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

Be Accessible and Responsive

Resist the temptation to assume that your clients consider you accessible and responsive just because your company has a 24/7 tech support hotline.

Bear the responsibility for making sure that your customers are networked and connected properly across your organization. If your customer has a question about billing, it’s your responsibility to make sure that someone in accounting responds helpfully. If your customer has an issue with one of your company’s consultants, pick up the phone and call the consultant’s manager. Don’t make the customer do your work, unless you’re willing to pay the price down the road.

Many organizations offer great support and ancillary services. But as we noted earlier, it can be difficult for customers to navigate their way through your organization, especially if you’ve recently merged with another supplier or have been acquired.

Merely having resources isn’t enough. You have to make them available to the customer, which means you have got to be willing to serve as a guide and facilitator when the customer needs help.

Bruce C. Barnes, the president and CEO of Bold Vision, an IT management consultancy based in Ohio, recommends Radar O’Reilly as the perfect role model for sales reps and account managers. “Radar O’Reilly is always right there when you need him and sometimes he’s there before you even realize that you need him,” says Barnes, a former CIO himself. “Basically, you want to make it easy for your customers to do ...