See the slides from PSV Academy StartupTalk #5 on Getting corporate customers in B2B startups. Find the recording of this event at www.psvacademy.dk

2. Mikkel Sørensen
Founder & CEO
10 years experience within Industrial IoT
including Maersk Line, Grundfos and consulting
Previous startup experience from IT
and music business

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In 2009 we pioneered Industrial IoT
and found a world of challenges

4. The reality of
Industrial IoT
implementations

5. But what if
industrial
devices could
become as
easy to
connect as a
mouse to a
PC?

6. ANY DEVICE
ANY IOT PLATFORM EDGE TRANSLATION LAYER
Omnio is Google Translate for industrial
device communication

7. Timeline for
Omnio
Omnio started
IoT Stars 2017 winners
SEED Discovery day winners
Techstars IoT NYC 2017
First revenue
Pre-seed round
6 employees hired
Schneider Electric pitch competition
Selling/executing PoCs and pilots
Developing core tech
SAP Partners
Intel Partners
Jan ‘17
Jan ‘18

8. Three sales and distribution channels
Device owners
Digital solution
vendors
General platform
vendors

9. How big are our
customers?

10. You won’t believe how much it hurt to
make these 6 easy steps for corporate sales
success – it’s shocking!

11. What is a
corporate
actually?
Risk minimizers
Many moving parts
Many interests
Slow
Status quo bias
Standardised
Risk takers
One focus
Few interests
Fast
Disruptive
Free flowing
Corporates
Startups

12. Mistake #1:
Thinking
they’ll find you
and buy
online
+ = $

13. Forget it + = $

14. B2B sales
requires
network and
patience
+ = $$$

15. Don’t have a
network ?
Grow one
Join company accelerators
Join pitch competitions
Get mentors/advisors
Get multiple contacts
“Innovation teams are
where startups go to die”
Get small(er) partners
Get investors
Get a board
Get senior buy-in fast
Build deep relationships

16. But…social
media?
Sure, to show
life and
leadership

17. Mistake #2:
Thinking the
1st…or 10th
meeting is the
one

18. 2nd PoC Pilot Negotiate Sell Implement Money
6 months for a
pilot, 12-18
months for a
sale
Intro Meeting 2nd intro Pitch Scope PoC
0-12 months
6-18 months

19. Avoid getting
lost (or
depressed)
by…
Understand their purchase process
Immediately build their decision making matrix. Who will
recommend you for purchase? Who will approve it? Who
has the money for pilots? For the final sale?
Gameify your funnel
Assign points to the steps in your funnel. Use points to
track your progress – and avoid getting frustrated that
you're not closing.
Get things in writing
Always make a pilot contract stating success criteria and
next steps

20. Mistake #3:
Betting on one
corporate
“Just this one customer will make us profitable.
We must give them complete focus.”
- Famous last words

21. Yes, they can.
But by then,
you’ll be broke
Mid.size
(20%)
Major
(10%)

22. Run a real
funnel.
Run it well.
Mix large & mid & small
Pack your funnel – and appreciate that when companies
drop out, saves you time. In fact, encourage it.
CRM before it’s too late
Professionalise and keep track. You need to push them.
Constantly.
Standardise materials
Remove overhead – make them once.

23. Mistake #4:
Free pilot is
good pilot!

24. The problems
with free
No cost, no value
Corps equate cost to value – free means no value. End of
story.
No accountability
If no one puts up the money, no one is responsible for the
success on their end. You lose.
No revenue
Hey, we all need revenue. Especially our investors.

25. Arguments to
support your
fee
“We can give this top priority”
You’re busy. You’re a hot start-up. Everybody wants a piece
of you. They need to pay to get priority.
Gives better projects
A cost makes sure they find a problem they want solved
and that you’re committed.
Supporting start-ups
Corporates like start ups. Sometimes they forget. Remind
them.

26. Mistake #5:
Making clients,
not customers
We love it! It’s
perfect!
…but we’re special.
Change the color to
the exact opposite.

27. Before you
know it, you’re
selling
multicolor
cokes…

28. Listen to Mr.
Ackbar

29. Clients are
fine, but
customers
scale
Client(s) Customers
Customized
Consultancy
Standardised
Scalable
Think they’re special Are special
Total value
GENERALIZE

30. Mistake #6:
Thinking
they’ll take the
risk
Risk minimizers
Many moving parts
Many interests
Slow
Status quo bias
Standardised
Risk takers
One focus
Few interests
Fast
Disruptive
Free flowing
Corporates
Startups

31. We’ll be locked in!
Will they be here
tomorrow?
Who?
So you passed
the PoC. Think
you’re safe?
Think again.
We can do it ourselves!
Corporate
Fear

32. You think big.
To close the
sale, start
small

33. BONUS:
3 quick sales
tips!
People buy from people
Build relations. Only with internal evangelists will you win.
The less you sell, the more you sell
Try to shut up. You won’t believe what you hear.
Weed out false positives
Don’t waste your time – get to no, fast.

34. + + + + +
Network Mixed funnel Less customization
Time & relations Payment Start small
= $$$
You won’t believe how much it hurt to make these 6 easy steps for
corporate sales success – it’s shocking!