This week is all about the IT industry. I am at the annual CompTIA breakaway event and gathered with industry leaders from every facet of the IT world. It has already been a great event and we are only getting started. The focus of a number of the sessions has revolved around change - particularly that of the cloud and the pending changes that will be coming as that reality comes to fruition.
That said - I think more and more people are beginning to take a more balanced view of things. The sky is falling approach to dealing with it is over the top. Life is continuing in spite of the cloud. VAR's and Solution Providers continue to stay in business and serve customers. The reality is that if we take care of the customer - deliver strong customer service focused on their best interest meeting their business goals - we have a place in any new economy. It will come down to the relationship, and nothing cements it like good customer service. That does not mean we should stick out heads in the sand and pretend it is business like usual. We need to begin our due diligence into how the cloud will fit our business model and our customer's needs, and then learn all we can about selling, implementing, supporting, training and marketing it.
There was a great session that addressed some of this here at CompTIA breakaway. Here are some snippets I jotted down that I think are good to consider:
1. The channel lost 40K partners in 2009 with estimates that there are currently 210K left in the US
2. Execution will always be the differentiator
3. There are three key areas that will be hot in 2011 so cloud is only part of the real opportunity:
- Mobile
- Social networking
- Cloud
4. Many SMB customers are still waiting for cash before they spend money
5. As SMB customers shift from capex to opex it creates challenges and drives the need for cash for resellers
6. Creative financing will become critical
7. Reliance on VAR's goes up with the cloud - things get more complex, not less
8. Complexity during transition from on premise to a hybrid cloud goes up
9. Cloud means hybrid in most cases
10. Referral fees will change valuation methods when companies are sold
11. Today over 40% of partners not involved in the cloud
12. The percentage of end users currently using the cloud is almost identical
13. Becoming a sales organization becomes more critical as we sell cloud resources
14. Evolution of the roles in the channel and in a reseller company will occur
15. The could will require evolution of business models
16. Last year the best in class company metrics are 3x better when compared to average VAR
17. Business process becomes far more important in the cloud
18. Consolidation will increase in the channel as companies fail to make business model changes
19. It is critical to talk to clients about the cloud so someone else doesn't come in and do it
20. The vendors we work with will change. Apps will be sold by those closest to the client. UPS / banks / CPAs / lawyers etc. will become the new vendors
21. The last mile will be a tug of war. 38% of vendors see no need for disty and many struggle with the need for solution providers either
22. How a vendor views customer ownership must be a key factor in selecting a vendor
23. The only way to maintain margin will be to own the entire relationship from a management of the customer environment perspective
24. We really need to become cloud ambassadors
25. Training and adoption become much more important to maintain customer satisfaction and retention
26. There is a new group of partners coming on that don't have any prior baggage and will just fully embrace the cloud
This is a long list of thoughts that I gathered from different sessions here at CompTIA breakaway. My advice is to think about them strategically, plot a course, stay the course, and provide extreme customer service. In the end, he who owns the heart of the customer will win!
Showing posts with label CompTIA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CompTIA. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Can't Miss Events for 2010
We are just about a month from the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, and I thought it would be a good time to remind you why events like this are so important to us as partners. I wrote an original post on this topic in 2009, and have updated my thinking here based on my focused role as CEO now. There are only a few events on my “cannot miss” list any more:
1. Quarterly HTG meetings
2. ConnectWise Partner Summit
3. Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference
4. CompTIA Breakaway
Certainly there are a number of other quality events that occur in the channel each year, but to be honest, if I don’t pick and choose I will be attending an event or two every week. And as my role has matured, it has become more important to select the events that will make the largest impact on our company from my seat as CEO. There is a real cost, and a significant opportunity cost to be out of the office, on the road attending events. So why are these my picks and what has changed?
