Caution: Tough Road Ahead

2008 is emerging to be relatively difficult market conditions for selling tech, and it appears buyers are re-thinking 2008 spending. Seems IT buyers are cautious for a variety of factors. Off the top of my head... oil is approaching $100/barrel, US markets are in financial turmoil (and related sub-prime crisis), there is an unresolved and costly war in Iraq and a very nervous situation emerging in Iran, an election year with a wholly unimpressive and undifferientiated field, and a very weak US dollar... recession anyone?

What to do? Our five themes as we head into 2008 for emerging tech, media and telecom clients:

Focus - Use the 80/20 rule relentlessly - sales organization, customers, product development, cost structure, channel, etc.

Right-size - Align your cost structure with predicted revenues, communicate to your teams another mean season is just around the corner

Delivering - Make some tough choices organizationally who is delivering and who is not

Partnering - Parter 'big'; find larger partners with existing capabilities you envy to access new markets and new channels

Selling - Sell 'value' and 'ROI', get religion about it... Don't pay it lip service, do it!

 

Thoughts?

 

Author: Mark Zawacki