Communicate change
19 August 2010
Introducing a new software system can be challenging. There are certain expectations from higher up in an organization. An investment has been made and a result needs to be seen. Lower down in any organization there are also certain expectations and uncertainties. How do you change this insecurity to confidence? By communicating!
Cause
First of all, it is important to explain what is causing the change. An explanation could be:
1. “Because quotations are not produced quickly enough, we miss a lot of orders. This has to change to remain profitable as a company.”
2. Or: “Because quotations are made by hand, they can contain mistakes. Mistakes are expensive.”
Goal
Then you can make your goal clear:
1. “If quotations are produced faster our chance of scoring goes up. We would like X% more orders by using quotation software.”
2. Or: “If quotations are produced using a Guided Selling system, the risk of mistakes will decrease by X%. This will save us X%.”
Understanding
By communicating, you will be creating understanding for change. During the change itself, you need to keep your eyes and ears open for possible signs of uncertainty. Next week I will discuss the first example of a case of uncertainty. I will give you the reasoning you need to take away uncertainty.
Judith Steinmeier is Communication Manager at Sofon - supplier of sales support software. As Judith has a lot of contact with clients, she has a clear insight into how companies that deliver customer-specific products and services can realize improvements within their sales and quotation process.
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