First, let’s talk about roles and how that should impact the events we attend. From my perspective – there is a vast difference between the role of CEO and President/GM. I am finally figuring that out. The CEO role should be heavily focused outside the company – on relationships and industry – externally looking. The President or GM is more internally focused and responsible for the day to day management. CEO’s are strategic while President’s are responsible. Those differences should drive the types of events we attend. Another role we have within companies as they grow is managers. These are the folks who carry out the tasks and make sure the work gets done. They own execution and need to be in the weeds figuring out how to make it happen. As a CEO I stay out of the weeds as much as I can. That is not where I belong.
That said I realize that maybe as many as 90% of the people reading this post don’t have the model of CEO and President as roles split between different people. I know that the singled-bodied CEO/President/GM has to serve many masters. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary at HTS, we have finally moved to a place where we have a different person responsible for strategy vs. operations. I remember all too well how it was when I went to events as the lone leader with strategic and operational focus. So understand – my focus is now from the seat of strategy – that of a CEO.
I have really not spent any time attending operational meetings for a while now. It didn’t fit my job role even as President. That is where we need to start as we determine how to make investments in meeting attendance. I may be unpopular with some because of these views. Everyone wants to attend every meeting. Every meeting sponsor wants you at their event. But it just doesn’t make sense to do them all. So what will I be doing for the balance of 2010?
HTG quarterly meetings are the backbone of my community involvement. At those meetings each quarter I get updated on our business. Connie now owns the responsibility to prepare and present as President but I try to sit in and check out the benchmarking numbers that show how we did relative to the group we participate in, HTG as a whole, and the industry. This also gives me a big batch of fresh ideas to evaluate, as well as a quick pulse on the industry and marketplace which is becoming increasingly important for my role of strategic leader. I also am able to bounce ideas off the best and brightest about pending business model hurdles and required changes – like the cloud – a sort of think tank environment to help solidify thoughts and directions because of deep relationships and an environment that is tailored for those kinds of activities. The days spent at HTG are the best investment I can make in terms of working on my business from a strategic vantage point.
One of the new wrinkles for HTG this year has been the CEO Forum where a handful of companies are gathering every 6 months to focus solely on strategy and the role of CEO. Our next meeting is next week in Denver – and we will be diving deep in to strategic planning and preparation for the next big thing in our industry. I find the chance to sit in a room with 18 brilliant other CEO’s as stimulating and valuable as it gets.
Since ConnectWise is the platform we run our business on, attending their partner summit is a no brainer. There is no one single thing that can impact my business as deeply and quickly as tweaks made to the PSA tool we use. So attending their event, rubbing shoulders with the other users there, and learning how to get the most from that product is a great investment of time. But realize that my time is spent primarily in advisory council, presentation, vendor meetings, press and other modes – while we have other members of the HTS team there focusing on the actual utilization of the product. ConnectWise is the operating system of our business, and I need to be close to all aspects of that eco system to assure success in our business. We need to have a strategic relationship with the company on as many levels as possible as no other part of our infrastructure has the impact that ConnectWise has.
Microsoft WPC – the next large scale event I will attend – is all about building relationships broadly across a large organization. It would take weeks of time on campus in Redmond and airplanes flying back and forth across the country to be able to see and meet with the number of people I am able to connect with during 4 days at WPC. There is no other gathering where I can get access to the quantity of a vendor’s staff that Microsoft provides at WPC. Mornings allow access to executive keynotes that provide a roadmap for the future. Afternoons are filled with breakouts, but sprinkled in all of the open spots are one on one’s and small meetings with program managers, product folks, field team and a variety of others from Microsoft. If you just attend WPC for the content delivered from main stage and breakouts, it is a good value. But if you really take advantage of the time to connect with people, it is an unbelievable opportunity to build relationships with key people across that organization that can be fantastic resources for you to leverage and work with to grow your company.
CompTIA is a new focal point for me as I sit in the the role of CEO. CompTIA provides a lot of great content, but the reason I feel strongly the need to connect is all the things they focus on in an advocacy role for our industry. They are working in politics and thought leadership and will be a significant force in defining what the IT industry looks like. I want to be involved and part of that process. I see it as a significant part of strategy.
