Most offshore-based IT outsourcing companies still look at selling to prospects on the basis of the superiority of their technical proposition. They go at lengths to come out with technical data, analysis, process models etc. All this to prove that they have a better story than competition which is now not necessarily another offshored-based IT outsourcing company. ( It mostly used to be then but now as they look at playing in the turfs of the big boys, this is not always true). So they go to all lengths to woo the CIO and his team and convince them how they are superior technically.
What they miss out is to woo the CFO and sell on the basis of the larger compelling case - the business case. The big boys of the game (IBM, EDS, CSC etc.) have been playing golf and wooing the CFO along with the CIO. The truth is that most often having a strong technical solution (not necessarily the best but even if it is one of the better ones) is a qualifier than being a clincher.
Isn't it so true - "The business of business is business" and so till there is an appealing business case, the CIO may not have the last say.
Reminds me of the sales mantra which I learnt early in my career : Sell to the M-A-N in the account:
M: Money (the person who controls finance)
A: Authority (the person who has the authority to decide/influence the sales)
N: Need (the person in the prospect organization)
The CIO mostly is the "N" while the CFO is the "M". Both or some others will have the "A".
As India based(offshore-based) IT outsourcing companies look at playing larger deals, they need to recognize this and not miss the CFO who may be the reason for those deals that unknowingly swung off while they had best technical solution.
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