by: John Caddell
Every product company wants to sell solutions. Packaging products with useful complementary services can elevate a firm above commodity-provider status and provide more value to customers. Customized solutions also are more difficult for competitors to replace than standalone products.
Moving to a solution focus is not easy to do, of course. Ranjay Gulati of Northwestern University takes up the issue in his article, "Silo Busting: How to Execute on the Promise of Customer Focus" (link - $$), in the May Harvard Business Review. Prof. Gulati focuses on issues that most large product companies face when trying to move to a solution orientation--specifically, that solutions typically span multiple groups (or "silos"). Selling and delivering a coordinated solution requires close cooperation between those groups--an unnatural act in most large companies.
What most struck me was his observation that customers worry because the account managers they are assigned don't have the clout to influence the groups contributing to these integrated solutions. And this worry is not misplaced: my experience with large companies indicates that only very senior people can drive coordination among separate business units that manage their own P&L. Writes Gulati of one company that succeeded in selling solutions across division boundaries:
What most struck me was his observation that customers worry because the account managers they are assigned don't have the clout to influence the groups contributing to these integrated solutions. And this worry is not misplaced: my experience with large companies indicates that only very senior people can drive coordination among separate business units that manage their own P&L. Writes Gulati of one company that succeeded in selling solutions across division boundaries:
The account management group was staffed with high-ranking officers who had the authority to negotiate the pricing and delivery of [its] solutions, and the experience to help clients with strategic planning.
Dedicating senior people to a strategic account management role is a large investment for companies. But if you want to move from a product focus to an integrated solution focus, it's one you have to make.
(Photo: "Silo2" by saulinis via stock.xchng)
Original Post: http://shoptalkmarketing.blogspot.com/2007/05/for-solutions-providers-account.html
There certainly are a lot of tasks involved with providing real, comprehensive “business” solutions (and not just technology-focused solutions) for companies of all sizes when you are acting as a professional solution provider. Being able to offer solutions that take into account that you are trying to really integrate technology with the business goals of a company or organization is what will set you apart from the slue of “generalists” in the field that are often stressing products over services and forgetting the larger picture.
Account management becomes an important part of the overall picture when you’re really being an efficient solution provider, though sometimes it can be overwhelming when not plotted out well. I offer some free time management and project management tips that have worked for consultants throughout the world working in the IT industry in my Computer Consulting Kit Preview blog. Thanks for the great blog post!