“We already have an integration platform”

CIO · Integration and automation

A CIO who already runs two integration platforms is trying to reduce complexity, not add to it, and that's a reasonable goal. Don't pitch a third platform. Ask what each one is really used for, who owns it and where the gaps are, and position yourself against the gaps rather than alongside the platforms.

What the buyer says

We already have an integration platform. Two, actually. I'm not adding a third.

How to handle it

Listen

Hear "two, actually". The CIO already knows there's overlap, and the worry is sprawl: more tools, more licences and more skills to keep.

Acknowledge

Agree that running several integration platforms is costly, and that adding another without a clear reason would make things worse.

Explore

Ask which integrations run on each platform today, who owns and maintains them, and what still happens outside both: scripts, file transfers and manual re-keying. Ask whether there's a plan to consolidate, and what's holding it back.

Respond

If there's a real gap, position your product against it, or as the way to consolidate rather than add. If their platforms genuinely cover what they need, say so, and ask what would change that.

Say this
“That's fair. Nobody wants a third platform doing what the first two already do.”

Say this
“What does each of them handle today, and who looks after them?”

Say this
“What still happens outside both of them?”

Variations

Head of IT: “We standardised on one integration tool last year. That's the end of it.”
Procurement Manager: “We're cutting the number of software suppliers, not adding to it.”

Questions people ask

How do you respond when a CIO says they already have an integration platform?

Agree that adding another platform would add complexity. Ask what each existing platform handles, who maintains it and what still happens outside it, then position your product against the gaps they name, or as a way to consolidate.

How do you sell integration software to a company that already has some?

Sell to the gap, not the category. Most organisations still have integrations that sit outside their platforms, such as scripts, file transfers and manual work. Find those, and the cost of keeping them, before you talk about your product.