Today I want to touch on a topic that often remains behind the scenes of most discussions about the IT business, especially in Kazakhstan. When it comes to company development, many focus on product, technology, or attracting investments. But for some reason, one of the key factors of a successful business - sales – remains on the sidelines.

According to marketing classics like Philip Kotler, sales are the foundation of any commercial activity. Without them, a business either turns into a charitable foundation, or exists through investments, burning money in pursuit of "beautiful" technologies that no one buys. In the worst case, the company becomes dependent on financing, losing competitiveness.

Even the most innovative IT solutions in Kazakhstan have achieved success not only due to technology, but also due to competent marketing and sales strategy. Take at least Kaspi.kz – the company did not create anything fundamentally new, but took the classic methods of FMCG (mass-market goods) and adapted them to digital. They started by aggressively promoting deposit cards, and then switched to credit products, building an audience and building an ecosystem.

When I hear IT companies talking about a "Data-driven approach" and "new sales methods," I get a little funny. In reality, these "new methods" are well–forgotten old ones that have been working at FMCG for decades. Don't reinvent the wheel, but simply adapt proven FMCG strategies to a digital product, realizing that the key to growth is not just development, but scaling and reach.

There are several approaches in sales:

1. The service approach is to build trusting relationships through quality service.
2. Aggressive (or "burning fields") – the fastest possible market coverage without looking at competitors.
3. Speculative – working on one-time transactions with high margins.
4. Consultative – ideal for project and long-term sales.
5. Complex – a combination of several strategies for maximum effect.

The latter option, integrated sales, shows the best results, although it is rarely used in the Kazakh IT sector. Like Kaspi, we actively "burned out the fields", not dwelling on the fact that our product was head and shoulders above the competition. The main thing is to quickly occupy the market, become recognizable and attract customers. This does not mean that we ignored the quality, but the emphasis was on aggressive promotion.

When the client arrives, an equally important stage begins – his retention. Here they are used:

• High-quality service and support.
• The convenience of using the product.
• Additional benefits (for example, bonuses, free features, preferential terms).

Look at Kaspi's strategy: first they attracted users with free payments and a Gold card, and then they launched high–margin destinations on this foundation - the Store, Travel.

The main mistake of IT companies is to assume that the product will "sell itself." Many startups rely on technology, and sales are assigned to a couple of managers who call customers and try to close deals somehow. It doesn't work. Even Apple, which has an iconic brand and iconic products, spends billions on marketing and sales.

Therefore, it is important:

Integrate sales into the company's strategy at the management level.

Allocate sufficient resources to attract and retain customers.

Don't be afraid of aggressive promotion if it matches the market.

✅ Use proven mechanics from FMCG and adapt them to digital.

Sales are not an auxiliary function, but the foundation of a business. Without them, even the best product will remain just an idea that doesn't make money. Therefore, if you are building an IT company, ask yourself an honest question.: Are you investing enough in sales?