Is our present method of selling software fundamentally broken?
Having worked in a number of different sales roles over my career I’ve seen the damage that the pressure to close business can do to long term client relationships. Many sales executives seem to forget that customers buy when they want to buy. Often little can be done to influence their timeline. Executives of this ilk also tend to believe that the best way grow sales is to simply add more salespeople.
The problem is that salespeople are expensive demanding a high basic level of compensation. With limited account lists and being slaves to customer procurement timelines even the best salespeople find themselves with downtime. Try as they may, they can’t push rope.
Imagine a service where you only pay for the results achieved. Target lists are agreed in advance. Your outsourced, part time sales person can broker introductions, arrange initial meetings, perform discovery, gather requirements and accompany your technical resources to final demonstrations.
The ABS Process
We help bring high tech products to market by following this simple, five step methodology.
1 – Assessment
Market suitability for the proposed product. ABS only takes on the very best!
NDA and MOU
2 – Onboarding – Getting ready to sell
Fee based compensation model if product or offering needs to be developed
Sales materials definition
Target accounts to approach defined
Allies to work with are listed
Clarify commercial model for licensing and/or engagement of services
Exploration of indirect model, is there a role for resellers and if so where?
3 -Initial sales actions
Thought leader intros
Blog posts, specifically Linkedin
Register for any relevant awards
Press releases
Set up “One on one” ad hoc demos as well as a program for scheduling anonymous ones
Establish qualification criteria while ensuring the path to evaluation and piloting is clear
4 – Launch ,
Client case study published and summarised in web blog with supporting video
Press release of successful deployment along with supporting video
Event with key developer / thought leader alongside case study champion
5 – Progress review cycle
Weekly progressing to bi-weekly
Contacts attempted and feedback