Strategy for selling business management software to Gas stations!

14 weeks ago

The maybe less than obvious answer here is to look at what is already in place. Does the company run other targeted outreach? Take the model that is already working and adapt it to the new target - Gas Stations

Originally Posted by Admir Kalari

Hey guys, I recently started working as a marketing strategist for a software solutions company. Our main product -- and the one that brings the most value to the company is a fiscalization and business management software.

Our marketing team originally consisted of three people: me, another beginner like myself, and a senior marketer. Unfortunately, our senior left recently due to other commitments (he started his own e-commerce business and also manages social media for several clients). Now, it's just the two of us handling all marketing efforts.

Recently, our manager came up with the idea to target gas stations with our software, since some of them also own chain stores and represent big business opportunities. He asked us to come up with a plan for how we're going to sell our solution to these gas stations.

To be honest, I feel a bit overwhelmed -- we're being asked to do a lot given our experience level. But at the same time, I really want to rise to the challenge.

I have experience in social media management, Facebook and Instagram ads, WordPress web development, basic design in Photoshop, and wireframing with Figma. But this project requires something different -- more like traditional marketing and strategic planning.

Right now, I have a solid starting point: I've identified the target market, and I know how to reach them. In Albania, we have a good website , where I can find all gas stations along with their contact information, so I can start building a lead list.

I'm also planning to run Facebook ads, since I don't think Google Ads are very effective in Albania.
So, the two main channels I'm considering are Facebook advertising and direct phone calls. I'm also thinking about designing some brochures and delivering them directly to the gas stations. To be honest, I can't think of any other effective ways to reach them at the moment. As for the offer, that's something I'll need to discuss further with the manager of course. What I really need help with is the mindset and the blueprint -- how would an expert approach this situation? What would a complete strategy look like? And how long might it reasonably take to execute?

The good news is, I'm not alone. Our company has a variety of resources -- designers, actors for ad production, a solid development team, etc. But they all need guidance, and I'm supposed to be the one who brings the pieces together and forms a cohesive strategy.

Any tips, guidance, or constructive feedback would be greatly appreciated!

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Monetize

14 weeks ago

Originally Posted by Admir Kalari

Hey guys, I recently started working as a marketing strategist for a software solutions company. Our main product -- and the one that brings the most value to the company is a fiscalization and business management software.

Our marketing team originally consisted of three people: me, another beginner like myself, and a senior marketer. Unfortunately, our senior left recently due to other commitments (he started his own e-commerce business and also manages social media for several clients). Now, it's just the two of us handling all marketing efforts.

Recently, our manager came up with the idea to target gas stations with our software, since some of them also own chain stores and represent big business opportunities. He asked us to come up with a plan for how we're going to sell our solution to these gas stations.

To be honest, I feel a bit overwhelmed -- we're being asked to do a lot given our experience level. But at the same time, I really want to rise to the challenge.

I have experience in social media management, Facebook and Instagram ads, WordPress web development, basic design in Photoshop, and wireframing with Figma. But this project requires something different -- more like traditional marketing and strategic planning.

Right now, I have a solid starting point: I've identified the target market, and I know how to reach them. In Albania, we have a good website , where I can find all gas stations along with their contact information, so I can start building a lead list.

I'm also planning to run Facebook ads, since I don't think Google Ads are very effective in Albania.
So, the two main channels I'm considering are Facebook advertising and direct phone calls. I'm also thinking about designing some brochures and delivering them directly to the gas stations. To be honest, I can't think of any other effective ways to reach them at the moment. As for the offer, that's something I'll need to discuss further with the manager of course. What I really need help with is the mindset and the blueprint -- how would an expert approach this situation? What would a complete strategy look like? And how long might it reasonably take to execute?

The good news is, I'm not alone. Our company has a variety of resources -- designers, actors for ad production, a solid development team, etc. But they all need guidance, and I'm supposed to be the one who brings the pieces together and forms a cohesive strategy.

Any tips, guidance, or constructive feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Your whole post is the mark of an amateur.

When you work for a corporation, you cannot post all those
internal details to the internet, because some of that is likely
proprietary and things competitors don't need to know.

Whatever you told this employer you were capable of when
you applied for the job, those are the things you need to put
into action now.

Social marketing, FB ads, and cold calling, get busy doing
all of those methods.

