IT startup looking for big clients: features of working with large corporations
A few days ago I communicated with a friend who owns and manages a small company (with a turnover of 15 million rubles a year) in the 1C automation market. He complained about difficult times, widespread cost cutting, non-payment ... and dreamed of a big and fat client. Here is what he told me:
At this point, I remembered personal experience and interrupted his dreams. The fact is that two years ago we argued the same way. Launching a new business direction for automating processes on the 1C platform, we were looking for a customer from a large business. We considered working with large businesses as the key to success. We reasoned like this: a large flow of tasks will allow a team of experienced specialists to be hired and loaded with work, to pay them regular wages. A permanent development team will be formed. The issues of automating large businesses look ambitious. After completing the project, we will earn a good reputation. During the project, we will develop our own product and in the future we will introduce a ready-made solution to other large customers.
In fact, we all dream about it.
We found such customers. But I revised a part of my views after working with them. The first observation is that the processes of each large enterprise are unique. Every lot of their nuances and specifics: the organizational structure, workflows, the order of interaction with the parent and child structures, external regulation. Some processes are redundant in the number of operations, and the customer is not ready to change. What does this mean for a company automating workflows? You will not develop automation standards with such a client and will not create a boxed solution. For the same reason, the transition of Russian corporations to a rigidly standardized SAP ends with the introduction of surface functionality, where the necessary information is collected using a set of crutches (export from 1C, excel and the hands of employees). We have large companies in the country that have successfully accomplished the task of automation, but these are rather exceptions. And, I repeat, they have already coped with this task.
Therefore, if your goal is to create and bring a complete solution to the market, large business is not the place to start. This is not the way to success. It is better to choose a group of consumers in a small or medium business, focus on it and hone a niche solution. These guys are more flexible in terms of processes, they know how to make decisions in one day, and are more willing to listen to recommendations. They love to work for the result and with them you will succeed much earlier.
')
If you still stubbornly stand on your own. The idea to add an important client to the portfolio does not give rest. The conclusion of a big contract for the year ahead comes to you in dreams. Or you have already climbed so much that it’s too late to turn back - then below are a number of recommendations for you that will help you to better work with large Russian businesses. Omit the questions of selling a large contract and start working with a large customer. This topic can be devoted to a separate article. Imagine that you are already inside.
Immediately realize that you are working with a powerful structure and this power is expressed daily in the actions of the personnel of this company. Get used to talking to you from a position of strength. If you want an equal dialogue, it is better to return to work with a small business. Look at the contract with the harsh conditions that you just entered into. The longest sections in it are the rights of the customer and the obligations of the contractor. You will certainly be asked for each item of the contract. The customer is not interested in what you need to fulfill the contract and how you will fulfill it. Now this is just your headache. The duties of the customer, of course, are also present in it, but they, as a rule, are brief and rather conditional. If your important client violates one of the terms of the contract, he may politely suggest that you change this clause, and most likely you will go to meet him. You will not argue that your question is more important than a sudden visit by a minister or an emergency situation at a strategic facility. Unfortunately, in the opposite direction, this practice does not work.
Bureaucracy. Any large organization is subject to bureaucracy and clerical communication. The incentive to action for the employees of such organizations is, first of all, an official document. This may be a contract, meeting minutes, or an incoming letter recorded and recorded in the annals of the customer’s clerical service. Verbal agreements, telephone conversations and even e-mails have no official power and know that a bureaucrat may unexpectedly disregard such arrangements for you. Therefore, write. And write more often. Try to notify the customer in advance of your visits, be sure to draw up minutes of meetings and meetings. Even if you reached an agreement by telephone or had a conversation in the elevator, do not be lazy to immediately describe it in a letter:
At the same time, try not to throw letters at the bureaucrats. They are painful for incoming documents. Remember that it is you who “make it like” make them work. Do it politely, do not cause anger. Some may even be offended when they receive an official letter from you. Therefore, it is always better to accompany letters with a personal call. You can hear a languid sigh in response and a comment: “Why write when you can just call ...” - do not buy it. Say that: in your company it was so accepted, there was a past unpleasant experience, this is now the policy of the company, and they will fine it if it is not done.