HP and SonicWALL are also key partners for HTS and thus on my list of must attend events except when they either don’t hold them or lay them over other events that are more strategic. This year SonicWALL has not held an event, and HP held theirs right on top of the HTG Summit so I skipped it in lieu of what I felt was far more important. That is happening more all the time which forces us to make choices and the need to change how we spend our time. And that is really the message of this blog – you have to really think about what you are going to invest your time in and not just attend an event because it is offered.
Distribution affinity groups like VTN are bubble meetings for me as a CEO, but must attend for those in the day to day roles within a company. I attended VTN for many years, but now have passed that torch to my management team in most cases today.
So the real question is – which events are on your “must attend” list? Mine has changed over the years as my company has grown and my role has changed. My advice is to take a hard look at what your job really entails for your company and then be sure to send the right people to the right events to get the information first hand they need to achieve their job success. Sometimes, often in fact, that is not likely you. I realize it is hard for many to send an employee to a conference or training. Who will monitor them and make sure they are actually doing what they are supposed to? How can I be sure they won’t sleep in or make the company look bad? You can’t know, but if you hired the right people that is not an issue.
1. Quarterly HTG meetings
2. ConnectWise Partner Summit
3. Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference
4. CompTIA Breakaway
Certainly there are a number of other quality events that occur in the channel each year, but to be honest, if I don’t pick and choose I will be attending an event or two every week. And as my role has matured, it has become more important to select the events that will make the largest impact on our company from my seat as CEO. There is a real cost, and a significant opportunity cost to be out of the office, on the road attending events. So why are these my picks and what has changed?
First, let’s talk about roles and how that should impact the events we attend. From my perspective – there is a vast difference between the role of CEO and President/GM. I am finally figuring that out. The CEO role should be heavily focused outside the company – on relationships and industry – externally looking. The President or GM is more internally focused and responsible for the day to day management. CEO’s are strategic while President’s are responsible. Those differences should drive the types of events we attend. Another role we have within companies as they grow is managers. These are the folks who carry out the tasks and make sure the work gets done. They own execution and need to be in the weeds figuring out how to make it happen. As a CEO I stay out of the weeds as much as I can. That is not where I belong.
That said I realize that maybe as many as 90% of the people reading this post don’t have the model of CEO and President as roles split between different people. I know that the singled-bodied CEO/President/GM has to serve many masters. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary at HTS, we have finally moved to a place where we have a different person responsible for strategy vs. operations. I remember all too well how it was when I went to events as the lone leader with strategic and operational focus. So understand – my focus is now from the seat of strategy – that of a CEO.
I have really not spent any time attending operational meetings for a while now. It didn’t fit my job role even as President. That is where we need to start as we determine how to make investments in meeting attendance. I may be unpopular with some because of these views. Everyone wants to attend every meeting. Every meeting sponsor wants you at their event. But it just doesn’t make sense to do them all. So what will I be doing for the balance of 2010?
HTG quarterly meetings are the backbone of my community involvement. At those meetings each quarter I get updated on our business. Connie now owns the responsibility to prepare and present as President but I try to sit in and check out the benchmarking numbers that show how we did relative to the group we participate in, HTG as a whole, and the industry. This also gives me a big batch of fresh ideas to evaluate, as well as a quick pulse on the industry and marketplace which is becoming increasingly important for my role of strategic leader. I also am able to bounce ideas off the best and brightest about pending business model hurdles and required changes – like the cloud – a sort of think tank environment to help solidify thoughts and directions because of deep relationships and an environment that is tailored for those kinds of activities. The days spent at HTG are the best investment I can make in terms of working on my business from a strategic vantage point.
