WBM Technologies had a repeatable problem: custom meeting room technology implementations that reinvented the wheel for every client. I saw an opportunity to productize.
🔎 Overview
WBM’s business model was built on custom IT projects with upfront fees and ongoing Managed Service Provider (MSP) contracts. This worked, but left money on the table. We kept hearing the same client pain point: “Our meeting room experience is broken; people can’t connect, quality is poor, technology doesn’t work.”
Coming from DIRTT where I’d worked extensively with integrated meeting technology, I recognized this as a highly repeatable problem that would benefit from standardized solutions. The timing was right: Microsoft was pushing Teams Rooms and meeting technology hard, and clients needed help implementing it well.
đź“‹ Approach
Product Definition
I defined a “Managed Meeting Room” solution with a modular structure:
- Core offering: 24/7 support, room scheduling, meeting access
- Service tiers: On-site vs. virtual concierge options
- Add-ons: Custom training programs, white-label options, expanded Microsoft suite integration
This menu-based approach let sales tailor configurations on a sliding scale whilst benefiting from repeatable go-to-market motion and standardized delivery.
Sales Enablement
The shift to productized offerings required sales training and new collateral. I developed:
- Pitch decks and one-pagers for standard configurations
- Talk tracks to build confidence: “We know meeting rooms are broken. We can fix it.”
- Objection handling guides
- Signal identification training: when to pitch the product vs. pursue custom deals
The key message to sales: productization reduces load on custom work, but we can still respond when clients truly need bespoke solutions.
Go-to-Market Strategy
I positioned this as an account-based, challenger sale: proactively identifying organizations with poor meeting experiences and offering the fix. We co-marketed with Microsoft, which provided credibility and access to market development funds.
đź“Š Results
Revenue Impact
- $1.3M in new revenue within 6 months of launch
- Net new business, not cannibalization of existing custom work
- Close rates improved from 24% to 47% for commercial opportunities involving productized services
Business Transformation
The productization unlocked scalability. Instead of starting from scratch with every meeting room project, sales could present proven packages with predictable pricing, scope, and delivery timelines. This reduced sales cycles and increased win rates.
Microsoft Partnership
The productized approach positioned WBM as a serious Microsoft partner. I leveraged this to secure $400K in Microsoft market development funds, further accelerating growth and co-marketing opportunities.
Key Learning
Productization isn’t about eliminating customization: it’s about creating a strong foundation that handles 80% of use cases, letting you reserve custom work for clients who genuinely need it. The menu-based approach gave sales flexibility while maintaining delivery efficiency.