DON’T!
I’m kidding. You are going to get transferred to the IT department all the time. You should make the most of the call. Even if you don’t want to do any project work, the conversation you have with IT will arm you for the conversations you want to have with other contacts within the company.
If you are not prepared to do any project based work to eventually position yourself to win a managed contract from this firm, a conversation about what projects they may require support on this year will still be beneficial to you. A quick conversation should tell you what challenges they are experiencing, what major purchases they are considering and how focused the company is on continuity and security. Are there plans to move to the cloud? If so, what is their plan to do so? Are they adding head count? Are they technology dependent? Technology strategic? Proactive? Reactive? A meeting is not going to be a waste of your time – you don’t ever have to quote on business you don’t want, but you may learn a great deal about the company and it will arm you with the facts you need to make your case for managed services at the C level. You go in armed with real facts. Here are the problems. Here is a solution that makes sense.
We have a lot of clients who want to move towards a pure play managed services business model, and who stick firmly to that conviction. They don’t work with anyone who isn’t paying a monthly support contract. If that’s where you are right now, you are in an enviable position. This post is for the rest of us, who don’t quite have the luxury of turning away projects quite yet.
First, go in humble. Nobody likes to be made to feel they aren’t doing a great job, and anyone challenged will protect their turf. Go in asking how you can help them achieve their goals. How can you make them look like a rock star? Some questions you can ask:
If you could wave a magic want and immediately fix one thing about your role there, what would that be?
When was the last time you took a vacation?
When are you adding another team member?
When was the last time you required the support of an external team?
What is the next purchase you’re going to consider?
What are your thoughts on (anything you want to learn – company specific or industry specific)
Second, avoid talking about technology specifics as much as possible. You are a sales rep when you’re making this call – it’s not your job to troubleshoot on the phone. Don’t get sucked into a discussion about the pros and cons of whatever — they should be paying you for that discussion. If you realize you are happily geeking out on the phone, reign in the conversation. I know, it’s fun for you, but put your sales hat back on and take control of the conversation again by asking for a meeting.
We know a lot of companies that started with projects – like Office 365 migrations – and ended up winning managed contracts a year later. Things change, people leave and disaster strikes — it does not hurt to be in the rolodex (I’m dating myself) as a trusted adviser when it hits the fan.
The IT department should not be your first call. Or even your second call. As I mentioned earlier, you will get sent to IT. By the gatekeeper, by the HR department, by the President – they will send you there. Arguing that “IT doesn’t make the decision” with people doesn’t win you business. Talking to someone in IT and coming back to them after the conversation with your findings will work much, much better.
It’s been a fun few months, we’re almost done — thanks for following along with us, and I hope you’re looking forward to our final post in this series next week: pitching the President.
Happy Selling!