One of the new wrinkles for HTG this year has been the CEO Forum where a handful of companies are gathering every 6 months to focus solely on strategy and the role of CEO. Our next meeting is next week in Denver – and we will be diving deep in to strategic planning and preparation for the next big thing in our industry. I find the chance to sit in a room with 18 brilliant other CEO’s as stimulating and valuable as it gets.
Since ConnectWise is the platform we run our business on, attending their partner summit is a no brainer. There is no one single thing that can impact my business as deeply and quickly as tweaks made to the PSA tool we use. So attending their event, rubbing shoulders with the other users there, and learning how to get the most from that product is a great investment of time. But realize that my time is spent primarily in advisory council, presentation, vendor meetings, press and other modes – while we have other members of the HTS team there focusing on the actual utilization of the product. ConnectWise is the operating system of our business, and I need to be close to all aspects of that eco system to assure success in our business. We need to have a strategic relationship with the company on as many levels as possible as no other part of our infrastructure has the impact that ConnectWise has.
Microsoft WPC – the next large scale event I will attend – is all about building relationships broadly across a large organization. It would take weeks of time on campus in Redmond and airplanes flying back and forth across the country to be able to see and meet with the number of people I am able to connect with during 4 days at WPC. There is no other gathering where I can get access to the quantity of a vendor’s staff that Microsoft provides at WPC. Mornings allow access to executive keynotes that provide a roadmap for the future. Afternoons are filled with breakouts, but sprinkled in all of the open spots are one on one’s and small meetings with program managers, product folks, field team and a variety of others from Microsoft. If you just attend WPC for the content delivered from main stage and breakouts, it is a good value. But if you really take advantage of the time to connect with people, it is an unbelievable opportunity to build relationships with key people across that organization that can be fantastic resources for you to leverage and work with to grow your company.
CompTIA is a new focal point for me as I sit in the the role of CEO. CompTIA provides a lot of great content, but the reason I feel strongly the need to connect is all the things they focus on in an advocacy role for our industry. They are working in politics and thought leadership and will be a significant force in defining what the IT industry looks like. I want to be involved and part of that process. I see it as a significant part of strategy.
HP and SonicWALL are also key partners for HTS and thus on my list of must attend events except when they either don’t hold them or lay them over other events that are more strategic. This year SonicWALL has not held an event, and HP held theirs right on top of the HTG Summit so I skipped it in lieu of what I felt was far more important. That is happening more all the time which forces us to make choices and the need to change how we spend our time. And that is really the message of this blog – you have to really think about what you are going to invest your time in and not just attend an event because it is offered.
Distribution affinity groups like VTN are bubble meetings for me as a CEO, but must attend for those in the day to day roles within a company. I attended VTN for many years, but now have passed that torch to my management team in most cases today.
So the real question is – which events are on your “must attend” list? Mine has changed over the years as my company has grown and my role has changed. My advice is to take a hard look at what your job really entails for your company and then be sure to send the right people to the right events to get the information first hand they need to achieve their job success. Sometimes, often in fact, that is not likely you. I realize it is hard for many to send an employee to a conference or training. Who will monitor them and make sure they are actually doing what they are supposed to? How can I be sure they won’t sleep in or make the company look bad? You can’t know, but if you hired the right people that is not an issue.
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:
Friday, April 9, 2010
Time with CompTIA in Chicago
This week I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the first annual CompTIA member meeting in Chicago. It was a very full day of content and meetings about matters that are important to the technology industry. HTG has a strategic partnership with CompTIA and it has been great to get to know the team at CompTIA and begin understanding just how important their mission is for partners and others in the channel.
CompTIA is uniquely positioned to speak for all of us. They work hard to remain independent and to include all facets of our very complex industry. Members consist of partners of all shapes and sizes, manufacturers, consultants, vendors, distributors, industry experts and on it goes. Everyone has a place in this organization. They are tackling key areas that impact how business will happen. Cloud computing was a big topic of this meeting. But there were breakouts on managed services, training, certifications and more.
