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Seven Greatest Ideas for Helping a Business Customer to Buy Wisely • 63

Step 1 - Establish the objectives of the project within thecompany's
business strategy

Many projects have as their starting point a strategic objective of the company.
Indeed, if you look at the way banks have implemented their IT systems, you will
find that they have followed the rule of maintaining competitiveness by keeping
abreast of new technology developments. From the seller's point of view this 'me
too' strategy is a fortuitous starting point.

It is likely, however, that an overall strategic reason for buying will not be suffi-
cient on its own, and managers will have to back it up with a solid tactical or busi-
ness case. It is also important that investment projects support the other key busi-
ness strategies such as product or marketing strategies. This is the first hurdle over
which any proposal must jump. In other words, you must connect the benefits of
the products you are selling to these high-level policies. Notice how already wehave
moved to the customer's point of view. A benefit is only a benefit if the customer has
agreed it to be so.

Step 2 - Involve the management and staff who will have their jobs
changed as a result of the project

The only certainty about any capital investment is that the jobs of some people are
going to change. Most large organisations are getting better at managing such change.
There are, however, still some, along with many smaller businesses, who handle this
part of the process at best insufficiently and at worst with a lack of sensitivity. This
imperils the success of the project.

Do not confuse this stage with training. It is helping the people involved to
understand the benefits of change to their company, their customers and them-
selves. Sometimes managers deliberately keep the approaching change secret from
staff, only to be mugged by them when the change has to be implemented. I worked