ERP for Large Corporation - New Selling Strategy

Our opinion is based on our Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, Microsoft CRM sales and marketing campaign to large businesses in the following industries: Aerospace, Furniture, Beverages, Placement, Distribution & Logistics, Textile, Services, Food, Manufacturing. With the new economy recovery we see signs on the market, signaling selling strategy change. On the other hand this is normal process and each time you sell different, probably keeping your personal passion to sell and help your customers. Let's look at the trends:

? IT Director new role. If you remember old-days sales techniques bestsellers, Joe Seemore was the guy in IT department, who wanted to see more. These folks were actually the problem to make sales through. Nowadays, due to the fact of open information, including all the features, bells and whistles of the specific ERP system, CEO or business owner, after making his own decision on purchasing a new ERP - delegates selection research to IT director, who in turn, selects project manager and this guy contacts analyzes the information on the internet and then contacts ERP VAR/reseller/integrator. Again, this would be difficult in 1970th or 1980th when internet was not yet in place and the access to the newest systems information was not available through public libraries

? No pushing sale. IT people usually have to stick to their budgets and propose the solution to their CIO/CEO. This means that you can not push this people to make sales happen - so - all the sales tricks would not work, except you expertise in the ERP system you sell

? Prove your expertise on your website. Again, as you see - information is free and open today and you have to provide this information to your potential clientele to have them call you. IT folks are doing their duties and searching on google, yahoo, msn, altavista.

? No face-to-face meetings. When you do sales, based on your expertise, you can expect going beyond the regional market borders and have nation-wide calls. You should be ready to do presentation over the web session, and close the deal over the phone or skype.

We believe that future ERP system sales will be mostly done to the specialists, not to the top and so, the selling strategy should be adjusted.

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), serving Microsoft Great Plains, CRM, Navision to mid-size and large clients in California, Illinois, New York, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Washington, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan