The Digital ’game’ of IT vendors is played in the Cloud

Digital transformation (DX) is intensifying in the business world. The sheer volume and pace of technological change already occurring is pressing companies to introduce new digital capabilities so they can address the emerging challenges they are facing. Early adopters have an opportunity to make a major impact, while those who are slow to make the digital move will see their operations disrupted – whether they like it or not.

What does digital transformation really mean though? True change is not just about incorporating new technologies that your teams can use to digitize old processes. Shifting towards a digital-first approach requires undergoing a comprehensive enterprise transformation which puts digital at the core of every functional business area, every person, and every process. In a way, it’s a complete metamorphosis, a profound change of culture, leadership and willingness to question the status quo of the company.

If you’re a new-born firm, start-up or a spinoff, it’s highly likely you are already swimming the digital waters and doing it with style. If, on the other hand, you’ve been around for some time now and you rely on processes and methodologies which are becoming obsolete, making the whole organization swim front crawl in sync without drowning could turn out to be a real challenge.

This is where the advantages of wholeheartedly embracing the Cloud plays a major role.

How client organizations perceive this shift

For companies born in the Cloud and those trying to catch up, using new IT models is fundamental to achieving their digital transformation goals. By increasing its adoption, modern business initiatives can be implemented more rapidly while decreasing costs and reducing some of the risks associated with innovation. No matter what sector your customers are in, the Digital-Cloud tandem is the way towards creating a tangible competitive advantage for the future.

Companies put in a lot of effort aimed at improving and achieving their digitalization goals. Choosing the right Cloud solution typically implies going through a steep learning curve in which many company stakeholders are directly involved. It’s a fairly complex process, making the implementation of any changes easier said than done. However, if they are at the stage of recognizing the power of the Cloud as the path towards digital transformation, it will already be a huge step forward. When that barrier is gone and a “digital-friendly” leadership is willing to embark on the transformation journey, companies can focus on understanding what is most important for them and how to approach their transition strategy effectively.

Cloud sales as a revenue accelerator for IT vendors

If you are on the other side of the equation and are selling IT services, transforming your business by making the digital move is your opportunity to respond to the market evolution and the changing needs of your existing and future customers. When looking at growth rates or target achievement throughout the industry, the same picture is typically found: traditional IT sales are on a downfall and a growing number of IT vendors are already reinventing their business to travel the digital journey, taking on the Cloud to raise their profile above the pack.

Cloud sales have become a revenue accelerator for service providers. However, this involves changing the overall value proposition and the sales approach, which isn’t easy. When a company has a great portfolio of Cloud solutions in its hands, it needs to learn how to produce real sales growth out of it to accelerate revenue. For your company to get there, it shouldn’t be omitted in your preparations. Have your sales team do more specialized ongoing training, be proactive to become an industry expert and start incorporating Cloud-related topics in your “traditional” sales conversations. Many of your clients and prospects are eager to learn more about how the Cloud can help them.

With unlimited and dynamic IT resources from the Cloud, enterprises literally expand their options to respond quickly to changing market conditions. This also forces them to rethink the way their IT is organized and to consider what to do with their legacy solutions. Change comes with many questions to be asked and even if they know what they want to achieve, they don’t quite know how to get to that point.

If you give them a valuable solution that helps them transform their IT model, they’ll invest in it.

Offering business value with the right Cloud solution

In Cloud sales, finding the right solution to meet a customer’s needs should be the top priority. Instead of coming to prospective buyers with a written agenda of what to sell, you will get more out of the transaction if you understand your customers’ business inside out, their context and the pain points they feel in each and every specific case. That will help you identify the solution that perfectly fits their needs, preparing them for their journey into the Cloud.

From that starting point, you will also be able to build a worthwhile relationship with your prospect. Making the shift to Cloud-first could turn out to be a difficult and lengthy process, so if you position yourself as a trusted advisor who is able to explain the value they get from what you are selling, over a period of time you will be able to find additional opportunities to build on and provide more complex/new solutions that help them move forward on their way to digitalization.

Microsoft is leading the way to make it easier to drive digital transformation throughout organizations. At its annual Microsoft Ignite conference on September 26th, Microsoft Corp. announced new products and services addressing security, productivity, intelligence and the Azure Cloud.

Stay up-to-date with the most relevant changes and improvements that empower enterprise IT and keep on building your knowledge with specialized sales training to gain a competitive edge!