www.comms-dealer.com
ENTERPRISE BUSINESS
How to win big-time contracts
M
oving from small Systems Sales Director at they need to maintain a Johnson. “If you’re dealing
and medium Nimans, says he’s actively modern day operation.” with an office in the UK
sized sales into encouraging many of his but they’re an American
the world of the larger Avaya channel partners to Johnson added: “As a sales organisation, you’d better
corporate is a daunting go after larger contracts. person entering a large believe that decision will
task. However, the most “The resellers who are enterprise world you’ve got come out of the States.”
overwhelming factor when successful in any field in to be able to ask questions
it comes to planning a today’s sales climate are about business strategy and Formulating a sales proposal
sales pitch isn’t the large those that have the sales gain an understanding of is about identifying the
scale of an installation, processes of consultative what it is the business does. strengths that sit best
but the complexity of it. selling,” says Adams. Don’t feel embarrassed with the business being
“Size is relevant,” says Paul “They’re the ones alive and about asking who was approached. “If it were
Johnson, Sales Director kicking and doing good
Paul Johnson
involved in final sign off easy, everyone would be
UK & Ireland at Aastra. business. It’s these skills the right people to help me on the last big IT project, doing it,” says Johnson.
“But it’s of less importance resellers need to operate achieve my objectives,” we deserve to know, “But that doesn’t mean
than the complexity of in the larger enterprise, he says. “The IT Manager because nobody wants to it can’t be done.”
the environment you’re because they need to or Director is going to waste time any more.”
dealing with. Going from understand the customer be one name on my list Adams added: “If I was
SMB to large enterprise, and what they need.” that I need to speak to, This point is one that often starting up as an enterprise
one of the biggest bridges and they’ll want to know catches rookie sales teams reseller I would look at
resellers need to build Consultative selling is what extra resources will out. It’s not uncommon to focusing on one or two
is their knowledge of Adams’ watchword, be needed. The Financial be well into the sales cycle sectors and learning
the overall IT world.” and a successful pitch in Director is going to want – which can take years in everything about them. I’d
enterprise is one which is some kind of sign off on an enterprise environment rather be an expert in my
As unified communications meticulously researched the RoI. Then there’s the – before discovering that field than a jack of all trades.
takes hold in the SME sector before the first meeting has users: If the enterprise has key decision makers have You do one installation and
more and more resellers are begun. “I’d do an awful a call centre element, I’m been left out of the loop. you learn a lot about it. You
finding themselves with the lot of research finding going to need to talk to the “What I find is that you do two and get extremely
technical skillsets to begin out who were the main manager there to make can never lose sight of good. You do three and you
enterprise sales. Phil Adams, influencers and who are sure I know exactly what the global strategy,” says become an expert.”
n
www.comms-dealer.com COMMS DEALER MAY 2009 31
31 PG Enterprise.indd 1 24/4/09 09:26:49
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56