IT Sales in SME(Manufaturing Sectors) in INDIA - A Bridge Half Done

I wonder if IT sales has to be considered under Concept Selling, with No tangible Product in Hand, it is a challenge to convince buyers that they are not paying for just CDs but for the technology that is going to make their life Easier. It is obvious for an Business Owner typically to imagine investing crores in a 150 ton machine which one can see, than investing just lakhs in Software which appears as a bunch of CDs.

This brings us to another grave issue - "Piracy", Piracy in positive view point is an acceptance ofthe Manufacturing community on the utility of the Software Solution in making their task easier, but given the price attached to different Solutions, we are alway at war with those who are involved.

Another Issue is concept of Licensing, If an company invests some 'x' amount in software Solution, it believes it has bought the software for lifetime, where as it is just licensed to them for certain period of Time, and they are under obligation to pay the recuuring License fees every year, which is commonly termed by many of IT sales orgainsation as "Annual Maintenance Contract".

Though Globalisation has impacted the sales of IT Software Solution in Local Manufacturing Companies by inducing constraints such as Supplier Integration, Audits, and other quality practices, it is still a Bridge Half done. The real achievement is to alter the mindset of these companies and bring them to realise the power of Technology in making life easier.

Regards

Amit Gupta