| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 794.1 | There is a conference for it, does that help? | CVG::THOMPSON | Protect the guilty, punish the innocent | Thu Apr 27 1989 11:14 | 4 |
| There is a Sales Support conference at CAADC::SALES_SUPPORT
where you may get more information than you will here.
Alfred
|
| 794.2 | This may help a little. | HOCUS::KOZAKIEWICZ | Shoes for industry | Thu Apr 27 1989 11:18 | 35 |
| > 1. What is Sales Support, what does it do, where does it live, whom
> does it relate to?
Sales Support is a Software Services function which provides (among
other things) technical support to the sales force. Demos, benchmarks,
understanding of a customers technical business requirements, whatever.
It is not a formal organizational path. Usually, the only place
you might see an independent Sales Support organization is at the
unit level, although you might not even see it at all. Many software
units are "mixed" or "general" units, consisting of both PSS and
SS functions.
In the US, a typical Area organization will have a Sales Support
and SWS business (PSS) manager, as well as district mananagers. The
staff managers (SS and PSS business) do not usually have any direct
reports. All of the PSS and SS line people report through the DM's
with dotted lines to the functional managers.
> 2. Is Sales Support part of the Sales organization?
Absolutely not. Sales is the customer.
> 3. Is it a USA organization only? Or does it exist in Europe? GIA?
> UK? (if it does then I really struck out!)
Have no idea. I suspect it's part of SWS everywhere, though that
rather depends upon how SWS is organized in those areas.
> 4. If Sales Support exists only in the USA, which organization carries
> out the same functions in Europe?
No idea.
Al
|
| 794.3 | Sales Support isn't PSS | DR::BLINN | The best mechanics are self-taught | Thu Apr 27 1989 11:33 | 15 |
| >A look in the "Guide to Digital Organizations" reveals that there is a Sales
>Support organization in the USA, headed up by David Salmi @PKO.
If you've identified the responsible person, why didn't you
contact him and ask him, instead of asking here? ELF says:
Name: DAVID SALMI JR
Nickname: DAVE
Loc/MS: MRO3-1/L17 5E
Phone: 297-3830
E-Mail: CARTUN::SALMI
Message : Created: 15-JUL-1987 09:25 Expires: 22-JUL-1999 00:00
US SALES SUPPORT COUNTRY MANAGER
Tom
|
| 794.4 | Check your SWAS group! | DELNI::OVIATT | High Bailiff | Thu Apr 27 1989 12:48 | 8 |
| In my experience, there is a Sales Support function in Europe.
I do not know what it is called. I do know that the European
equivalent for SWS is SWAS, which seems to handle the bulk of
what we here in the States understand to be a Sales Support role.
Hope that helps.
-Steve
|
| 794.5 | IT'S PRE-SALES | DARTS::DIAZ | CMG/CDG/SAMG | Thu Apr 27 1989 13:44 | 13 |
| Sales Support is a more formalized concept of what you probably know
as pre-sales.
It is basically funded by sales, but managed and under the headcount
of SWS.
The main difference could be that a sales-support SW person in the US
in principle doesn't do any professional service or residence job
(remember PL90?), while when I was in sales in GIA, any SWS
specialist was expected to do both, PL90 and pre-sales (and also
remedial, which now is under FS).
/OLD.
|
| 794.6 | Does it matter `what it is'? | USAT03::GRESH | Subtle as a Brick | Thu Apr 27 1989 22:09 | 19 |
| Getting back to the questions raised in .0,...
... it seems to me that a rather major flaw has been identified.
We have someone who has been with DIGITAL for an extended period
of time that cannot identify what (or who) pre-sales software services
is. That IS a problem.
I've been with Digital for two years. I can usually find someone
to react to my request, but it's not because it's their job. It's
that so many people seem to have similar jobs. (Either that, or
no one's doing it at all -- Either 3 groups are doing it, or no
one's doing it.)
I wish Tom the best of luck. The best thing about matrix management
is that "no one can say no." There is enough overlap that you can
keep asking until a group with similar responsibility says "yes".
Don Gresh
Or_at_least_that_is_my_impression_after_two_years.
|
| 794.7 | | TRCO01::FINNEY | Keep cool, but do not freeze ... | Thu Apr 27 1989 23:32 | 19 |
| Well, here in the northern bastion of GIA, there is no "Sales Support"
organization ... although we do the _job_ covered by that expression,
and yes, PSS and pre-sales support is *roughly* done by the same
people, notwithstanding logistics issues. "Advisory Support" is
the functional equivalent of "Sales Support".
I see no major flaw in the questions raised by .0 - terminology
and national and area differences can cause some floundering. I
know how to contact *any* appropriate person or unit in Canada.
As far as Corporate or U.S. area needs I might have, the situation
is different due to the matter of scale. My needs for local contact
are manifold and varied - my needs for Corporate contact are at
least an order of magnitude lower.
To those not used to the terms, "Sales Support" and "Pre-Sales Support"
could indeed be two totally different areas of responsibility.
Scooter
|