If I were you, I'd do whatever it took to keep the job because
you probably won't be on good terms if anyone there ever
sees that you posted this information online.

Thanks

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DWolfe

14 weeks ago

Are you trying to sell a management system for car repairs? Or the stations that are more like a convenience store? It may be different in Albania than in the US, but the most important thing for mechanical shops is software to repair late-model vehicles. You're competing against companies like All Data, a big behemoth like Amazon, Walmart, etc.

Large companies like Mitchell sell management systems that they sell at a discount to incorporate with repair data. You will find it extremely difficult to compete against software like Mitchell 1, Napa Tracs, and various others out there.

As far as gas stations with convenience style stores, places like Wawa, Valero, Sheetz, Pilot, Love's, and T/A they have their own programs. Even the really small independent places would probably use something as basic as QuickBooks for their accounting records

If you're approaching the automotive side. You will have to do a lot of cold calling and long-term relationship building. The large companies spend a fortune on trade magazines and attending specialty shows geared to the industry.

To give you an idea of what you are up against. Type into Bard or Chat GPT competitors to All Data.

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Frank Donovan

14 weeks ago

Originally Posted by Admir Kalari

Our main product -- and the one that brings the most value to the company is a fiscalization and business management software.

As I understand it, fiscalization software is used by retail management primarily to identify and combat employee theft or fraud. The market for that is with the head office of a multi-outlet retailer or the management of a large independent store. There would seem to be little point trying to sell to individual outlets of a chain or larger concern.

And I'm not sure gas stations are necessarily a great market, despite what your manager might think. If I were in your shoes, I'd start with gathering industry data showing which retail markets in your country suffered the most from internal losses, and I'd use this data to target the industries most at risk.

Then it's a case of demonstrating how your software has reduced losses for your existing and past clients. This is best achieved face-to-face or by telephone rather than by online ads - although they could be used for lead generation.

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Claude Whitacre

14 weeks ago

Me? I would find other suppliers of similar software. Search their websites and look for a client list, a list of testimonials.

You're not going to try to sell to those testimonials. You're going to find out who is buying this software. And then you cold call others in those niches.

And.....does your company already have clients? If it does, what business are they in. How were they approached?

The key mistake is trying to find out who needs what you sell. You really should find out who is already buying what you sell. And sell to people who are in the same business.

A really sneaky way to get started...one I've done myself...is so get hired by an established company that sells what you sell. Learn how they prospect, how they present, how they answer objections, and who they sell to....not to steal clients, but to quickly learn how this all works. Then you can use their tried and proven prospecting methods, cold calling scripts, and presentations.

Decades ago, I decided to sell encyclopedias. I had a publisher that needed distributors, but they had no real training. So I answered an ad for a competitive, and very well known competitor. I went through their first few weeks of training, made a few sales...and then quit.

I left with a proven complete presentation, marketing methods (That worked), real answers to every possible buying objection, and a proven cold calling and referral script. I took nothing of theirs with me. They lost nothing.

I never would have been able to think of all this on my own.

You may also be able to go with a successful salesperson that is selling a competitive offer. Heck, you may even decide to switch companies.

But know this...right now there are lots of people making a fortune selling what you are beginning to sell. No need to invent a new path, when there are proven paths already.

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Jamell

14 weeks ago

I can give you a time line as to when you'll make the sale however I will say that every business or person needs a,solution to their problem .

I would focus on selling them the benefit I.e the solution.

I would also suggest that you run native ads to warm your target audience up as opposed to direct marketing to warm a cold audience up .

You'll be spending alot more ad money just to get infront of more people in hopes of making a sale hence why I suggested that you use indirect marketing methods .

You might also want to start producing content to build awarenessabout yourself and your brand .

Cold calling possible leads via phone is not the most effectivemethod .

Go in person .and host zoom sessions to build rapport with gas station owners .

That beats cold calling leads in my opinion.

Thanks

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max5ty

14 weeks ago

Based on what I can gather from the post...

and since the OP hasn't been back to answer any questions or follow up -

and since I know nothing about Albania, I'll base my answer on what I do know about the US and gas stations/convenience stores.

Your plan has an almost 0% chance of being successful.

Here's why...

gas stations/convenience stores are almost always franchised. The owner of the station/convenience store uses the software from the company they pay to franchise from. It's all connected by connections to the connections which are connected to connections...and that is all connected.

