Globally, organisations spend on average a third of their IT budgets on Software Testing and Quality. Much of this spend is earmarked for the procurement of testing contractors or service providers.
I spent around ten years successfully selling software quality services to clients. Then, a few years ago, I had the opportunity to work for one of my clients, and my responsibilities included testing vendor management and procurement. Having been involved in both the selling and procurement of QA services has given me a unique perspective on the commercial and contractual process of landing large-scale client engagements.
Every software Tester/QA consultant is involved in the sales process, whether you realise it or not. As a representative of a vendor organisation, you are at the forefront of project delivery in your client projects. Your professionalism and expertise may just help your vendor sell more deals. And, we are all, always involved in selling ourselves.
During my talk, I will touch on the following:
Selling QA services
· Understanding how clients procure software services
· What are clients looking for in a vendor partner?
· What are the main levers to pull to convince your clients to buy from you?
· Understanding the key role players: Execs, procurement, vendor management, finance, HR, Legal and others
· Contractual client management during the delivery process
· The deal is not closed until the money is in the bank: how to ensure clients pay on time and in full
· Building a long-term and strategic relationship with your clients
Procuring QA services
• Understanding your organization’s procurement process and policies
• How vendors operate – understanding their secrets
• Budget cycles and approval levels
• Request for Proposal (RFP) process
• Measuring the vendor’s performance
• Understanding Master Agreements and Legal issues
• Building a win-win relationship with the vendor