The more important your client, the less weight your questions have among others. The meeting with you will be postponed due to the visit of a high-ranking person or another more important event. There are plenty of reasons. Show originality and use his weapon against a high-ranking bureaucrat:
Find the internal orders of the CEO, the parent companies, build a logical connection with your question and rely on them when solving it.
Politics. Remember that every major leader always evaluates his actions from a “political” point of view. How these actions will affect the reputation and how it looks in the eyes of others: superiors, colleagues, subordinates. It is good when you have your own person among the high management of the company. But it would be naive to assume that this person will walk regularly and solve your questions. And they arise constantly. If you want to maximize the use of his support, then create such situations so that a person’s actions do not look like lobbying. No one wants to risk for the sake of your interests his reputation and career. Expand the situation so that the person stands on the side of the interests of his company and its goals, society or state. Provide it with the necessary bases to help you, namely, well-written documents. I already wrote about them above. Skillfully handling this tool, you will attract very influential people to your side. Compare:
and
Feel the difference?
Show respect to everyone. Do not neglect even the smallest people in a large corporation and do not make enemies to yourself. Stay friendly with everyone and do your own politics. You will never know all the intricacies and relationships in a large corporation. At any moment you can unexpectedly get both support and footboard.
It only seems to you that you understand everything
You will communicate with many employees of the client, but do not tell them what they do not need to know. Sometimes unnecessary information can turn you into trouble:
Such a phrase can easily be uttered at an internal meeting of the customer by a person to whom you have recently outlined a soul out of friendship. Its goal is not even to harm you or your customer, but simply to shift the attention of those who have gathered from one problem to another. But, having reddened at the meeting, Dmitry Vladimirovich will not be indebted to you now. Keep your mouth shut.
A lot of people will participate in work with your company on the part of the customer; it is important for you to find out the chain of decision-makers on your questions. What does your work begin with, who sets tasks, with whom these tasks are coordinated, who approves the budget, who accepts the results of work, who approves the acts, who pre-approves them, who signs, who stamps the documents, who creates the payment order, who payment approves and so on - yes, all these are different people. But you yourself wanted to work with big business.
Life hacking : In order to make it easier for you to solve your questions (do not forget that you have a lot of them), create the right situation and make yourself a permanent pass to the client’s building. This is done approximately like this: “Fyodor Mikhailovich, for the third time in a day, I ask you to order me a pass. I do not want to constantly distract you from important work. Who can I contact to give me a month pass? ” Permanent pass will emphasize your status in the eyes of ordinary employees of the customer. It will be more convenient for you to go to meetings or even look at those or other managers by chance. But do not abuse it. Remember that you are visiting. If you open the door to the office of a high-ranking leader with your foot, you will quickly lose both the pass and the location of the leader.
So, get acquainted and build relationships with all participants in the process. It is not uncommon for your documents to be silently put in a tray and wait until you yourself come to introduce yourself and pay respects. Therefore, make appointments yourself. Do not wait until you are invited. Remember that time always works against you. In a large company, issues are resolved for a long time. The saying "Time is money" is not about them. They have another coordinate system in their head. They do not consider the cost of each meeting, adding up the salaries of the people participating in it. They serve valiantly, being at their post, jealously protect the possessions entrusted to them and try not to hurry in order not to make mistakes. This is such a corporate culture.
Above, I already wrote about my man in the manual. If you do not have such a person, then it is important for them to get one. When you become familiar with the chain of people involved in your process, listen to what they say. Who do they respectfully speak of? Who in the company indisputable authority? Enlist his support. This is the man who will intercede for you if you are openly offended. Push your question forward if it is stuck on one of the sites for an unreasonably long time.
