InsideBlueStarEditorNotebook
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A 7-Step Tech Sales Process?
7/1/2019
While the business of selling goods and services has been around for thousands of years, it is important to note the history of the sales process.
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How To Thrive In The Age Of Commoditization
7/1/2019
What is the biggest threat facing your firm over the next few years? My firm recently asked this question in a survey of professional services firms and, as shown in Figure 1, found the eroding value of services was a consistent theme in five of the top seven threats.
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The Principles Of Competence
7/1/2019
I frequently hear business owners and managers say you can’t train people on people skills, so they hire based on good people skills and plan to train new hires on technical skills. A better practice is to hire people based on the requirements of the job description.
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Partner Perspective: Do Vendors Understand How You Run Your Business?
7/1/2019
Channel sales strategist and coach Dede Haas is founder of DLH Services, which helps technology vendors and partners create innovative, successful channel sales solutions and programs. Here, Haas discusses vendor relations with two members of The ASCII Group, a 1,300-member organization of North American VARs, solutions providers, and MSPs offering services to help its members grow their businesses. Check out Haas’ “Channel Knowledge Nuggets” newsletter at dlhservices.com for tips and stories from the trenches.
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Security: Bake It In
7/1/2019
My conversations with IT services and vendor execs and independent channel business gurus have been lopsided of late. Everyone wants to talk about IT security in any manner of its forms. Lead the sale with security or lose it to the competition, say some. Ditch the managed services or VAR personas altogether and redefine yourself as a security provider, managed or otherwise, say others.
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Are You Making The #1 Strategic Marketing Error?
7/1/2019
Simple rules can remind you what to do when your mind might otherwise be distracted or overwhelmed.
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How To Manage Millennials In the IT Workforce
7/1/2019
I often hear complaints about millennials in the workforce. Much of what is said is negative in character and sometimes outright derogatory. Have you heard any of these? Millennials don’t have a work ethic. Millennials care only about themselves. Maybe you’re lucky if they show up for work.
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The SMB’s Realistic Approach To Cybersecurity
7/1/2019
We all know the drill … the threats are out there, the cybercriminals are after us, and hackers are knocking on our door daily.
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Why Your Best Existing Clients Don’t Refer Business
7/1/2019
The typical MSP gets four to five referrals a year from clients. For those that are qualified, there is a very high close rate. Most (80+ percent) become new MRR clients.
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Why Being Real Is More Important Than Being Right
5/1/2019
It’s unbelievable how time flies when you are the owner of an IT managed service provider. It seems only yesterday that I started by myself in a 500 sq. ft. garage and now ATG-IT has 17 employees working out of 6,000 square feet. Five years ago, we reached 25 years in business. We had been mostly successful, growing sales and profit year over year, having only the odd blip now and then. We didn’t have a significant churn of customers as they were mainly happy.