Connect with Today’s Software Buyers

There are four new breeds of IT departments which software vendors must understand in order to improve sales.

By Steve W. Martin

If you are involved in selling an enterprise software solution, you already know the importance of understanding the inner workings of the various departments within the prospective customer’s company.

Your software might be purchased by the information technology department and used by accounting and human resources. It might be selected by engineering (with the IT department’s help) and used by manufacturing. Or it could be selected by finance and bought by the IT department.

Almost every enterprise software purchase decision requires multiple departments to become involved. Therefore, it’s critical to map out the interrelationships of the departments within an organization.

After researching today’s buying process, I’ve identified four types of enterprise software buyers that software vendors must understand and communicate with effectively in order to make the sale.

Last Chance for Software 2007 Sponsorships

Join Microsoft, HP, EMC, Salesforce.com, Tata Consultancy Services and more influential vendors as sponsors of Software 2007. A small number of “Silver”-level sponsorships and tradeshow floor booths are still available.

If you are marketing to the leaders of the software ecosystem, Software 2007 is the best event to promote your offering. More than 2,000 CEOs, VPs, CIOs, investors and analysts will be in attendance on May 8 and 9 in Santa Clara, Calif. for Software 2007. Click to find out more about sponsorships and attendance.

No More Automatic Upgrades

The Vista launch again calls into question the need for companies to invest in upgrades to new versions of software from “megavendors.” Vinnie Mirchandani of DealArchitect says new developments such as SaaS offerings and third-party service providers are challenging the old-fashioned upgrade rationale in this post to the SandHill.com Blog, Megavendor Watch.

Who Will Buy SCO?

As the SCO Group struggles to stay afloat, speculation abounds on what its fate will be. Guy Smith of Silicon Strategies Marketing takes a look at which vendors could pick up SCO and what the outcome of each merger could be in this week’s post to the SandHill.com Blog on open source.

Get More Sales from the Web

Enterprise 2.0 has made online sales more important than ever. Yet most software vendors still count on sales reps to best understand the clients. Antony Awaida of StartLeap shares four tips on how to make a Web site the “salesperson of the year” in this post to the SandHill.com Blog on Sales & Marketing.

Publish Your Perspective!

The SandHill.com Blog wants your opinions. Send your thoughts on the enterprise software industry to editor@sandhill.com and we’ll publish them in our blog.

OpSource SaaS Summit Coming in March

Join 300 executives, analysts and investors to exchange ideas, share opportunities and network at the OpSource SaaS Summit 2007, March 14 to 16, 2007. The conference will focus on “Making Business Web2.0 Work.” Find out more about the event and register by Feb. 18 to save $100.

News Update: Views of Vista

The consumer launch of the new Windows dominates the headlines, with Gates on TV, Chinese pirates on their toes and trouble on iTunes; plus, rumors of a mega-mega merger raise eyebrows. Read these stories and more software news of the week in the latest SandHill.com Software News Summary.

DON’T MISS: SOA Tops List for CIOs in 2007

A new McKinsey survey of CIOs finds many are eager to deploy services-oriented architecture (SOA) in outward-facing systems this year. Read more about this and other CIO plans for the year in this article from The McKinsey Quarterly.

Poll: Oracle Buys SAP?

CRN reported a rumor which involved Oracle making an offer to buy archrival SAP. Could an Oracle-SAP merger ever happen?
Take our Pulse Poll >>

Last week, readers gave their opinions on the potential for a rollback in Sarbanes-Oxley regulations. What do you think?
Give us your opinion and see the results >>

More at SandHill.com:

How to tell the open source winners from losers.
Read the most important enterprise software industry news of the week >>

6th Sense Analytics raises $5 million.
Monitor the latest software venture capital deals >>

Symantec buys Altiris.
Size up last week's software M&A deals >>

Jim Ducharme names VP of engineering at Aveksa.
See who's made it to the top in our list of recent software executive appointments >>

Send us your feedback on this newsletter and the SandHill.com site.

Parting Thought

“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”
–Winston Churchill

Courtesy of Malcolm Kusher, The Kushner Group