Introduction
It is important to note that customer contact is paramount to business success. It is worth noting that professionals who have customer contact are not touching with technology. Technology is becoming an important function in sales and marketing each and every day. For the last ten years, the changing trends in technology have had tremendous impact on sales and marketing management in many organizations. Of particular interest is the fact that there has been a rush to deploy e-business, Web marketing and CRM solutions as they have been known to transform the role of sales and marketing people. There has been more emphasis on maximizing the return on investment (ROI) on investments that deal with sales and marketing. It is important to know the behaviors of customers and know what their perceptions are regarding a given product or service (Bridgewater, & Egan 732).
End of life/End of sale equipment
After some given time, a given product will no longer be supported or sold by the vendor. This is because of changing technology and customer satisfaction. This is also because of competitor products which are found in the market. With competition becoming fiercer, some products are disposed off by the company so that new products which are more effective are brought to the market. This product is shied by many users as they opt to purchase and make use of newer equipment. This paper proposes that information technology can be used to enhance sales of products and services, in our case, equipment, even selling equipment whose EOS/EOL has long gone (Larsson, & Lundberg 72).
The role of information systems
Information technology and/or information systems have been known to be very important and integral part of the communication process where consumers feel free to disseminate information on the Internet and make it available to the other members in the social networking forum (Barker, 2009). Research has shown that 70% of Internet users who are aged between 18 and 29 years use social networking as a platform for communication and 73% use Facebook as their chosen and preferred communication channels. The other social networking applications that are preferred by users are MySpace at 48% and LinkedIn at 14% (Barker, 2009). Making adverts in social networking makes the consumers to engage in some kind of interaction where they are able to like, comment or pass along with the connections that they have in the social world (Barnes, 2006).
Improved marketing
Baumgartne and Morris (2010) observe that with special networking, the marketers are in a position to improve the marketing plan and understand their potential clients better. With the comments and the reviews that are found in social networking review sites, marketers are able to get what the clients want and so strive to ensure that they provide for the same (Baym, 2007). Through social networking like Facebook, we businesses have managed to integrate their networking over marketing their small clients to other sites (Baumgartner, & Morris, 2010).
Information systems can be used to convince a large group of people to buy a particular product and backed with a strong reason as to why the people should buy them; there is a referral that is enhanced by information systems. The use of information systems has enhanced this type of communication up to the extent where even products which are no longer supported by the company/vendors can be sold off. With information systems, there are networks and referrals that are enhancing communication in the company.
Works cited
Barker, Vincent. “Older Adolescents' Motivations for Social Network Site Use: The Influence of Gender, Group Identity, and Collective Self-Esteem”. CyberPsychology & Behavior. 1.3 (2009): 1-5.
Barnes, Sammy. “A privacy paradox: Social networking in the United States”. First Monday. 11.9(206): 54.
Baumgartner, Jane, & Morris, Joseph. “MyFaceTube Politics Social Networking Web Sites and Political Engagement of Young Adults”. Social Science Computer Review. 28.28 (2010): 21-25.
Baym, Nicson. “The new shape of online community: The example of Swedish independent music fandom”, First Monday. 12.8 (2007): 76.
Bridgewater, Sam, & Egan, Cim. International marketing relationships: Profitable marketing relationships series. New York: Palgrave. 2002.
Larsson, Mark, & Lundberg, Derick. The transparent market: Management challenges in the electronic age. London, UK: MacMillan Press Ltd. 1998
