The job of a sales manager is a challenging one. One of the biggest challenges that they face is how to keep a team of sellers motivated and producing quality results. Some of the best ways to make salespeople more productive don't include spending a fortune or sending them through another training class. A few [...]
The 7 most important stages of the sales process are: Preparation & Research Prospecting Needs Assessment (Discovery) Pitch/Presentation Objection Handling Closing Follow-Ups, Repeat Business & Referrals Sometimes, these stages differ, though. Different industries and even similar businesses may use five or nine steps instead. Each step in a sales process may consist of several separate [...]
The latest trends in digital transformation for next year reflect some particularly hard won lessons from the past few years, on both the business and technology sides. It's worthwhile taking the time to understand how these insights came about, as organizations earlier in the journey can avoid making many of the same painful, expensive, and [...]
With the rise of technology, it would seem that time spent developing "hard skills" would be useful. It's easy to think that future-proofing your sales career would come from product knowledge and getting the latest industry certifications. Likewise, learning the ins-and-outs of AI, CRM platforms, and marketing automation stacks seems an obvious place to focus [...]
What can you do to give your digital transformation the best chance of succeeding? Experts point to a few critical pieces of the puzzle, such as changing the culture of IT, identifying and convincing stakeholders across the business, and connecting transformation to a meaningful vision for the company. We know the possibilities of digital technologies [...]
By the end of 2019, Forrester predicts that 40% of enterprises will have automation centers and frameworks in place as they try to find the best way to structure their technology and workflows. With process automation being so central to the next phase of digital transformation for so many businesses, now is the time to [...]
The global telecoms industry is going through a state of flux. New technologies are disrupting the traditional players, and new competition is emerging. To a large extent, telecoms operators have not yet been able to find ways to monetise the data deluge flooding their networks and have struggled to reinvest in network upgrades as a [...]
Cloud is the strategic platform for innovation in digital business. Application leaders facing decisions on application architecture and platform infrastructure must understand the key trends in, and embrace, PaaS to maximize their business agility. Overview Key Findings Platform capabilities are now at the center of cloud innovation. More users deploy strategic business applications across IaaS, [...]
Summary IoT is one of the most disruptive trends in IT over the past 10 years, and more disruptions await. CIOs planning ahead of the curve can benefit from the disruptive nature of IoT and avoid falling victim to unforeseen market changes wrought by IoT disruptions. Overview Key Findings IoT is approaching the transformation level [...]
Eighty five per cent of global banks cite the implementation of a digital transformation programme as a business priority for 2018, according to a new EY report. Investment in technology in order to drive efficiency, manage evolving risks and benefit from growth opportunities is seen by banks as critical for sustainable success, found the Global [...]
1. Cloud Computing Companies will significantly increase their functional capabilities in IT segments and other key process areas with better management of client’s problems and requirements. No doubt, there will be a massive workload for the consultants in the coming months across the globe. In 2015, Markets predicted that the industry of cloud computing, which is [...]
To IT buyers, strategic partners are vendors that have gone beyond effective delivery of systems and services to become consistently transparent, responsive and trusted collaborators in creating value for the enterprise. Vendors that do not meet this mark face commoditization and, ultimately, become an afterthought at renewal time — while competing primarily on price in [...]
The ICT Outsourcing market is changing, here are some of the key points: 1. Result-oriented Approach Gone are the days when by just lowering your quote you could win deals. To gain a long term edge over their competitors buyers are now looking at a better quality of service rather than seeking primarily cost [...]
A global giant engaged an independent Integrator to help address the challenge of integrating the network of a new acquisition. Because an agreement with an incumbent service provider for network services through a single-source relationship was nearing expiration, the client wanted to assess sourcing options as well as trends and best practices for network management [...]
ICT outsourcing has evolved considerably over the last 20 years. From immature service management processes, the focus has now shifted towards a more virtualised and geographically defined service with a more coordinated organisational retained function, to manage multiple ICT providers. In order to deliver consistent and quality IT service in today’s globalised multi vendor outsourcing [...]
CIO.com again asked outsourcing observers to peer into their crystal balls. And if they're right, 2015 could be the year IT outsourcing gets business-focused, customers embrace standardization, sourcing decisions become fact-based, and the age-old RFP process gets some real competition. Read more here..
Almost half of respondents in KPMs 2014 cloud computing survey are using cloud to drive cost efficiencies, with a similar number utilising it to better enable their mobile workforce. The study, of 500 global C-suite executives, saw a variety of ways in which businesses are using cloud to drive business transformation. Aside from cost savings [...]
[goldmansachs.com] The Internet of Things (IoT) is emerging as the third wave in the development of the Internet. The 1990 fixed Internet wave connected 1 billion users while the 2000 mobile wave connected another 2 billion. The IoT has the potential to connect 10X as many (28 billion) things to the Internet by 2020, ranging [...]
IT spending is on the rise, with companies on average spending more than 5 percent of revenues on IT (up from about 3 percent from just a few years ago). Largely as a result of that investment, IT is becoming more strategic and more complex. While at the same time CEOs are complaining that CIOs [...]
