With the crunch to close new business and increase the number of customers using their Cloud/SaaS solution, sales reps at technology companies can often feel a bit of pressure to sign up new customers as soon as possible. This is understandable as nobody (on either side of the transaction) really wants the creation of a new, contractual partnership to take an exorbitant amount of time. Long sales cycles can muddy the waters as teams change, market conditions change and motivations change.
However, be cautious about moving too quickly to sign up for a new yearly subscription agreement with a technology provider. While you may have your own internal pressures to get the shiny new system/process in place (i.e. utilize the budget before it disappears, new leadership, compliance rules etc.), keep in mind that when these important, mission critical solutions are purchased too quickly, you could inadvertently find that the total cost of ownership goes up over the course of the subscription.
Why? In the rush to get contracts signed and systems implemented, things get easily overlooked (users, addons, training, consulting hours etc.). It’s that simple. Taking the appropriate/necessary amount of time to make sure you’re as clear as possible on what you are signing up for will only help bring more visibility as to any costs you may not have anticipated. Full transparency can take time to establish in the fast paced world of technology. Plan, set expectations and avoid having either side feel the pressure brought on by short time frames.
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