The widespread mistake of IT product/service vendors when arranging sales is that they want to get new sales without making effort to prove their expertise.
I often meet companies separating the sales process and the people behind the service (we are talking here about any IT service with hourly or fixed cost: outsourcing, cloud, managed services etc).
The IT entrepreneurs want to get project with some payment rate without promoting those people who will do the service.
That approach won’t work.
Rule one: sell an expertise.
Important thing is that you should sell an expertise provided by (put the right name here). The service is always inherent to some professional or group of professionals, delivering this job.
If you are an expert, before planning any sales do the favor, go and tell to your potential market participants about some innovations that they should obtain. Be of help to them before they buy.
Tell something useful to those, who works in your topic. Make a present of your knowledge and experience to humanity via content, articles, video captures or public appearance at industry events.
You cannot sell IT products/services while sitting in silence.
Rule two: client wants to get new established processes, rather than to buy your hours.
A technology is usually a complicated knowledge that cannot be mastered by a client expeditiously. It is also something finished and tangible, that can be used by the client in real life.
An IT purchase is a combination of the following:
Hardware/software + implementation = workable product (for example a new CRM);
Knowledge + implementation = workable process (for example an education of personnel on CRM usage)
Implementation is a key word here! Your job is finished only when the software, hardware or knowledge is implemented and can be used by the client in a profitable way.
The hours that you sell do not satisfy client’s expectation and be just a part of the whole purchase. The value for the client would be obtained innovation: established new processes, operating software, scaling of opportunities or fixing of some problem existing in the past.
Rule three: sell either profit or reduction of costs.
And finally, remember: clients don’t want to buy your solution or software. They want to buy either profit or cost reduction (which means profit). Your IT service is just a tool to get one of the above mentioned goals.
The client wants to see the new fresh results after purchase. The software, consultancy session or some work is not a goal itself during the purchase process. It should lead to profitable changes.
Conclusions:
Sell an expertise rather than software or services to stay beyond the competition. People should buy YOUR work, not some no-name IT service;
Pay attention to promotion of your team members to make connection between your service and people who deliver it;
Sell finished value: implemented software, or implemented workable knowledge, not the hours.
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