1. How to sell your technology
to B2B?
Vlad Voskresensky,
CEO, InvisibleCRM
2. InvisibleCRM: General overview
Achieved visibility
Analysts and Industry Experts insights Awards and Certificates
InvisibleCRM named Cool vendor in 2006. “…
innovative, impactful and intriguing…”
Gartner
"With applications built on the Microsoft Office, it is
easier for employees to connect to information and
business processes“. Illustrating the opportunity, Gates
showcased InvisibleCRM
Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft
InvisibleCRM offers unique 5 hours ROI
Nucleus Research
Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle Corporation,
showcased a product built on InvisibleCRM
technologies during his closing keynote at Oracle
Open World trade show
Change the Software not the People www.InivisibleCRM.com
4. InvisibleCRM: General overview
Market Penetration - CRM
Figure 1. Magic Quadrant for Sales Force Automation, 2007
Active CRM Pipeline
Current InvisibleCRM
In Process
Change the Software not the People www.InivisibleCRM.com
5. InvisibleCRM: General overview
Lead generation & “harvesting”
• Old good cold calling still works for B2B, but you
need to know your people
• Google and LinkedIn are main sales tools
• Do not come to leads with your value, come to
them with their problems
• Build awareness
– Meet as many people, as you can (events, meet-ups,
trade-shows, etc)
– Make sure you look solid (website, forums, blogs,
references)
Change the Software not the People www.InivisibleCRM.com
6. InvisibleCRM: General overview
Keep fishing!
• Never think you’re done once you get good contact
at the account
• Try to understand personal interest of people who
you are dealing with – why they want a deal with
you?
• Principal decision is typically made by tops within
5-10 min
– Make sure that there is someone who is sponsoring you
– Make sure that you have enough supporters
– Make sure they have answers to other’s objections
Change the Software not the People www.InivisibleCRM.com
7. InvisibleCRM: General overview
Typical sales cycles and how to
speed it up
• Build an interest, based on wide awareness
• Get to owners (how to know who is that?)
• Find your champion (should be one, but have your subs)
• Know your enemies (not only competitors, internal as well)
• Get the handshake deal, proceed to procurement
– When getting handshake deal, make sure you have it in writing,
emails are good
• Procurement: trade hard
• Legal: make sure you don’t sell your soul
• Closing
Change the Software not the People www.InivisibleCRM.com
8. InvisibleCRM: General overview
How to close technology sales –
swim with the sharks
• You have enough enemies within the account
– R&D typically sees its budget as their potential money and they have much
closer access to decision makers
• Myth: big company wants to fool you, kill you, eat you…
– They don’t. As sharks don’t eat people, big companies don’t eat you as
well.
– But as sharks may bite you to death, big company can do it either
• Do not overpromise to yourselves, stay calm until the closure
– Whatever you discuss with decision makers may be killed at procurement
– Whatever you negotiate with procurement, may be killed by legal
– Be ready to drop-off something, ask for more than you expect
• When deal is signed, it is not over. Amendments and Addendums
can pervert the deal, be ready for that!
Change the Software not the People www.InivisibleCRM.com
9. InvisibleCRM: General overview
What is the best deal structure
for you?
• Know your focus:
– Money?
– Partnership?
– Reference?
– Other?
• Worry about IP, exclusivity, “best terms”, termination
rights, source code escrow, support terms
• Think about other agreements you may sign in future –
what may harm it?
• Think about your exit strategy – what may be a stopper
• Think about your company evaluation – what do you need?
Change the Software not the People www.InivisibleCRM.com
10. InvisibleCRM: General overview
You are not selling technology,
you are selling experience
• This is the mantra of any B2B sale
• It seem to any business that they can do what other
business did and it seem to them that is easy
• B2B sale is not only selling value of your product, but also
convincing people that its not worth to do it themselves
• Selling through features is dead end, sell through
experience
– You’re more skilled than competitors
– You’re better than internal people in what you sell.
• Sell the roadmap, not current version.
Change the Software not the People www.InivisibleCRM.com
11. InvisibleCRM: General overview
Never ever give up!
• Dozen “NO” may be followed by one “YES” easily
• Business is not a person, it does not have mind, does not
have opinion, does not have feelings
– There are people, some more powerful, some less
– Search those who are for you, they can make a change
• So deal with it cold-blooded
• And remember, you are not selling the product, you are
selling experience!
Change the Software not the People www.InivisibleCRM.com