Conquering Dragons: How Technical Founders Learn Enterprise Sales
Summary
This article shares insights from six DevOps founders on how they navigated their first enterprise sales. Key takeaways include: * **Customer Acquisition:** Strategies involve leveraging open-source communities, category creation, and personal/investor networks. * **Sales Process:** Expect a 4-12 month sales cycle with multiple stakeholders. Founders should initially lead sales to deeply understand customer needs. * **Key Relationships:** Success hinges on making the architect successful, as they are crucial influencers. * **Procurement & Customization:** Be prepared for procurement negotiations and bespoke feature requests, balancing customer needs with resource limitations. * **Closing:** Develop a clear closing plan and maintain high-touch customer relationships. * **Remote Selling:** Adapt go-to-market strategies for virtual environments, focusing on clear ROI and empathetic engagement.