Marketing Tool

The main focus of Why New Systems Fail is the client: CIOs, VPs, company presidents, executives, project managers, and implementation team members. However, value added resellers (VARs), software vendors, and consultancies will also find the book’s content valuable, applicable, and well-suited for marketing and business development purposes.

What makes “Why New Systems Fail” different, timely, and valuable?

• It contains eight detailed case studies with lessons learned and many more practical examples, both of which help sell software and services. According to Scott Vaughan, VP of Marketing at TechWeb, case studies with lessons learned are more likely to result in sales of software and consulting services.

• Case studies are very helpful when provided by technology provider, especially when they are written by third party (trusted analysts, media, etc.). Case studies should include all of the following elements wherever possible: business goal, the stakeholders involved, overview of client process and/or timeline, technology architectural approach, options that were evaluated, technology deployed, and business outcomes. Lead with vertical market wherever possible. Also, lessons learned are the most valuable. This is taking a case study discussed above and adding a couple of important elements. Click here for original citation.

• The book addresses every major topic related to enterprise systems. What does this mean for your organization? Quite simply, the book’s breadth of topics means that your organization can tailor specific marketing campaigns to different audiences. Consider the example of enterprise reporting, an area with which many organizations struggle. If your organization sells a reporting tool and related consulting services, then sending the book along with a targeted letter referencing Chapter 14 will increase visibility of reporting as a challenge for your clients and prospective clients—a challenge that your firm can address.
• The book is tier-, vendor- and industry-agnostic. If utilized as a strategic marketing tool, its insights would provide your prospective and existing client bases with much more value than traditional sales and marketing brochures. In other words, the book confers objectivity, as it is written by an independent with no inherent biases towards one application.
• Other books on enterprise systems are much more expensive, dated, and/or out of print. Because of the book’s content and recent publication date (February, 2009), you can be assured that you are sending your client base a contemporary text that accounts for the latest trends in the software industry.

Marketing Campaigns

• Prospective Clients – Many prospective clients may not understand that systems are relative in nature. In fact, one of the book’s central tenets is that there is no one “best” system. Yes, new systems are often cumbersome and costly to implement.  However, they are not destined for failure and can be implemented on time and under budget. For new clients, the right software selected and implemented by the right consultants stands a far better chance of meeting its budget and date objectives.

• Existing Clients – For clients with a system already in place, the book details many of the risks that cause ostensibly stable and well-performing systems to show cracks. A busy VP or CIO may only read a few chapters of the book, but the content could very well spur action related to system optimization. Ultimately, your clients are more likely to call your organization about purchasing additional software and services.

In either case, by following the advice dispensed in the book, organizations’ IT projects can be successful. Coupled with an introductory letter tailored to the specific needs your client base, the book can be extremely effective in galvanizing interest in products and services. An order of 100 books for roughly $1,400, for example, may result in a single sale of software or services, thus more than paying for itself.

Tool for Existing Implementation Consultants

The book can be used as a training and development tool for both functional and technical implementation consultants. Newly hired consultants who read the book will be exposed to the major issues that they will face during the implementation of enterprise systems. Knowledge of these issues will increase their likelihood of avoiding many of the mistakes typically made during IT projects.

Conferences and User Groups

At many events at which vendors and consulting firms present, giveaways are often confined to mugs, pens, and the like. Your organization can distinguish itself from the rest by providing clients with something of value. The book espouses best practices and keen insight on topics such as system selection, reporting, support, and consulting arrangements. These are the very topics that interest your clients!

Convinced?

Contact me to order bulk quantities of the book or ask me additional questions.