Siebel Systems: Anatomy of a Sales, Part 1

Siebel Systems made its way from ground zero to the top of the food chain in the software industry in less than seven years, an incredible feat for any newly founded company.  In those seven start-up years, the companies founder, Tom Siebel, led the company with one key value in mind: Customer satisfaction.  This "core value" led the company to reach over $2 billion in revenues in those seven years.  Siebel built its company on customer satisfaction, a key component of any successful company; however, through thoughtful solution solving and genuine care for the customers needs, Siebel was able to live up to its promise of the best customer service.  Furthermore, Siebel customers saw increases in their customer's satisfaction, employee productivity, and customer retention.  Seibel had created a well-rounded customer base with only a few core values.  These core values include: customer satisfaction, professionalism,  profesional courtesy, and bias for action; all of which helped the company push forward faster than any other company in the industry.

In one instance, a Siebel sales rep was met with a sudden challenge.  Carman, an experienced slaes representative, found himself trying to close a deal with the business Quick & Reilly.  He was approached by the VP of marketing and the VP of client sales, asking about Siebel services and the competitors of Siebel.  After a short interrogation from the Quick & Reilly representatives, Carman was faced with trying to convert the opportunity into a sale, keeping in mind customer satisfaction.

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• Customer satisfaction, while a goal of any company, can be severely underestimated in its impact on other aspects of a company's success.
• In obtaining credibility and trust, a company must convince and show it's customer that they will not only provide the best product, but also the best service, after the product has been sold.
• This can be difficult because it is hard to show that you will provide services in the future.  Siebel, was able to do this by showing past customer services satisfactions, along with increases in productivity, sales, and customer retention of it's own customers.
• Services after a sale should be a priority of any company if they wish to continue business with it's current clients.
• Understanding customer needs and wants is key to making sales and providing the best customer satisfaction.
• Quick & Reilly was unaware of the products on the market that would meet their needs, while Carman was under the impression that they were already well versed in the market.  While the outcome of their interaction is unknown, Carman made assumption about Quick & Reilly's level of knowledge and needs which may have led the sale to fail.
• Selling requires more than just a sales pitch.  Customer interaction at a personal level is needed to convince customers that the sale can impcat the future of the customer.

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Seller's Viewpoint

The seller in this case is Siebel (more specifically Carman).  In the case of Quick and Reilly, Carman was met with questions, that he would usually answer farther down the sales road.  He misinterpreted these questions as an indicator that they were well versed in the competition when Quick & Reilly really only wanted more information.  Carman was unsure of the wants and needs of Quick & Reilly in the first place, which placed him at a disadvantage to close the sale.  It is important for the seller, Carman, to understand the customer, asking and answering the necessary questions to determine how to approach the buyer.

Buyer's Viewpoint

From the buyer's viewpoint, Quick & Reilly, they were interested in gathering the necessary information to determine what the best product was on the market.  Siebel had a reputation, which Quick & Reilly may have been aware of when they talked to Carman.  The buyer is interested in both the best product and the best service following the sale.  In order for Carman to make his sale to Quick & Reilly he must be able to convince his buyer of the benefits of buying products from Siebel systems.