Sales Savvy for Start-Ups: Seven Mistakes to Avoid

Business Wire,  June 18, 2008  

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Sales Expert Identifies Pitfalls for Entrepreneurs

CANOGA PARK, Calif. -- The number one mistake that start-up companies make in sales is targeting the wrong person, according to Bill Behnke, a "serial sales manager" for entrepreneurial firms.

Behnke, a member of the Council of Experts for Scott Public Relations, a PR and marketing company specializing in the healthcare, insurance and technology industries, lists the top seven sales mistakes made by start-up companies, in a new article, "Sales Savvy for Start-Ups: Seven Mistakes to Avoid," posted on the SPR website, http://www.scottpublicrelations.com/.

"Structuring the sale function for a new company is especially challenging in fields like healthcare, where the different benefits of a product will appeal to different decision-makers. If there are multiple decision-makers, the account needs to be 'saturated' to reach them with their respective compelling messages," says Behnke. "Above all, attention must be focused on who will actually pay for the product - who can make the decision to write the check."

Another common mistake is underestimating the power of public relations as a marketing tactic for new products and companies. "I've seen how powerful PR can fill an entire sales pipeline for new products and services," noted Behnke. "For a new company especially, PR cost-effectively creates the 'buzz' you need to get noticed."

To read the entire article, go to: http://www.scottpublicrelations.com/A Step Ahead Articles/ART_SalesSavvy_06_12_08.pdf (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)

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