Startup CXO

Chapter 77Building Your Influence in Business Development

Outbound

Some businesses generate 100% of their sales from their own sales efforts. Other businesses have no individual salespeople at all and rely solely on channels to sell for them (think Intel). In technology markets other than hardware, it's likely that a company uses a combination of the two and the choice of channel (internal or external) depends on whether your solution is a primary platform versus an add‐on solution. At the end of the day, it is imperative that companies understand the market that they are selling to and who else in the ecosystem is selling to the same customers. This information—what's going on in the ecosystem—is something that a CBDO needs to have at their fingertips because, frankly, you're the only one in the company who will be able to get reliable data. If you (your company) decide to pursue sales through outside organizations, then the worst thing you can do is let this decision be made by a silo within your company. Instead, make sure the entire organization is aware of this possibility and that they know of the potential consequences.

At least three functional areas within your company will be impacted by external sales organizations selling your solution. First, the sales team needs to understand that prospects will now have more than one way to procure their solutions. They need to know the Rules of Engagement when both you and your partner are selling to the same target. I mentioned ...