A mostly dull day at Work.
Is SAP Pre Sales is an area which is pretty much superficial ?
Is the fact that it leads into development, installation. set up and customer interaction and project creation activities like the various phases such as preparation, fine tuning and creation, integration and Go Live a reality ?
Are pre sales consultants human beings who are expected to introduce their organizations by identifying potential leads alone ? Or do they even get more opportunistic and assume that this exercise eventually leads to a pre sales consultant having a had to play in further methodology and implementation.
Initially it is very easy when you just have to introduce a customer to a ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and the SAP Business by Design.
You have to just use common and communicative English and don't really worry about the complicated and accompanying jargon / technical terminology that is common when you are working with SAP.
Although you become accustomed to terms like the
a. Profit Center.
b. Cost Center.
c. Deferred Revenue.
d. Sales Organization.
e. Service Organization.
The scary part is the onset or coming of related business terminology that is relevant to business scenario creation. As a suggestion I think real time invention of terminology is extremely important though it is equally important to remember key terms that has resulted in successful business implementation and running.
I would like to start with, for example "Business Insight" - Employees discussing over the newspaper be it politics, technology or general know how.
"Stretching your imagination " - Indicating that you are trying too hard and you need to cool down.
"Unresponsive Data Source" - When an employee becomes unresponsive and difficult to manage.
"Pass the buck" - A web source not lacking clarity but crying out for customizing.
Then there is the phenomenon that cannot be explained which is obviously a phase which requires further introspection and study.
Then there comes the requirement where you start assessing business requirement and you respect it when your boss asks you to develop as per the requirement.
As a pre sales consultant it is easy from me to create strategies which will introduce potential customers to Enterprise Resource Planning. The challenge is taking up complex terminology and to be good at it. The use of it will impress the customer enabling the creation of an excellent and communicative environment conducive to business growth, a vital ingredient to help build relationships.
As an organization I know my company requires leads to generate revenue. The more the merrier is definitely the run of the mill.
Does one do a PhD on presales communication and therefore acquire clear cut and flamboyant convincing interpersonal soft skills or do you develop the same as you grow along with the organization ? these are the questions running in my mind. Can you still play coy when the time is ripe. The order of the day is that you cannot and should not.
Assuming that the flow of cash is purely market dependent how does one base assumptions, arrange grammar, work with intuition, develop customer skills, listen to your managers, maintain alertness to ensure the same.
Certainly these are the more important and critical questions, requiring the same level of expertise.
Now I must be certain and assume thereby accumulating customer confidence.
I remember as a kid having to deal with conflicting scenarios and create write up's. You did better once you started doing it more often. your confidence levels started growing. Well this was the start given to me right from school.
I now realize that working at a new organization is also the same. You learn. Rewards
I know are also based on how well you learn apart from dedication and sincerity which comes with love for the work that you do.
I also believe that pre sales is an art when you have successfully convinced the customer.
Getting the customer, explaining business scenarios, emphasizing on dignity, telling the truth about organizations currently running ERP and generating huge turnovers are definitely good illustrations to start with.
It is easy when you have generated a good rapport with customer in meetings. There now comes the opportunity to create more leads and build rapport and extend existing relationships.
When talking to a potential lead if I say Demand Planning it is important to answer who is going to be handling the process as well as educate the vendor on the same. To keep him informed on the process enables him the comfort of knowing when and how to conduct demand planning runs ensuring a good and beneficial yield as well as a view into when the particular process must be carried forth including the handling of the same and how to schedule the same - although demand planning as a term may suggest only demand planning.
Obviously, it is this intelligence that is going to make the difference ..............