Would you like to be seated on a sideline bench waiting for the coach to call you?  Or are you better off tuning your mind and body to strike the big goal when the coach turns to you? Brave the below given questions and ask yourself how powerful is your start-up brand?

1. Do you agree with Donald Trump: “If you don’t manage your brand, then somebody else will, and that somebody else will likely be your competitor.”? Remember - no business exists without competition.

2. Do you agree with the time-tested marketing wisdom – start-ups that brand themselves, their product and their company the moment they put their money on the line has a brighter chance of surviving and winning in business?

3. When there is a buying need business buyers send out RFPs. Who do they sent it to? Do they have a favorite hot list of partners? Do you figure in there? 65% of B2B Buyers do online search to find new B2B suppliers and vendors (Source: Enquiro Business to Business Survey, 2007). A recent study by KnowledgeStorm says that 69% of B2B buyers use social media networks.

4. What works best – referrals by a known circle of friends or trade referrals? How do you generate trade referrals?

5. Situation Analysis 1: Two of the short-listed RFPs look formidable but identical. Price is same. Vendor A has a strong negotiator and Vendor B has a weak negotiator. Imagine you are wearing the customer’s shoes - will your decision be based on this tipping criterion alone?

6. Situation Analysis 2: During price negotiations Sales Exec from Vendor B remains flexible and sociable. On the other hand Sales Exec from Vendor A stands his ground and explains the business reasons for not cutting price in a convincing manner. Whose sales pitch and approach make an impression on you? If you get to recruit one of these Sales Execs in future who would that be?

Real markets are tougher and meaner than soccer coaches.