I love a bake sale. Fresh bakery and hot coffee are wonderful treats on a Sunday morning. But I am a little jealous of the baked-goods seller when it comes to sales strategy.
They've got everything going for them. Their customers know just what they want and approach them directly. The off-the-shelf product needs no modifications.
Competitors steer clear and often agree to produce only non-competitive offerings. The asking price is considered reasonable. And customers happily tell their friends about the great product.
That's not my experience with sales strategy and I'll wager it's not yours either. None of the "bake sale" conditions hold true when selling enterprise software.
Customers don't know what they want, so they don't come looking for you. Your product never quite fits, so they ask to modify it. They find your service rates too high and invite competitors to bid against you. Discounts are expected, while referrals are rarely given in return.
Maybe it would be better to bake cookies, right? Take heart! The answer could be simpler than you think. You might just be applying the wrong sales strategy for the right customer.
