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I'm contractor for one of the wealthiest companies in the country. They have enough money to buy best in class software from biggest names in the industry.
2 out of 3 internal departments ( Eng. and Utility departments ) that I've worked with, know me and trust in my software. Now I'm going to introduce myself to the 3rd and most important department ( Maintenance Dep. ). Generally speaking, Management and engineers in this department go for the big names and don't waste their time and money on unknown vendors.
I'm brave enough to host them in a meeting in coming months. I'm thinking about the ways I can assure them about my software. Management and Engineers from the first 2 departments have told me, If they are asked, will talk in favor of me. Literally, this is the only chance I have.
Please share your thoughts, hints and suggestions for the meeting.
Edit: The software I'm talking about is a critical mission software used in Oil Industry. Big players claim 7 nines Availability. My software is good ( enough?? ) in this regard ( 5 nines). TBH, It's a very fierce and tough competition.
Thanks
Behzad
modified 2-Oct-23 14:31pm.
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...ok so u sold to two dept and want the third dept to buy... possibly they should do a pilot and evaluate and come to a decision and then
Caveat Emptor.
"Progress doesn't come from early risers – progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things." Lazarus Long
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Behzad Sedighzadeh wrote: Management and Engineers from the first 2 departments have told me, If they are asked, will talk in favor of me.
Having departments A and B vouch for you is your best chance, IMO, to get your foot in the door and cut through corporate red tape. Department C knows you're known and trusted by someone else internally. You can't ask for a better position to be in.
All I can add is, good luck.
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In an ideal world you could just present something and they would be able to see what you can do from that.
But it isn't ideal. So politics are better.
Call the two depts that know you A/B.
And the one that doesn't C.
What you want is the following
1. Someone in A/B that is known to be technically proficient by someone of significance in C.
2. Someone in A/B that is known as an excellent manager by someone of significance in C.
Then you have that person talk to the person in C.
Of course better if you have more than one person that can do this.
Also you would want to make sure that the person (or persons) does not have any 'issues' with someone else in C. Doesn't matter if they have a good rep with one person in C but also has a bad rep with someone else. That second person would then end up fighting against without even knowing anything about you.
What does 'significance' mean?
1. A senior level engineer who is respected.
2. A manager at the tech level who is respected. You don't want something like a VP because then the tech side will probably look down upon the reference. But then the might force the decision and you could prove yourself over time.
3. Even to some extent someone that is just popular.
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Behzad Sedighzadeh wrote: Please share your thoughts, hints and suggestions for the meeting.
You ever notice that the more expensive a product is, the less you see the price on the site? It's always call us. It'll be business speak because the business doesn't care about or even understand the tech speak -- and then contact us for sales.
Ever wonder why that is?
It's because the business side doesn't give two flips about the tech. What they care about is reliability, the cost, and what happens if something goes wrong. That's probably why they prefer big name vendors, you can trust they are reliable. A no name has no guarantee of quality or assurance. They never will.
For instance, open source software is free and pretty good tech. Business doesn't care at all. Not unless they save millions and can hire someone to deal with it. For average stuff, they won't care two flips. They have the money; what they need is a solution they can trust.
Which is to say, when you're going into sell this thing. Yes, talk about the software. But remember, you're selling YOU... not the software. If they trust you and/or your team you have a chance. If they don't, nothing you say about the software will make a difference - ever.
Also, don't get cheesy when you're selling yourself. Just be genuinely friendly. Don't try and sell them. Just be their friend and honest. If there's a shortcoming with your offer SAY IT. It'll come out in the wash anyway. But, earn their trust.
By now the word trust should be evident. 
Jeremy Falcon
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Jeremy Falcon wrote: You ever notice that the more expensive a product is, the less you see the price on the site? It's always call us
We used to have a salesguy who answered quotes requests with, "what's your budget?"
And he wasn't necessarily wrong in asking that. Primarily, he preferred to have people call before giving out a price so he could discuss and understand their exact situation, identify their needs, whether our software/services were a good fit, and find opportunities for custom work.
The way he saw it, the majority of potential customers who just look at a figure on a web site and turned back without engaging were not going to be a good deal anyway.
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Good suggestions all, Jeremy. Back when I contracted a lot in addition to my day job, I applied your principles without consciously using the word 'trust'. I made sure folks knew I did this on the side, I limited my hours to 20 per week, and I didn't answer emails or phone calls from contract customers when I was at my day job. I was also pretty good about estimates, and usually came in within a few days of the quote.
Software Zen: delete this;
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You are so on the money. There was an old saying: "Nobody ever got fired for buying an IBM computer."
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Look out for the dammed bus, the bane of every contractor/ single person development is the bus that seems to follow them into every office. "What happens if you get hit by a bus?" The number of times I ran into this question when trying to sell either myself or software to large companies was depressing. And I never did find a satisfactory response.
You need a champion from each of your current department clients to push for you. Good luck!
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity -
RAH
I'm old. I know stuff - JSOP
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Mycroft Holmes wrote: "What happens if you get hit by a bus?"
I have used several answers depending on the impression I had from them, but ending in only two options, depending on if I was consulting (a.k.a. I am alone) or if I was part of a team.
