Sitemaps
Experts
DiscussionsQuestionsExperts

Praveen Puri

Increase sales, profits, and market share

Bio

Praveen Puri helps business owners and executives make fast, dramatic improvements to their businesses.

Praveen has more than 30 years of experience as an executive leader and business strategist. Strategic initiatives that he consults on invariably become focused on value and results—typically seeing an eightfold increase in outcomes.

He was CEO of ListWeasel.com, employee #7 and head of product management at ELCEDE, Inc., and was involved in the strategic development of online banking systems at Bank of America. Praveen also spent time as an independent financial trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

He is a member of the Society for the Advancement of Consulting and, in February 2018, was inducted into the Million Dollar Consultant® Hall of Fame.

Praveen is one of the only consultants at Motorola to ever receive their "General Systems Sector" award.

Recent Answers

Funding

What's the best way to raise funds to pivot my business from a service model (coaching) to a products (books, online classes, planners) model?


Praveen Puri

Increase sales, profits, and market share

Don't film/create the products in advance. Create the course outlines/syllabi and market the courses first. Talk about your successful track record as a coach, and how you now are going to offer your training in convenient, self-paced products to provide outstanding value. (Talk about how this adds value to them, not about how it benefits you, which they don't care about). State the normal, high price for the for the products, but how you are offering a one-time, steep discount for people who pre-signup and will gain access as the products are created. Then, use this money to fund the creation of the courses. As you create modules, deliver them and ask for feedback. This way, you can incorporate feedback and improve your products as they are being created. At the end, get testimonials/referrals. Even if this initial group of customers results in breaking even (or a slight loss), you are better off than if you created the products with your own or borrowed money, and you also know that they sell on the market place, and you now have testimonials.

EdTech

How do I validate an edtech idea involving companies and universities?


Praveen Puri

Increase sales, profits, and market share

You need to first build relationships into this space so you can reach people. Can you get references to people at the unix and companies from your current network? You may have to partner with someone who has the connections.

Marketplaces

What can I do to be more than just a middleman marketplace?


Praveen Puri

Increase sales, profits, and market share

You can sell advice/consulting packages to start-ups/SMEs on best practices (choosing the correct space, negotiation, what type of leases, issues to watch out for, when to look for more space, etc). You can also sell consulting to owners who want to get into the co-worker space on best practices from their side, and how to attract start-ups/SMEs

Entrepreneurship

What type of business can we start with our skill sets?


Praveen Puri

Increase sales, profits, and market share

Together, the three of you have the skills to offer internet marketing/branding services. I would then decide on a target market/industry that all three of you are passionate/interested about. Then, offer your services to companies in this area. For example, it could be dentists, veterinarians, women's shelters, jewelry boutiques, etc.

Education

How can I get ideas for an online community for students?


Praveen Puri

Increase sales, profits, and market share

Hang out in an online community where there are already students. Listen to what they want, and run some ideas by them.

Education

How should I go about getting my workshop for students into schools?


Praveen Puri

Increase sales, profits, and market share

You need to connect with parents and teachers. Get them to want the workshop, and they will help you get it into a school. Once you get it going successfully in one or two schools, it will be easier to sell to other schools.

SaaS Sales

How to structure a sales team and process of SaaS ?


Praveen Puri

Increase sales, profits, and market share

1. Your marketing team should be focused on attracting trial users. 2. Your sales team needs to be divided into two groups: a) converting trial users into paid customers b) calling on and selling paid corporate solutions to companies. They need different skills. You're a. group need to be skilled at B2C because they are dealing with individual users and small businesses. They have to be knowledgable about the plans and advising if it is worth it to upgrade, and to which plan. The b) group needs to be seasoned B2B sales pros who are comfortable dealing with executives.

Start-ups

How do I make money by helping others?


Praveen Puri

Increase sales, profits, and market share

1. Offer training/consulting/advising to companies for a fee. 2. Offer training/consulting/advising to companies, and get paid a % of the results. 3. Offer to generate leads for them and get paid per lead.

Audience Segmentation

How should we choose the right segment in a startup?


Praveen Puri

Increase sales, profits, and market share

Start doing both, and pay attention to the results. If you start enjoying one segment more and/or prospects in one segment respond more positively, then you can focus on that one.

Sales Process

How do I generate leads for an outsourcing service?


Praveen Puri

Increase sales, profits, and market share

1. Create a white paper about how the value that a company in your target market gets if they use your service. What's in it for them to hire you? Why is it better to hire you than do it yourself?, etc. 2. Find email addresses for the right person at companies in your target market. Send them a short email that introduces you and your company, and offers the white paper. Don't try to do any selling. If they email your back, then send them the white paper. Tell them that you will follow up with them in X days (actually give the date). Also tell them that you will add them to your newsletter list, which you do not share with anyone, and they can unsubscribe at any time. 3. In X days, send them a follow up email, asking if they received the white paper, and if they had any questions or comments. Also re-send the white paper (or link) and say you are resending it, in case they didn't receive the first email. 4. in a week, follow up again.

Contact on Clarity

$

7.50

/min


Schedule a Call
Send Message

Stats

40

Answers

0

Calls

Areas of Expertise

SalesStartup ConsultingProduct ManagementMarketing StrategyInnovationBusiness StrategyCreative DirectionProcess ImprovementBranding & Identity