The Long Road to the Customer

“Ours is better, faster, cheaper.”

Enterprise technology sales has evolved over three eras.Today, best-in-breed sales organizations are focused on the customer.

Oh how far we have come...

Message:

Audience:Procurement department

Single executive buyer

Thought Leaders:

Publications:

Dale CarnegieZig Ziglar

1935

1976

1985

1988

Tools:ChevroletPhoneRolodexYellow PagesXerox

1985-2008Consultive

Salesperson

Prescriptive, teachingSalesperson

Audience:

Tools:EmailGoldmineAct!SiebelSalesforce.com

"We are your one-stop shop for addressing your problems."

Cross-functional team

Thought Leaders:Matthew Dixon Brent AdamsonScott SantucciJames Ninivaggi

Audience:

Tools:SmartphoneLinkedInBoxClearslideMarketoHandshakez

"We understand your problems better than you do. Here is the solution."

Drinks

Gimmick:

RelationshipSalesman

Gimmick:

ROICalculator

Solutions Era

Product Era

Message:

Message:

Gimmick:Thought

LeadershipVideos

Thought Leaders:Neil RackamRobert Miller Stephen Heiman

1936 - 1985

Publications:

Customer Era2008 - ...

2011

Publication: