Praise
Caution: Do not read this book if you’re the least bit apprehensive about huge successes or the thrills of enormous global opportunities.
—From the Foreword written by Doug Brown and Scott Wilson, coauthors of the best-selling business book The Black Book of Outsourcing
The mega-deal is the holy grail of the IT industry, the engine that drives the outsourcing industry. Every company is chasing that one big deal, that strategic customer, which will lead to the cumulating and snowballing effect that will in turn lead to a bulging order book and elevate it above the competition. Tying up such a deal requires special skills, a distinctive mind-set, and a unique approach. Who better to discuss and analyze this than those who have successfully practiced this art and honed it to a near-science? Anirban and Hetzel, veterans of such deals, have in this book laid bare the secrets of the trade. With their experience and an ability to distill the essence of the process, they have captured the key elements of deal making. Clearly, a book that everyone involved in large and strategic deals—customers, vendors, and advisors—must read.
Kiran Karnik, former president of National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) and chairman of the board at a major IT services company
Outsourcing is going through a major transformation. Buyers, sellers, and advisors are engaged in a game of sophisticated chess to negotiate the best outcome for the most suitable price. Winning strategic deals requires world-class application of pursuit management, sales engineering, and program delivery. Anirban and Hetzel take us through the entire deal-making process that needs to be worked in sync in order to win strategic outsourcing deals. We recommend this book as a must-read for all outsourcing sales leaders.
—Michael F. Corbett, chairman of International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP)
Outsourcing is important. Our global networked economy makes formation and management of outsourced relationships not only complex but increasingly critical as a business competency. It requires distinctive skills, a new brand of collaborative leadership, shared tools and systems, and readiness to learn. This book is part of that learning experience. It captures many of the key aspects that underpin successful deals and relationships. It is relevant for any business manager who wants to increase effectiveness in today’s networked world.
—Tim Cummins, president and CEO of International Association for Contracts and Commercial Management (IACCM)
Hetzel and Anirban share their quick wit and remarkable insights as pioneers in our industry. Their gift for blending the art and the craft of deal making in a pragmatic and enjoyable read will provide inspiration and insight to generations of future deal makers to come.
—Russ Owen, president of Managed Services Sector, Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
The IT industry casts a veil of mystery around mega-deals, those in the $100 million and above range. What Hetzel and Anirban have done is to pull back some of that mythology and explain how seasoned business development teams run these pursuits. Reading the book won’t turn an average salesperson into an elephant hunter, but it will give a lot of solid advice on how to chase the elusive big game deals.
—David Mitchell, senior vice president at Ovum Consulting
This book acts as both roadmap and guide for those seeking to sell large outsourcing deals. It’s a must-read for serious players in this space.
—Frank Casale, founder and CEO of the Outsourcing Institute
Winning large outsourcing deals is not just about mastery in sales. The practice also requires excellence in governance, management, finance, negotiation, and the capacity to understand human behavior, among other elements. Anirban and Hetzel highlight this and take us through the numerous aspects of winning large deals.
—Raj G Asava, chief strategy officer at Perot Systems
The importance of mega-deals is beyond question; they are the arteries of the services organization. Nurturing the lead to a deal is a subject of complexity beyond men and machines. This book looks at mega-deals from a life-cycle point of view and thus helps everyone understand the situational aspects of deal making through its various stages. The book should inspire many business leaders to professional success.
—Ed Nair is the editor of Global Services, a media platform that includes website, events, newsletters, microsites, OSourceBook, and customized solutions for IT and BPO outsourcing.
The perception of large and strategic deals, especially from an offshoring standpoint, has been ambiguous. This book not only clearly delineates what large deals stand for but also substantiates the strategic long-term benefits of pursuing such deals.
—Sridhar Vedala is a managing director at the tier one global sourcing advisory firm Equaterra.
As with any nascent industry sector, it takes a while for the professionalization process to take hold in all areas of the business. Now that the benefits of global sourcing are clear for everyone to behold, this book provides the coaching required for sales leaders to really hone their skills and become true professionals! Vital reading if you want to be the best.
—David Lancashire is the CEO and chairman of Bold Ventures, a diversified holding company. He was previously the founder and CEO of Geniant, a leading IT solutions company that was sold to EMC in 2007—a transaction that returned more than 181 times the invested capital to shareholders.
Successful deal making is both a science and an art, and it is not any different for an outsourcing deal. Offshore outsourcing deals bring their own dimensions and complexities. A book such as this provides insight and experience from all angles and will certainly be a reference book for anyone involved in any and all aspects of mega deals.
—Jagdish Dalal is president of JDalal Associates and is a recognized practitioner, consultant, and thought leader in outsourcing. As VP of information management at Xerox, he led the team that did the then-record-breaking IT outsourcing deal worth $3.2 billion. As a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, he led the team in winning a $650 million (five years) BPO deal as a provider.
Closing the big deal is the goal of every person who carries a sales quota, so why do so few actually succeed? The reason may be that success at this level requires a mature view that moves beyond immediate gratification. Big deals require a process that runs from discovery to revenue recognition. This book demonstrates the in-depth understanding of this process required for senior management as well as for the quota carriers.
—Ed Peters is the CEO of OpenConnect Systems. A seasoned technology executive, he led the LBO (with Golden Gate Capital) of DataDirect Technologies and its subsequent sale to Progress Software (PRGS). He has held officer positions with Progress Software, Cerebellum Software, and INTERSOLV.
This is the quintessential guide to best practices in big deal global sourcing. Anyone touching the global outsourcing arena should tap into this tremendous resource.
—Melissa Henderson is a managing director at Gilbert Tweed International, an executive search firm specializing in recruiting senior executives worldwide.
This book is an excellent resource for all business development professionals. It has great lessons that can be explored and implemented to help achieve higher goals and benefits for everyone. I highly recommend this read.
—Ed Cohen is the chief learning officer at a major IT service company and the author of Leadership Without Borders.
Putting large IT outsourcing deals together is both science and art. This immensely practical book, written by experienced dealmakers, covers both aspects as it walks you through all of the major steps, from finding and winning deals through contract negotiation and deal closing. A worthwhile read for both client and provider executives.
—Vijay Gurbaxani is a professor of information systems and computer science in the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine.
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