24 Jan 10 tips for finding your match in games publishing

Derk and Kay kicked off 2017 with attending Pocket Gamer Connects and MGF in London last week. Our main focus at these events is talking to a lot of like-minded people, developers and publishers alike.

At PCG we shared some of our learnings on how we do business development at these events. Unfortunately Kay ran out of time on his talk, but here is the complete list (and slides). Hopefully it helps with making 2017 your best bizdev year as of yet.

#1 Know WHO you are

Take a good hard look in that mirror and figure out what you do best, what you are good at and what you are not so good at (and how to improve it).

#2 Know WHERE you want to go

Now you know what you are good at, figure out where you want to go. Where do you want to be and make sure your team knows this as well.

#3 Know HOW you will get there

What is your road to success. Do you keep on doing what you are doing or is a change in tactic the best option? Take in mind that you don’t have to make giant leaps, so try to break this down in small achievable steps.

#4 Know WHAT you need

Identify your gaps and prioritize them (honestly). What is the crucial piece in the puzzle, and how can a partner help you with fixing that.

#5 Know WHO you want

The big guns? The equals? The up and comings? Or maybe something completely different (OEM’s, new hardware, new platforms).

#6 Prepare!

Prepare your documentation, pitches or company presentation. Also make sure to research potential partners and connectors.

It is also smart to book early, maybe even a year ahead. It will save you a lot of money.

Memorable business cards are a good way to stay top of mind

#7 Go where you find “them”

Make a budget and choose wisely. Our usual events include GDC, Game Connection, MGF and Casual Connect, but there are plenty of interesting events around the world as well as locally.

#8 ASK and you shall be given

Now it is time to schedule your appointments (the earlier the better). If you followed tip 1 to 5 you will come well prepared, but be ready to improvise. Every meeting is different. Make sure you exchange email and cell beforehand. If you have to cancel, don’t cancel last-minute and be honest.

#9 BUILD a relationship

It doesn’t end here. Try to be proactive and reconnect with a good follow-up. Do your research, be personal, and if the deals falls through pay it forward to someone else.

#10 Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat

To paint a picture, our conversion from a new lead to a closed deal is 9%.

You can find the entire slide deck with more tips and tricks here.

If you have any questions please feel free to email kay@paladinstudios.com