4. Landing a Beach Head Project After all your efforts at due diligence, documenting your wide access and deep knowledge of an organization, a beachhead or pilot project will be identified.
It may be that a particular line of business has an urgent need. It may be that one area of the business is willing to fund a test. There may be consensus that your solution can be adapted to other lines of business once success is demonstrated.
Since you have been making the case all along that your solution has widespread application, it is reasonable for you to go through the due diligence at this time so that your company becomes an approved vendor.
Getting the paperwork done now will make it easier for other departments to purchase.
If you are asked for pricing concessions, a purchasing agreement based upon volume assumptions can be negotiated now. Since you are laying the groundwork for an enterprise-wide engagement, now is the time to leverage your position.
It is also the time to set customer expectations around deliverables and to educate them about how you deliver a successful solution. This is not the time to compromise on your own quality standards. If the client wants a modified solution, document what the risks are to them.
You don’t want a beachhead project to become a nightmare.
ASK US: “What is a reasonable sales cycle to land a beachhead project?”
cmassociates@sympatico.ca
To learn more about this author, visit Catherine McQuaid's Website.
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Catherine McQuaid
(Visit Catherine's Website)
CM Associates
do market reconnaissance for companies
wanting to acquire “wish list” new
clients: those in stable sectors, with
lots of ongoing needs.
How to avoid the feast-or-famine cycle of
project-driven assignments?
CM associates conducts new business
outreach:
gathering business intelligence on those
“wish list” new clients
establishing C-level relationships with
those involved in decisions
…all without the cost of face-to-face
meetings.
Simple, database tools, voice, email and
reconnaissance agents are all one needs to
secure stable, enterprise-wide, repeat
engagements.
Reach beyond local markets without leaving
home
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I wanted to let you all know that I’ll be on CNBC’s Millionaire Inside Saturday night 5 p.m. PDT/8 p.m. EDT and again at 8 p.m. PDT/11 p.m. EDT. So why the late notice? 