But this man does not end there. There is still a lot of routine, daily work that will not be done according to the status of your patron. Surely you have heard the phrase: "attach the legs to the document." This is the second mandatory person that you need. You can not move to the territory of the customer to solve daily routine issues. And your project needs to be constantly pushed through the cabinets. You must make the person who is directly responsible for your project on the part of your project a part of your team. Be sure to find a way to make him your ally. There are a lot of ways: from those about which it is not customary to talk, to innocuous trips to the restaurant, theater tickets and child’s kindergarten arrangements — I will not stop there. This person should be your faithful friend. He will inform you about what is happening with your documents at a specific point in time, who they are, who thinks about you, what they are going to talk about at the upcoming meeting. Forcing questions at the customer’s site and hurrying the rest regularly is the work that you will do with the help of this person.
Still have a desire to work with big business? Then get ready to work for future loyalty. Do what the customer forgot to include in the contract. Be calm about incompetence of its employees. And obediently become guilty when it is convenient to your patron.
Do not seek honor and conscience in your new collaboration,
so as not to be disappointed
Are you ready for all this? Great, then welcome to work with big business! And please take responsibility for your work and make a quality product no matter what. It is sad and sad sometimes to look at those bulky freaks who are now working in some large companies. Good luck to you!
Email your questions to maslov.aa@outlook.com
Yes, Google, Coca-Cola, IBM, Carlsberg are also large. But we did not work with them.
We would have a client of one large, rich. With the task of automating processes! We would have done everything for him in the best possible way. For his budget, the payment for our services is nothing. And for us it is an opportunity to acquire a permanent staff, develop an industry solution and formulate implementation standards, and receive positive feedback. We will form a ready-to-implement product that we replicate to other customers ...
At this point, I remembered personal experience and interrupted his dreams. The fact is that two years ago we argued the same way. Launching a new business direction for automating processes on the 1C platform, we were looking for a customer from a large business. We considered working with large businesses as the key to success. We reasoned like this: a large flow of tasks will allow a team of experienced specialists to be hired and loaded with work, to pay them regular wages. A permanent development team will be formed. The issues of automating large businesses look ambitious. After completing the project, we will earn a good reputation. During the project, we will develop our own product and in the future we will introduce a ready-made solution to other large customers.
In fact, we all dream about it.
We found such customers. But I revised a part of my views after working with them. The first observation is that the processes of each large enterprise are unique. Every lot of their nuances and specifics: the organizational structure, workflows, the order of interaction with the parent and child structures, external regulation. Some processes are redundant in the number of operations, and the customer is not ready to change. What does this mean for a company automating workflows? You will not develop automation standards with such a client and will not create a boxed solution. For the same reason, the transition of Russian corporations to a rigidly standardized SAP ends with the introduction of surface functionality, where the necessary information is collected using a set of crutches (export from 1C, excel and the hands of employees). We have large companies in the country that have successfully accomplished the task of automation, but these are rather exceptions. And, I repeat, they have already coped with this task.
Therefore, if your goal is to create and bring a complete solution to the market, large business is not the place to start. This is not the way to success. It is better to choose a group of consumers in a small or medium business, focus on it and hone a niche solution. These guys are more flexible in terms of processes, they know how to make decisions in one day, and are more willing to listen to recommendations. They love to work for the result and with them you will succeed much earlier.
')
If you have just started your own business, it’s better not to go into big business.
If you still stubbornly stand on your own. The idea to add an important client to the portfolio does not give rest. The conclusion of a big contract for the year ahead comes to you in dreams. Or you have already climbed so much that it’s too late to turn back - then below are a number of recommendations for you that will help you to better work with large Russian businesses. Omit the questions of selling a large contract and start working with a large customer. This topic can be devoted to a separate article. Imagine that you are already inside.
