A great friend of HTG - Bob Burg of Go Giver fame - will be doing a webcast this week. Join Stuart Crawford from Calgary's Internet Consulting firm Ulistic with the Go Giver himself, Mr. Bob Burg. Stuart and Bob will discuss the latest book in the Go Giver series "Go Givers Sell More". Released in 2010, the "Go Givers Sell More" book reviews the concepts that Pindar shared with Joe in the classic "Go Giver" book. It is no secret that the Go Giver mindset allows people to achieve great successes in life, become a trusted resource in the business world and also provides you the ability to achieve more in your life.
You can't miss this special webcast. Listen online this Thursday, May 27 at 11 AM Eastern. Not to worry, if you miss this special webcast, you can download it or get it through iTunes.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Lessons from the Folks Down Under
I was blessed to spend a week with our HTG21 friends from down under a few weeks ago. As expected - when we boil down the real issues facing partners in ANZ (Australia-New Zealand) it starts to look extremely familiar to those facing partners in the US, UK and Canada. In fact, it is just almost the same list. Here are the challenges I believe face all of us if we want to be ready for the coming changes cloud computing brings to the marketplace.
1. We have to become sales organizations. Gone are the days when technical genius will win - we will have to sell some things before we ever get a chance to show that we even have any technical talent. Nothing happens until the sale is made.
2. We have to learn to manage a sales team. This is not like managing engineers. It is not about utilization, nor is it rocket science. But for many it is very unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory that must be conquered.
3. We have to learn how to market. Sales people only take us so far. Good ones require a solid marketing plan driving opportunities into the pipeline for them to close. That means we need to spend time and money on reaching out to new prospects. It is not magic, nor are vendors going to hand them over to us on a silver platter.
4. We have to learn to build repeatable processes. Margins will shrink and the only game in town will be volume and driving every last dollar from the deals we sell. That happens when we have process, procedure and discipline.
5. We have to build leadership. The days of one person leading an entire company to success are coming to a close. This will require teamwork, practice leaders, C-level partners that can get things done. They don't magically appear - we have to train and build them.
6. We have to build relationships. With vendors, with distibutors, with customers, with other partners - I am convinced the truly successful will have this one nailed. It will be the differentiation that will separate the winners from the rest of the pack.
I didn't need to go to Australia to come up with this list - but by going - it certainly has verified that the challenges are the same no matter where folks are doing business in the IT space. It is just a matter of the size of the issue and where companies are in addressing them.
It is good to be back on the farm again. Now we can tackle the next set of issues and get ready to put the cloud to use!
1. We have to become sales organizations. Gone are the days when technical genius will win - we will have to sell some things before we ever get a chance to show that we even have any technical talent. Nothing happens until the sale is made.
2. We have to learn to manage a sales team. This is not like managing engineers. It is not about utilization, nor is it rocket science. But for many it is very unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory that must be conquered.
3. We have to learn how to market. Sales people only take us so far. Good ones require a solid marketing plan driving opportunities into the pipeline for them to close. That means we need to spend time and money on reaching out to new prospects. It is not magic, nor are vendors going to hand them over to us on a silver platter.
4. We have to learn to build repeatable processes. Margins will shrink and the only game in town will be volume and driving every last dollar from the deals we sell. That happens when we have process, procedure and discipline.
5. We have to build leadership. The days of one person leading an entire company to success are coming to a close. This will require teamwork, practice leaders, C-level partners that can get things done. They don't magically appear - we have to train and build them.
6. We have to build relationships. With vendors, with distibutors, with customers, with other partners - I am convinced the truly successful will have this one nailed. It will be the differentiation that will separate the winners from the rest of the pack.
I didn't need to go to Australia to come up with this list - but by going - it certainly has verified that the challenges are the same no matter where folks are doing business in the IT space. It is just a matter of the size of the issue and where companies are in addressing them.
It is good to be back on the farm again. Now we can tackle the next set of issues and get ready to put the cloud to use!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Upcoming Webinar From Our Friends at Trend Micro
Join our friends from Trend Micro for a very informative webinar on May 12. This will give you the background on just how easy it is to migrate to Trend’s offerings in the security area.
Are you offering substandard security to your customers because it's easy or included in a management package you are using today? Trend Micro's Worry-Free Business Security is designed to meet the needs of your small business customer. And as an HTG member you can take advantage of exclusive pricing.
Meet your Trend Micro contacts! Join our security experts T.J. Alldridge, Product Marketing Manager; Ryan Delany, Systems Engineer; and Lili Bender, Distribution Channel Manager on Wednesday, May 12 at 11:00 AM PST for a live and interactive webinar. The speakers will provide an overview of Trend Micro's Worry-Free Business Security and will discuss the huge margin opportunity you can make as an HTG member. Migrating to Trend Micro is easier and more profitable than you think. Register today!
Learn more about:
• Who Trend Micro is and what makes the Worry-Free product family different.
• How to easily migrate your customers to Trend Micro.
• How to take advantage of the exclusive HTG pricing.
