, a local VMware Cloud Verified provider and VMware Principal Partner.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n
There can be little doubt that cloud computing is\u00a0<\/span>one of the\u00a0key enabler<\/span>s\u00a0of digital transformation.\u00a0<\/span>With its ability to enable businesses to\u00a0modernise their IT infrastructure<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0adopt\u00a0<\/span>the latest\u00a0technologies like artificial intelligence\u00a0<\/span>(AI), as well as to\u00a0innovate more rapidly<\/span>, it is no surprise that some in the industry have described it as\u00a0the largest change in data centre infrastructure since the 1980s.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThis is borne out by statistics that show the local\u00a0cloud\u00a0computing market experienced\u00a0<\/span>growth of\u00a038%\u00a0<\/span>last year,\u00a0<\/span>while the same report indicates that\u00a0by 2027, the cloud computing market in SA<\/span>\u00a0should be worth some\u00a0R79.7 billion.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhile the impact of this growth is being widely felt, one group it has had\u00a0a\u00a0profound\u00a0impact on\u00a0<\/span>is\u00a0technology salespeople\u00a0<\/span>– changing both what, and how,\u00a0they sell.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Offer a better experience<\/b><\/p>\n
For cloud sales people, the first thing to recognise is that unlike in the past,\u00a0you aren\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>trying to sell\u00a0a new product or new way of managing data<\/span>, so much as you are focusing on\u00a0the customer\u2019s existing products and how your\u00a0<\/span>solutions\u00a0can offer a better experience.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nSelling the cloud to a customer is akin to selling them a car – your sales pitch would not be about explaining that\u00a0a car is faster than\u00a0<\/span>using a\u00a0bus.\u00a0<\/span>Rather, the pitch would focus on\u00a0why they need a new model and why your brand is best.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nIt is also critical to\u00a0have\u00a0<\/span>strong\u00a0listening skills<\/span>, and to\u00a0listen\u00a0<\/span>carefully\u00a0to your leads.<\/span>\u00a0Be willing to ask them\u00a0key questions and listen intently to their responses<\/span>, in order to clearly understand\u00a0what they know and\u00a0<\/span>afford you the chance to\u00a0speak\u00a0their language.\u00a0<\/span>Remember, you don\u2019t want your client to get lost in the jargon, but neither do you want to appear condescending when explaining it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Do your research<\/b><\/p>\n
It should be obvious that a good sales pitch begins with quality research. This means not only understanding the cloud itself well, but also the specific client\u2019s business. With such foreknowledge, you should be able to\u00a0develop a plan to close the sale based on their current knowledge, language and needs.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nArmed with effective research,\u00a0salespeople\u00a0<\/span>can direct the client to focus on\u00a0the tangible benefits and solutions that these services bring.\u00a0<\/span>You should be prepared to\u00a0communicat<\/span>e the critical benefits succinctly, such as\u00a0how the integration of cloud technology can\u00a0<\/span>deliver stronger\u00a0security,\u00a0<\/span>improved\u00a0cost savings, and\u00a0<\/span>better\u00a0real-time collaboration opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nIf you hone in\u00a0on the\u00a0<\/span>most\u00a0practical advantages,\u00a0<\/span>you can more easily\u00a0demonstrate how cloud services can revolutioni<\/span>se\u00a0<\/span>the way they do\u00a0business<\/span>. And achieving this will translate into\u00a0stronger relationships\u00a0<\/span>with the client,\u00a0that\u00a0<\/span>ultimately lead to further\u00a0successful deals.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nTackl<\/b>e<\/span><\/b>\u00a0security concerns<\/b><\/p>\nPerhaps the single biggest concern for those not yet in the cloud is the perceived security challenge it represents. In fact, it has been reported that more than 60% of IT decision makers still consider on-premise security to be more effective than its cloud equivalent.<\/p>\n
\n
