I have no sales experience.. who should I contact in a company with my business proposition?

[abcdan]

Hi,

I created a game that I am looking to sell to an app company (about 75 employees), but I'm not sure the best way to contact them and who I should contact. Should I look to speak to the CEO, or someone else? Also, would it be okay to message through LinkedIn or phone is better?

Thanks

 

[fisicx]

Hi @abcdan and welcome to UKBF.

Are you already generating an income from this game?

What does your game have that isn’t already available in the hundreds of thousands of existing games?

How easily could a game developer replicate your game?

 

[abcdan]

Hi, thanks for the welcome!

I am not generating an income on it. My game is a solitaire word game, which offers a mix of word making (like Scrabble or Boggle), and unique gameplay which requires its own set of strategies. I think it would be relatively easy for a developer to replicate it.

 

[fisicx]

If that’s the case I doubt very much that anyone will want to buy your game. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but you aren’t offering anything viable. If they can replicate the game then they will do just that and build in revenue earning functionality.

 

[Deleted member 335660]

Hi,

I created a game that I am looking to sell to an app company (about 75 employees), but I'm not sure the best way to contact them and who I should contact. Should I look to speak to the CEO, or someone else? Also, would it be okay to message through LinkedIn or phone is better?

Thanks

Having spent 30 years in sales I learned one thing, always best to start at the top.
If you contact the CEO and he refers you down, you then say that you spoke to the CEO and he suggested I speak with you; best chance of getting a foot in the door.
Phone is better, I doubt many CEO’s actually run their LinkedIn timeline.

 

[fisicx]

Having spent 30 years in sales I learned one thing, always best to start at the top.

Indeed. But he doesn't have anything a game company would be interested in so not a lot of point in getting in contact.

 

[Mark T Jones]

It's a variation on the etetnal theme - people don't buy ideas, they buy business propositions.

Before approaching anyone, I'd put a lot of thought into who your likely customer is and how the game will be monetised

 

[fisicx]

The game need to be in the app/play store. You need to show it’s being downloaded, you need good reviews, you need to show how it can be monetised.

There are thousands of word games. One more isn’t going to raise the interest of a game company unless you can show them something that will make money.

 

[abcdan]

Having spent 30 years in sales I learned one thing, always best to start at the top.
If you contact the CEO and he refers you down, you then say that you spoke to the CEO and he suggested I speak with you; best chance of getting a foot in the door.
Phone is better, I doubt many CEO’s actually run their LinkedIn timeline.

Trevor, thank you very much for responding to my question. It's exactly the advice I was looking for.

 

[Legal Utopia]

The game need to be in the app/play store. You need to show it’s being downloaded, you need good reviews, you need to show how it can be monetised.

There are thousands of word games. One more isn’t going to raise the interest of a game company unless you can show them something that will make money.

If it's their first game, they should put it on the app store to see how it goes. After you need to figure out what model you are going for it:
freemium - running adverts during or at end of a level, so doesn't affect player, but can start making a income.
Premium - run a game with no adds but pays a fee weekly or monthly to get no adds.
one off - Pay for game in app store, unlocks whole game with one off payment
Monetised - have in app purchases, like tile skins or something.

From these you can generate a income, but will also get reviews about your app - such as where you can improve/ work upon. From evidence and actual reviews, then contact a games company about your app, because you should be able to pitch it better, with stuff supporting you.

 

[abcdan]

If that’s the case I doubt very much that anyone will want to buy your game. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but you aren’t offering anything viable. If they can replicate the game then they will do just that and build in revenue earning functionality.

You are not the bearer of bad tidings. If the company isn't interested in my game, oh well, I'm no worse off than I was before. At worst, I'll learn something from the experience. My expectations are on the low end, but I have a much better chance of selling my game to this company if I actually ask them, rather than just think about asking them.

You say my game isn't viable, and you may be right. But have you ever created a game before? It's not easy. It's especially difficult to come up with a good one. And if you can come up with one that's fun, easy to play, and new to the world, well IMHO, you have something have value. Can they replicate it? Yes, after I share with them my idea, they can decline my offer and then go ahead and make my game anyway. If this happens, then so be it. At worst my creation would be out there making people happy, and maybe as a bonus I can sue the company. Although I don't have direct experience with the app game industry, I don't expect that they will do this, but always a possibility I guess.

 

[Legal Utopia]

You are not the bearer of bad tidings. If the company isn't interested in my game, oh well, I'm no worse off than I was before. At worst, I'll learn something from the experience. My expectations are on the low end, but I have a much better chance of selling my game to this company if I actually ask them, rather than just think about asking them.

You say my game isn't viable, and you may be right. But have you ever created a game before? It's not easy. It's especially difficult to come up with a good one. And if you can come up with one that's fun, easy to play, and new to the world, well IMHO, you have something have value. Can they replicate it? Yes, after I share with them my idea, they can decline my offer and then go ahead and make my game anyway. If this happens, then so be it. At worst my creation would be out there making people happy, and maybe as a bonus I can sue the company. Although I don't have direct experience with the app game industry, I don't expect that they will do this, but always a possibility I guess.

