There is an interesting discussion taking place on LinkedIn amongst CIOs on how annoying sales calls from technology vendors can be.
The fact that this is a significant issue for CIOs tarnishes the reputation of the IT industry. It also creates tension between the IT function and the vendors, which in turn leads to a dampening of the potential business value of the associated services.
My suggestion, based on the work I do with vendors in this respect is:
- Recruit sales staff that are relationship builders rather than order takers
- Create management KPIs that encourage relationship building rather than end of quarter harassment.
The macho sales guy who enjoys smashing down doors and selling people stuff they don’t want or need is a somewhat Jurassic relic that needs to be decommissioned immediately.