Ever wondered how IoT would look as an image? See it here ...
Computerworld's annual Forecast survey of IT executives shows that IT budgets are indeed continuing to make a nice recovery. Some 43% of the 194 respondents said that they expect their IT budgets to increase. That's up from 36% in last year's study. This year's average anticipated uptick is 13.1%, and overall, the expected changes in [...]
What are the top emerging technologies and trends that should be on your watch list or in your test lab? Computerworld asked IT leaders, consultants and industry analysts to weigh in. Here's their list. Read more here..
[IBM.com] CSPs (Communication Service Providers) should see big data as a crucial window of opportunity. Telecommunications is an industry poised to be at the forefront of the big-data wave, using big data analytics as a differentiator today and, eventually, as a most valuable core capability. Read more here..
Pace Harmon (paceharmon.com) offers the following guidance at BPO contract renewal time: Start Early Begin contract evaluations 12-18 months prior to their renewal or expiration date to reassess objectives, strategy and overall performance expectations to ensure enough time for evaluating alternative delivery approaches and providers. Identify contract gaps and document improvement opportunities. Develop a recommended framework [...]
Big IT service providers are offering up their skills as service integrators, promising to help CIOs reign in their multi-sourcing messes. But can this "fox watching the henhouse" model really work? Read more here..
Cybercrime is on the rise. In fact, the risks and costs of cybercrime continue to increase each year. Don't be one of the many organizations naively clinging to the belief that a breach won't happen to them. As an IT professional, you need to take active steps to reduce the risk of cybercrime to your [...]
Mobility and bring-your-own device (BYOD) are transforming the way people work and the way organizations support them. There's more to mobility than simply enabling remote access and mobile devices are far more than limited-use gadgets. Capable of accessing, storing and transmitting applications and data like traditional computers, smartphones and tablets can be used for almost [...]
[Gartner.com] Key findings from the Gartner IT Key Metrics Data research report show: Of 19 industries, only five saw an increase in IT spend as a percentage of revenue. Software Publishing and Internet Services (6.7%) and Banking and Financial Services (6.3%) top the spend list. In the middle: Pharmaceuticals, Life Sciences and Medical Products (3.2%), [...]
[CIO.com] Top three tips for negotiating a more collaborative outsourcing agreement? First, adopt a 'what's in it for we' mindset based on trust, transparency and compatibility. Next, recognize that creating a collaborative outsourcing agreement is a process that takes work and commitment, especially if you a seeking an innovative strategic partnership. You'll need to abide [...]
[KPMG] Almost all C-suite executives at large enterprises believe data and analytics (D&A) are important to their business, but most are struggling to become data-driven businesses -- and more than half say they don't even know what data to collect. The truth is that most business leaders are not yet able to visualize or contextualize [...]
[IDG] IoT will drive greater adoption of big data and analytics to source and store large quantities of data generated by connected devices and make sense of it for real-time decision-making. In 2014, IDC expects horizontal IoT solutions and data analytics to drive adoption of IoT beyond the consumer market to meaningful enterprise scenarios. Partnerships [...]
At the 2014 CES, the Cisco CEO presented some of what Cisco's vision for Internet of Everything (IoE) are, and it entailed some very interesting ideas. Whether it's watching live and on-demand video on any device, receive contextual content and advertising on second screens, Smart Street Lighting, Catching thieves through your connected home or Avoiding [...]
Think Customer First - let's make 2014 the year of Excellent Customer Service! We all understand that superior customer service is critical to our business and that the quality of our customer experience can have a dramatic impact either positively or negatively. And the whole company´s responsibility is to deliver exactly that. Customer service is [...]
[CIO.com] The cloud is no longer an "if" for many businesses, it's a given, says Tony DiBenedetto, founder of technology services provider and cloud solutions specialists Tribridge. Most businesses already work in the cloud, or store data there, or deploy applications from the cloud, he says, and as a result the cloud will be the [...]
[Gartner.com] This is an important number, demonstrating a real objective to adopt the latest systems. The fact that more than half of respondents are looking at new ways to use data, and investigating new data science initiatives, will mean a massive boost for industry growth. However, according to the survey, organizations struggle most with understanding [...]
[ISG] Sourcing strategies continue to evolve in response to changing business requirements. The traditional RFP (Request for Proposal) has been an effective tool in enabling competitive pricing and efficient oversight of service delivery. But as client organizations mature and their approaches to sourcing become increasingly sophisticated and ambitious, new models are needed to allow for [...]
The 3rd Annual Future of Cloud Computing Survey, sponsored by North Bridge Venture Partners and GigaOM Research, is the industry’s broadest survey. In five years, more than three-quarters (76 percent) of respondents expect hybrid clouds to be the core of their cloud strategies overtaking public and private clouds The fastest growth today is in IaaS, [...]
Multi-sourced IT operating environments are entering the mainstream as clients leverage best-of-breed capabilities and match highly specialized service providers to specific business requirements. While the potential benefits are significant, managing a team of multiple providers in a complex operation is easier said than done. Read more here..