This\u00a0creates\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0unique\u00a0<\/span>problem\u00a0for cloud solution salespeople<\/span>\u00a0– namely that before you can make further progress with a sale, you will have to allay\u00a0these concerns.<\/span>\u00a0The best approach here is to\u00a0frame\u00a0<\/span>a move to the\u00a0cloud as a strategic shift in risk,\u00a0<\/span>as opposed to additional risk. You want to sell the idea that\u00a0by\u00a0<\/span>choosing\u00a0you as a provider, the\u00a0<\/span>client\u00a0is essentially offloading\u00a0<\/span>their\u00a0risk onto you<\/span>r operation.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nAt the same time, you must make your point that\u00a0cloud solutions\u00a0<\/span>consistently\u00a0improve operational efficiency<\/span>. This means that the client can\u00a0leverage economies of scale in ways\u00a0<\/span>that were not\u00a0possible<\/span>\u00a0before.\u00a0<\/span>Place the focus on the technology being\u00a0evolutionary,\u00a0<\/span>rather than\u00a0revolutionary<\/span>. Ensure they understand the long-term benefits of the cloud – including the value of offloading risk – and position your\u00a0<\/span>business as one of the leaders in this\u00a0ongoing evolution within the cloud space.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Provide proof<\/b><\/p>\n
Start small, to keep cost low for the client, and\u00a0choose applications that<\/span>, when improved by the cloud,\u00a0will deliver value in the short term.\u00a0<\/span>Starting small also positions you to\u00a0identify and address any implementation-related challenges<\/span>, and be able to\u00a0solve them on a more manageable scale.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWith a smaller proof-of-concept approach, you help the client to become\u00a0more\u00a0<\/span>at ease with the technology, while also demonstrating tangible benefits to them. As they\u00a0begin to\u00a0<\/span>recognise\u00a0the value of the investment, it becomes much easier to expand the scope of the engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhen choosing the pilot project,\u00a0it should\u00a0<\/span>be something that\u00a0address<\/span>es\u00a0an\u00a0<\/span>obvious\u00a0business need<\/span>, and can thus\u00a0establish\u00a0<\/span>an\u00a0immediate benefit.\u00a0<\/span>If the scope is kept small,\u00a0it\u00a0<\/span>will\u00a0deliver value\u00a0<\/span>more rapidly.\u00a0<\/span>At the same time, remember that\u00a0it must still be\u00a0<\/span>a big enough project that\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>client\u2019s\u00a0IT team\u00a0<\/span>is able to begin\u00a0develop<\/span>ing\u00a0the<\/span>ir\u00a0foundational\u00a0<\/span>cloud\u00a0skills<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n
Continuous learning<\/b><\/p>\n
The\u00a0<\/span>cloud\u00a0salesperson<\/span>\u00a0needs to\u00a0understand the customer\u2019s business even better than the customer,\u00a0<\/span>in order to\u00a0identify opportunities to change the way the customer does business.\u00a0<\/span>Of course, cloud is constantly evolving, which means that to always be in a position to identify such opportunities, the need to remain ahead of the cloud curve.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe key to\u00a0<\/span>achieving\u00a0this is\u00a0<\/span>for the\u00a0salesperson\u00a0<\/span>to move beyond the traditional approach of\u00a0building the relationship\u00a0<\/span>and knowing the product. While these remain important to the sale, the ability to\u00a0solv<\/span>e\u00a0the complex problems<\/span>\u00a0the client faces, and\u00a0<\/span>thus\u00a0becom<\/span>e\u00a0a trusted member of the customer\u2019s own IT team<\/span>, is really what is key.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n
And the best way to achieve continuous success is to stay ahead of industry trends – something that can only be done by inculcating a culture of continuous learning, and a dedicated focus on reading up on the latest trends and focuses in this arena. Keeping your knowledge on cloud up to date remains one of the best ways to position yourself as a knowledgeable and trusted advisor in the client\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The\u00a0traditional sales\u00a0model\u00a0–\u00a0sell them on the benefits, close the sale, deliver the product\u00a0–\u00a0is\u00a0outdated in the digital world. Modern salespeople require different skills and far greater knowledge to sell the cloud, says\u00a0Andrew Cruise, Managing Director of\u00a0Routed, a local VMware Cloud Verified provider and VMware Principal Partner. There can be little doubt that cloud computing is\u00a0one of the\u00a0key […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10807,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-13788","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/wp10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/wp10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/wp10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/wp10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/wp10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13788"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/wp10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13788\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/wp10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/wp10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/wp10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/wp10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}