Sales team plays a key role in any new product development effort of a software company. Gone are the days when it was meant only for selling the finished products.At the very outset, it has an insight into what a prospective customer generally looks in for, in a new product and this always has necessitated the need for taking its inputs in the process. However, it does not mean that the inputs gathered from marketing and allied researches should be ignored. Rather, a balance is to be maintained between the two.
Coming to the products side, it may be allowed to have a feel of the prototypes of the products by demonstrating them. This does not mean that it should go ahead and sell them, but to provide certain inputs based on its interaction with the potential customers.
This is where Sales 2.0 comes into the picture.
Sales 2.0 for New Product Development is all about embedding various Web 2.0 tools and technologies such as Blogs, Wikis, RSS, Pod casts, Social Media etc. into sales. Its evolution was based on the perception that it would improve the customers-sales interface. Going beyond the customers, it will also improve the communication between the sales personnel and the people in their organization. This enables them to go ahead and solve the business problems of the customers rather than just selling them the finished software products.
The team is also expected to keep the discussions with the potential customers going and reassure them of better services. This is achieved over time by keeping track of all the current affairs in the industry, sharing of information and ideas, and detailed study of the customers’ organizations and their needs. All of these become really effective when the aforesaid tools and technologies are used.
Though tools and technologies seemed to have formed the foundation for Sales 2.0, it still cannot remove the human elements from the equation. It is when these two are combined that a sales force can work wonders.
The time is ripe for Sales 2.0.
