Barlow, Mike; Minelli, Michael

Partnering With the CIO : The Future of IT Sales Seen Through the Eyes of Key Decision Makers

CIOs spend more than $1.2 trillion on software and hardware each year. Partnering with the CIO is a practical and much needed guide to the current state of IT sales and leadership that looks at IT sales from the CIO s perspective, revealing what needs to be changed and expressing their fears, concerns, warnings, and advice. Written for sales and marketing professionals, Partnering with the CIO explores the fundamental disconnect between IT suppliers and their primary sales targets. It explains why many of the sales tactics used by IT suppliers are ineffective and suggests alternative strategies for building long term partnerships between suppliers and the executives responsible for making purchasing decisions. For IT suppliers, meeting the needs of the CIO is much more than a simple matter of pushing the newest hardware or software on a willing buyer. Outdated sales and marketing techniques cannot overcome obstacles that slow or derail sales efforts. Partnering with the CIO reveals the personal insights and everyday challenges facing CIOs, offering specific suggestions for earning trust, meeting real world needs, and creating more profitable long term relationships. Partnering with the CIO directly describes the experiences of CIOs as sales targets and showcases their suggestions for improving the sales process. You ll read firsthand stories from CIOs at such major firms as Citigroup, Priceline.com, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Time Inc., among others. Their insight, combined with practical guidance on the current state of IT sales and leadership, makes Partnering with the CIO essential reading for competitive IT sales organizations.