It is always great to put a salesperson on the spot by asking them how their organisation uses the product or service they are trying to sell you.
In many instances the company selling the product may have no need for the service or product they are selling.
But, in software there is a good chance that the company selling a product is using the tool they are selling you.
Next time someone is trying to sell you a CRM or a sales / marketing tech product ask them to show you how they make the most of the tool they are selling you with in their own organisation.
You might be surprised at what you hear. You might find someone selling you a CRM that is using one of their competitors systems. In all likelihood you will she how much they make of the tool kit they sell to drive their own sales.
The reason I say this is that too many companies buy a technology solution expecting a ferrari to arrive only to feel they are driving a ford fiesta.
The reality is that it is not the system that is at fault but how the system is being used.
A successful software purchase depends on the vendor being able to support you and realise the benefits you bought during the pitch process.
Which is why I encourage you to ask to see how they use their own products internally. If they are maximising their solution to its full capacity you can begin to feel confident that they may help you do the same. So, usage should give you cause for doubts.
Which is why you will like this interview with Kerry Nutley – Western Europe Customer Strategy Director @ Oracle
Kerry and I talk about how Oracle transformed its usage of its own CRM software to create a single source of truth for all sales and pipeline conversations.
We talk to Kerry about the following things:
- Challenges Oracle was facing from a disjointed, excel heavy sales process.
- How belief in the role of the CRM came from the top.
- How improved data quality enabled marketing and other functions to proactively support the sales teams.
- Why improving data hygiene improved the quality and relevance of data available to leaders at every level.
About Kerry Nutley:
Kerry has spent the years helping lead sales transformation programs in Oracle and BT. Kerry is also well known in the sales and marketing industry as the head judge of the BESMA awards ((British Excellence in Sales Management Awards).
In her role at Oracle she spends her time at Oracle working with business leaders across Europe to maximise performance from their SaaS solutions, based on future needs and changes.
Kerry’s Dream App:
Kerry would love an app that allowed an organisation to gather customer testimonials and automatically distribute them to the relevant places automatically
Kerry’s Book of Choice:
- The best books are often the ones that you refer back to again and aga
- in. This is the case for Kerry’s favourite book Gravitas: Communicate with Confidence, Influence and Authority by Caroline Goyder
Boxset or Series of choice:
Kerry is loving the BBC’s Vigil, a drama where DCI Silva, investigates a murder on the HMS Vigil
