Competition Updates
The 2021 Bayou Sales Challenge competition updates will be posted here. This includes any newsworthy items, reminders, and other competition-related information.
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Additionally, information on the upcoming rounds will be posted here as the results are immediately made available. This includes updates to the scenarios and other sales meeting info.
Round 1 & Wild Card Wrap-Up
TAG’s CIO, Robbie Hammond, shared that the social media broken links on the website are part of a bigger issue – that TAG has approximately 20 contracts valued at $3 million and s/he is tasked with reviewing them all by the end of Q2. There is also a potential big project looming that involves e-commerce, but more research is needed before proposing ideas to the President.
Tomorrow morning, Robbie is meeting with his/her team to discuss the Q2 tasks and the technology budget for the year. You persisted and asked to be part of this meeting to share what Gartner can do to create value for TAG. Robbie doesn’t seem on board yet, but you know an opportunity exists to reach his/her Direct Reports, to which Jess Ogilve is seemingly Robbie’s go-to person. “What if you get the Direct Report on board before the CIO?,” you think.
After the meeting with the team is done and you’ve provided some insight at the tail-end, Jess asked you to stay for another 15 minutes to see exactly how Gartner can help him/her specifically. This could be a valuable opportunity to share how Gartner works with Direct Reports!
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Pressure Round Wrap-Up
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Jess is on board and thinks Gartner is the right product to go with for the big project s/he is pitching. With the goal of it being a revenue generator, Robbie and Sterling could get on board. How can Gartner help TAG generate revenue with this project and not just save on contract costs?
Semi-Finals/Round Wrap-Up (Prepare for Finals)
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A Gartner sales rep has now met with Robbie Hammond, CIO, and Jess Ogilvie, one of Robbie’s Direct Reports, to share what Gartner can do to help TAG. There were several interrelated issues uncovered, including:
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The social media error pages on the website are an embarrassment. But there is a bigger issue.
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The social media management is being outsourced, and this is one of many troubling contracts Robbie has to get a grasp on by the end of Q2. There are about 20 contracts that total $3M.
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Robbie is reluctant about the use of Gartner, but Jess met the Gartner sales rep and thinks this could be a great resource for a generating revenue via a project – adding e-commerce to the website in these COVID times.
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But, what is the investment in doing this e-commerce site with reference to the current IT expenditures of $1.5M ($145M in operating revenue)? Justifying Gartner requires a conversation in value creation and market opportunities.
After meeting with Jess, there was an immediate meeting set up on Zoom for 15 minutes. Sterling Bone, Robbie Hammond, and Jess Ogilvie will all be on the call. This relationship will either move forward quickly, or get squashed just as fast. It’s up to the salesperson….
Round 1 Seeding
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