They are best known for their certification programs which are generic industry certs and very helpful to identify levels of knowledge in the workforce. But they fill vital roles of serving to lobby and protect our industry in Washington and across states as well. They bring together people who are unlikely to work together in any other forum to help create things that make the industry better. They are actively working to build a workforce for the future. Some of the statistics are frightening. CompTIA takes a very broad and high level look at all aspects of the industry as well as external influences that may impact it - and they tackle those things head on. Todd Thibodeaux as CEO is taking this organization into new areas that are vital to a healthy ecosystem.
CompTIA has a great staff of professionals who are leading this industry in many areas. I really enjoyed the content they presented and am grateful for their continued persistence to make this industry better. Are you a CompTIA member? It is a real value along with being an important way to get behind our industry. Just this week I downloaded a couple of the legal templates from the member site which easily saved me the cost of membership in saved legal fees. But it is far more than that. It is a chance to get involved with and make a difference in the channel. Don't just pay your fees for dues. Get involved, participate in shaping the future and be part of the organization that is leading the channel into the future.
Check them out at http://www.comptia.org/ and get involved today!
To take advantage of CompTIA’s special membership offer for HTG Peer Group members, please visit the link here:
https://portal.htgmembers.com/Sponsors/CompTIA/Shared%20Documents/SignUp.mht
You will need to use the promo code HTGAlliance.
This membership will provide HTG Peer Group members with the full benefits of CompTIA Membership except voting rights in the association and the $40 certification voucher which is offered with a standard CompTIA membership.
If you have specific questions about any aspect of CompTIA membership, please contact Charlene Lundy at clundy@comptia.org or (630) 678-8530
CompTIA is uniquely positioned to speak for all of us. They work hard to remain independent and to include all facets of our very complex industry. Members consist of partners of all shapes and sizes, manufacturers, consultants, vendors, distributors, industry experts and on it goes. Everyone has a place in this organization. They are tackling key areas that impact how business will happen. Cloud computing was a big topic of this meeting. But there were breakouts on managed services, training, certifications and more.
They are best known for their certification programs which are generic industry certs and very helpful to identify levels of knowledge in the workforce. But they fill vital roles of serving to lobby and protect our industry in Washington and across states as well. They bring together people who are unlikely to work together in any other forum to help create things that make the industry better. They are actively working to build a workforce for the future. Some of the statistics are frightening. CompTIA takes a very broad and high level look at all aspects of the industry as well as external influences that may impact it - and they tackle those things head on. Todd Thibodeaux as CEO is taking this organization into new areas that are vital to a healthy ecosystem.
CompTIA has a great staff of professionals who are leading this industry in many areas. I really enjoyed the content they presented and am grateful for their continued persistence to make this industry better. Are you a CompTIA member? It is a real value along with being an important way to get behind our industry. Just this week I downloaded a couple of the legal templates from the member site which easily saved me the cost of membership in saved legal fees. But it is far more than that. It is a chance to get involved with and make a difference in the channel. Don't just pay your fees for dues. Get involved, participate in shaping the future and be part of the organization that is leading the channel into the future.
Check them out at http://www.comptia.org/ and get involved today!
To take advantage of CompTIA’s special membership offer for HTG Peer Group members, please visit the link here:
https://portal.htgmembers.com/Sponsors/CompTIA/Shared%20Documents/SignUp.mht
You will need to use the promo code HTGAlliance.
This membership will provide HTG Peer Group members with the full benefits of CompTIA Membership except voting rights in the association and the $40 certification voucher which is offered with a standard CompTIA membership.
If you have specific questions about any aspect of CompTIA membership, please contact Charlene Lundy at clundy@comptia.org or (630) 678-8530
Monday, March 8, 2010
CompTIA Sponsored Security Bootcamp - Dallas
CompTIA is sponsoring a Pre-Day Security Workshop ahead of the MSPU Dallas Boot Camp!
