PREPARE - PRESENT - PURSUE:

1. PREPARE - PRESENT - PURSUE: WHAT TO DO BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER YOUR MATCHMAKING MEETINGS Rachel Snell & Velina Wills

2. Top Matchmaking Questions • How do you make your matchmaking meetings mutually productive? • What is the beneficial use of time and money? • Are you passionate and persuasive? • How do you convince the “matchmaker” you are the right one to provide goods and/or services to their company or agency?

3. What Sets YOU APART!!!! • Like A Good Neighbor……. • i’m loving it • Drivers Wanted • An oldie but goodie • You Got the Right One Baby, Uh-Huh!

4. You've Got The Right One Baby, Uh-Huh!"

5. Passion The 11 P’s Preparation Perseverance Planning Persistence Practice Patience Positive (attitude) Professional Proactive

6. Passion

7. Preparation

8. Planning

9. Practice

10. Positive (attitude)

11. Proactive

12. Professional

13. Patience

14. Persistence

15. Perseverance

16. Passion

17. Role Playing • Get into teams of two and practice Match Making • Share with the group Lesson(s) Learned and Golden Nuggets

18. 12 Steps of PREPARATION • Do your homework - research who you are meeting with, what they do, locations, what they buy • Review their ‘Rules of Engagement’ • Register on their website as a prospective supplier • Develop a small packet to leave with each • One page Capability Profile tailored to each prospect (Opportunity Fit) • Top 5 Customer list with contacts and Trade References • Update your Vendor Profile

19. 12 Steps of PREPARATION • Know you company inside out – Perform a SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) • Know your customers – Develop a Top 5 Customer document to leave with each • Know your competitors – How are you different? Describe your differentiator and write it down • Develop a Trade References document to leave with each (to demonstrate your financial stability) • Review, update your Business Cards, if necessary • Develop your match making strategy and pitch – practice over and over • Focus and maximize your time with each company

20. Break-down 15-minute meeting: • 2 minutes – Introductions, brief company overview, management team experience, your values • Years in business, who you are, what you do, location(s) • 4 minutes - Capabilities, core business, products, services, niche, quality certifications, special equipment • 3 minutes – $ Sales, past performance, top 5 customers, customer satisfaction, recognition, successes • Risk is a major concern – they are interested in your financial strength • 3 minutes - Your Opportunity fit, your differentiator, answer the question: Why You? • 3 minutes – Ask about opportunities, how you stack-up and about your next steps

21. THE KEY IS TO FOLLOW-UP WITH PASSION, PERSEVERANCE, PATIENCE • Email your prospect, reinforce any items that need reinforcing, attach your capability profile • Follow-up with a telephone call • Follow-up once a month, every month

22. Questions???

23. Contact Information • Rachel Snell Statewide HUB Marketing Coordinator Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Rachel.snell@cpa.state.tx.us 512-463-6958 www.Texas4hubs.org • Velina G. Willis HUB Program Coordinator Tarrant County vgwillis@tarrantcounty.com 817-884-1948 http://www.tarrantcounty.com