Carpe Diem Consulting - Sales & Marketing Blog For Microsoft Partners

IDC research - in 2009 we have to "sell different"

It's of great concern to me to see some organisations adjusting to "tough economic times" by "trimming costs".

If we accept that selling involves helping customers solve their problems - then this should be the time of immense opportunity!

Trimming costs won't cut it - we're about to release a "Sales Blueprint for Tough Economic Times" - now is the time for targeted sales and marketing investment.  Indeed - research such as that just carried out by IDC (and summarised below) indicates that (a) we all need to do things differently to whatever worked last year (b) we need to increase our investment in sales and marketing.

If you'd like a copy of the sales blueprint when it's released just let me know - in the mean time this IDC summary (that I first came across at Lee Levitt's blog) makes for very interesting reading.....

IDC 2009 Sales Barometer & Top Ten Predictions

View more presentations from Lee Levitt.

CIOs want partners - not products

In our Essence of Selling Solutions course, we have a slide - we call it the "holy grail" slide - that lays out 10 fundamental tenets that we believe - if they are followed - will lead to unlimited opportunities, all of which are successfully closed.

 

Interesting article today - that you can find here - supporting our tenets "Not about product" and the need for "Evidence" (ie customer reference sites to prove to prospects you can deliver, not just talk).

Do your salespeople know how to improve your customers' processes and costs - rather than sell product?  And have they captured a case study from ALL existing customers to use as "proof" to new prospects that you can get the job done?

If you'd like more information on the fundamental tenets, just drop us a line.