Description:

In August 2001, EMC President and CEO Joseph Tucci set a goal of almost doubling the contribution of services to EMC revenue within two years, from 11 percent to at least 20 percent. Like many IT firms, EMC faces increased competition, declining margins, and longer sales cycles on the product side. The firm's executives believe that offering a broader scope of services can help EMC strengthen differentiation, better meet customer needs, and increase market share.

One of the firm's biggest challenges in meeting Tucci's goal, according to Cynthia Curtis, director of marketing for EMC Global Services, is building credibility with EMC's vaunted sales force. This Case Study highlights six initiatives that Global Services marketing team has developed to inspire sales force commitment to the new services strategy, including leveraging existing credibility with customer services and building an integrated sales process. The Case Study also highlights several external initiatives for building market awareness of EMC's new approach and discusses initial successes in strengthening services sales and delivery.