• How easy it is to deploy Trend Micro products to remove AVG, Symantec, McAfee, Sunbelt and more.
• Trend Micro's Worry Free Remote Manager (free product to manage your customers remotely).
This is an online event. You will receive an email confirmation with joining details immediately after registration.
Are you offering substandard security to your customers because it's easy or included in a management package you are using today? Trend Micro's Worry-Free Business Security is designed to meet the needs of your small business customer. And as an HTG member you can take advantage of exclusive pricing.
Meet your Trend Micro contacts! Join our security experts T.J. Alldridge, Product Marketing Manager; Ryan Delany, Systems Engineer; and Lili Bender, Distribution Channel Manager on Wednesday, May 12 at 11:00 AM PST for a live and interactive webinar. The speakers will provide an overview of Trend Micro's Worry-Free Business Security and will discuss the huge margin opportunity you can make as an HTG member. Migrating to Trend Micro is easier and more profitable than you think. Register today!
Learn more about:
• Who Trend Micro is and what makes the Worry-Free product family different.
• How to easily migrate your customers to Trend Micro.
• How to take advantage of the exclusive HTG pricing.
• How easy it is to deploy Trend Micro products to remove AVG, Symantec, McAfee, Sunbelt and more.
• Trend Micro's Worry Free Remote Manager (free product to manage your customers remotely).
This is an online event. You will receive an email confirmation with joining details immediately after registration.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
A Lesson On Customer Service
The Harvard Business Review daily email last week had some comments on Strategy's Golden Rule. I found it rather intriguing. They stated that:
The single most common competitive mistake investors, CEOs, and entrepreneurs alike make is this: striving to do slightly better what their fiercest rival already does incredibly well. The result is usually a muddled, incoherent mess of a strategy — one that fuels not disruptive, explosive differences between a firm and its rivals, but their very opposite: bland, boring similarities. Most companies are competitively challenged — and the Golden Rule of Strategy is how I triage them. It says:
"What your fiercest rival does badly, do incredibly well." In difference lie the seeds of disruption. In similarity, only obsolescence, and decay.
HTG just finished a week of meetings at the Omni Mandalay Hotel in Los Colinas Texas. We had a fantastic week there, due in large part to a staff that understands customer service. The Omni practices the idea of being really good at what many of their competitors don’t do well at – exceeding customer expectations. To be totally honest, the venue is busting at the seams when we are there. But the service is so good and our experience has been so fantastic that we continue to come back and have our expectations exceeded year after year. Customer service is about the customer and that is what the folks at the Omni seem to really understand. They do all the things you would expect any decent hotel venue to do – nice rooms, good food, clean etc. But they go above and beyond which is what really sets them apart from my perspective. Here are a few of the little things that really caught my attention.
We arrived on Saturday a full day ahead of our event. We were greeted with a couple 20 ounce bottles of Diet Mountain Dew (DMD) and boxes of Junior Mints. If you know me at all – DMD is my drink of choice and Junior Mints my wife’s snack of choice. We have not stayed at the Omni for a full year and they remembered those items and made sure we had them in our room. Not just any snacks and cold drinks – the ones we really like. Not only was DMD available at check in – but during the event there were random bottles of DMD among the Coke products that are the norm at the Omni. That is customer service and exceeding expectations.
I recall my first stay at the Omni I had informed the coffee shop that Chai Tea was really my preference over Starbucks regular coffee drinks. I always ask for that everywhere I travel – Chai is just better than coffee to me. They didn’t have it there the first day a few years ago, but they tracked me down the second day and on every subsequent stay since they always have Chai Tea. I have no idea if it is part of their normal menu, but when HTG is in the house they certainly do. I travel extensively and can tell you that few hotel Starbucks carry Chai, and no other hotel has ever offered or made the effort to have it in their coffee shop or DMD in my room due to customer request. Except the Omni – they exceeded my expectations again.
We had one setup snafu on the first day of our peer group meetings. We discovered it about 20 or 30 minutes prior to HTG3 starting – and within 15 minutes a team of about 10 folks turned that room and had us ready for action. That included some of the management staff – they didn’t just assign it – they dove in and made sure things were as expected. Part of great customer service is the ability to correct things that sometimes don’t go as planned. That happened and expectations were met.
The banquet team fed us too well, but their serving a group of 300 plus is an art form. The food was hot, it came quickly and they were not disruptive to our packed agenda. One of the waiters pulled me aside during a lull in the action and shared a little of the shenanigans that happen among the staff there. Seems he hid in the bathroom and scared a fellow teammate early one morning before things got started. It is those little personal things that make the relationship real and alive. The food exceeded expectations, particularly the fact we had BBQ on the menu this year!
Before I left the week I was privileged to have a drink with Chad and Terri who are part of the sales team at the Omni. They called and personally invited me to spend a little time reviewing the event, asking what could be done better, and pondering things we can do to take it a level further next year. They didn’t need to do that. We have already signed the contract for 2011. But they made time in their very busy schedule to again exceed my expectations by listening to my feedback, sharing ideas and updating me on the roadmap for improvements at their hotel over the next couple years. It was a valuable time and sincerely appreciated.
