How to sell your technology to B2B? Vlad Voskresensky, CEO, InvisibleCRM

How to sell your technology to B2B?

Vlad Voskresensky,CEO, InvisibleCRM

www.InivisibleCRM.com

InvisibleCRM: General overview

Change the Software not the People

Achieved visibilityAnalysts and Industry Experts insights

InvisibleCRM named Cool vendor in 2006. “…innovative, impactful and intriguing…”Gartner

InvisibleCRM offers unique 5 hours ROINucleus Research

Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle Corporation, showcased a product built on InvisibleCRM technologies during his closing keynote at Oracle Open World trade show

Awards and Certificates

"With applications built on the Microsoft Office, it is easier for employees to connect to information and business processes“. Illustrating the opportunity, Gates showcased InvisibleCRMBill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft




Partners / OEM Channels




Market Penetration - CRMFigure 1. Magic Quadrant for Sales Force Automation, 2007

Current InvisibleCRMIn Process

Active CRM Pipeline




Lead generation & “harvesting”

• Old good cold calling still works for B2B, but you need to know your people

• Google and LinkedIn are main sales tools• Do not come to leads with your value, come to

them with their problems • Build awareness

– Meet as many people, as you can (events, meet-ups, trade-shows, etc)

– Make sure you look solid (website, forums, blogs, references)




Keep fishing!

• Never think you’re done once you get good contact at the account

• Try to understand personal interest of people who you are dealing with – why they want a deal with you?

• Principal decision is typically made by tops within 5-10 min– Make sure that there is someone who is

sponsoring you– Make sure that you have enough supporters– Make sure they have answers to other’s objections




Typical sales cycles and how to speed it up

• Build an interest, based on wide awareness• Get to owners (how to know who is that?)• Find your champion (should be one, but have your subs)• Know your enemies (not only competitors, internal as

well)• Get the handshake deal, proceed to procurement

– When getting handshake deal, make sure you have it in writing, emails are good

• Procurement: trade hard• Legal: make sure you don’t sell your soul• Closing




How to close technology sales – swim with the sharks

• You have enough enemies within the account– R&D typically sees its budget as their potential money and they have

much closer access to decision makers

• Myth: big company wants to fool you, kill you, eat you…– They don’t. As sharks don’t eat people, big companies don’t eat you as

well. – But as sharks may bite you to death, big company can do it either

• Do not overpromise to yourselves, stay calm until the closure– Whatever you discuss with decision makers may be killed at

procurement– Whatever you negotiate with procurement, may be killed by legal– Be ready to drop-off something, ask for more than you expect

• When deal is signed, it is not over. Amendments and Addendums can pervert the deal, be ready for that!




What is the best deal structure for you?

• Know your focus:– Money?– Partnership?– Reference? – Other?

• Worry about IP, exclusivity, “best terms”, termination rights, source code escrow, support terms

• Think about other agreements you may sign in future – what may harm it?

• Think about your exit strategy – what may be a stopper• Think about your company evaluation – what do you

need?




You are not selling technology, you are selling experience

• This is the mantra of any B2B sale• It seem to any business that they can do what other

business did and it seem to them that is easy• B2B sale is not only selling value of your product, but

also convincing people that its not worth to do it themselves

• Selling through features is dead end, sell through experience– You’re more skilled than competitors– You’re better than internal people in what you sell.

• Sell the roadmap, not current version.




Never ever give up!

• Dozen “NO” may be followed by one “YES” easily• Business is not a person, it does not have mind, does

not have opinion, does not have feelings – There are people, some more powerful, some less– Search those who are for you, they can make a change

• So deal with it cold-blooded • And remember, you are not selling the product, you

are selling experience!

[email protected]

Thanks!

Documents

How to sell your technology to B2B? Vlad Voskresensky, CEO, InvisibleCRM