🔆 Are big logo's winning you - or are you winning them?

In yesterday’s SaaS Founder mastermind, we ran a hot seat about a fascinating topic: Entering a new market.

The context: Making this happen via ‘the gorilla’ in this space that’s controlling the market business-wise and politically.

The challenge: They have extreme demands in the negotiation, wanting 100% exclusivity without willing to make any commitments.

Whether this is about partnership or selling directly, it’s a scenario many startups face: The challenge of winning big logos without being squeezed in the process.

So how do you go about it? Here’s the thing:

The first reaction is being impressed. If only we could get to work with that logo…That’s a dangerous starting point. They know it – and often abuse it.

So, are all these requirements not signs of a bad audition and a potentially lousy marriage? Is this a customer/partner you get energy working with?

We need to remember to look at things from a position of strength.

What do they secretly desire that you can uniquely offer them?
What happens when they don’t get to work with you?
What’s that worth to them?

In other words – you have options to position yourself in a way where you’ll become incomparable to the alternatives. That’s negotiation power.

Don’t get blinded by ‘their size’ or ‘their brand value.’ You’d start off on the wrong foot. With that – no one wins. If it doesn’t feel good at the start, you’ll likely end up in an even uglier divorce.