In her work as a project/program manager in the retail and travel space, Karthika Mayo focuses on building out digital solutions for direct-to-consumer brands and retailers.
In this episode, we discuss:
Her recent work with cosmetics company e.l.f. to replatform from a legacy ecommerce system to Salesforce Commerce Cloud (along with other SF solutions)
Why both vender salespeople and business executives should include a company’s broader digital team when considering a new commerce project
Just selling to “who holds the checkbook” doesn’t work – your product may not be short-listed for consideration
Digital stakeholders are found across the organization, and their adoption will determine a solution’s success post launch

How the sales process itself is an educational opportunity
Businesses use the RFP process to learn about available solutions and build out their list of requirements
Insisting on using a scripted, scenario- and demo-based approach to evaluation is key to comparing options
Vendors’ reputations in the market are powerful – retailers/brands narrow down options based on what they hear from their own network

Why vendors should be transparent and proactive in helping a business understand potential tradeoffs needed or where customization will be required
Why personalization is the theme for 2019 in the Beauty space