Even though the scope of IT-products should be promoted through the advertisement in the same way as any other goods, its specifics is a bit different. As the area of informational technologies is new, market analysts sometimes notice mistakes that are typical for salespeople in IT-company.
Mistake 1: The channel of sales is chosen in a wrong way
IT-scope is successfully developing if it is relies upon such channels of sales as:
– tender stock exchange,
– web-portals of potential customers where industrial espionage could be committed;
– work with social media,
– mass mailing,
– and cold calls.
Al these channels have to be investigated for a certain period of time so as to estimate the competence of sales, size of target audience and possibilities for further promotion.
Just take into consideration that NetSuite’s Sales Force Automation software powers organizations with integrated processes and gives them energy to continue functioning.
Mistake 2: Study of sales channels is underestimated
Each channel of sales requires certain amount of efforts put in its activity.
However, it often happens that a salesperson sends one hundred letters and gets upset if does not receive any answers. Surely, if he had asked his colleagues, he would have found out that appropriate number of letters could be nearly one thousand.
The same is about the calls. It is not enough to phone to several companies and then be frustrated because nobody has wanted to purchase a product. In the strategy of cold calls one conversation from one hundred is likely to work it out.
Additionally, if the sales channels are monitored constantly, it is easier to figure out if all of them are suitable. In case you see that despite all the efforts the channel does not provide you with the dignified feedback, it would rather be cancelled.
Mistake 3: wrong choice of target audience
Let’s predict that you are a young company that is developing software applications for business projects. Perhaps, the potential client should be regarded as the middle and large enterprises whose executives are interested in digital technologies.
In this case we have to aim promotional campaigns at the various travel agencies, huge Internet-shops, private medical clinics, financial institutes, etc.
Here, everything is clear, but let’s look at another option.
Suppose we represent a new company that is monetized mainly on reverse outsourcing of PHP developers. In this case the target audience is bound to be represented by Western IT companies (it is better if we work with start-ups) while the main task is to provide the clients with the additional people. One more variant is studios of design that would need IT-specialists.
It could be a wrong option to mix these two categories of clients. We have to offer what is important for the client.
By the way, one more mistake that quite common is to choose the region which everyone wants to collaborate with. You should remember that the bigger region is, the higher the rivalry becomes.
Mistake 4: Lack of time for presentation materials preparation
Sometimes salespeople in IT companies do not think they need to prepare the presentations materials. However, nice and clear commercial proposal is what your client always wants from you. The same should be said about the service offer and portfolio of IT-company.
Visualization is the key to success.
If you are not sure that you have prepared everything that could serve you good, compare your business documents with the following list:
- General description of company and services;
- Service offer for B2B clients;
- Service offer for B2C clients;
- Service proposals for all the niches which the company covers;
- Sample of commercial proposal;
- Estimate document;
- Portfolio and feedbacks.