Immediately realize that you are working with a powerful structure and this power is expressed daily in the actions of the personnel of this company. Get used to talking to you from a position of strength. If you want an equal dialogue, it is better to return to work with a small business. Look at the contract with the harsh conditions that you just entered into. The longest sections in it are the rights of the customer and the obligations of the contractor. You will certainly be asked for each item of the contract. The customer is not interested in what you need to fulfill the contract and how you will fulfill it. Now this is just your headache. The duties of the customer, of course, are also present in it, but they, as a rule, are brief and rather conditional. If your important client violates one of the terms of the contract, he may politely suggest that you change this clause, and most likely you will go to meet him. You will not argue that your question is more important than a sudden visit by a minister or an emergency situation at a strategic facility. Unfortunately, in the opposite direction, this practice does not work.
Understand at once two principles that distinguish big business from small business - this is bureaucracy and politics.
Bureaucracy. Any large organization is subject to bureaucracy and clerical communication. The incentive to action for the employees of such organizations is, first of all, an official document. This may be a contract, meeting minutes, or an incoming letter recorded and recorded in the annals of the customer’s clerical service. Verbal agreements, telephone conversations and even e-mails have no official power and know that a bureaucrat may unexpectedly disregard such arrangements for you. Therefore, write. And write more often. Try to notify the customer in advance of your visits, be sure to draw up minutes of meetings and meetings. Even if you reached an agreement by telephone or had a conversation in the elevator, do not be lazy to immediately describe it in a letter:
Dear Ivan Semenovich, in accordance with the agreement reached with you today on the territory of your facility, we are sending you ...
At the same time, try not to throw letters at the bureaucrats. They are painful for incoming documents. Remember that it is you who “make it like” make them work. Do it politely, do not cause anger. Some may even be offended when they receive an official letter from you. Therefore, it is always better to accompany letters with a personal call. You can hear a languid sigh in response and a comment: “Why write when you can just call ...” - do not buy it. Say that: in your company it was so accepted, there was a past unpleasant experience, this is now the policy of the company, and they will fine it if it is not done.
The more important your client, the less weight your questions have among others. The meeting with you will be postponed due to the visit of a high-ranking person or another more important event. There are plenty of reasons. Show originality and use his weapon against a high-ranking bureaucrat:
Dear Svetlana Petrovna, at the last meeting of the Strategic Committee, on August 14, 2014, Igor Semenov, General Director, ordered, I quote: "To increase the security of domestic communication networks and information resources ... until the end of this year." In pursuance of this assignment ...
Find the internal orders of the CEO, the parent companies, build a logical connection with your question and rely on them when solving it.
Politics. Remember that every major leader always evaluates his actions from a “political” point of view. How these actions will affect the reputation and how it looks in the eyes of others: superiors, colleagues, subordinates. It is good when you have your own person among the high management of the company. But it would be naive to assume that this person will walk regularly and solve your questions. And they arise constantly. If you want to maximize the use of his support, then create such situations so that a person’s actions do not look like lobbying. No one wants to risk for the sake of your interests his reputation and career. Expand the situation so that the person stands on the side of the interests of his company and its goals, society or state. Provide it with the necessary bases to help you, namely, well-written documents. I already wrote about them above. Skillfully handling this tool, you will attract very influential people to your side. Compare:
Dmitry Andreevich, today my old partner called me and complained that the third month could not receive an advance from you. What do you have with the contract for the automation of queue management?
and
Dmitry Andreevich, here are the photos from the surveillance camera from our office in Tikhvin. This unfortunate grandmother in a blue kerchief is in the queue for the third hour, and on the street 30 degrees of heat. Look at her expression. Do you have a desire to call an ambulance for her? What do you have with the contract for the automation of queue management? Have you agreed an advance?
Feel the difference?
Show respect to everyone. Do not neglect even the smallest people in a large corporation and do not make enemies to yourself. Stay friendly with everyone and do your own politics. You will never know all the intricacies and relationships in a large corporation. At any moment you can unexpectedly get both support and footboard.
