In technology, exclusively selling to IT is a thing of the past. The conversation is no longer capabilities driven and more parts of the organization are represented in the decision making process than ever before. And as big of a pain in the tuchus as that may be, understanding this is essential to selling.
So, as a professional technology service provider, who should you be talking to? How should you be talking to them? And how should you be positioning yourself? These are all important questions to ask. Below are three points to keep in mind while trying to sell your technology services to those big prospects:
- IT is no longer your primary audience – think specific lines of business instead
Nope, the IT director is no longer the person who you need to be focusing all your energy on. In fact, we are seeing the direction in which the CIO or IT director will take the organization is not even entirely in his or her hands. The industry has shifted to where specific lines of business within an organization largely drive business technology decisions. The lines of business need to fulfill end-user requirements and heavily influence what new technology is needed and what kind of upgrades will be in the year’s focus. Moral of the story, you might want to start trying to talk to these folks.
2. Become bilingual – fluency in IT and Business languages is essential
Historically there has been a gap when it comes to IT and business communicating. And it is not because they speak two different languages (it’s more of a sibling rivalry). As specific lines of business continue to influence technology decisions, it is important to bridge that gap when going after your prospects. What does that mean? Well, that’s elementary my dear Watson – be able to connect with the business contact by understanding the specific challenges they are facing. You must also talk technical with IT so they trust that you know what the heck you’re doing. Think of yourself as a mediator between the two parties.
3. Focus – present yourself as an expert in select services and industries
Don’t go after every project that is out there. There is so much technology available and you’d love to have mastered it all, but you can’t. Sorry to be the one to break it to you. The point is, in today’s technology landscape, the opportunities are there when you specialize. By positioning your company as experts in both specific services and industries, you’re showing that you’re not only the service expert they need but you understand the business challenges they are facing—and you can fix it. And that’s better than coming off as a blockhead trying to talk shop when you don’t even know what SharePoint is and instead you end up ordering fish eyeballs for dessert (see how I tied the bilingual part back in).
As the need for technology by today’s businesses continues to grow, and keeping these three points in mind when selling your expertise, you are now a better equipped to pursue your prospects. But by no means is this all you should be thinking about. What other points should be kept in mind when selling technology services? Leave your insights in the comments.