“Chief Outsiders is like having a guru on demand. You can rub the lamp, and this genie will come out, someone who can magically help you solve your problems, from strategy to marketing to operations.”
Armando Martinez, Co-CEO, The Nearshore Company
The Nearshore Company helps clients establish reliable manufacturing operations in Mexico. Seeking to grow the recently acquired company, the new owners turned to Chief Outsiders Fractional CMO, Atul Minocha to build a scalable marketing function for an affordable monthly fee. Serving the company as a member of the leadership team, Minocha developed effective messaging, tailored strategies, sales processes, and multiple business solutions in related areas. After four years, revenues have doubled, and the Nearshore brand is well-recognized.
Background
Facilitating Manufacturing in Mexico
For 30 years The Nearshore Company (Nearshore) has been helping North American manufacturing companies setup plants and help operate in Mexico. Clients include family and private equity owned companies seeking skilled, affordable labor forces, while simplifying and de-risking their supply chains. Finding it advantageous to relocate all or part of their manufacturing process to Mexico, they continue as clients for 14 years on average.
“One thing that differentiates us is that we have our own manufacturing operations,” related Armando Martinez, Co-CEO. “And senior members of our team have an extensive manufacturing background with production responsibilities and engineering knowledge. Atul helped us identify it as a key differentiator, and then packaged it in all our communications and presentations.”
Hit or Miss Marketing Strategies
The current leadership acquired the company towards the end of 2019. “We were trying a lot of hit or miss marketing strategies,” explained Jorge Henrichsen, Co-CEO. “We had to build the sales and marketing team from the ground up, and it's a long, complex sales cycle in our industry. We were seeking clients online, going to trade shows, and cold calling.”
Leadership reached out to SEO providers, but they all offered similar advice. “We had engaged with one and were not getting the results we wanted,” stated Henrichsen. “And then an acquaintance advised me to talk to Atul Minocha, who is a Partner at Chief Outsiders, because he had revolutionized his company’s marketing.”
Background to Understand the Business
“They were also a manufacturing company, and that resonated with me,” he continued. “And Atul had experience working for a software development nearshoring company. So, with Atul’s engineering background, we felt that he would best understand what we needed to do.”
When the company was acquired, there was no sales and marketing area, and no marketing team, strategy, or branding. “The moment we met Atul he said I can help you with marketing strategy and your sales organization,” related Henrichsen. “I can also put you in touch with vendors and help you interview team members.”
Growth Strategy
Taking a Step Back
The Chief Outsiders Nearshore engagement started about four years ago. “They came in with a very open mind and an understanding of how our company works,” related Henrichsen. “They interviewed our clients and started to recommend tailored strategies.”
Minocha’s first recommendation was to stop everything, take a step back, understand the business, and then see what strategy would be good for the company. “SEO might be the answer, but not necessarily”, he said.
Key strategies the company has since adopted:
- To NOT be limited to any vertical. Instead, present the company as “Mexico experts” with a “diverse set of manufacturing experiences”
- Present themselves as being accessible to all the US (not just Texas)
- Focus on becoming known as “near-shoring experts” to help prospects find them
- Present manufacturing capabilities and staff as a key differentiator
Business Advisor
Minocha also served as “business adviser” to Henrichsen and participated in EOS weekly and quarterly meetings. “We only call him when we need to,” stated Henrichsen. “But having access no matter what day and time it is feels like he really has our back.”
Minocha with his engineering background and rigorous analytical framework, can also speak the language of finance. “That has helped us to bridge the gap in how we look at things,” reported Martinez.
Extended Engagement
Originally engaging Minocha for four months to develop Nearshore’s go-to-market strategy, leadership extended the work to nearly four years now (and counting). Key projects led or completed include:
- New and revised go-to-market strategy.
- Renaming the company from IAI Mexico to The Nearshore Company.
- Creation of a new website, collaterals, logos, etc.
- Development of the sales organization that includes and relies on operational heads as the experts in the manufacturing process.
- Development of their “good/better/best” offering of services with pricing.
- Training and implementation of Neuromarketing for executives and BD staff.
- M&A plan development to guide inorganic growth.
- Development and fine-tuning of their sales process based on their customers’ journey
- Development and implementation of NPS and eNPS programs, along with a client referral program.
Trusted Partner and Advisor
“We're very happy to have continued working with Chief Outsiders because they helped us in other areas,” explained Martinez. “One related to the acquisition of another company and how the target fit with our overall strategy, operations, footprint, and capabilities.”
“In addition to that, Atul has helped us with leadership team issues. He is part of our team meetings, both weekly and quarterly in person with our leadership coach,” he continued. “I think of him and Chief Outsiders as our trusted advisor, not just our marketing consultant.”
Results
Revenue Doubled
In four years, Nearshore’s revenues have nearly doubled. “This has been a result of both positive industry trends and our ability to capitalize on those trends with the help of Chief Outsiders,” reported Martinez.
Minocha attributes the revenue growth to:
- Clear strategy, positioning, and messaging.
- Being well differentiated from traditional competitors.
- An improved business development process that includes operations.
“The recommended strategies have proven quite successful,” confirmed Henrichsen.
Stronger Brand
Very early in the engagement, Atul recommended that the company switch its name from IAI Mexico to The Nearshore Company. “This has been very well received in the marketplace and by investors,” related Henrichsen and Martinez.
The Nearshore brand is now much stronger. “Brand recognition is orders of magnitude higher,” confirmed Minocha. “Chief Outsiders has been the key to how we have grown our branding position,” explained Henrichsen.
“Prospective clients and competitors have conveyed to us that our brand is now at another level of recognition, and that is one hundred percent attributable to the work Atul has done,” added Martinez. “The results have made it easier to say yes to investing in marketing initiatives.”
Larger and Better-Quality Deals
Minocha helps Nearshore leadership with everything related to marketing, sales, even business strategy, and HR. “The list can go on and on,” reported Henrichsen. “He never says no. He started with marketing and how to get more and better leads, but he also helped us develop an effective sales process to capture the deals that are now larger and better quality.”
“He has also helped us to realize how operations has a role in the sales process and what the customer journey looks like,” added Martinez. “It has been a very holistic approach along the entire value chain.”
Affordable Quality Talent
Working with Chief Outsiders has allowed Nearshore to access their network of very talented and battle-tested individuals from different geographies and industries. “When you work with Chief Outsiders, you are capitalizing on many years of experience,” explained Henrichsen. “But pay for only one person.”
“Nearshore has gained access to the level of talent that Atul brings at an affordable cost for a company our size,” Henrichsen concluded. “We could not afford to have someone like him on our team, but through the Chief Outsiders model, that is a reality.”
“He has made us a better team,” added Martinez. “And that has benefited our employees, our clients, and at end of the day, our shareholders.”
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