To say that the Omni team understands customer service doesn't really capture it. They go beyond - taking advantage in areas their competitors don't - to do the little things that differentiate their hotel. All of the major brands do the basics pretty well. In a market like that - it then comes down to the little touches and personal attention to detail. We can learn a lot from that for the IT space. As we move into the transition to the cloud, when the services are commoditized and differentiation will be difficult, it will be the little things, the personal and small details, that will cause people to not only remain loyal customers but also become raving fans.
The single most common competitive mistake investors, CEOs, and entrepreneurs alike make is this: striving to do slightly better what their fiercest rival already does incredibly well. The result is usually a muddled, incoherent mess of a strategy — one that fuels not disruptive, explosive differences between a firm and its rivals, but their very opposite: bland, boring similarities. Most companies are competitively challenged — and the Golden Rule of Strategy is how I triage them. It says:
"What your fiercest rival does badly, do incredibly well." In difference lie the seeds of disruption. In similarity, only obsolescence, and decay.
HTG just finished a week of meetings at the Omni Mandalay Hotel in Los Colinas Texas. We had a fantastic week there, due in large part to a staff that understands customer service. The Omni practices the idea of being really good at what many of their competitors don’t do well at – exceeding customer expectations. To be totally honest, the venue is busting at the seams when we are there. But the service is so good and our experience has been so fantastic that we continue to come back and have our expectations exceeded year after year. Customer service is about the customer and that is what the folks at the Omni seem to really understand. They do all the things you would expect any decent hotel venue to do – nice rooms, good food, clean etc. But they go above and beyond which is what really sets them apart from my perspective. Here are a few of the little things that really caught my attention.
We arrived on Saturday a full day ahead of our event. We were greeted with a couple 20 ounce bottles of Diet Mountain Dew (DMD) and boxes of Junior Mints. If you know me at all – DMD is my drink of choice and Junior Mints my wife’s snack of choice. We have not stayed at the Omni for a full year and they remembered those items and made sure we had them in our room. Not just any snacks and cold drinks – the ones we really like. Not only was DMD available at check in – but during the event there were random bottles of DMD among the Coke products that are the norm at the Omni. That is customer service and exceeding expectations.
I recall my first stay at the Omni I had informed the coffee shop that Chai Tea was really my preference over Starbucks regular coffee drinks. I always ask for that everywhere I travel – Chai is just better than coffee to me. They didn’t have it there the first day a few years ago, but they tracked me down the second day and on every subsequent stay since they always have Chai Tea. I have no idea if it is part of their normal menu, but when HTG is in the house they certainly do. I travel extensively and can tell you that few hotel Starbucks carry Chai, and no other hotel has ever offered or made the effort to have it in their coffee shop or DMD in my room due to customer request. Except the Omni – they exceeded my expectations again.
We had one setup snafu on the first day of our peer group meetings. We discovered it about 20 or 30 minutes prior to HTG3 starting – and within 15 minutes a team of about 10 folks turned that room and had us ready for action. That included some of the management staff – they didn’t just assign it – they dove in and made sure things were as expected. Part of great customer service is the ability to correct things that sometimes don’t go as planned. That happened and expectations were met.
The banquet team fed us too well, but their serving a group of 300 plus is an art form. The food was hot, it came quickly and they were not disruptive to our packed agenda. One of the waiters pulled me aside during a lull in the action and shared a little of the shenanigans that happen among the staff there. Seems he hid in the bathroom and scared a fellow teammate early one morning before things got started. It is those little personal things that make the relationship real and alive. The food exceeded expectations, particularly the fact we had BBQ on the menu this year!
Before I left the week I was privileged to have a drink with Chad and Terri who are part of the sales team at the Omni. They called and personally invited me to spend a little time reviewing the event, asking what could be done better, and pondering things we can do to take it a level further next year. They didn’t need to do that. We have already signed the contract for 2011. But they made time in their very busy schedule to again exceed my expectations by listening to my feedback, sharing ideas and updating me on the roadmap for improvements at their hotel over the next couple years. It was a valuable time and sincerely appreciated.
To say that the Omni team understands customer service doesn't really capture it. They go beyond - taking advantage in areas their competitors don't - to do the little things that differentiate their hotel. All of the major brands do the basics pretty well. In a market like that - it then comes down to the little touches and personal attention to detail. We can learn a lot from that for the IT space. As we move into the transition to the cloud, when the services are commoditized and differentiation will be difficult, it will be the little things, the personal and small details, that will cause people to not only remain loyal customers but also become raving fans.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
HTG Recognizes Members With Awards
HTG just finished its annual HTG Summit in Dallas Texas. Part of the festivities included recognition of a set of members and sponsors who have gone above and beyond in their participation and service to the HTG community. We recognize these award winners as the cream of the IT channel crop and are proud to be associated with each of them. The 2010 HTG award winners:
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