It only seems to you that you understand everything
You will communicate with many employees of the client, but do not tell them what they do not need to know. Sometimes unnecessary information can turn you into trouble:
Dmitry Vladimirovich, today in the dining room I spoke with your contractor. He said that you still have not provided a consistent process flow chart. General ordered to complete the task before May 20! You break deadlines for us!
Such a phrase can easily be uttered at an internal meeting of the customer by a person to whom you have recently outlined a soul out of friendship. Its goal is not even to harm you or your customer, but simply to shift the attention of those who have gathered from one problem to another. But, having reddened at the meeting, Dmitry Vladimirovich will not be indebted to you now. Keep your mouth shut.
A lot of people will participate in work with your company on the part of the customer; it is important for you to find out the chain of decision-makers on your questions. What does your work begin with, who sets tasks, with whom these tasks are coordinated, who approves the budget, who accepts the results of work, who approves the acts, who pre-approves them, who signs, who stamps the documents, who creates the payment order, who payment approves and so on - yes, all these are different people. But you yourself wanted to work with big business.
Life hacking : In order to make it easier for you to solve your questions (do not forget that you have a lot of them), create the right situation and make yourself a permanent pass to the client’s building. This is done approximately like this: “Fyodor Mikhailovich, for the third time in a day, I ask you to order me a pass. I do not want to constantly distract you from important work. Who can I contact to give me a month pass? ” Permanent pass will emphasize your status in the eyes of ordinary employees of the customer. It will be more convenient for you to go to meetings or even look at those or other managers by chance. But do not abuse it. Remember that you are visiting. If you open the door to the office of a high-ranking leader with your foot, you will quickly lose both the pass and the location of the leader.
So, get acquainted and build relationships with all participants in the process. It is not uncommon for your documents to be silently put in a tray and wait until you yourself come to introduce yourself and pay respects. Therefore, make appointments yourself. Do not wait until you are invited. Remember that time always works against you. In a large company, issues are resolved for a long time. The saying "Time is money" is not about them. They have another coordinate system in their head. They do not consider the cost of each meeting, adding up the salaries of the people participating in it. They serve valiantly, being at their post, jealously protect the possessions entrusted to them and try not to hurry in order not to make mistakes. This is such a corporate culture.
Above, I already wrote about my man in the manual. If you do not have such a person, then it is important for them to get one. When you become familiar with the chain of people involved in your process, listen to what they say. Who do they respectfully speak of? Who in the company indisputable authority? Enlist his support. This is the man who will intercede for you if you are openly offended. Push your question forward if it is stuck on one of the sites for an unreasonably long time.
But this man does not end there. There is still a lot of routine, daily work that will not be done according to the status of your patron. Surely you have heard the phrase: "attach the legs to the document." This is the second mandatory person that you need. You can not move to the territory of the customer to solve daily routine issues. And your project needs to be constantly pushed through the cabinets. You must make the person who is directly responsible for your project on the part of your project a part of your team. Be sure to find a way to make him your ally. There are a lot of ways: from those about which it is not customary to talk, to innocuous trips to the restaurant, theater tickets and child’s kindergarten arrangements — I will not stop there. This person should be your faithful friend. He will inform you about what is happening with your documents at a specific point in time, who they are, who thinks about you, what they are going to talk about at the upcoming meeting. Forcing questions at the customer’s site and hurrying the rest regularly is the work that you will do with the help of this person.
Still have a desire to work with big business? Then get ready to work for future loyalty. Do what the customer forgot to include in the contract. Be calm about incompetence of its employees. And obediently become guilty when it is convenient to your patron.
Do not seek honor and conscience in your new collaboration,
so as not to be disappointed
Are you ready for all this? Great, then welcome to work with big business! And please take responsibility for your work and make a quality product no matter what. It is sad and sad sometimes to look at those bulky freaks who are now working in some large companies. Good luck to you!
Email your questions to maslov.aa@outlook.com
Yes, Google, Coca-Cola, IBM, Carlsberg are also large. But we did not work with them.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/298816/
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