The Importance of Customer Implementation in the Sales Process
Introduction
In the world of B2B tech companies, the journey of project delivery begins the moment the sales team engages with a potential customer. While product development and sales understandably receive the lion's share of attention and energy during the launch of a new solution, it is crucial not to neglect the significance of customer implementation and post-sale delivery.
Customer Implementation: Often Overlooked
Once the product solution is sold, the focus often shifts entirely towards customer delivery, as if starting from day one again. Product and development teams find themselves shouldering multiple responsibilities, acting as customer program and success managers, as well as providing tier 1 tech support. Sales teams, on the other hand, step into the role of executive sponsors, handling crisis management caused by the lack of proper deployment expectations set during the sales process. Customer-facing teams can feel left out, without any context until contracts are signed, forcing them to bear the weight of implementation success.
The Reality: Customer Implementation can be Time-Consuming
Ideally, every organization would have an expert professional services team and a comprehensive customer implementation playbook from day one. However, building these capabilities takes time. Balancing the support provided to each group within the organization is crucial, as there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The level of complexity in the setup process, product configuration, need for third-party integrations, and involvement of customer teams can vary widely. In some cases, all hands on deck may be required for a successful customer implementation.
The Solution: Seizing Opportunities during the Sales Process
Fortunately, there are ways to address these challenges that don't require a significant amount of effort but can yield significant impacts. These actions can be initiated during the sales process:
Identify and commit executive sponsors: Executive sponsors play a crucial role as owners of the program's outcomes and success. They are the ultimate decision-makers who can set proper expectations for the implementation process.
Set the stage for customer responsibility: By identifying a customer executive sponsor and program manager and including their names in the sales contract, you establish their roles and responsibilities upfront.
Create a program charter: For larger-scale implementations, a program charter is invaluable. It helps define the solution vision, implementation phases, and key decision-makers, both for approving the sale and delivering successful outcomes. A meticulously crafted program charter establishes the necessary context, onboards stakeholders, and memorializes key decisions to prevent future rework.
Build internal cross-functional relationships: Foster collaboration between sales and delivery teams by assigning an internal customer implementation lead for each sales prospect. This individual's role is to deeply understand the prospect, their potential solution, timelines, goals, and assist the sales lead throughout the process.
Develop a preliminary project plan: Creating a project plan for the customer solution early on is crucial. It helps identify any potential delivery risks, builds institutional knowledge within the organization, and instills confidence in the sales lead.
By taking advantage of these opportunities during the sales process, you can lay a strong foundation for successful customer implementation. This approach minimizes obstacles and ensures a smoother transition from sales to delivery, positioning your business as a strategic partner committed to helping clients succeed.
