IT advice for CXOs? Salespeople are experts at what they do, and they know what tools help them do it best. Few professions have their compensation aligned so well as salespeople, so I don’t believe for a minute that the effort at learning a new system would be a hindrance for sales teams convinced that a new CRM was really going to boost their results. Most sales people are willing to work hard, they are motivated to invest in anything that will put money in their own pocket, and smart enough to learn any tool that meets that criteria. I believe the resistance to adoption and usage of CRMs often runs much deeper, and requires a commitment from the highest levels of leadership to resolve…
Digital transformation should not be feared, but fully explored – and where appropriate, embraced. Technological advancements have risen in recent years with the promise of improving operations for businesses in nearly all industries. They help businesses achieve a higher level of success that would otherwise be possible. CXOs need to know that their organizations may be left behind if they choose to allow their anxieties to stand in the way of digital transformation. Executives who allow their businesses to evolve with technology will make great strides, while those who don’t will lag behind. This process is inexorable, although it is occurring at different speeds in different industries. Read additional details on leadership tech advisory.
A thing every CEO should know about cybersecurity: Cyber liability insurance premiums are significantly increasing in cost and often do not cover all of the damages caused by a cyber breach. Historically, cybersecurity has been an area that is housed solely in the technology department of a company, whether that consists of one or twenty employees. But more and more executives are understanding the importance of being not only knowledgeable but also involved in the conversations and decision-making process when it comes to protecting their data.
Every business should want to have an IT consultant! Business owners are always looking for new ways to improve customer satisfaction. Technology can help achieve this goal when implemented in the right way. Current technologies enable businesses to communicate with their customers easily and efficiently. The technologies also help employees to improve their productivity and efficiency. IT consultants can advise businesses on the best technologies to adapt to improve their efficiency. The most appropriate technology depends on the nature of business and number of users. Read a few extra details at customer tech expectations are changing.
We keep this level of engagement throughout project teams. We utilize only skilled staff with actual real-world experience to execute projects. Our larger competitors recruit heavily from universities and have first year associates out billing clients within a month. Our bill-rates are significantly lower across the board for all seniority levels and skill-sets, as we don’t have to carry the overhead of those larger firms. (We don’t sponsor pro golfers or tennis championships, etc…)
This is not the main driving problem though. The top CRM systems (Salesforce, Dynamics, SAP, Oracle) have been designed with sales input, design thinking and user experience experts coming out their ears. I find several of the top systems really elegant in their combination of simplicity and power. It’s hard to imagine these systems being much simpler while still achieving their intended goal. Neither is the tech IQ of sales staff the major problem. Never before have salespeople had the level of technical skill that today’s sales professionals possess. See a few extra details at Innovation Vista.