Pre-sales consultant at Internet Solutions

Job description

Position Summary and Primary Objectives

The primary objective of the Presales Consultant is to promote solutions and services in such a way that is accessible by different stakeholders with different levels of technical expertise. They demonstrate capability and experience as a product specialist – thereby creating more depth in current client accounts, and identifying opportunities for new accounts.

They are experts in products, although have a broad level of knowledge across multiple different solutions areas (domains). Displays an excellent level of industry knowledge, combined with commercial acumen, business strategy skills, and knowledge of sourcing models and market trends as well as in-depth understanding of the client’s business. This role is a regional based role and reports to the Head: Product Tower. Takes direction and mentorship from the Head: Product Tower and will work in partnership with key roles such as Client Managers across the regions.

 

• Analyse client needs

Are able to use probing questions, consulting skills and a conversational approach to explore and uncover the client’s needs. Are commercially minded and will use their understanding of the client’s business and their in-depth knowledge to personalize the recommended solution in line with the clients need. Are able to demonstrate capability (features, advantages and benefits) at a detailed level, and offer unique perspectives and align insights to key client priorities and tie those insights back to IS’s unique differentiators. Have the ability to have clients choose to do business with Internet Solutions, by pre-empting stakeholder objections and pushing the client to a favourable outcome. Has the client’s agenda in mind and can relate offerings to enable the buyer to visualize their need satisfaction, goal achievement and problem resolution. Need to consider the availability of critical skills, industry compliance and risk to the client in combination with the service delivery and solution that is crafted.

 

• Achieve Sales

Aim to realize revenue and margin targets and exploit opportunities, whilst displaying notable client service orientation. Ensures that useful solutions are discovered based on the client’s agenda and not their own opinion. Are able to conduct business conversations with the client that are solution usage and results orientated, focusing on why the offering is needed and how it can be used to meet the client’s needs. Will work according to the buyers’ deadlines to ensure that the buyers’ needs are always met. Contribute to the presales process by working with Solutions and Technical Architects to create the best solution design for the client. Work closely with vendor partners to understand their strategies for solutions and services, can articulate the roadmap, and associated impacts for clients. Will consistently drive a ‘win theme’ across the business and will have a closing strategy in place for each qualified deal, working closely with Commercial and Solution Architects to close and win deal successfully and Client Managers where applicable.

 

• Generate demand

Evaluate and consider opportunities as a potential buy and are able to discern when to withdraw from the sales engagement and when to pursue it. Will prospect for new opportunities within an account, asking tough qualification questions to best understand the client’s need and IS’s ability to meet this need. Are able to generate demand by assisting clients to identify current needs (turning clients’ implied needs into explicit needs), and then effectively articulate how IS can add value through our services and solutions. They leverage their specialist skills and knowledge of technology solutions and services to assist and influence the client at every stage of the buying cycle, and to position IS favourably compared to competitors. Have the ability to influence and work closely with vendors, partners and internal employees to achieve the required results.

Understand the competitive environment and can effectively pursue and select specific deals that will have a profitable result for Internet Solutions, by displaying knowledge of how the client’s opportunities aligns with IS’s strengths, the urgency drivers for the client and the client’s current relationship with IS.

 

• Business development activities

Assists with the generation of new business by:

• Contributing to the development of market penetration strategies,

• Gathering intelligence on potential clients,

• Assisting with the design of optimal business models, and

• Contributing to the design of go-to-market campaigns and the development of sales strategies.

 

Is also responsible for supporting the various sales teams in client facing activities.

Uses his/her understanding of solutions and of technology trends to evaluate and define key target markets. They research target market requirements, by establishing the key business drivers, determining the barriers to entry and identifying the key competitors. Assist with the compilation of target market penetration strategies and estimate the size of the opportunity in the short, medium and long term. Market analysis and client research becomes the basis for the opportunity qualification.

 

• Lead generation

Identify potential clients in the target markets and gather intelligence on these clients to identify the best holistic strategies to approach and convince them of the Internet Solutions value proposition. In selected potential clients, they will research their current business drivers, their business strategic objectives, internal investment areas and key stakeholders to inform the client account strategies. They therefore act as “hunters” and generate leads for the Sales field/Client management/BU teams and will play a leadership role in these engagements. Assist with the accurate preparation of sales forecasts with the sales leadership and Client managers.

They will know which leads to pursue that will be a match to our value proposition and solutions.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

• Use probing questions, consulting skills and a conversational approach to explore and uncover the client’s needs.

• Realize revenue and margin targets and exploit opportunities, whilst displaying notable client service orientation.

• Evaluate and consider opportunities as a potential buy and able to discern when to withdraw from the sales engagement and when to pursue it.

• Assist with the generation of new business.

• Identify potential enterprise clients in the target markets and gather intelligence on these clients to identify the best holistic strategies to approach and convince them of the IS value proposition.

 

Requirements: Education, Training and Experience

• Advanced Degree in Technology/Sales advantageous

 

Experience

• At least 5 years’ working experience

• At least 2 years’ working experience in a large IT organisation and with at least 2 years focusing on sales experience will be an advantage

• Industry knowledge

• Ability to consult across C+ level and above

• A good understanding of the vast range of IT operations and service offerings

• Thorough experience in products and understanding of industry best practices

• Demonstrated sales, client engagement and business development experience with requisite understanding of relevant markets and market penetration strategies

 

Personal Attributes and Skills required

Skills and knowledge

• Knowledge and understanding of IT industry environment and business needs

• Knowledge of solutions capabilities and how the solution is designed to be integrated into the client environment

• Interpersonal skills with the ability to develop and maintain solid stakeholder relationships

• Strong communication skills (verbal and written) coupled with good questioning skills and proven ability to present expert opinions, complex situations and solutions to varying audiences in the clients business language

• Strong client engagement skills and the ability to recognise opportunities for future business within an account

• Assertive in approach coupled with confidence of Cloud knowledge and industry and the ability to facilitate business conversations

• Exhibit growing knowledge and passion for Cloud and applications

• Strong client relationship building and engagement skills

 

Attributes

• Ability to persuade, negotiate and influence key stakeholders

• A go-getter with the ability to work in high-pressure situations

• Ability to establish and manage processes and practices through collaboration and the understanding of business

• Able to work well in teams

• Ability to manage assigned work processes

• Ability to manage urgent and complex tasks simultaneously