcare, Inc. First American Professional Real Estate Berry Knott's Farm
Services, Inc.
Tuttle-Click, Inc. California Title Company of Northern California
Veterinary Pet Insurance Services, Inc.
Community Dental Services, Inc Accupath Diagnostic Laboratories, Inc.
Prudential California Reality
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Just Say “No!”

15. TEMPLATE
Dear ZZZZZ.
I am reaching out to let you know that a friend of mine, Shervin Talieh, founder and CEO of Drumbi, has developed
some very special technology to improve customer communications. Their solution is live at several companies and they
are ready to expand reach. I am looking for business contacts that would be interested in:
* Improving their CSI and CSAT numbers,
* Reducing their OpEx, to the tune of $50 per day, for EACH customer service representative they have
* Increasing web-to-phone conversion rates
Ideally, the company has more than 10 customer service or contact center agents, and is hungry for innovation.
Specifically, they are focused on mobile + social customer service.
Here is a link to their website, which has a short video demonstration on the homepage. www.drurumbi.com
Thanks.
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Just Say “No!”

16. THE SHOT-CLOCK
your deal will start to be at risk the moment you find a fit
there are more reasons to say “no” than “yes”
you will optimize for the wrong objection
price
implementation time
drive the process, or it will drive you
if there is no customer skin in the game, there is no deal
there are multiple people conspiring against you as we speak
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Just Say “No!”

17. RESPONDING TO
TRAPS
Incumbent Internal IT Do Other
• RFI • Strategic Nothing startup
• RFP • New • New • New story
Standards priorities
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Just Say “No!”

18. YOU’RE BEING
PLAYED
one more meeting…
one more quote/proposal…
one more buyer…
no set deadline…
no defined process…
who is the buyer?
how will you make the decision?
what is your budget?
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Just Say “No!”

19. TACTICS INCUMBENTS
WILL USE AGAINST YOU
“we do it all, including professional services”
“part of the master license agreement…its free!”
“we can help you define the requirements”
“lets visit our reference customers”
“we are HIPPA and SAS70 compliant”
“our VP of products is hosting an event…come!”
man-to-man offense
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Just Say “No!”

20. SETTING TRAPS
Singular Define the Non-
Speed
focus category conformity
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Just Say “No!”

21. HAPPY EARS
founders and inexperienced sales people will hear “yes”
when the prospect is saying “maybe”
pride themselves in “flipping” or “converting” a lead
the inner monologue is quite different (reality distortion field)
your enemy is the clock…
the goal is to qualify out, not in
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Just Say “No!”

22. THANK YOU.
Paid in full.
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