Door Andrew Hupert

Het raadsel van de ex-klopjemanager in China: hoe beschermt u uw IP wanneer uw IP zowel uw product als uw verkoop werpt is? Voor vele op dienstverlening gerichte ondernemingen, de eigenlijke ideeën die zij van wordt gestolen bewaken moeten worden getoond en worden besproken om hun zaken te bevorderen. Niemand zal een ontwerp of de raadplegende dienst kopen als zij geen idee hebben over wat de ontwerper of de adviseur over spreken. Maar zodra die ontwerper of adviseur zijn creatieve ideeën beschrijven, is hij in gevaar om die ideeën te hebben pilfered.

Wat kunt u maar wordt nog uw merk `daar' beschermen doen?

Eerst en vooral, wen aan het idee dat uw ontwerpen, modellen, concepten en IP die door anderen worden aangepast zullen worden. Dat is wat die een marktleider ongeveer allen is is. U moet manieren vinden om die tendens te gebruiken in plaats van het bestrijden van het. Ik was eens op een ronde tafelpaneel met een voorraadanalist die weigerde om de aanbevelingen van zijn bedrijf te onthullen. He looked like a fool, and no one understood why he got involved when all he did was waste everyone’s time. If you want to promote your IP, you have to reveal some of it.

If you make iPods, you have to target people who appreciate the difference between fakes and real things. Apple sells to three groups of people: 1) Fashion conscious people who like being on the cutting edge, 2) Genuine technophiles who appreciate the quality of their design and engineering and 3) Community members who value the software, upgrades and support they get from the Apple brand. Apple knows it will never sell to the rmb 150 fake market – and they don’t try. They offer value to the top of the market, and are willing to forgo the rest.

Five quick ideas for promoting your IP without losing your shirt – or your sanity.

1) Identify your target customer profile. Pre-qualify leads, and say “no” to inquiries who can’t meet your basic requirements. I’ve stopped sending detailed proposals to anonymous callers, free-email addresses and low-level “data-collectors”. Make your first call about getting the meeting with the decision makers.

2) Let the pirates build and educate your market. Do it the “Microsoft way”. They were ripped off for years – but those 8 rmb-per-disk dirt-bags ended up building their brand and making Windows the hands-down standard. Rip-offs hurt your pride and make you angry – but they are also promoting your ideas and teaching potential buyers about your industry.

3) Customer service and marketing. These are the Achilles Heel of the pirates and rip-off artists. Make sure you are building a community of buyers around a strong brand that is committed to service and quality.

4) Shine a light on it. Make “as stolen by …” part of your marketing approach! The customers you should be targeting won’t bother with cut-rate rip-offs, but sometimes they’ll buy from them without knowing it. Talk about how you have become the industry leader and that others have already started stealing your ideas. Then discuss the areas where your quality is better, and where you are moving ahead.

5) Keep it new. Stay ahead of the curve by setting the pace – and keep it brisk. Let your old clients know when you have upgraded or modernized your offering. That’s the strongest way to stay in touch with existing clients and build a community around your brand.

Andrew Hupert, China Solved