[AusNOG] IPv6: "Objections to sale"

[Robert Hudson]

On 7 March 2013 10:52, Christopher Mclean <cjm at ausoptic.com> wrote:

> Hi Mark,
>
> You managed to get most of the sales process correct. There is also a
> needs/benefit process as well. Sales are mostly done because of an emotion
> (Ego, butt covering etc) . Any salesperson who relies on price and lunch
> rather than benefit/solution selling is no saleperson at all. Ie:
>
> Sales: Would you like to buy IPv6?
> Customer: I already have IPv4!
> Sales: But IPv6 will let you do all the same things IPv4 will and IPv4 is
> running out!
> Customer: Oh ok just because you bought me lunch yesterday you have
> convinced me.
>
> Just does not work that way right.
>
> I expect this is what is NOT driving the IPv6 uptake. With things like Y2k
> you had an emotional "the world of IT will crumble" unless it was resolved.
> OEM's rushed to get Y2k compliant products onto the market as there was a
> distinct market out there and money to be made. With IPv6 there appears to
> be a huge yawn about the whole issue among those people that IT is just
> another tool they use. Yeah we will run out of IPv4 but I'm ok for the
> moment. No real emotion for people to make the decision to spend money = no
> OEM will divert resources to R&D to produce something that nobody really
> cares about =very slow changeover. There is nothing magical about
> capitalism. But it does have some very strict rules. If it's not going to
> MAKE me money I won't discuss it. Tell people that some of their systems
> will no longer function in 6 months without it and the OEM's will suddenly
> become interested as lots of people will need to change over.
>
> Chris


I think a major part of the issue with IPv6 is the "Sure, someone will
suffer once we actually can't get an IPv4 address any more, but I have as
many as I need, so it won't be me.  And even if there's a new service
that's IPv6 only, chances are I won't need it" mentality. With Y2K, there
was no such escape - Y2K had the potential to impact nearly everyone, at
exactly the same time, and there was a very clearly defined point in time
at which the endgame occurred.

Y2K was an "the world will stop" event.  IPv4 address exhaustion is an
"parts of the world may stop, but probably not my parts" event.
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