Successful Approaches to Marketing for MBEs October 30, 2013 Margaret Klinsport, Supplier Diversity Director Allstate Insurance

Today’s Goals My Goal  Share the “Do’s” and “Don’ts” of what will help get you in the door (or keep you out)  Develop potential partners who are able to compete and win business to help build and maintain the Allstate Brand MBE Goal  Be remembered for the right reasons and make connections that will lead to potential business 2

The Basics  Are you the right fit? Do you have products and services that benefit the corporation? Strategize your approach  Research the company  Know your capabilities  Be ready to clearly articulate your value Lead with your strengths—what uniquely qualifies you to compete for the corporation's business? 3

The Presentation  Presenting your value Here is how I will add value to your corporation...  Have a strong to-the-point pitch  Examples of past performance  Demonstrate you can compete at the corporate level The Shark Tank Experience  Have a contemporary presentation and a professional website  Stay ahead of the technology curve  YouTube Sales Expertise 4

Networking  Develop a wide network Diversity Organizations  Be an active member  Find a mentor  Be a mentor  MBE B2B Leverage Corporate Partners  Scholarships, mentoring and special events  Industry group contacts  Introduction to peers 5

Maintaining Corporate Relationships  After the initial contact Stay current  Continue to learn about the corporation  Submit your information to the database  Polite persistence RFI/RFPs  Be thorough, careful and ask questions  If you win....  If you lose... 6

Ineffective Approaches  Approaches to avoid Blast s Scripted cold calls Multiple calls to the same company Presuming you are a good sales person  Styles to avoid Demands based on diversity status Impatience Blast s Scripted Cold calls Multiple calls to the same department Impatience Destroying the relationship 7

Statistics

Prepare Be prepared  Do your homework and be prepared to have an educated conversation  Have a strong elevator speech; be able to clearly and concisely articulate your value proposition and what differentiates you from the competition  Know the company you are approaching and know how you can help them achieve their corporate goals 9

Follow Up Effectively Create a follow-up plan  Confirm you have the correct contact information  Follow up as requested in a timely fashion —via , phone, etc.  Make sure your website is current as companies will research you  Personalize any communications that you will send — don’t send out generic mass communications  Don’t abuse connections and “stalk” contacts 10

Final Thoughts Are you ready?  Be sure you’re ready to compete at the corporate level  Ensure your products and services are evolving with current technology and market needs  Understand that you’re not a fit for everyone  The timeline of winning business depends on corporate needs and direction  Keep your profile updated in databases  Be patient! 11

12 Questions/Comments