MARKET VIEW 06
David Glasspool
HEAD OF SALES & MARKETING
In your opinion, what are critical success factors in a sales process?
I think that the most important thing is being quick and accurate with all buyer interactions right from the start. For example, being able to react very quickly to a request for a demo. I have an initial call with them, and based on that call and what I learn from it, I can produce a demo that’s very tailored to them in the next two hours and I can deliver that the following day. Speed of response builds trust and credibility. Also, you have to think about client retention and client progression with your product as well. In the sales process you first build rapport with the client but staying on the project all the way through the implementation builds a much deeper relationship. I remain involved in either weekly summary calls and two or three months after they’re live, I go out to meet the client to see if there is anything that I can do to make their experience even better.
I think that the most important thing is being quick and accurate with all buyer interactions right from the start.
How are you managing the shift from in-person to virtual meetings?
Pre-Covid, 90% of demos were done in-person, which means you had to get on a plane and fly out, spending approximately three days and a lot of money. Today, you can do a demo in two to three hours, without going anywhere. They are shorter and can be tailored to specific people and to specific needs that arise throughout the process. This helps when it comes to tasks that are taxing on the brain, because most of us can stay engaged for around 45 min, so having these shorter meetings that can be spread throughout the day, if necessary, can go a long way. But for me, one of the downsides of doing things remotely, is the fact that you are not engaging your clients enough. If you are in the room, you can see what people are doing, if they are paying attention, and you can engage them with questions more easily as well. In a remote demo it works best when clients are given the controls to navigate around and discover the software functionality themselves.
Today, you can do a demo in two to three hours, without going anywhere.
Should enterprise tech companies be investing more in experiences to entertain buyers?
I believe so. For example, going down the TikTok route has proven to be very successful for some companies out there and we can’t ignore that. However, it is a fine line because you don't want to come across as not a serious company when you’re managing risks or dealing with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of exposure each day. But done correctly, I think there is a lot of potential to leverage new platforms to engage and entertain buyers. We haven’t done it yet, but it’s definitely something that we’re taking into consideration, and we might do it this year.
I think there is a lot of potential to leverage new platforms to engage and entertain buyers.
DAVID GLASSPOOL
Head of Sales & Marketing
AMPHORA