By Peter O'Neill

We are just starting our research for the next Vendor
Positioning Review of IT management software vendors. While they all accepted
our emphasis on BT instead of IT, many vendors actually ridiculed our VPR methodology focus on the website when we started these reports (“our customers don’t care about the website, they talk
to us”). But it must now be clear to everyone in the technology industry how
important B2B digital media has become. Our most recent data shows that the
percent of technology buyers that are most advanced in using social media, what
we call the Creators and Critics, is nearly double that of the US population in
general.

Our plan with this VPR report is to highlight an IT
management software best practice in each of the categories that we evaluate.
These are listed below and remember, it is all about how well you present
business technology as opposed to just technology. Just as a reminder, we
evaluate the positioning of both the corporation and the products as follows:

Corporate Positioning

Corporate strategy

 

 

 

 

Vision

 

 

 

 

Growth objectives

 

 

Corporate marketing

 

 

 

Tagline

 

 

 

 

Advertising

 

 

 

 

Web site

 

 

 

Corporate sales

 

 

 

 

Sales alignment

 

 

 

Sales skills

 

 

 

 

Channel/alliance management

Product Positioning

Product strategy

 

 

 

 

Road map

 

 

 

 

Implementation strategy

 

Product messaging

 

 

 

 

Role-based targeting

 

 

Business value communication

 

Business issue resolution

 

 

Business justification

 

 

So, here is in invitation. While we will be doing our own
research, you have the chance now to influence our selection. If you think that
your own website could qualify as a best practice, then let us know and point
us to that page. If we agree, then we will highlight that page in our report. I
look forward to hearing from you.  

Always keeping you informed!

Peter