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