Whether you’re selling a coffee maker or cloud computing, you may think the same rules apply, and you’d mostly be right. The same process can work in both areas of business, but an IT sales coach is going to be different than traditional coaches for many reasons. For one, they’ve got more Information Technology experience and will use that to help others in the field. Likewise, they may be able to explain the slight nuances that come from selling something so technical or so different.
The Similarities
You will still prospect in the same way, using the marketing tools and demographics that best fit your industry. However, you may not work with individuals (B2C), but rather, may deal with other companies/businesses (B2B).
You will also focus on learning about the product and its benefits, what it does, and how you can benefit others with it. However, it may take a little more work on your part because you’re not selling something simple (like that coffee machine).
The Glaring Differences
The first difference between an IT sales coach and others is that the process may take longer and you may be giving tours of your facility or presentations of your product. If you work for a computer hosting company, people will want to view your facilities to see how secure you are.
Likewise, the person you interact with isn’t going to be the only decision maker in the process. You may convince them that your product or service is the best, but they have to go back to their CEO and explain their findings. If everyone else seems to like it, they may decide to request another interview with you or someone higher up on the team. Likewise, the IT sales coach can help you understand why you should listen to the negative remarks, just as much (or more so) than the positive ones.
