Eugene Klimaszewski, president of security services firm Mammoth Security, says that when IT leaders inundate colleagues with intricate technical details, they risk alienating nontechnical stakeholders.
“One of the most detrimental actions IT leaders can take to harm sales is overemphasizing technical jargon and complexity in their communication,” he warns. “Effective communication that translates technical concepts into tangible business outcomes is key to preventing this common pitfall.”
6. Strategize for efficiency and innovation
The most effective IT-sales partnerships thrive in a collaborative environment that prioritizes innovation and efficiency, says Bill Tennant, chief revenue officer at digital strategy and transformation company BlueCloud. “Overall, both teams thrive when IT and sales focus on effective communication and come together to achieve a shared goal.”
Tennant believes that collaboration should lead to processes and tools that will allow the sales team to become more efficient and less likely to chase after multiple business units for essential information. “Beyond this, enterprise sales teams also require flexibility and innovation, allowing them to move quickly and drive value to their customers.” Additionally, when IT collaborates by supporting both top-down and bottom-up sales needs, and alerting sales leaders to efficiency opportunities, it helps sales become more productive, he adds.
Here, the most sales-damaging action IT leaders can take is failing to prioritize effective communication, Tennant says. A communication breakdown can lead to inefficiencies that hamper both parties’ ability to fulfill enterprise goals, sending IT and sales teams in opposing directions, he warns. “When IT leaders focus on streamlining processes without aligning their efforts with the sales team’s needs, it can disrupt workflows, create confusion, and waste valuable resources, ultimately hindering overall enterprise performance.”
7. Leverage promising new technologies — responsibly
Sophisticated new technologies arrive regularly, and many of these tools can be used to improve sales. It’s up to IT to spot potential sales-boosting tools and bring them to the sales leader for study and evaluation.
Jackson Enterprise Technology’s Vashisht believes that AI, and generative AI in particular, provide great promise for sales and marketing applications. An AI sales automation tool, for example, can be designed to analyze large datasets and make market predictions. Vashisht believes that sales departments that fail to take advantage of powerful new technologies are destined to fall behind the competition. Yet he also advises proceeding with caution. “Any new technology should be implemented in close collaboration, making IT and sales equal partners in the decision-making process,” he says.
While a strong advocate of promising new technologies, Vashisht warns that a tool that’s too complicated, or that’s poorly integrated into an existing process, can easily backfire. “It’s critical for technology and sales partners to effectively communicate their insights.”
8. Be responsive
Sales teams are, by their nature, highly responsive, fast-paced organizations. Team members must accurately answer customer questions as soon as possible or risk losing sales. When it comes to technical issues, sales teams should be able to collect the necessary information quickly and accurately from knowledgeable IT team members.
“In this type of situation, quick responses from the technology team means more satisfaction and trust on the customer side,” says Reycan Cetin, growth manager at document, identity, biometric verification and authentication company Techsign.
To build a tighter relationship between IT and sales, Cetin advises scheduling regular meetings designed to increase awareness about general enterprise activities and goals. He believes that periodic meetings, held every few months by the department leaders, is not only useful for helping sales and IT teams work together more efficiently and effectively, but also creates a collective awareness about overall enterprise goals.
