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Creating a Sustainable Pipeline for 6-Digit Digital Transformation Projects

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Understanding Client Business Goals

In the realm of digital transformation, it’s essential to keep our focus on the business goals of our clients, both in the immediate and distant future.

Digital transformation can be a challenging endeavor. Clients recognize the necessity of evolving their businesses and the advantages that come with an innovation-driven competitive landscape. These advantages typically manifest in several key areas:

  • Enhanced processing speed (improved work efficiency).
  • Reduced production costs (increased cost-effectiveness).
  • Accelerated time-to-market (gaining first-mover advantage).
  • Greater competitiveness (expanding market share).

It’s crucial to grasp that business leaders are primarily concerned with growth; they are not looking to innovate just for the sake of it.

Let that sink in.

Consequently, providers of digital solutions must concentrate on achieving tangible business outcomes. This strategy is vital for cultivating a pipeline of 6-digit digital transformation projects.

Why Conventional Approaches Fall Short

If you're involved in digital transformation, you're likely familiar with the standard tools used in the industry:

  • Proof-of-Concept
  • Proof-of-Value
  • Solution Pilot
  • Feasibility Study
  • Solution Prototyping

These instruments are often utilized by technology service providers to rationalize product purchases. They typically outline the capabilities of the product and how it meets fundamental operational requirements across various functions like finance, marketing, and operations.

However, these tools frequently fail to spark buyer interest. Having worked as a Senior Manager in Technology Pre-Sales within a startup, I can attest to this reality. A recent interaction with a potential client underscored the importance of acknowledging this commercial truth—a lesson I had to relearn.

I began by detailing my company’s product capabilities and highlighted the benefits for the initial six months before subscription renewal. The prospect remained silent, which I mistook for attentiveness.

“Aldric, before you continue, I want to clarify something. I understand your perspective, but I need to know how your software can assist me in achieving my business goals,” he said.

I found myself momentarily speechless. After a brief pause, I hastily replied, “James, we can enhance your team's operational efficiency through our use cases.”

James began tapping his pen on the table, signaling something was off. It became clear I wasn’t meeting his expectations.

“Aldric, I want to collaborate, but you must realize that meeting my business goals is more critical than demonstrating what your software can accomplish. Can you revise your proposal and present it in a week?”

I felt relieved that the opportunity was still alive and agreed to his request.

Crafting a Compelling Business Case for Digital Transformation

To build a portfolio of 6-digit, 7-digit, or even 8-digit customer projects, it is essential to establish a solid business case and relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Let's start with the business case.

The business case bridges what we offer with what the client seeks, focusing on three core pillars:

  1. Revenue Growth
  2. Cost Management
  3. Bottom Line Improvement

A robust business case can be incredibly influential, as it illustrates a direct correlation between our services and the client's Profit and Loss statement.

Clients appreciate this approach because it connects digital transformation initiatives to the financial metrics they understand and value. Every CEO, CFO, CIO, and COO relies on these metrics to assess their business's health, so it's vital to communicate in their language.

The next step involves defining effective KPIs that align digital transformation efforts with anticipated business outcomes. Many of my colleagues tend to stay within their comfort zones, measuring only the number of completed use cases or successful test cases during User Acceptance Testing.

These metrics lack business relevance.

We need to adopt more meaningful KPIs. For instance:

  • KPI 1: Increase in dollar-value sales transactions on the website relative to the cost of developing a landing page.

This metric links the investment in website development to an increase in online sales, prompting clients to view it as an investment rather than a cost.

Next, consider these additional KPIs:

  • KPI 2: Time taken to launch a new product feature.
  • KPI 3: Software quality assessed by the number of defects.

It's crucial to communicate the balance between KPIs 2 and 3. Clients often desire rapid project completion, prioritizing delivery speed. However, an excessive focus on speed can lead to software instability and increased defects, which poses a reputational risk, especially for client-facing applications.

Clients will not tolerate software that prevents customers from completing transactions, as it directly impacts sales.

Understanding and conveying the relationship between these KPIs enables us to build a business case that focuses on revenue growth or preventing losses. Although clients may express frustration, they ultimately appreciate this approach.

Conclusion

Prioritizing our clients' business needs is essential for our growth, especially in the digital transformation sector. We must avoid the temptation to indulge in industry best practices for their own sake.

Engaging with clients in their language is the most effective strategy. In the business world, the universal language revolves around revenue growth, cost efficiency, and healthy profits.

Additionally, developing relevant KPIs that connect digital transformation progress to clients' business growth is imperative. Once this connection is made, clients will begin to recognize that the value we offer extends beyond mere technology implementation.

They will start viewing us as long-term business partners. This shift in perception is the pathway to building a portfolio of 6-digit, 7-digit, or even 8-digit digital transformation projects.

About the Author:

Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Chapter 2: The Importance of Digital Transformation Strategy

In this video, "How to Create a Digital Transformation Strategy," the speaker outlines essential steps for developing a comprehensive strategy that aligns with business goals.

Chapter 3: Structuring Your Digital Transformation Projects

The video titled "How to Structure Your Digital Transformation Projects" delves into best practices for organizing projects to ensure successful outcomes and client satisfaction.

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