To change the mind of a business owner who owns a franchise to use another software program will be a huge uphill struggle.

The best plan would be to target the top (those selling franchises), and it would then spread down to the owners.

IF your software worked in tandem with the owner's current software and provided additional benefits to using it beyond what they already use...you may stand a better chance.

There are a lot of questions I have about what your software is and what it does.

Anyway, just my thoughts based on what little there is to go on here.

Added: One other thing I should add...

those owners who have a convenience store that is a mom-and-pop type thing usually always rely on their POS system which handles a ton of all their management details. So, asking them to incorporate another software program along with their already used software is usually viewed as a lot of work. I do know something about how they think because we have an app that is used by a lot of these owners, and it took making the app work with their current software before they were actually willing to get on board.

A lot to say about this. But, as I said, there's not a lot to go on here with the OP's general description. I think more details would help.

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Claude Whitacre

14 weeks ago

Originally Posted by max5ty

Based on what I can gather from the post...

and since the OP hasn't been back to answer any questions or follow up -

and since I know nothing about Albania, I'll base my answer on what I do know about the US and gas stations/convenience stores.

Your plan has an almost 0% chance of being successful.

Here's why...

gas stations/convenience stores are almost always franchised. The owner of the station/convenience store uses the software from the company they pay to franchise from. It's all connected by connections to the connections which are connected to connections...and that is all connected.

Yup. And that's why I suggested finding out who is buying from competitors.

When we are brand new (or our boss is) in selling, we come up with ideas about who needs what we sell. But selling is almost completely counter intuitive.

So the "gas station" idea may have come out of thin air.

Decades ago, I decided to research who actually bought my vacuum cleaner (in home sales) VS the people I presented to that did not buy.

I discovered that blue collar workers bought at a far greater rate than people with college degrees. Truck drivers, construction workers, small business owners...bought.

Teachers, professors, and engineers almost never bought. Although I eventually figured out how to sell to engineers.

I also discovered that single people bought at the same rate as married couples (although industry "law" said that single people didn't buy). And if I got to the home and one of the spouses wasn't there....no matter what they promised...there was never a sale.

But some sales are either industry specific, or there are industries that never buy. And you have to find out, through actual research...who buys and who never does.

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One Call Closing book https://www.amazon.com/One-Call-Clos...=1527788418&sr

â€œDo not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise; seek what they sought.â€ - Matsuo Basho

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max5ty

14 weeks ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

Yup. And that's why I suggested finding out who is buying from competitors.

When we are brand new (or our boss is) in selling, we come up with ideas about who needs what we sell. But selling is almost completely counter intuitive.

So the "gas station" idea may have come out of thin air.

Decades ago, I decided to research who actually bought my vacuum cleaner (in home sales) VS the people I presented to that did not buy.

I discovered that blue collar workers bought at a far greater rate than people with college degrees. Truck drivers, construction workers, small business owners...bought.

Teachers, professors, and engineers almost never bought. Although I eventually figured out how to sell to engineers.

I also discovered that single people bought at the same rate as married couples (although industry "law" said that single people didn't buy). And if I got to the home and one of the spouses wasn't there....no matter what they promised...there was never a sale.

But some sales are either industry specific, or there are industries that never buy. And you have to find out, through actual research...who buys and who never does.

Interesting insights.

I have no idea what the situation in Albania is...

I can only say what the situation is around where I live and in a lot of areas in the US.

Most of these gas stations/convenience stores are operated by individuals from other countries...especially India. There is nothing wrong with that, and I'm not saying that's a problem...I'm just saying from experience that they usually use their POS system or other software from where they bought the franchise because that's the easy way.

So, I think it will be a hard sell.

If we were to take the Circle K's, etc., they all have proprietary software. Trying to nudge them into something else is a long uphill climb that would probably not work out well.

But, as I mentioned, we have an app that works with their POS, etc., and we found that by working with what they already had was an easy sell.

Thanks for the insights. You're always full of good sales info.

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Princess Balestra

13 weeks ago

Albania?

Ain't that where the cutest evah hamstahs come from?

Or am I mixin' up Abyssinia an' Hades?

Like evin in my sleep?