You wouldn't be able to sue, Unless you can say this is your own intellectual property and give evidence like using a NDA (non disclosure agreement). This way you can show you have patented the idea and have a mutual agreement in place, if the company does remake their game. That's when they can sue.

 

[abcdan]

If it's their first game, they should put it on the app store to see how it goes. After you need to figure out what model you are going for it:
freemium - running adverts during or at end of a level, so doesn't affect player, but can start making a income.
Premium - run a game with no adds but pays a fee weekly or monthly to get no adds.
one off - Pay for game in app store, unlocks whole game with one off payment
Monetised - have in app purchases, like tile skins or something.

From these you can generate a income, but will also get reviews about your app - such as where you can improve/ work upon. From evidence and actual reviews, then contact a games company about your app, because you should be able to pitch it better, with stuff supporting you.

My game is on the app store. The way I attempted to monetise it is the first option you mentioned - free, with ads running at the end of levels, etc.

I have spent a small amount of money marketing my app, and as a result had some downloads and a couple of good reviews. In the end though, I've concluded that although I believe in my game, I don't think the app that I created (specifically the interface, the graphic design, etc.) meets the high, professional standards as do the top word game apps who behind them have the resources and the teams of talented people for that sort of thing.

My pitch will essentially be: "here's my idea for a game and my prototype. With your team of game and app designers, and your ability to market it to your customers who are already word game enthusiasts, you can turn this into a real winner." I honestly think in the creative industries it's the idea that sells. Like a screenplay for example. I could be wrong in the case of app games, but let's see.

 

[Legal Utopia]

Having spent 30 years in sales I learned one thing, always best to start at the top.
If you contact the CEO and he refers you down, you then say that you spoke to the CEO and he suggested I speak with you; best chance of getting a foot in the door.
Phone is better, I doubt many CEO’s actually run their LinkedIn timeline.

Then go with what Trevor said and try to get your foot in the door, hopefully you can. But make sure you have a good pitch.

 

[Deleted member 335660]

Indeed. But he doesn't have anything a game company would be interested in so not a lot of point in getting in contact.

Yes I agree, no point in making contact if nothing to offer.

 

[Deleted member 335660]

You are not the bearer of bad tidings. If the company isn't interested in my game, oh well, I'm no worse off than I was before. At worst, I'll learn something from the experience. My expectations are on the low end, but I have a much better chance of selling my game to this company if I actually ask them, rather than just think about asking them.

You say my game isn't viable, and you may be right. But have you ever created a game before? It's not easy. It's especially difficult to come up with a good one. And if you can come up with one that's fun, easy to play, and new to the world, well IMHO, you have something have value. Can they replicate it? Yes, after I share with them my idea, they can decline my offer and then go ahead and make my game anyway. If this happens, then so be it. At worst my creation would be out there making people happy, and maybe as a bonus I can sue the company. Although I don't have direct experience with the app game industry, I don't expect that they will do this, but always a possibility I guess.

I like your entrepreneurial spirit ( taught Entrepreneurship at University Business School).

One of my best students created a board game. Rather like monopoly bust based on taxis going around the city. She was on Dragon's Den, did not get money from them, but from an angel watching the show. She got it into production and was launched at Hambles. She even got approached by Disney to make a game around Harry Potter.

Our university was also one of the top Degrees in the Gaming industry and I know it is a tough big business. So you need to do a bit more research before approaching any company or for that matter setting up your own.

Who are your nearest competitors? What price do they sell for? Who are your buyers?
DO a test with friends to see if they would buy it?
Could you start your own gaming company and market your own products.

You say you want to make people happy by it being easy and fun to play. Maybe that is your differentiating benefit to start your own company. Find out what everyone else is doing and do it a different way - you could become the Apple of the gaming industry!

 

[IanSuth]

Get on LinkedIn search for the CTO or CEO's of British app developers like Sumo, Fan Studio or Red Kite and contact that named person. Hopefully if they are not the right person they will point you to them and it will look better if you are coming to that person on the recommendation of their boss.

BUT have your proposition mapped out - dont just explain the features of your game over the opposition but explain how it will make money, as in likely ad shows per standard period of game play etc

 

[AlexUK]

I like your entrepreneurial spirit ( taught Entrepreneurship at University Business School).

One of my best students created a board game. Rather like monopoly bust based on taxis going around the city. She was on Dragon's Den, did not get money from them, but from an angel watching the show. She got it into production and was launched at Hambles. She even got approached by Disney to make a game around Harry Potter.

Our university was also one of the top Degrees in the Gaming industry and I know it is a tough big business. So you need to do a bit more research before approaching any company or for that matter setting up your own.

Who are your nearest competitors? What price do they sell for? Who are your buyers?
DO a test with friends to see if they would buy it?
Could you start your own gaming company and market your own products.

You say you want to make people happy by it being easy and fun to play. Maybe that is your differentiating benefit to start your own company. Find out what everyone else is doing and do it a different way - you could become the Apple of the gaming industry!

I would say Angry Birds is more apt

And yes resilience + creativity and/or bribing and warfare xd