It will be held at the Omni Dallas Park West on Tuesday, March 16th. Following will be MSPU's
IT Solutions and Managed Services Sales & Marketing and Service Delivery Boot Camp on March 17th-19th.
Lot's of good training coming to a city right in the heart of Texas. Check out the details here and get registered to participate!
It will be held at the Omni Dallas Park West on Tuesday, March 16th. Following will be MSPU's
IT Solutions and Managed Services Sales & Marketing and Service Delivery Boot Camp on March 17th-19th.
Lot's of good training coming to a city right in the heart of Texas. Check out the details here and get registered to participate!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
The Next Three Years For HTG
I was blessed to spend a couple days this week with the HTG team and advisory council in a strategic planning session in Phoenix. Our mission was to step back and take another look at our course and make sure we were on track. It was a great exercise as we turned over every aspect of the HTG program and took a look at where we were, and more importantly, where we were going to be in 3 years.
After all, we continually press our members to do strategic planning. That has to drive every part of our businesses. It comes down to answering the "why" question. Why do we do what we do? What is the driving force - the end game - the desired outcome? Far too many businesses and organizations go through their lifecycle without ever really knowing why. They get up, go to work, take on risk, hire people, go through the motions day after day without ever really answering the question of "why". That is not the case for HTG.
HTG has a very clear answer to that question. It is the same answer we have had for a number of years: "HTG exists to help our members experience business and personal growth driven by execution". That is our mantra - our ONE GOAL - our castle on the hill. We will have succeeded if we are able to get ALL our members into a continual cycle of growth that aligns with their plans. That growth happens in many ways, at different speeds, across many different facets of our members. But the key is to identify where you want to go, to pursue it with passion, and to reach that goal only to set the next one that will define how you live and lead for the next period of time.
HTG identifies the need for that growth to happen in four areas: business, leadership, life and legacy. That is why our FOUR PLANS will continue to be central to helping us achieve our mission. We are not content to help members drive EBITDA alone. We want people to not only succeed in business, but to also have success in their relationships, in their personal lives, and in creating the future impact of their life driven by their legacy. This differentiates us from most other peer programs who focus on driving bottom line income. We don't ignore that need - it is primary in our mission - but to have a fantastic business without a balance - to lose the important relationships in life because of a single focus - well to us that does not define success and certainly will not produce happiness. Without life/work balance the money really is unfulfillng over time.
HTG will continue to drive our groups and members to leverage their peer relationships. The most important part of HTG is the peer group meetings each quarter. The QBR format (quarterly board review) with deep feedback from fellow peers is key to helping our members really grow. It is that accountability that keeps every member on course. We all face plateaus in our growth process. It is a lifecycle when running a successful business and to be able to lay it on the table and allow others to provide their guidance and share their wisdom is very valuable in driving growth. Benchmarking our financials through our partnership with Service Leadership, and building deep profiles and scorecards will take us to the next level in our reporting and feedback focus.
HTG will work more strategically with vendors and our distribution partner (Ingram Micro) to drive business and member success. We have had some great progress with a few of our vendor partners - notably ConnectWise, IBM, Microsoft, SonicWALL and HP - and we will be focusing on finding ways to work hand in hand to build methods to drive business for all. The good news about this environment is that it is very much a shared goal and in everyone's interest to drive more business. This becomes critical as we begin to deal with the transition that cloud computing will bring to our industry. We need deep partnerships and the ability to leverage the intelligence, data and direction of those who define what our industry becomes. Our partnership with Ingram Micro and CompTIA will be a key part of guiding us through the transition ahead.
