1) One person must be a domain expert in your industry.
- I interviewed someone named Maya Rogers who has her own online, recycled clothing brand.
- This person would potentially be a market expert since she is well aware of the business models of these thrift shops who sell used clothes, which she uses to make her products.
- I have followed this person on Instagram since we went to the same high school.
- We just had lunch and I brought her an orange clementine as a thank you since I have seen her post them a lot with her meals.
2) One person must be an expert on your
- Unfortunately, I was not able to contact the manager of RePurpose but spoke to a worker who's name i did not catch.
- This person would be a representative of the supplier
- I knew to contact this person by calling the store and asking who had time to speak. Not the greatest source but they were able to give me lots of insight into how their processes work.
- I just asked them when they'd be in to work and I plan on bringing them something small when meting
3) One person must be an important supplier to your industry. This would be someone who is selling products and services to other organizations/firms in your industry.
- I decided to talk to a competitors since this space is not currently penetrated. Speaking to an Office Depot employee while visiting their store was a simple step towards understanding more.
- This person would also provide help similar to how a strategist would
- I found this person by visiting a local consignment store, which made it easiest for me
- after the conversation, we opted to stay in touch through Instagram. I followed her dog's Instagram account so I believe we are pretty close.
These were not the types of people I usually encounter since their lives center around their specific industry. It was a great learning experience as all networking is but knowing more about these people revealed to me that there really may be a target market for my product that exists,
Hey Alexis!
ReplyDeleteGreat job in looking for all the resources you needed in order to complete this assignment. Even if you were not able to speak to a manager, you spoke to an employee and got the most information out of it! I believe these three individuals could really help you out in the long run. Keep up the good work!
Hi Alexis, I think you sought out some great contacts for this assignment. Using an Office Depot employee as your supplier was a great idea and a good way to learn about the current nature of the market. I also like how you brought your new contacts a small gift to thank them for their time and insight. This gesture shows that you’re appreciative and definitely makes you memorable.
ReplyDeleteHi Alexis, I appreciate the effort and initiative you took in regards to contacting people. Like you, I tried getting in touch with some people who I was unfortunately able to reach in time, but I really want to establish contact with them sooner or later so I encourage you to do the same. Having a network of people who are knowledgable and can offer useful advice is important, and it is great that you utilized that!
ReplyDeleteGood evening Alexis! I am really intrigued by how you contacted certain stores that would help you benefit and get specific expertise in your target market, great job! It also seems like that your first interview from the person that you went to high school could potentially impact your personal development as well. These connections are very valuable and are very beneficial. Great work!
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