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

Keep Your Eye on the Steering Committee

Even when an organization doesn’t have an elaborate IT governance process, key IT investment decisions are often determined by a steering committee made up of the CEO, the CFO, business unit executives, lawyers, and other interested parties. Says Kitzis:

Sales people really should think about the steering committee. The steering committee is looking at a couple of things. They’re looking at things like the cost, in the business case, but more than anything, they’re also looking at the portfolio. I think it’s important for sales people to understand that. Sometimes they view their project as the only project that the company cares about. The reality is that at any one moment in time an average CIO probably has 25 or 30 significant projects underway.

At some organizations, the CIO supervises a dozen or more project managers, each with eight or nine projects. “Think about it,” notes Kitzis. “Your project sits somewhere in that portfolio of IT projects. The steering committee isn’t going to overload that portfolio.”

She advises IT sales reps to find out from the CIO where their project ranks relative to other projects on the CIO’s plate. Even if the project you’re pitching offers a great return and a competitive advantage, it might be one of several similar projects already underway. If that’s the case, it’s unlikely that the CIO’s steering committee would add another project, even if it seems worthy and well-supported.

Here’s our advice: ...