Microsoft Sales Tactics

[BJCooperIT]

In this Computerworld column, they report that Microsoft's Janet Lawless, an "engagement manager" (whose job is to drum up business for Microsoft's consulting operation) is sending letters to customers saying:

"a preliminary review ... indicates that your company may not be licensed properly"

The customer scrambles to prove that their licences are in order. Then she sends a follow-up saying:

"since this is a compliance issue, I am obligated to notify an officer of _______ of the situation and the significant risk your organization may be subject to by not resolving this situation in a timely manner.

The columnist goes on to say:

So let's review: Lawless didn't just try to intimidate a customer. She misrepresented her purpose. And when it was clear that the customer had been misled, she didn't clarify that she was trying to sell a consulting engagement. Instead, she continued to mislead the customer. Now that's sleazy.

I agree.




^{Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw}
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[sleipnir214]

I once worked for a company that on Wednesdays would cater lunch for employees and bring in vendors to talk to us while we ate. One day two market-droids from Microsoft came in and blathered at us for well over two hours. I have two vivid memories of that talk.

One was when one of the 'droids spoke two utterances in a row that were so filled with buzzword-bingo catchphrases that he forgot to put verbs in them. Notice I said "spoke two utterances", not "spoke two sentences".

The other was when on of the 'droids said the truest words I have ever heard spoken about Microsoft: "Microsoft is not a service company. Microsoft is a marketing company."

This kind of horseshi nonsense, unfortunately, goes on all the time when dealing with Microsoft.



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