There are many more details that will be shared in Dallas in April at our HTGALL lunch on Monday, and in the peer group meetings that will happen that week. But the reality is that our direction remains the same. We have more clarity about the details than ever before, and we will review those as we lay the plan out for our members in Dallas. HTG will remain focused on one thing: business and personal growth driven by execution. We are about helping our members go from good to great - to removing the roadblocks to their growth - and providing an environment through our program that allows us to build the premier set of business leaders in this industry. We are well on our way. Our pursuit of that goal will continue and our team is passionate about getting us there. As Edison said, "Vision without execution is hallucination". We are not hallucinating - we are on course and heading for the end zone. We are looking for a few good partners who want to join the journey. Only those with a passion to grow need apply. http://www.htgpeergroups.com/ for the application.
After all, we continually press our members to do strategic planning. That has to drive every part of our businesses. It comes down to answering the "why" question. Why do we do what we do? What is the driving force - the end game - the desired outcome? Far too many businesses and organizations go through their lifecycle without ever really knowing why. They get up, go to work, take on risk, hire people, go through the motions day after day without ever really answering the question of "why". That is not the case for HTG.
HTG has a very clear answer to that question. It is the same answer we have had for a number of years: "HTG exists to help our members experience business and personal growth driven by execution". That is our mantra - our ONE GOAL - our castle on the hill. We will have succeeded if we are able to get ALL our members into a continual cycle of growth that aligns with their plans. That growth happens in many ways, at different speeds, across many different facets of our members. But the key is to identify where you want to go, to pursue it with passion, and to reach that goal only to set the next one that will define how you live and lead for the next period of time.
HTG identifies the need for that growth to happen in four areas: business, leadership, life and legacy. That is why our FOUR PLANS will continue to be central to helping us achieve our mission. We are not content to help members drive EBITDA alone. We want people to not only succeed in business, but to also have success in their relationships, in their personal lives, and in creating the future impact of their life driven by their legacy. This differentiates us from most other peer programs who focus on driving bottom line income. We don't ignore that need - it is primary in our mission - but to have a fantastic business without a balance - to lose the important relationships in life because of a single focus - well to us that does not define success and certainly will not produce happiness. Without life/work balance the money really is unfulfillng over time.
HTG will continue to drive our groups and members to leverage their peer relationships. The most important part of HTG is the peer group meetings each quarter. The QBR format (quarterly board review) with deep feedback from fellow peers is key to helping our members really grow. It is that accountability that keeps every member on course. We all face plateaus in our growth process. It is a lifecycle when running a successful business and to be able to lay it on the table and allow others to provide their guidance and share their wisdom is very valuable in driving growth. Benchmarking our financials through our partnership with Service Leadership, and building deep profiles and scorecards will take us to the next level in our reporting and feedback focus.
HTG will work more strategically with vendors and our distribution partner (Ingram Micro) to drive business and member success. We have had some great progress with a few of our vendor partners - notably ConnectWise, IBM, Microsoft, SonicWALL and HP - and we will be focusing on finding ways to work hand in hand to build methods to drive business for all. The good news about this environment is that it is very much a shared goal and in everyone's interest to drive more business. This becomes critical as we begin to deal with the transition that cloud computing will bring to our industry. We need deep partnerships and the ability to leverage the intelligence, data and direction of those who define what our industry becomes. Our partnership with Ingram Micro and CompTIA will be a key part of guiding us through the transition ahead.
There are many more details that will be shared in Dallas in April at our HTGALL lunch on Monday, and in the peer group meetings that will happen that week. But the reality is that our direction remains the same. We have more clarity about the details than ever before, and we will review those as we lay the plan out for our members in Dallas. HTG will remain focused on one thing: business and personal growth driven by execution. We are about helping our members go from good to great - to removing the roadblocks to their growth - and providing an environment through our program that allows us to build the premier set of business leaders in this industry. We are well on our way. Our pursuit of that goal will continue and our team is passionate about getting us there. As Edison said, "Vision without execution is hallucination". We are not hallucinating - we are on course and heading for the end zone. We are looking for a few good partners who want to join the journey. Only those with a passion to grow need apply. http://www.htgpeergroups.com/ for the application.
