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It would be a marketing coach to But offline is just as important. Are Alec Stern is the CEO and Co-
say, “Hey, listen. I’m here to help you on the phone with them or Founder of Point2Point Global.
you,” and “What brought you to us face to face? How many visits or He has more than 25 years of
and what goals and objectives are times do you need to talk to them? experience as a founder and hyper-
you trying to achieve? How can If you assume that your time is growth agent for companies across
we get you to achieve those using worth $100 an hour and you industries including Constant
Constant Contact?” spend 3.5 hours with them, you’ve
spent $350 talking to them before Contact. As a primary member of
That created a ‘wow’ moment out they acquired your product or Constant Contact’s founding team
of the gate. service. So, think about your cost Alec was one of the original 3 who
of acquisition—and then you’re started the company in an attic.
Brian: In addition to sales going to ask “What’s the lifetime Alec was with the company for
numbers, what do you think are value of that customer? Once you 18 years from start-up, to IPO, to
the most important things that a land a customer, they might end a $1.1 Billion-dollar acquisition.
business can track? up bringing two other people to Today, as Managing Partner and Co-
you. Founder of international shipping
Alec: First, every business needs and logistics provider, Point2Point
to be metric-driven. Then you have Brian: Absolutely. What do you Global, Alec defines the company’s
to establish which metrics are the believe are some of the quickest vision, mission and strategy to
most important to you. and most effective ways to attract
clients? provide innovative, customized,
The first thing I’ll tell folks is to international mail and ecommerce
put the hooks in, to capture and Alec: When we went out and got logistics services to customers while
measure everything. If you have our first four customers, I went actively pursuing opportunities for
a website, you can add Google door-to-door trying to get those expansion via strategic partnerships
analytics and plug that in so it’s initial sales. Then when it came to and acquisitions.
capturing all kinds of data for working with folks who could get
you. You may not look at the data us to a lot more partners, they’d As one of the Northeast’s 20 most
initially, but you want to capture it. say, “Do you have any references?” accomplished entrepreneurs, he is
Because one day you’re going to And I’d say, “I can give you three.” a limited partner in Boston-based
wake up and ask, “Are we getting We gave them three, and some G20 Ventures which provides early
a lot of traffic for people to our would ask, “Have any more?” I said,
website coming from Seattle? “Give them one more.” Thankfully, traction capital for East Coast
How soon is someone coming to no one asked for a fifth. But we enterprise tech startups. Alec is also
our site and leaving? And if they’re were able to get them to believe in an angel investor in a number of
coming, where are they spending us simply by just getting some of rising startups in various industries.
time?” those initial few customers.
Alec advises a variety of early stage
After that, some of the key things Get a few customers, and you don’t companies and serves as a judge,
you need to look at is “what need a lot at first. You just need to mentor and advisor for nationally
does it cost you to get that next get some that you have success known startup accelerators and
customer”? It’s really important with that could help fuel you to get programs including Techs tars,
to understand that, because you those next customers. Using them Mass Challenge, MIT Start Smart,
need to turn a prospect into a as leverage can be really important Lean Startup Challenge, the Stevie
customer. You have to understand because they’re going to want to
what level of investment you’re see what others are doing and Awards and the United Way Youth
making to get them. For example, using those references. Venture and speaks at Universities
know how effective your pay- including Harvard and MIT.
per-click campaign is in driving Brian: Thank you for being here,
traffic to your website and then Alec. This was awesome.
converting leads to sales.

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