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Enterprise Must Employ Old-School Tactics
By Jim Berkowitz
Expert Author
Article Date: 2008-08-29
Here are several excerpts from an article I spotted a couple of days ago, To Sell Online Software, Firms Must Employ Old-School Tactics:
Many tech-industry watchers say online software will be the way most businesses prefer to buy software in the future. But to reach these customers, the upstarts that deliver software this way will have to adopt a sales strategy a lot like those of the traditional software companies they are trying to displace. That is because online software doesn't just sell itself.
In order to get there, they can't operate like an Internet start-up, letting their technology spread virally as end users hear about it. They need to sell to the same executives and information-technology professionals who made purchasing decisions before online software was an option. Businesses have a lot riding on the decision to use one product or another. And while having pockets of workers advocate for a particular piece of software is a plus, the execs who sign the big checks still want to see demos, vet the seller and do all the things they have always done when they buy software. This article raises a number of valid points from an on-line software / SaaS company standpoint. But, let's take a moment to look at things from the CRM buyer's perspective.
I've noticed that many people looking for a CRM solution start off on the wrong foot; they start with a laundry list of functions and features and then try to find something that has everything they "need."
CRM (technology) is a mature market; so most of the solutions out there will offer you everything you'll need. The key however, is NOT what they do, but how they do it! In other words, every solution has a different set of embedded processes. Selecting the right solution for your organization involves finding the solution that will allow your people to follow your "desired best practices." And that's where you need to start!
Begin your selection process by reviewing and understanding your current CRM process strengths and weaknesses. Prioritize your process weaknesses and begin to map out how you'd like change them so that things can be done more effectively and efficiently. Provide this information to the prospective vendors and make sure that most of their demo time is spent showing you how these processes can be performed using their solution. You will be very surprised. Solutions that once looked very similar (from a function and feature standpoint), will now look very different indeed. Also, make sure that the solution that you are planning to buy is one that your people will actually enjoy using; usability will be a critical key to the solution's ultimate adoption.
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About the Author:
Jim Berkowitz is a seasoned executive with more than 30 years of professional services and project management experience related to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Financial Management (Accounting & ERP) software solutions for small, mid-sized and Fortune 500 companies. As a Sales Force Automation and CRM Consultant, Jim has assisted more then 100 companies with the design and implementation of custom CRM solutions.
Mr. Berkowitz is the founder and President of CRM Mastery, Inc.; a company dedicated to serving small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) by offering affordable tools and guidance to help them plan for and succeed with their CRM initiatives.
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