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As in your home country, business in the US is all about networks,
but on a bigger scale! Your target industry sector probably consists
of a select group of companies in certain regions with a number
of key people, and an identifiable group of competitors. Your
success depends on your ability to penetrate these networks and
convince key players of your value proposition.
Marketing
Approach
Your market strategy will be different depending on whether you
decide to approach the marketplace directly or indirectly. The
approach will be dictated by the nature of your product or service.
For example, if selling a low-price consumer multimedia title,
it is highly unlikely that a direct sales force would be appointed
to sell your titles to end-users.
Indirect
Marketing Approaches
Distributor
Distributor obtains your product and licenses it to dealers or
retailers who in turn deliver and license to end-users, for example,
Ingram-Micro.
Value Added
Reseller (VAR)
VAR adds value to your product by customizing it, providing consultation,
supplying training, etc.
Manufacturer's
Representatives/ Sales Agents
Individuals, agents or small firms that act as a sales representative
for a company, usually within a given geographic region.
Original
Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)
OEM incorporates a company's product into their own products,
for example, IBM, Dell, and Gateway 2000.
Direct
Marketing Approach
Appoint a dedicated sales team to approach target companies without
using channel partners. This approach is clearly the most expensive
way to target the market and equally the one with the greatest
return.
Combined
Approach
Your strategy may be a combination of both direct and indirect
channels. You may, for example, decide to use partners in regions
where you do not have any local support, or in segments where
your contacts are limited.
Establishing
an actual physical presence confirms your commitment to the market
and your customers as well as enabling you to keep your finger
on the market pulse. This physical presence will drive your direct
sales activity and may even support your indirect channel partners.
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