Situation: A company is planning to expand operations into a new geography. The CEO wants to avoid hiring a new sales person out of the main office as they make this move because he wants the expansion to fund itself. How do you minimize hiring while launching a new market?

Advice from the CEOs:

• Start by profiling the ideal customer for the new geography.
  • The definition should include business sector, company size, current capabilities in terms of the service provided by the company, and openness to working with outside service providers.
• Consider a satellite office or franchise option. The two key employees to staff the office will be an engineer and a principal manager for the office. The principal manager will be the sales person.
• Target initial clients that meet the profile of the existing business but in the new geography.
• Use what has been learned over the years in the principal location to build an effective culture in the new location. Select key people for the new location that would fit well into the current location.
• How can the principal manager network in the new location to attract clients?
  • Clubs
  • Organizations
  • White Papers
  • Advertising and Mass Mailing
  • Author a book or be featured in a chapter of someone else’s book
  • Generate partnerships or affiliations for business development

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