Partnering With the CIO: The Future of IT Sales Seen Through the Eyes of Key Decision Makers

Can You Do the Right Thing?

Time and again, CIOs told us how impressed they would be if IT suppliers had the courage to pull the plug on projects that were going nowhere.

Sure, it would take guts. And no doubt, there would be short-term pain to cope with. The alternative—saying nothing—might appear the easier and wiser course. But consider the trade-off: Your silence today guarantees an ugly scene tomorrow when the customer realizes that you haven’t delivered on your promises. If your goal is building long-term, profitable relationships with your customers, then honesty is the best policy.

After all, when analysts rank vendors, they’re looking at execution. To say that a vendor is innovative is a nice compliment, but what CIOs really want to know is whether the vendor’s products work as advertised.

An IT supplier with its eye on the future encourages and supports the efforts of its sales force to go beyond the transaction. Truly visionary IT suppliers create real incentives for sales reps who walk the extra mile to ensure that the products they sell are properly deployed and utilized to create value for their customers.