Hey, I dunno.

tbh my landscape/pet crossovah lost the plot the moment I grew outta Lion King *sob*

so don't nowan evah take nuthin' persnl, from whatevah -ania you kinda hail.

Bcs I believe the SCIYYANCE we gaht gowin' here is "say HI to sumone, an' mebbe they say HI back", an' it is simultaneously singulah an' generic.

HI

HI

HI

Tellya, an eagle falls wingless from the sky squawkin' that outta its beak, you gonna catch the fkr, right?

Or'n its brayinns DASHED.

All brayinnia.

(I thinkin' here 'bout Icarus, an' the gal stuck the feathahs on his ass while he screamin' MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A CAPE! MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A CAPE!)

I figure we could all mostly be from anyplace an' still walk in a straight line to hapless stoopidity beyond all measure.

(Hence opstchwaahn to make out like a ditz, from muh DNA to muh very owin aisle#####s.*)

Thing is tho, the moment we done with Albania, we gowin' Subterrania or Stratospheria.

Left, right, up, down,
gotta screw it all around.

So HI HI HI
gitsya grounded.

Bcs you bein' all cute,
like a hamstah.

Janno them fluffsy mammals sleeyip in PILES
like frickin' BATS hang from raftahs
all snugsy invertsy?

"We're long past the HI stage,"
they squeak/sonique,
"you could even say
we're a proto-plague --
blissing out beyond
either accident
or control!"

Imagine a dog or cat sayin' that! It is pyoorely so ridiculous!

"You want the Frivloverse or the Metaverse?"

(Awkay, now we gaht evry darn pet incloodin' the hoomans SPOOKED.)

((An' now: the padded bra of totally sooperfloo-ous parentheses!))

Jus' wanna be sure the software HUDDAPTS to when the gas stations quit sellin' gas.

The HI is in the TO.

The HI is in the TO.

That is why I fluttrin'

muh eyelashes at YOU.

* eyelashes. see?

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max5ty

13 weeks ago

Originally Posted by Princess Balestra

Albania?

Ain't that where the cutest evah hamstahs come from?

Or am I mixin' up Abyssinia an' Hades?

Like evin in my sleep?

Hey, I dunno.

tbh my landscape/pet crossovah lost the plot the moment I grew outta Lion King *sob*

so don't nowan evah take nuthin' persnl, from whatevah -ania you kinda hail.

Bcs I believe the SCIYYANCE we gaht gowin' here is "say HI to sumone, an' mebbe they say HI back", an' it is simultaneously singulah an' generic.

HI

HI

HI

Tellya, an eagle falls wingless from the sky squawkin' that outta its beak, you gonna catch the fkr, right?

Or'n its brayinns DASHED.

All brayinnia.

(I thinkin' here 'bout Icarus, an' the gal stuck the feathahs on his ass while he screamin' MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A CAPE! MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A CAPE!)

I figure we could all mostly be from anyplace an' still walk in a straight line to hapless stoopidity beyond all measure.

(Hence opstchwaahn to make out like a ditz, from muh DNA to muh very owin aisle#####s.*)

Thing is tho, the moment we done with Albania, we gowin' Subterrania or Stratospheria.

Left, right, up, down,
gotta screw it all around.

So HI HI HI
gitsya grounded.

Bcs you bein' all cute,
like a hamstah.

Janno them fluffsy mammals sleeyip in PILES
like frickin' BATS hang from raftahs
all snugsy invertsy?

"We're long past the HI stage,"
they squeak/sonique,
"you could even say
we're a proto-plague --
blissing out beyond
either accident
or control!"

Imagine a dog or cat sayin' that! It is pyoorely so ridiculous!

"You want the Frivloverse or the Metaverse?"

(Awkay, now we gaht evry darn pet incloodin' the hoomans SPOOKED.)

((An' now: the padded bra of totally sooperfloo-ous parentheses!))

Jus' wanna be sure the software HUDDAPTS to when the gas stations quit sellin' gas.

The HI is in the TO.

The HI is in the TO.

That is why I fluttrin'

muh eyelashes at YOU.

* eyelashes. see?

How did we get from gas stations to hamstahs and eagles falling out of the sky? Not to mention eylashes...

I don't know about you sometimes Princess.

You've got quite the imagination.

I like it though.

Thanks

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Strategy for selling business management software to Gas stations!

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