| Many companies are looking to improve upon | | | | sales people get caught up in the innovation |
| the speed, security, and accessibility of | | | | and creativity the product may provide rather |
| business technologies, especially satellite | | | | than focusing on the client's needs. |
| and broadband connections to the internet. | | | | Typically, a salesperson approaches the |
| While customers are becoming more savvy, many | | | | client with a laundry list of questions or a |
| don't speak 'tech-ese,' and they still are | | | | lengthy Powerpoint presentation. Sometimes |
| baffled by terms such as routers, IPSEC, | | | | the questions are canned, or the presentation |
| T-1s, WIFI, and broadband. While these | | | | is a reflection of the salesperson's agenda. |
| buyers may have a genuine interest and need | | | | The questions or presentation are designed to |
| for the products they investigate, more often | | | | steer the conversation towards the highlights |
| than not their sales experience ends up a | | | | of the products for sale or the expertise of |
| frustrating and confusing one.Don't Talk | | | | the salesperson.Turn the Tone from an |
| Tech!Salespeople are often caught in the hype | | | | Interview to a ConversationInstead of |
| for their own products. It's easy to lose | | | | assuming knowledge of the client's needs, I |
| touch with a client's perspective with this | | | | recommend a salesperson begin the first |
| approach. The other major blunder a tech | | | | meeting by asking the client about their |
| salesperson may make is their need to be | | | | expectations. I also advise them to cancel |
| perceived as experts in their field. Talking | | | | the list of leading questions. Replace this |
| tech to the point of no return does not | | | | with a list of results the client desires and |
| usually yield a promising sale. How does one | | | | their potential business challenges. Shifting |
| handle the tendency in tech sales to "show up | | | | the focus from the salesperson to the client |
| and throw up?" It is critical to address | | | | will change the tone of the meeting from an |
| ineffective sales approaches in the tech | | | | interview to a conversation.Ask the Right |
| market, because these mistakes are often the | | | | QuestionsThe art of selling is still about |
| most significant barriers to high | | | | asking good questions. They simply must be |
| performance.Communicate Don't BaffleBringing | | | | framed with a different purpose. Try |
| the human side to selling high tech products | | | | building in questions that put the client in |
| is not easy, but it must enter into the | | | | the driver's seat. For example, 'What would |
| equation or else a salesperson's success is | | | | you like to learn more about?' or "How can I |
| at risk. Communicating with clients, not | | | | help resolve these issues?' These questions |
| baffling them, is key to building long-term | | | | can generate a host of answers that relate |
| relationships. Technology is evolving, and | | | | back to the product and the solutions |
| the customer needs to become aware of the new | | | | technology offers.Shortened presentations |
| technology and not be intimidated by it.Focus | | | | that focus on companies' capabilities and how |
| on Client NeedsI conduct high technology | | | | to expand them through technology help close |
| sales training throughout the United States | | | | deals. Info dumps are a bore and can even |
| for a variety of clients. For sales | | | | damage the sale process because the customer |
| professionals in the high tech field, I often | | | | is not engaged. If high tech salespeople lose |
| stress the need to shift the focus from the | | | | themselves in touting the capabilities of the |
| salesperson to the client. This is | | | | product, they lose their most distinguishing |
| difficult, because products are complex, and | | | | feature - themselves. |