Top sales executives across information technology (IT) and advisory firms are finding that corporate IT departments are sometimes more sophisticated in their usage and awareness of certain technologies than the salespeople calling on them. To prepare for these sales calls, you’ve got to think in new ways.
Let’s take cloud computing – easily one of the most talked-about technologies after the Internet and Google. IT product and service firms are releasing new cloud offerings aimed at simplifying the new technology approach and its associated benefits. Since the “X-as-a-service” approach to technology allows a large chunk of capital expenses to shift over to operating expenses without the risks associated with owning the underlying infrastructure, heads of IT organizations are jumping at the chance to keep hardware, software, staff and maintenance costs down.
With concerns about data security and the logistics of incorporating the cloud into existing on-premise IT infrastructure, including integration issues with legacy systems, CIOs are looking for cloud success stories. They’re doing whatever it takes to make a sound purchase decision – conducting surveys, categorizing solution providers, comparing cost benefits, undertaking pilots and gauging cloud efficiency. In other words, the CIO may already be well-versed in the options, capabilities and limitations in the market when the IT sales executive knocks on the door with his or her company’s catalog of cloud solutions. Though such sales calls don’t go well, they don’t mean the CIO doesn’t have cloud needs.
IT sales professionals need to take a non-traditional and participatory sales approach. Categorize prospective cloud buyers according to their awareness of the technology, or lack thereof. IT organizations that are unclear of their path will be more receptive to new solutions and services than those who are sure of their short- and long-term needs. A participatory approach that helps a prospective buyer identify potential future initiatives – ones that they are not currently aware of or have sidestepped – may lengthen your relationship.
For instance, many organizations have overlooked automation, a crucial aspect of the cloud used before deploying private cloud solutions. Automation enables self-service capability, one of the essential characteristics of any cloud solution, as recommended by the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Automation also ensures better application availability and an efficient use of resources.
A participatory approach can help a client cut through the noise that the myriad technology offerings have created in the marketplace. For instance, virtualization platform providers claim their technology to be the most comprehensive offering to date. Yet some of the established virtualization platforms do not provide on-demand self-service, a key tool for buyers who depend on integrators.
In this environment, service provider organizations are adopting innovative selling practices, including cloud consulting, with the hopes of opening the door to a sale. This is engagement marketing at its best; instead of selling, they help the customer decide what best serves them.
About the authorAmit Tripathi is a knowledgeable ITO BPO industry analyst who brings considerable insight on sourcing and market dynamics to ISG clients on both sides - outsourcing firms on the buy-side and service providers on the sell-side. Amit led the firm's offshore Momentum Research practice for 1.5 years, during which he was responsible for the design, generation and delivery of Momentum Research products and services. Among the most accomplished analysts at ISG, he has undertaken and supported top IT service providers in their operational excellence pursuits involving account mining, growth and prioritization initiatives. Amit holds a Masters in Computer Management (MCM) and a Master of Arts (MA) in Sociology, both from Pune University, India.
