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what would you do? just started at a funded serial start up company

by ttrance
5 replies
hey guys,

So last month I was offered a trial job at this serial start-up company that is decently funded.

About 10 people or so work here in the different little companies, all mostly controlled and owned by one guy...

Seems straight enough.

It just happens to be that the 2 areas they are really involved in is:
1) Legal pharmacy online with several of those turn and burn sites coming and going... but no one from the marketing side really involved at all..

2) The emerging legal cannabis world.... creating and selling products related to the industry in one way or another...

Sooo being in internet marketing for many years already I know these guys are expecting results in 2 really difficult areas.

For pharma its very difficult to do any type of measurable marketing since you cant do PPC or anything else unless you have this pharma-mafia-vipps thing. So I think the only way to bring any 'value' to the pharma properties is to look for affiliates - but I've never done affiliate work or anything with Pharma.

Secondly is the cannabis related stuff. Its fun working in that area cause its just you know --- cannabis! Everyone gets a laugh when I mention it.

So I'm wondering what is the best way to go here... On the one hand they only have a couple products in that area, with more 'in the pipeline', and on the other hand I know there will constantly be more work coming in so I will need to hire outside help which they already gave me a budget for...

Question is if I could look back in 6 months and say "damn good plan and it worked out well" What would that plan be?

Hire a few freelancers to SEO the sites, get some PPC help to push some good traffic and have a conversion optimizer run through the campaigns occasionally?

Try finding affiliates who like these industries and let them pound things out ???

So far there is a guy in the phillipines I know who has a growing SEO company but he is trying to push me into his expensive 'packages' but I know he is good however the company here frowns that I'm launching these expensive SEO campaigns but I want to make sure I'm delivering results....


ARRGGHHH

Also comes the budget aspect. They are very disorganized here -- so I need to 'prophecize' basically the upcoming months budget, then get it approved, then send it to the workers usually in retainer form, but its just a big mess. If I have 4 people, and 3 ended up being less work, but one ended being twice as much it becomes a logistical/financial tracking nightmare....

Who else has been in such a situation anyone have any experience and can help me avoid headaches?
#budgeting #company #funded #lead generation #ppc #seo #serial #start #started #startups
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Fuentes
    You'd probably get much better results from pay-per-performance inbound telemarketing campaigns for online pharma and cannabis ...

    Here's a plan:

    1. Search for credible pay-per-call lead vendors in these industries -- Most of them have established networks with experienced affiliates in generating inbound and live transfer calls for those industries ....

    2. Search for pay-per-performance inbound telesales centers with verifiable experience in those industries and in handling calls (more so in selling) -- Aside from toll free numbers and high risk merchant accounts with a virtual terminal (one set for online pharma and one set for cannabis), you won't spend anything for office equipment, wages, etc. You'll just negotiate a fixed commission percentage for all sales that the center generates from the inbound calls and live transfer calls you'll send to them ...

    3. Create campaign ideas using the data that you'll get about the best pay-per--call lead vendors and pay-per-performance centers in your shortlist ...

    4. Contact them. Strike a mutually beneficial deal with the best ones for an X-month test campaign ...

    5. Work with them in creating ad / marketing materials that they'll use to generate calls. Also work with them to prepare other important things, i.e. Toll free numbers, IVR system flow, getting high risk merchant accounts with virtual terminals, etc. ...

    That's it. Hope this helps ...
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  • Profile picture of the author ttrance
    if anyone wants to know what a quality reply looks like... check the reply we got from Michael here.. Great response bro thanks!
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Fuentes
      I'll answer here the questions in your PM, to possibly benefit others who may have the same questions ...

      First, this model requires using 2 types of companies. These are:

      1. Pay Per Call Networks -- These companies sell targeted leads through a pay per call arrangement. They have affiliates that generate these inbound calls and live transfer calls; and

      Each network specializes in certain industries. You're bound to find some that have tested systems and affiliates with significant experience in generating these calls for online pharmacies and cannabis dispensaries ...

      2. Pay Per Performance Telesales Centers -- These companies are call centers. They agree on a fixed sales commission percentage, so no need to pay per agent / seat / hour. Of course:

      Many of them'd obviously go with an X-month trial arrangement, in order to determine the overall quality of the calls that you'll be sending them, in terms of saleability; and

      What you should provide are the following:

      a) Toll Free Numbers -- One for each geo (in case you're targeting multiple geos); and

      b) High Risk MOTO (Mail Order, Telephone Order) Merchant Accounts -- Should get one for online pharmacy sales, and another for cannabis dispensary sales. Also:

      Merchant account should have a virtual terminal where telesales agents can process payments over the phone ...

      Second, here's a brief explanation of this model:

      You buy targeted, geo-centric inbound calls and live transfer calls from a pay-per-call network. They'll follow mutually agreed ad campaigns and use marketing materials
      to generate the calls that you're paying for. Then:

      You drive these calls to your toll free numbers (of course, the ad campaign materials used by the pay-per-call network and their affiliates should effectively display your toll free numbers); and

      These calls are then handled by your chosen pay-per-performance center. They'll follow mutually agreed scripts and workflow processes ...

      -- THEN --

      When they close a sale, they get X% sales commissions ...

      That's it ...

      To find the companies that you're looking for -- Go to call center forums and the like. Google will point you to many options out there ...

      Hope this helps ...
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  • Profile picture of the author savidge4
    Often times, if not most times simple is best. If you look at the 2 segments you are targeting, as much as they are different they are pretty much one in the same. Medication. I would use the Cannabis product as the lead magnet for the Pharma. I think the odds are a bit in your favor that if they are interested in Cannabis, they are probably self medicating and would tend to probably be on Pharma drugs as well. Not the case for everyone obviously, but with out question as separate as the 2 markets are, they are very parallel.


    In terms of the Pharma specifically, SEO is the way to go here. I would by intention stay away from the class 4 drugs, and target class 2 and 3. I would do a good amount of research to determine in the class 2 and 3 med classes, which drugs are NOT covered with medicare / medicade. - in general if I were in your position, this would be my focus. People that NEED the medication and their insurance or coverage is not covering those medications.


    Demographically you can just straight away start shooting for 65 and over - the catch here would be to maybe run 2 entry points, one targeting the person taking the medication, and the other being geared more towards a family member of the one taking the medication looking for further information - better pricing
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  • Profile picture of the author ttrance
    really good responses guys thanks!

    I am not sure about any call centers though. They all seem to say the same thing which is pay per seat. I don't find much about pay per lead or performance based.

    Actually when you type: Pay Per Call pharmacy lead generation in google this actual post comes up on the first page !!!!!
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