My Advice to Mobile Applications Vendors, Part 3

In part 1 of this article series we focused on sales channel development and marketing strategies for mobile enterprise application vendors.  In part 2 we focused on sales strategies.  In part 3 we will discuss thought leadership.

In my experience companies looking to implement new mobile technologies and strategies appreciate help.  They appreciate learning from your mistakes and others.  Often they don't even know the questions they should be asking.  They may not even understand the key considerations and choices they need to make.  They need help even getting to the decision making stage.  They need answers.

I am a big fan of experts teaching workshops.  I have developed them myself.  One or two day workshops that identify all of the key issues, considerations and critical decisions enterprises need to understand before they decide on a mobile application strategy.  Thought leaders have this knowledge and provide it.  Inexperienced vendors are still learning themselves and are in no position to teach others. 

I know of many situations where the sales inhibitor was lack of knowledge.  Some companies even have budgets and a desire but delay the sales cycle purely because they are not confident in their knowledge.  They don't have the expertise to ask the questions necessary to make a buying decision.

There is value in experience.  There are SAP mobility and Co-Innovation partners like Syclo that have been around for more than 15 years.  They have been through just about every significant mobile innovation cycle and trend.  They have been there and done that.  You can ask them about the key issues that can make the difference between a successful project that is completed on time and on budget and the ones that weren't.  They have enough experience to share.

Thought leaders tell you how it is.  They don't hide behind marketing brochures.  You want to get to the people that have real world experience and learn.  I know some mobility vendors that hide all of their experts and let only the sales and marketing departments communicate to the world.  This always makes me think they are hiding something.

I respect mobility thought leaders that share their expertise and participate in educating the community.  A real voice, a real face and real world knowledge.  People like Philippe Winthrop of The Enterprise Mobility Foundation,  Ben Lee at Smartsoft Mobile, Gil Bouhnick at Clicksoftware and Lionel Carrasco of Leapfactor, and others voice opinions and educate the market weekly through blogs, tweets and other methods.

I commend enterprise mobility experts that share and educate.  They demonstrate their experience and confidence daily in their communications.

Stay tuned for part 4 in this article series.

Let me know if you would like to be introduced to some of these opinionated and experienced mobile industry experts, and I will do my best to point you in the right direction.  You can contact me here.

My Advice to Mobile Applications Vendors, Part 1
My Advice to Mobile Applications Vendors, Part 2

***************************************************
Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst
Phone +1 208-991-4410
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
Join SAP Enterprise Mobility on Linkedin:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=2823585&trk=anet_ug_grppro

Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant, mobility analyst, writer and Web 2.0 marketing professional. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.