Five Rules for Software Sales Discussions

April 13, 2011

Five Rules for Software Sales Discussions

How can software firms assure customers that they are problem solving rather than merely selling or upselling additional modules in the case of poor performance? Use the Five Rules in this article to shape the discussion to uncover what value-based success looks like for the customer.

By Kate Vitasek, Vested Outsourcing

Today's IT executives have a full plate as they ponder crucial IT decisions on whether to buy new or upgraded software or fly into the cloud and opt for on-demand, pay-as-you-go applications and platforms. Software firms, by the same token, also have much to consider, mainly involving how they'll react and influence the decision-making of those IT executives and the new dynamics of virtualized infrastructure and cloud computing.

The customer spends a lot of money up front on the software with no real guarantee of success, or even that they really understand how to use the software properly and how it fits into the customer's business and infrastructure. If things don't go smoothly, the software company often recommends that additional modules are needed which the customer initially skimped on buying. They also recommend additional integration consulting or that the company "up skill" those complaining employees and get ones who can understand the algorithms and run the software.

One can see how frustration and hard feelings can result. Finger-pointing prevails. There is a better way to forge a software deal.

Software CEO/CFO Outlook 2011 Webinar

Last month, more than 100 software and SaaS CEOs and CFOs shared their forecasts for their companies and their predictions for our industry in the Sand Hill Group CEO / CFO Outlook 2011 survey. Join M.R. Rangaswami, CEO of the Sand Hill Group, on April 20 at 11am PT, 2 PM ET as he presents the key survey findings and discusses them with executives from Adaptive Planning, Intacct, and Jaspersoft.

Attend the Software CEO/CFO Outlook 2011 Webinar and learn what your peers from leading software companies think about the business outlook for the next 12 months (and why they are so optimistic about it), what companies are forecasting for revenue growth, hiring and expense in 2011, and why cloud computing is becoming a major driver across all aspects of software company operations. When you attend, we'll send you a complimentary copy of the full survey report (a $295 value). Register today!

The Crazy, Complex World of B2B Marketing Today

Jeff Ogden of Find New Customers discusses the tsunami of change in B2B marketing and the need to know prospective buyers more than ever before in this post to the SandHill.com blog, Best Practices: Software Marketing.

Cloud Business Summit

Saugatuck Technology is pleased to announce the Cloud Business Summit, a one-day, invitation-only conference that will assemble approximately 150-200 senior business and IT leaders from midsize and large enterprises (non-vendor). The agenda has been special-purpose built to facilitate interaction and engagement, with a focus on fireside chats and panels so that attendees can hear first-hand from like-minded executives from other large enterprises who are moving forward with a variety of Cloud IT and Cloud Business strategies. The program explores what is possible, what is real, and what is not in the cloud today. To learn more about this special event, visit the event website at www.cloudbusinesssummit.com. To request an invitation, please contact us directly. In addition to targeting senior business and IT leaders, a limited number of invitations are available to senior investment and venture capital professionals.

Mobile Web Versus Native App

Roman Fihel of SoftServe discusses the main challenges in mobilizing existing apps and the use of hybrid app frameworks in this post to the SandHill.com blog, Mobile Moves.

Elasticity and Scale: Defining

Kamesh Pemmaraju shares additional insight from Sand Hill Group's 2011 cloud study in this post to his SandHill.com blog, Leaders in the Cloud.

SAP Cloud Webinar Series: Mastering the Cloud in 8 Easy Steps

The fourth quarter of 2010 saw a dramatic leap in the adoption of cloud computing, according to Sand Hill Group's 2011 research data. More than 50 percent of business leaders Sand Hill interviewed implemented game-changing cloud solutions in the last six months. The second Webinar in the series presents real-world examples of bottom-line business benefits that leading adopters of cloud computing are already realizing. Click here to register.

Using Your Sales Force to Jump-Start Growth

There's a reason it's called a sales force. Here are four innovative ways companies can use their sales reps to drive growth. Read about the critical elements that distinguish true sales leaders from also-rans in this article from The McKinsey Quarterly.

Poll: Outcome-Based Pricing

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Quote of the Week

“I think we just don't care that much [about Microsoft] anymore. They used to be our big rival, but now it's kind of like kicking a puppy.”

- Jim Zemlin, Linux Foundation Executive Director

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