Week 3: Selling EA

What? This week we need to talk about sales? I would like the latest version of the Sims...I know it is a pretty lame joke, but probably Google understands me. Let's get down to business anyway...

For two weeks I have been focused on what EA is and the fancy vision EA brings to an enterprise. 
Time flies as it always do and soon meeting with project customers are approaching. 
It will be too late if we don’t prepare for selling skill. 

About the persuasion part, suggestions vary between people. Alex Cullen posted one opportunity he had running into a CEO of a medium-size financial services firm, a potential customer. He emphasized those points as I simplified:

1.   Business is complex and IT supporting it requests projects that may cause inconsistency or unclear priorities.

2.   A business capability map capturing key information from a high level can help coordinating with CEO’s direction.

Alex came up with this speech impromptu and it seems to cover key points. However he said the CEO reminded unmoved in the end of his article. Another Alex, Alex Matthews expressed views about it, feeling Cullen failed to understand CEO’s “burning issues”, thus failed in getting understood by CEO. He pointed out 4 points that all CEOs care about:

• Reduce costs
• Increase revenue
• Enter new markets 
• Increase market share

I totally agreed with Matthews that, only after we understand can we be understood. 
Don’t show off the buzzwords or abstract acronyms; give them what they know that they need. Provide information in terms they understand and can "touch and feel" to demonstrate the tangible value.

If a CEO can only care two things, they would be Value and Cost, or Risk of doing EA. 
On the value side, EA has the unique capability to bring together
views of strategy, business, and technology that allow an enterprise to see itself in
current and future operating states.
On the risk side, creating an EA for an entire enterprise can be timeconsuming,
costly, and disruptive to business services.

Pankaj Arora talked about reference architecture benefits the project architecture. IASA organization also gave some ideas in 2007:
 

Mike J. Walker pointed out that numbers are good while not underlining enough (1)EA Value, (2)Current State of Enterprise, and (3)Future Value of EA.  

In our text book EA Program Value can be quantified in at least following aspects :

• Shortening Planning Cycles.  
• More Effective Planning Meetings.
• Shorter Decision-Making Cycles.
• Improved Reference Information.
• Reduction of Duplicative Resources.
• Reduced Re-work.
• Improved Resource Integration and Performance.  
• Fewer People in a Process . 
• Improved Communication.  
• Reduction in Cycle Time.

Also a good personal skill helps a lot when communicate with different roles.
Here is a helpful chart differentiate approaches.

Anna Mar suggested 10 components to any good EA marketing program: 

 

Brad Meyers suggested to use peer influence to customers, to mention large organizations, federal agencies and state government agencies practicing EA successfully. 
By making them feel behind the curve, instill the fact that practicing EA can create strategic value. 

Well, it is a smart psychologically tactic anyway. He also gave some pragmatic tips on EA selling which I find helpful.

• Create an EA presentation that is no longer than five slides.
• Get time on your CXO’s calendar (ask your boss to help).
• Memorize your presentation.
• Make sure you know enough to answer any high-level or detailed question your CXO may ask.
• Remember you are now your company’s EA expert!

PS.
About the team project, it goes well. This week I met my teammates.
Funny thing is I am the only girl in the group. They are all gentlemen BTW. When they talked  about a third-person role they underlined "he or she". A subtle feeling generated in my mind. It is really cute as far as I am concerned, but hardly explainable because of my language ability. 
Anyway, I like these guys and I just can see we would make a great team!