DaveBirchall.com on Business Technology

Archive for September 2nd, 2009

Visitors to my blog over the last few days will have noticed a brand new look for the site. Not only was it time for a change but it co-insides with the launch of my new website and my new way of working.

As a software sales guy it can sometimes feel like you’re trying to make a square peg fit a round hole. There’s nothing wrong with the peg. In fact it’s a bloody good peg. It’s just not that suited to the scenario to which it is being applied. In software not only does the technology need to fit the problem, the environment and the budget, you also have the dimension of timing to deal with too. Which makes selling a particularly challenging activity.

I thought it was about time I stopped thinking about me selling and concentrate more on the customer buying.

I meet a lot of people on my travels. Sometimes the best thing for the customer is a customised solution, sometimes it’s off the shelf, sometimes money is no object and sometimes they need to squeeze as much as they can from a small budget. The ‘right’ solution for each of these customers is different in every case. That’s why as a salesman, a wide portfolio of solutions is vital and it’s important not to be wedded to just one.

Essentially now I represent three companies. Each has their own area of specialism.

• Solentive Software – Custom software, Project Management, System Integration, Software maintenance and support. Complex websites Technologies, Business Rules and Business Process Automation. Typical Customers are mid to large size companies, government agencies. Technologies strength in .NET and Java. www.solentivesoftware.com.au
• Synoptic Consulting – Boutique management consultancy specialising in Business Process Mapping and improvement including the transactional business process, technology and Management Operating Systems. Synoptic can not only build a working knowledge base showing the relationship between your people, process and technology but they can do it in a fraction of the time. www.synopticconsulting.com.au
• Bircko Business Solutions. This is my business – Web development for simple websites, Joomla Hosting, SugarCRM, WordPress Hosting, Ecommerce, Technology Strength in LAMP, PHP, Domain services and and adwords optimisation. www.bircko.com

With all this technology and expertise at my disposal I feel like I need a bigger utility belt. How many sales people can fall back on such a wide variety of solutions in order to add value to a client? And that’s what it’s all about, Value. You know you are doing something right in sales when your customers keep coming back to you. Contrary to what some people tell you, people don’t buy from people, they buy from people that can guarantee value for their investment.