(Forbes/McKinsey) Data on its own, is nothing more than 1s and 0s. The companies that succeed today do three things well: 1. Use analytics to identify valuable opportunities. 2. Start with the consumer decision journey. 3. Keep it fast and simple. This goldmine of data is a pivot-point moment for marketing and sales leaders. Read [...]
As companies seek to move more of their spending from operations or running the business (currently around two-thirds of the average IT budget) to new projects and innovation, they are embracing the as-a-service model. Limited IT Outsourcing Growth and Increased Volatility is what we will see in the future, according to Gartner. Read more here...
In this presentation, McKinsey talks about the massive shift happening in customer experience today from moments of truth to customer journeys. Customer journeys are a discreet set of interactions a customer has with a brand to accomplish a task. Just think about all the ways you interact with a cable company when you’re setting up [...]
With a top-down view and bottom-up technology capability, IT can quickly and reliably respond to the changing needs of the business with optimized yet highly standardized solutions. With ITaaS, technology solutions can be deployed as needed, when needed, and bill only for what is used. This allows IT to be a strategic enabler of the [...]
Datacenters can be Key Barrier to Innovation [IDC Study] Unfortunately, problems in the datacenter are limiting effective use of datacenter capacity. Eighty-four percent of IT and facilities executives in this study reported that they had one or more incidents in which datacenter facilities constraints in power, space, or cooling or asset management problems or uptime issues negatively [...]
[Internet.com] Can Your Systems Ever Be Completely Secure? The answer to this question has to be "no." That’s because it’s not possible to know what previously unknown vulnerabilities may be discovered in your systems and the software that you run. The question that you can try to answer is "How easily could my systems be [...]
If business-relevant information is not well managed, secured and analyzed, it can become an underutilized asset or ”worst case”a legal and competitive liability. Nearly all of the IT and business executives who responded to a recent survey recognize this risk, and say they understand the importance of having an enterprise information management (EIM) strategy. Even [...]
A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part 1. Where there's a will, I want to be in it. 2. Since light travels faster than sound, [...]
[Ventana Research] The proper use of technology enables businesses to be more efficient. Our recent research into technology for business innovation found that 56 percent indicate innovative technology is very important, yet only 9 percent are very satisfied with theirs, showing plenty of room for improvement. As we enter 2013, businesses have more choices than [...]
Spectacular startup success often becomes a game about scouting and recruiting. A common mistake entrepreneurs make is recruiting team members early on simply because they look the part. In the long run, it doesn't matter if on paper, someone's perfect. You want people that can actually do the job. That VP of Sales candidate that [...]
The security community spends a lot of time worrying over the hidden costs of compliance and risk management programs--but what about the hidden returns? Creative technology executives can often find ways to gain far more value beyond risk mitigation or regulatory conformance from the monitoring and policy enforcement technology and procedures they put in place [...]
As western companies analyze their costs and commitments in light of outsourcing and overseas companies determine their focus and security offerings, it is clear that outsourcing could undergo some significant shifts in 2013. In addition, outside factors such as economic trends and transportation costs could force the hands of some outsourcing firms and businesses in [...]
With 2012 just about behind us, it’s worth looking at the top ten things we (Panorama)  think will transpire in the global ERP industry in 2013. Here are just a few highlights from the past year: The U.S. Air Force pulled the plug on its $1 billion ERP implementation Several other high-profile failures and lawsuits [...]
IT chiefs find that domestic outsourcing (as opposed to offshoring) is becoming more attractive as it delivers advantages such as agility, speed and innovation Read more here ...
Although this is not a completely fresh report, I think it's still valid in many important aspects: to understand how innovation can be realized from outsourcing engagements. While innovation has been explored and prized within businesses for decades, it is a relatively new topic in the context of outsourcing. And as such, the perceptions what [...]
The amount of data in the world doubles every 18 months. Here's a look at eight real-world big data deployments in a variety of industries. Read more here..
ORLANDO, Fla., October 23, 2012— Gartner, Inc. today highlighted the top 10 technologies and trends that will be strategic for most organizations in 2013. Analysts presented their findings during Gartner Symposium/ITxpo, being held here through October 25. Read more here ...
A 2012 Gartner survey on 419 organizations in Europe and the Americas reveals growing alignment between business competitive drivers and sourcing strategies. Actual drivers, frequency of update and results show how businesses, CIOs and sourcing managers are increasingly in alignment. Impacts Sourcing strategies from 2012 onward must deliver competitiveness improvements and cost control, forcing CIOs [...]
Many organizations are employing outsourcing in more, often-higher-level functions, according to Deloitte's 2012 Global Outsourcing and Insourcing Survey, despite an association with the politically charged issue of offshoring, which could hamper outsourcing's use. The survey also produced insights on ways organizations can achieve higher levels of satisfaction and savings from outsourcing. Click to read more [...]
In 2011, the IT outsourcing industry was marked by smaller deals, leery customers, profit-squeezed IT service providers and a lot of cloud computing talk. Much of that could continue next year, but as our 12 predictions for 2012 indicate, you can expect some new IT outsourcing developments--maybe even a few firsts. Read more here ...
