How true this statement is, especially in the sales channel market place, which is an ever evolving environment where sometimes, and without warning, the landscape effecting your success can change and almost in the blinking of an eye!
What had been a successful business model, aligned with desirable products and/or services can implode and, in some cases, this happens literally overnight! I’m sure the producers of the world’s finest typewriters didn’t give the home computer a second thought, well not until it was too late!
Don’t get me wrong though sometimes, as it was with Betamax video, it is just “Over!” But sometimes it’s not the “Game Changing” products on their own that force evolutionary change on sales markets, it’s how entrepreneurial business professionals target your market sector with initiatives that will change forever the way business can be done.
These situations, and they are becoming frighteningly more frequent, invariably lead to a “Culling Process” in over-supplied markets and sales chains, where businesses that do not evolve, cease to be able to survive. As business owners we must remain “Current” and be proactive to how our market places are evolving, if we are to continue to thrive!
This is the challenge that many of our clients in the IT Sector are experiencing at the moment; a perfect storm is forming encompassing challenging trading conditions, reduced budgets and changes in the IT infrastructure in businesses, (the migration to cloud based services to name just one of them), and it is making life very difficult for many businesses in this sector.
To add to their woes, the phone is not ringing and many owners of IT businesses are having to appreciate the startling realities of 2 very different sales models;
1. Sales Model 1: The phone is ringing, I will pick it up and deal with the enquiry and sell the products and services requested.
2. Sales Model 2: The phone is not ringing enough to provide the growth in sales revenue that I require, I need to devise a strategy to identify new and profitable markets, engage with the decision makers operating within this sector and obtain their business.
Now let me stress now, all businesses need to deliver on Sales Model 1, it supplies our organic growth and it is an important skill set required by all businesses. However this model will only get us so far, eventually you will need to adopt Sales Model 2. So just how do we set about achieving this? Well, in the current challenging trading conditions, this has become more difficult, but all businesses with growth at the forefront of their objectives, must appreciate that sustainable growth can never be achieved by just waiting for the phone to ring more often.
Most sales market places in the UK are over supplied and as a consequence, there is a natural “Culling Process” taking place and if we are to avoid this and grow, someone has got to build the strategy and campaign for growth from the ground floor up.
As a minimum this will include finding the answers to the following questions;
- Where are our target growth markets?
- Where do we have spare capacity and existing services that can be leveraged and “Scaled Up?”
- How do we target the decision makers within our target markets?
- How do we create our message, including a valuable USP?
- How do we ensure our message is seen by the decision makers?
- What are the correct platforms of engagement for these decision makers?
- How do we generate and maximise opportunities to do business in these target markets?
- What’s the “Cost-Benefit” analysis?
- How do we deliver on this?
Now, if you do not already have people with the answers to these questions in your organisation, just how are you going to achieve this? Well, in the absence of a “Plan B” you are going to have to acquire them, which invariably involves “Buying a Winner!” And this not cheap; in today’s market and trading conditions, these people are very scarce and highly sought after.
They know this of course so this process will be many things, but cheap will not be one of them! Excluding the tertiary costs of employing these people, they are unlikely to be obtained on a basic salary that will be the side of £100K per annum that you would like, and will they will invariably want a share of the profits, if, that is, you can find one of these illusive people?
Fortunately there is another option available to the owners of businesses looking for sustainable and profitable growth. You can engage Virtuoso Consultancy as your out-sourced sales, Operations and Business Development partners. If you want to grow your business via building sustainable, effective and highly profitable sales pipelines, then Virtuoso Consultancy can deliver this for you.
Working on a flexible basis, around the needs of your business and supplying skills and expertise required in order to succeed on your behalf, we have already constructed and delivered successful growth models for IT businesses in operating in the Independent Schools, Pharmaceuticals, Legal and Recruitment sectors; to name just a few.
My fellow directors and I have over 40 years combined experience in growing businesses and can deliver sales, operational, business development and marketing experience that is IT sector specific, straight to your door. We know how to build these models, they are “Current” and continually evolving, we know how to target and speak to the decision makers in your target markets and most importantly, we know how to grow your business and make you money!
If this statement resonates with you, you would like to know more about how you can gain access to these initiatives and you would like to work with an organisation that can help you to both, maximise revenues and thus profits, via an approach that is relevant to your target audience, then I would be delighted to hear from you and discuss how we can work together and grow your business.
In this instance please do not hesitate to contact Andrew Banning at andrewb@virtuosoconsultancy.co.uk or on 0118 947 1010; I look forward to hearing from you.
