FAQ

How do I do business with Market Plan Engineering?
You can contact our Managing Partner or any staff consultant by calling our main number (404) 806-0126, or through the email links on the staff page. We'll schedule a call to discuss the help you need and if there is a mutual interest we will respond with a proposal and draft engagement letter.

What can MPE do for a firm that already has a marketing department?
If you already have marketing department we will be able to help structure the goals and objectives of that function and align them with the longer term goals of promoting and positioning a product family. We specialize in evaluating “what if” scenarios that your current business doesn't leave time for you to accomplish.

How much does it cost?
The first year cost of outsourcing the product marketing function to our firm will be about $90,000.
For comparison, the market rate of a single marketing executive with equivalent experience to any one of our principal consultants would be about $250,000 per year, with an expectation of stock options, benefits, and an incentive plan; when benefits and payroll taxes are included, this cost would quickly jump to at least $300,000.
Our business development support can be provide on a base retainer with ad hoc billing of additional hours at a $175/hour base rate. After 6-months we will be open to negotiating a performance based incentive plan.

I know a firm that could really use your services, will I get a referral fee?
Yes. We pay for referrals after the engagement is activated and we get paid. If you refer a firm in an industry in which you have a unique expertise you may be able to act as an affiliate consultant on that engagement. In that case you’d get the referral fee and be able to earn a bit more.

Why should I use a firm based in Atlanta to guide my firm in a national market?
You may have heard of a few Atlanta based firms that base a lot of their value on marketing expertise. Coca-Cola, Home Depot, UPS, Holiday Inn, Rubbermaid and CNN are good examples. Atlanta has regional competencies in marketing and transportation. We will travel to your headquarters to bring our marketing expertise to bear on your firm. If you want digital signal processing semiconductors go to San Jose; if you want marketing expertise, look to Atlanta.

Do I work with an experienced Principal Consultant, or do I get some snot-nosed kid from an Ivy League school who just uses an internal reporting template and then tries to tell me about my own business? I have been burned in the past by big firms doing just that.
We assign a Principal Consultant, or someone of equal or equivalent expertise from your industry to every account. We have a few kids with degrees from good schools in our network, but you will probably never see anyone under the age of forty.

We know our technology, markets, and competencies; can we skip the strategic bits and just get your help in developing sales tools?
Yes, we have resources to accomplish this for your firm. We encourage this as a way to get to see the value in a broader strategic consulting engagement. The terms of the engagement can be changed at any time to include a strategic assessment of your product-lines to include pricing, positioning, and sales channel placement.

Can you help us raise venture capital?
We can certainly advise you on the process and make sure that your investment presentation reflects the strongest possible image and covers all of the valid business concerns. Collectively our principals have raised early stage venture capital from Alliance Technology Ventures, Atlanta Technology Angles, Crystal Internet Ventures, Encina Technology Ventures, Five Paces Ventures, Imlay Investments, Intelligent Systems, and the Yamacraw fund. We have consulted for Mohr Davidow Ventures, and have the experience to guide clients through the venture funding process. That having been said, we typically work for firms that have already been funded through sales or prior investment.

Will you work for equity in our business?
No. You can propose warrants on preferred stock to negotiate a discounted rate, but we don’t accept equity as payment.

What's your connection with ATDC at Georgia Tech?
MPE is an authorized ADTC service provider. We maintain a close relationship with ATDC management and staff. Most of our principals have worked for and/or started ATDC companies. Two of our principals (Badri Lokanathan and Steve Richeson) were the first ATDC CEOs to raise capital from the Yamacraw seed fund. Joel Derrico was a founder of Racemi, and has worked with ATDC companies since the late 1980's. MPE staff are very active in ATDC support work including the ATDC Founders' Forum, support of Brownbag "lunch & learn" sessions, and coaching potential member companies.

Can I hire my consultant full-time?
No. Our consultants would command a bit more than $250k/year as a base if they took a full-time job, they are working with MPE because they do not want a traditional full-time job. If you manage to get one to of our consultants to come to work for you full-time you'd be expected to pay a negotiated finders fee to MPE.