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We think that the traditional enterprise sales model is dead. And we don't necessarily think that your analogy is always true – see self-pick farms where end us

by k1w1 13y ago

We think that the traditional enterprise sales model is dead. And we don't necessarily think that your analogy is always true – see self-pick farms where end users come and choose the produce that they want. There are numerous examples of this as well now in the world of software — see Atlassian, 37signals, Palantir as good examples. Maybe it's just that we should not think about these disciplines so differently. We could probably all agree on that.

dataisfun 13y ago
The whole Palantir no sales people mantra is kind of not true. You don't sell 7 or 8 figure deals without a sales cycle/process. Also, yes, there are some businesses where aggressive sales aren't that important. But most companies want to move up into the larger deal size at some point...at which point you definitely need a sales person. So let's cut the BS about sales people being less or more important than any other function in the company. It's so tiring.
- k1w1 13y ago
  What Palantir is doing (at least in the way they talk about it publicly) seems to be more about the mentality than anything else. If you consider that everyone in the company who touches the customer is responsible for selling then you can change the culture of how you sell. For example, I see customer support as the most important aspect of sales now for SaaS companies. It is likely to be the first, and one of the most common, touch points for any customer. So getting the customer support team to realize they are selling too is crucial to success.
erikj54 13y ago
If you have money and resources, sure perhaps the sales cycle in Enterprise is dead. The part I think is missing from this article is that rarely are systems this simple. Most Enterprise level systems require some sort of "integration" where there are several moving parts. A good salesmen is able to pitch why your product, or company can perform this. Perhaps Atlassian has enough momentum now to not need a salesforce, but what about smaller companies that are trying to get customers? How do you convince them to buy a product that is still in development? Your article speaks to features specifically-- I've seen first hand a good sales person can portray a positive story that makes users gloss over missing "must-haves" and trust your team can deliver these as part of a project.
dworin 13y ago
Self pick farms are in a different business - they sell people (usually families with kids) the opportunity to spend a day outside pretending to be a farmer, they aren't a substitute for agriculture. They're amusement parks, not functional agriculture. It's like saying the restaurant business is dead because there are cooking classes. The enterprise sales model is still alive and kicking for big contracts, especially in large organizations (enterprises). It just doesn't apply to products that are so cheap that procurement departments don't pay attention to them. Atlassian and Palantir both have sales forces, even if it's not what they call it - even Fog Creek, which was a sort of anti-Atlassian for a long time, has a sales force. When customers write BIG checks, they want someone on the other end to answer questions, help them find the right solution, and assuage their fears.

by k1w1 13y ago

dataisfun 13y ago

The whole Palantir no sales people mantra is kind of not true. You don't sell 7 or 8 figure deals without a sales cycle/process. Also, yes, there are some businesses where aggressive sales aren't that important. But most companies want to move up into the larger deal size at some point...at which point you definitely need a sales person. So let's cut the BS about sales people being less or more important than any other function in the company. It's so tiring.

k1w1 13y ago
What Palantir is doing (at least in the way they talk about it publicly) seems to be more about the mentality than anything else. If you consider that everyone in the company who touches the customer is responsible for selling then you can change the culture of how you sell. For example, I see customer support as the most important aspect of sales now for SaaS companies. It is likely to be the first, and one of the most common, touch points for any customer. So getting the customer support team to realize they are selling too is crucial to success.

erikj54 13y ago

If you have money and resources, sure perhaps the sales cycle in Enterprise is dead. The part I think is missing from this article is that rarely are systems this simple. Most Enterprise level systems require some sort of "integration" where there are several moving parts. A good salesmen is able to pitch why your product, or company can perform this. Perhaps Atlassian has enough momentum now to not need a salesforce, but what about smaller companies that are trying to get customers? How do you convince them to buy a product that is still in development? Your article speaks to features specifically-- I've seen first hand a good sales person can portray a positive story that makes users gloss over missing "must-haves" and trust your team can deliver these as part of a project.

dworin 13y ago

Self pick farms are in a different business - they sell people (usually families with kids) the opportunity to spend a day outside pretending to be a farmer, they aren't a substitute for agriculture. They're amusement parks, not functional agriculture. It's like saying the restaurant business is dead because there are cooking classes. The enterprise sales model is still alive and kicking for big contracts, especially in large organizations (enterprises). It just doesn't apply to products that are so cheap that procurement departments don't pay attention to them. Atlassian and Palantir both have sales forces, even if it's not what they call it - even Fog Creek, which was a sort of anti-Atlassian for a long time, has a sales force. When customers write BIG checks, they want someone on the other end to answer questions, help them find the right solution, and assuage their fears.