Results > Tools: Sell Beyond the Tech Stack or Sell Yourself Short
Chris Briggs
Riding Shotgun | A Flexible Resource to Fix Communication Breakdowns, Align Teams, Execute Strategy | Leaving You Better Than I Found You
The days of selling standalone tools or software subscriptions as the ultimate solution are over. Businesses don’t need more tools—they need results. And as buyer-side teams shrink and bandwidth becomes the ultimate scarcity, what clients will pay a premium for is clear: durable, scalable, repeatable results delivered without draining their time and resources.
Here’s the trend I see unfolding:
Tools Alone Won’t Win
The tech playing field is leveling fast. AI and no-code platforms have commoditized functionality. The once “killer features” of a tool are now just table stakes. Buyers assume your software is configurable and sleek—if it’s not, someone else’s will be.
While commoditized tools may serve cost-conscious buyers, the real opportunity lies in serving clients who demand more than functionality. They need outcomes tied to their unique business objectives. The pure-play tech model—build a tool, sell the tool, let the client figure it out—won’t cut it anymore. It’s not enough to sell potential. Clients want outcomes.
They’re not asking for a better hammer; they’re asking for the house to be built.
The Service Gap is the Opportunity
Shrinking in-house teams don’t have the capacity to implement, optimize, and maintain tools to drive results. This creates a massive opportunity for providers who can bridge the gap between technology and execution.
The future belongs to those who can blend technology with service, moving beyond enablement into execution. The critics who question whether service-led models scale are asking the wrong question. Scalability isn’t a tradeoff—it’s a design challenge. Hybrid models, where technology streamlines repeatable tasks while human expertise drives high-value customization, unlock scalability without sacrificing outcomes.
Tools optimize the work. Expertise does the work. Clients want both.
Subject Matter Expertise is the Premium Offering
Expertise is the differentiator in a commoditized tech landscape. The ability to pair a tool with deep knowledge of the client’s industry, challenges, and goals is what justifies a premium investment. It’s the expertise that turns “features” into measurable outcomes.
But subject matter expertise doesn’t have to be built one expert at a time. AI can codify best practices, while industry-specific playbooks can scale SME across teams. Firms that integrate tools, apply domain-specific knowledge, and deliver outcomes will thrive. Those that don’t? They’ll get lost in the noise of feature wars and race-to-the-bottom pricing.
The Future Belongs to the Hybrid
Neither pure-play technology nor pure-play service will win. The winners will combine both, offering scalable, configurable tools that deliver durable results, bolstered by experts who guide, execute, and adapt those tools to meet unique needs.
领英推荐
This hybrid model is the next evolution. Offerings like Results as a Service (RaaS) or Outcomes as a Service (OaaS) bundle technology and expertise to deliver measurable business results.
The value isn’t in the tool—it’s in the results it delivers, amplified by the expertise of those who wield it.
Everything Old is New Again
The pendulum is swinging back. Service-led businesses aren’t new, but their value is being reframed in the context of shrinking teams and exploding technology options. Buyers don’t want to manage a stack—they want to buy a solution. They don’t want to invest in your ability to do something. They want the thing done.
This isn’t a regression—it’s an evolution. As technology removes friction in execution, clients increasingly value the strategic insights and nuanced execution that only a hybrid approach can deliver. It’s the same value, delivered with a new lens.
Why This Matters
This isn’t just a shift in how we deliver value—it’s a shift in how we define it. Features don’t differentiate anymore; outcomes do. While commoditized tools may still serve the low end of the market, the premium lies in delivering outcomes at scale.
If you’re selling software but aren’t ready to integrate it into your client’s workflow, optimize it for their needs, and guide them to success, you’re already behind. Durable results. Scalable execution. Delivered with as little bandwidth drain as possible. That’s what will command a premium in this next phase of B2B.
The time to act is now. Margins are shrinking, and commoditization is accelerating. The winners will redefine value, delivering results that matter.
It’s not either/or—it’s both. The hammer and the house. The expertise and the execution.
Anything less? It’s already a commodity.
What a world.
Be good and do good.