First part of answer mostly joking:
- The bus will get broken because I am like superman
- Bus drivers are really nice, they won't hit me
- My wife will celebrate a party
- You will be screwed without me
And then: "Jokes apart / no, seriously..." (something like that)
Being solo:
- I always document my work in a way, that a middly skilled person could follow my thoughts and take over the project after a certain learning curve
Being part of a team:
- One of my competent colleagues will take over and continue where I stopped
M.D.V. 
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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I am using an Escrow solution.
My sources with instructions are deposited at a notary service.
I update the sources every 3 months.
If something happens (Meteorite, Alien attack... there is no bus around where I live) the company can get the sources and take them to another company to be maintained/developed.
You can instruct when a company can access the sources, and which company should have access.
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Interesting 
But I am not a consultant anymore. If my company doesn't manage my backups properly... Not my fault, and speaking about what might happen so that those backups get relevance... I am not sure if I will care a crap about it.
M.D.V. 
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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You find the "line manager" that will be most impacted, and pitch it to them (first). Costs and benefits and a "firm" timeline (?)
Companies don't just "buy"; they "evaluate"; which can run weeks or months. Lunches, etc: the (imagined) "expense account".
"Before entering on an understanding, I have meditated for a long time, and have foreseen what might happen. It is not genius which reveals to me suddenly, secretly, what I have to say or to do in a circumstance unexpected by other people; it is reflection, it is meditation." - Napoleon I
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Hello Behzad,
I'm currently reading a book titled, 'Selling Value' by Mark Stiving. Because the only thing that software provides is value, this is good reading for any of us.
An important message from the book is to present in the order of:
1) Problem
2) Value of Solving the Problem From Their Perspective
3) How Your Solution Solves the Problem to Create Value from Their Perspective
When I started looking for customers I used to do the opposite - and just confused potential customers!
1) Problem - learn where their current software is different from yours where yours is better. Present that as a problem.
2) Value - describe how (and how much) things would be better for them if those problems could be solved.
3) Solution - Show them your solution and how it really can provide more value from their perspective.
Good Luck!
Dan
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I learned something new.
Thank you.
Behzad
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I think in most cases, companies only buy proven software that has been running for a year or so, generates large sums of revenue, and has a team dedicated to it. In this case you would have to release it to the world to consume first and test the reaction. Like Figma, it ran free to use, and proved to be a technology worthy of owning so Adobe bought it. Or that guy that used AI to remove the background of product photos, and sold his app on Apple Store, and now Adobe is looking at it as well, or they are trying to copy it.
Most of these applications or software were backed by Venture Capital, companies like Softbank made investments and provided a staff of experts to make sure the investment pays off.
I know a guy that knows a guy that created stamps.com, and the guy cleared $75M USD for it, sold it to a company. And the same guy created the base code and interface for Uber Eats after that. Got paid in stocks and some cash. I heard he created a white paper on his project, and pitched it to several companies that he saw fit to use the technology. It's pretty much an opportunity for someone with capital to create money out of thin air, and follows the rules that Adam Smith laid out for Capitalism.
You would have to think about your vision or creation, and learn how to explain it in a simple way and document it on paper, and calculate it's profit or revenue potential, and learn to speak the language of money like an investor or capitalist, when you attempt to sell it. When you ready, send an email to the CEO of the company to pitch your software and see if the CEO has any interest, if not move on to the next company and keep pitching it until you sell it. Consider your next meeting a practice session because they don't have the authority to buy your software unless they need it to fill in a missing gap.
If it ain't broke don't fix it
Discover my world at jkirkerx.com
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I have had some experience with this in a Government realm. One important thing is to "know thy enemy", meaning do some research on the other vendor's products and assess how they meet your customer's needs. Look for some of the shortcomings in those products and consider how much extra time they might have to put into setting up the off-the-shelf system for their use.
One thing that also came up was a vendor overselling and overstating the system's capabilities. The integration they were claiming was vaporware. Integration may be a helpful selling point for you as well and the point is you're not an unknown vendor to the company, as a whole.
And definitely work your contacts that you know to put a good word in for you.
Good luck!
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I think if you have solid foothold in those first two departments, then referring to them is your best option.
However, I would advise caution with pursuing that deal however. If they really require a 99.99999% availability (and you think you're only good for 99.999%) then this could result in a very slippery slope for you, if you are only a 1-man-show. I don't know the requirements for the other two departments, but 99.99999% seems to be exceedingly high to either exclude all entities but one that they have already chosen, or they might really try to nail you to the cross if something (anything) happens that jeopardizes that availability rate.
There be dragons...
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Noooooo.
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Looking at the tiny (relative) number of Windows 7 and Windows 8 systems out there, I suspect Microsoft decided that the remaining systems would never be upgraded. We already know they won't run Windows 11 and were only a little over two years to Windows 10 end of support.
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...and therefore, what's the benefit to them?
I mean, the more people on 10/11 (rather than 7/8), the better for MS, no? Are they really thinking they're losing so much money on license sales that didn't happen because of that loophole?
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While people frequently gripe about Microsoft, I think the reality in this case is that it's easier to support fewer operating systems, so Microsoft "benefited" by keeping this upgrade route alive.
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That's exactly my point, it still benefits them to keep this loophole...so why close it now?
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I suspect there's a service that needs to be updated or removed and it has a direct impact on this upgrade path.
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Right...'cuz nothing in Windows is self-contained, not even the freakin' license check...
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