Ultimately our immense desire, focus, talent and flexibility resonated strongly with the selection panel and allowed us to win our first major client. We were also very determined to prove we could succeed and went beyond the requirements to demonstrate our capability. However, not having a historical setup and layers of management actually played to our advantage as we were able to mould not only our proposal but swiftly adapt the business around the specific needs of the prospective client, whilst also adhering to best practice. As a startup we were up against established multi-national organisations so knew it was going to be a tall order to get through even the initial round. We were invited by representatives of the bank to take part in a formal and competitive procurement process that spanned nearly three months. (8) How did you go about securing the deal with Lloyds, and what has it done for the business Finally, keep re-emphasising the relative agility, flexibility and specialist knowledge you can offer as long term supplier or partner. Ensure negotiations include discussions on how your company can leverage the prominence and reach of the brand to promote your company this often can be more valuable than the deal itself. Having a champion within the client that also believes in the value your product or service can bring can also help you position more successfully before and during negotiations. Not over-stating where you are as a start-up will garner immediate respect and creditability. (7) What advice would you give on negotiating with big brandsīeing honest when you are start-up is really important to big brands. One-to-one networking at targeted events still yields our best quality leads. Weve used a number of techniques to attract new clients, from traditional direct marketing and PR through to content marketing on social media and knowledge sharing at conferences. Our knowledge of the client’s industry, technology developments and customer insight allows us to best advise clients on the how they can best meet their objectives through mobile solutions. Overall, the value businesses are seeking from a proposition will vary for each individual client. Mobile also provides brands with a richer insight into customer behaviour (location, context for example) and organisations are beginning to harness this data to improve how they deliver services and core products. As mobile becomes the dominate channel in which customers interact with organisations, it’s become increasingly important to convert this attention into sales. Initially the focus was around customer engagement and brand awareness. (4) What are businesses looking for from apps, and how do you give that to them The financial services industry had also lagged behind other industries in relation to customer servicing so I sensed there would be a significant and growing appetite to embrace technology to better meet customer needs. Having worked in the sector for over 14 years, I was acutely aware of the challenges financial institutions were facing and how I could solve these with the right capability and team around me. Partly this was influenced by my background.

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