selling business architecture · 2015-01-29 · selling business architecture jeff scott vp/...

Selling Business Architecture

Jeff Scott

VP/ Business & Technology Strategy

Twin Cities Business Architecture Forum

St. Paul, Minnesota

July 16th, 2013

Who is Accelare?

2 © 2013 Accelare. Proprietary and confidential. Do not copy.

Thought Leadership

Powerful Technology

Innovative Process

• Writer:

– Currently publish the blog: The Business

Architect

– Have written over 50 research reports and

articles for Forrester Research, Cutter

Consortium and others

• Speaker:

– Regularly speak at industry conferences,

universities, user groups, and companies on

the topics of strategy management, business

architecture, and organizational innovation

• Consultant & Mentor:

– Work with a small number of business

leaders and business architects to facilitate

their growth and success

Business

Architect

Advocate

Experts in strategy execution

6/13/2013

We have met the enemy. . .

3 © 2013 Accelare. Proprietary and confidential. Do not copy. 6/13/2013

. . . and he is us.

Business

Architecture

Business Case Selling business

architecture is hard work

. . . do the work!

You can’t sell unicorns



When selling, context is everything

6/13/2013

Selling business architecture is easy if:

6/13/2013 6 © 2013 Accelare. Proprietary and confidential. Do not copy.

• You have a collaborative

culture

• There is a focus on the

longer term future

• Creative ideas are highly

regarded

• Managers at all levels are

good leaders

The reality

• Business architecture is not a requirement for business success

• Business architecture is not even a best practice

• Business leaders don’t know what business architecture is

• Business leaders do not want a business architecture


Gartner’s Hype cycle

Selling is easy

6/13/2013

More reality

Attributes of easy to sell products:

1. Easy to understand

2. Proven value in other companies

3. Have associative (expert) value

4. Cost is well defined

5. The outcome is easily measured

6. The process is well understood


Business architecture is a hard sell

Attributes of hard to sell products:

1. Intangible

2. Have little or no market history

3. Have little associative value

4. Have uncertain cost

5. Difficult to measure value

6. Are new to the buyer

6/13/2013

Thinking shift #1: Business architecture is an innovation


The law of innovation diffusion

6/13/2013

Crossing the Chasm, Geoffrey Moore

Crossing the chasm is difficult

Early

Majority Laggards

Late Majority Early

Adopters

Innovators

Chasm

© 2013 Accelare. Proprietary and confidential. Do not copy. 10

You are here

x

6/13/2013

Thinking shift #2 Enterprise Business Architecture Isn’t . . .

6/13/2013 11 © 2013 Accelare. Proprietary and confidential. Do not copy.

Yogi Berra

“In theory, there is no

difference between theory and

practice. In practice there is.”

Thinking shift #3 Forget ROI


• Projects have ROIs –

organization’s don’t

• Startups are not sold on ROIs –

they are sold on potential

• You are looking for an

opportunity to prove yourself

• Generate momentum

• Create customer demand . . .

. . . and let demand

demonstrate value Be so good they can’t ignore you!

6/13/2013


Six steps to sell business architecture

6/13/2013

Step 1: Identify target customers

• Who will give you an opportunity?

• Do they have a well defined problem suitable for BA?

• Will their problem resonate with others?

• Will they be an advocate?


Stakeholders come in multiple forms

Investors Consumers

Beneficiaries

Partners Competitors

Keep in mind:

• The “enterprise” doesn’t care

• All customers are stakeholders, but all stakeholders are not customers

• Value is created through the consumer

6/13/2013

Step 2: Articulate a problem

• Describe the problem

• Do your research – uncover external corroborating evidence

• Find internal supporting data

• Create a compelling story


Keep in mind:

• Stories work better than data

• You want them to feel the problem

• Then give them the data

• You can sell solutions – you can’t sell theory, models, activities, or unicorns

• You are building a BA practice

6/13/2013

Step 3: Frame the opportunity

• Identify the scope

• Choose a target goal

• Create a cost/benefit ratio

• Set an aggressive timeframe


Keep in mind:

• Business executives work in short timeframes

• Use the data you found to ground your pitch

• Pick a target to set the anchor point

• Plan on negotiating the target

6/13/2013

Step 4: Describe the specific solution

• Describe the process – but not too much

• Identify needed resources

• Set multiple check points

• Clarify the risk


Keep in mind:

• You are proving you know what you are doing

• Small, temporary investments work best

• When risk = 0 anyone will buy

6/13/2013

Step 5: Make the pitch

• Match communication style

• Keep it short and simple

• Focus on opportunities

• Make a direct ask

• If you get a “no” ask for feedback – and a second chance

• If you get a “yes” quit selling 18 © 2013 Accelare. Proprietary and confidential. Do not copy.

Keep in mind:

• Small groups or one on one is best – it only takes 1 “no”

• If you have direct reports bought in, include them

• Questions are good

• An ask for more data is good

• Stay optimistic, be prepared for failure – and your next move

6/13/2013

Step 6: Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat

• Try again with the same audience

• Learn and move on to a new audience – down or across

• When successful, ask for help selling to others

• After enough repetition – sell the practice


Keep in mind:

• It is a chess game – this is your first move

• Anything but “never” is a maybe – try again

• Sometimes it is all about timing, not the idea

• Widely promote successes

6/13/2013

In Summary

• There are no silver bullets

• You can’t sell unicorns

• You are competing for money

• An approach that works:

– Think like a start up

– Create value for “clients”

– Build credibility

– Generate demand

– Be so good they can’t ignore you


Stay in touch

21

Jeff Scott

Email: [email protected] Phone: +1-704-275-1725

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/accelare

Web: www.accelare.com Twitter: @accelare

Subscribe to The Business Architect @ http://thebusinessarchitect.accelare.com/

© 2013 Accelare. Proprietary and confidential. Do not copy. 6/13/2013

Questions and discussion


selling business architecture · 2015-01-29 · selling business architecture jeff scott vp/...

Documents