A quick presentation on 20 Tips, Tricks and Tools that you can use to better understanding your existing markets or to learn new ones. Designed for small businesses and start-up companies, this presentation includes tools that can be implemented today by businesses of all sizes for little or no money. Audience: Entrepreneurs, Product Managers, Product Marketers, Market Researchers, Market Analysts, Corporate Librarians Custom presentations also available.

1. Market Intelligence
• Affordable Tricks and Tools
for Learning Markets
Steve Thomson Rob Duncan
www.thomsonconsulting.ca www.greatcapes.com

2. The Benefits of Increased Transparency
3
Markets Competitors Key
Accounts
Better position Deliver more
your company React faster appropriate
and products products
Triage accounts
Outflank for better
competitors resource
management

3. Tip#1 – Don‟t Horde, Share!
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Share Your Intelligence
•Information needs to be
available to be actioned

4. Tip#2 – Scope It!
5
Focus your data collection
• Define „Actionable‟ Requirements
• Avoid Analysis Paralysis
• Need to Have vs. Nice to Have

5. Tip#3 – SWAG
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Scientific Wild-Ass Guess
Don‟t Waste Time Trying to Get
Too Accurate
• Ask yourself – “If I‟m 10%, 20% or
50% out, does it change my
recommendation?”
Triangulate Your Results
• Try to get to the same estimate from
2 or 3 directions.

6. Tip#4 – Remember the Five Ws
7
Who
How What
Why
When Where

7. Tip#5 – Know Thyself First
8
• Where can you find information
Information on your company?
Sources • directories, associations, conferences, partner
sites
Internal • Where have your people come
from?
Resources • competitors, clients, suppliers, academia
• Understand your own metrics so
Performance you can benchmark others.
• business model, delivery channels, key ratios

8. Tip#6 – You‟re Not the Only Company
9
in Your Market
Search Out Industry Resources
• Industry associations
• Conferences
• Standards bodies
• Market analysts and
consultants

9. Tip#7 – Understand Your Industry
Value Chain/Ecosystem
Value Chain Ecosystem
Standards Device Operating
Bodies Manufacturer Systems
Technology
Partners
Enterprise Legacy
Software System Distributors
System Suppliers
Handset
Software
Integrators
You
Standards Integration
Bodies/ Partners
Regulators
Telcos Retailers Consumers

10. Tip#8 – Create a Key Account Profile
for Key Prospects
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Make it Easy to Share/Update
Information
Corporate Technology Competitive
Description Profile Profile
• Profile • Legacy systems • Who
• Contact info • Integration • What
• “Pain” partners • Why
• How

11. Tip#9 – Create Organization Charts
12
for Key Prospects
• Understand who you need to talk to and their
motivations
Fred, CEO
(Decision
Maker)
VP, Line of CIO CFO
Business
Joe Al Bob
(Recommender) (IT Influencer) (ROI Influencer)

12. Tip#10 – Love Your Library
– University and Public
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Usually Provide Free Access to
Premium Information Sources
i.e., Hoover‟s, Factiva, online trade journals
• UBC, SFU, BCIT, Vancouver Public Library
Sometimes Provide Fee-for-Service
Research Services
• VPL InfoAction

13. Tip#11 – Talk to People
14
Often 80% of the Information You
Seek Is Close to You
Your Company Partners Suppliers
Management Sales Team Customers Investors

14. Tip#12 – Google Is Your Friend…
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But Not Your Only Friend
Learn Advanced Search Techniques
• Use at least 3 words
• Go beyond the first results page
• Try phone numbers, email addresses and
given names
Try Other Search Engines and Tools
• Yahoo, Zoominfo, LinkedIn, Jigsaw, Facebook

15. Tip#13-1: Favourite Tools
www.zoominfo.com
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Aggregates
information
on people
and
companies
(on Internet)
Export
contact and
profile
information

16. Tip#13-2: Favourite Tools
www.linkedin.com
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Leverage your
network
Ask questions
of “experts”
Find “hidden”
resources
Better
understand
your prospects
The bigger your network, the more effective this tool becomes

17. Tip#13-3: Favourite Tools
www.jigsaw.com
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Business card
exchange
Find direct
contacts and
avoid the
gatekeepers
Use to update
your CRM files

18. Tip#13-4: Favourite Tools
www.archive.org
19
Understand
where your
client/competitor
has come from
Compare
historical
snapshots to
establish trending
Watch market
positioning,
language,
products, staff
turnover

19. Tip#13-5: Favourite Tools
www.watchthatpage.com
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Track Changes on
Target Pages
Watch changes
in company
news,market
positioning,
language,
products, staff
turnover

20. Tip#13-6: Favourite Tools
www.monster.com
21
Set up alert
emails to
monitor job
postings in your
industry

21. Tip#13-7: Favourite Tools
www.freepatentsonline.com
22
Search your
industry for
recent patent
filings
Understand the
people behind
the technologies
for strategic
recruiting

22. Tip#14 – Think Big Fish, Small Pond
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Look for • Local newspapers
Information in
Places Where
• Trade journals
Your Target Is • Associations to
a Big Fish
which they belong

23. Tip#15 – Follow the Money
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Where $ Changes Hands, So Does
Information
Large
M&A and Hirings and Purchases Patent
Financing Layoffs • Customer Assignments
Events purchase
orders
• Real estate

24. Tip#16 – Enjoy Public Filings
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Rich source of information
• Management discussion and analysis
• Key announcements
• Key metrics
View over time to provide a sense of direction

25. Tip#17 – Change Is Good
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Always look for changes; they suggest something is in play
People • New management team or board members
• New partners and clients
Positioning • New language
• New products and product directions
Structure • M&A events, new plants and offices
• Corporate realignments
Financials • Gross margins, EBITDA, key ratios
• Funding

26. Tip#18 – Watch Trademarks
27
and Patents
Great Source for
Early Warning
•Often outline intent long
before it becomes reality

27. Tip#19 – Share with Others
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in a Similar Boat
Talk to Others Working with the
Same Clients (not direct competitors)
• How long do sales take?
• What is the process?
• Who are the gatekeepers
and decision makers?

28. Tip#20 – Develop a CI Matrix
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Counter-
Factor Factor Factor Factor Factor Threat
attack
1 2 3 4 5 Assessment
Strategy
Our Company N/A N/A
Competitor A
Competitor B
Competitor C

29. Tip#21 – Learn Porter‟s Five Forces
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New Entrants
Threat of
Bargaining Bargaining
Power of Jockeying For Position Power of
Suppliers Among Competitors Customers
Products or
Substitute
Services

30. Tip#22 – When in Doubt,
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Hire a Professional
• Manage your
Don‟t resources wisely
Be • Some work is
Shy better done by
external experts

31. For More Information
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Steve Thomson
• 778-371-8963
• steve@thomsonconsulting.ca
Rob Duncan
• 604-431-4956
• Robert_Duncan@bcit.ca