Friday, August 7, 2009
A Great Week at CompTIA
The CompTIA Breakaway event has ended this week after three days of great content, partner engagement, and vendor interaction. Scott, Ken and I were in Las Vegas to man the HTG booth as part of their vendor fair, and I was privileged to moderate the lunch session on Wednesday which focused on success stories and lessons learned from partners. There were over 500 partners on hand, along with almost 100 vendor companies and a variety of other folks. Grand total was over 1000 people registered and on site for the event. That is encouraging in and of itself. Many of the IT channel events have been well down in attendees if held at all. But this event gives one hope that the economic impact is slowing and the attitude in the channel is regaining some positive steam. Overall the people we met with were upbeat and feeling pretty good about things. While there are certainly pockets of real economic distress, the general feeling was that customers have money available, but have been waiting for some solid direction that things have stabilized and are headed back toward better days. There weren’t many folks that felt we were sliding more deeply into the arms of a recession, but most said they see positive signs of recovery that should lead us to higher ground.
The event was a unique mix of folks and content. Lots of focused meetings tackling a variety of topics and issues mixed with briefings from vendors and great content from leading speakers. I was able to sit in on Verne Harnish’s presentation on planning and get some firsthand exposure to his Gazelle system. I met with a number of media folks to talk about the HTG story and mission as well as update them on our future direction and goals. We had 20 or so HTG green shirts in the crowd, and I am sure there were others on hand I missed. But our presence was felt and seen with those shirts. HTG was the buzz in the places I spent time and the interest is high and the demand to get involved in peer to peer community very strong. The partner attendees are a bit unusual at this event as the mix is all over the board from the largest in the channel down to the SMB. Most conferences are targeted at a particular type of partner, but CompTIA serves the entire channel and that was evident by the attendee list. It was a great place for us to recruit from a different pool of prospects than the normal places we connect.
HTG was the focus of lunch on Wednesday where I moderated the session of discussing successes and lessons learned by three companies in the channel. Jeff Anderson from BulletProof in Canada, a member of HTG10, made us all proud as we walked through the changes in their organization over the last 8 months or so. Jeff and Rene Sloos have merged their companies and created a new one that now includes Stuart Crawford as well. I heard from many that his section of the interview was filled with value and great insight. Thanks for making all of us HTGer's proud Jeff!
HTG will be working to identify ways we can work more closely with CompTIA in the days ahead. They certainly have a class organization that provides a lot of value to members in the channel. HTG wants to leverage their vast resources across our membership so we can participate with and take advantage of the quality programs and activities they are serving up. There is new leadership at the helm, and a fresh perspective on how they can engage the channel and drive the best interests of all involved. HTG is proud to be recognized as a leader in the channel and to partner with CompTIA to continue to help the ecosystem succeed and serve our collective customers the best way we possibly can. So a big thanks to the CompTIA team for a job well done and for allowing us to be part of your event. We look forward to much more in the coming days.
The event was a unique mix of folks and content. Lots of focused meetings tackling a variety of topics and issues mixed with briefings from vendors and great content from leading speakers. I was able to sit in on Verne Harnish’s presentation on planning and get some firsthand exposure to his Gazelle system. I met with a number of media folks to talk about the HTG story and mission as well as update them on our future direction and goals. We had 20 or so HTG green shirts in the crowd, and I am sure there were others on hand I missed. But our presence was felt and seen with those shirts. HTG was the buzz in the places I spent time and the interest is high and the demand to get involved in peer to peer community very strong. The partner attendees are a bit unusual at this event as the mix is all over the board from the largest in the channel down to the SMB. Most conferences are targeted at a particular type of partner, but CompTIA serves the entire channel and that was evident by the attendee list. It was a great place for us to recruit from a different pool of prospects than the normal places we connect.
HTG was the focus of lunch on Wednesday where I moderated the session of discussing successes and lessons learned by three companies in the channel. Jeff Anderson from BulletProof in Canada, a member of HTG10, made us all proud as we walked through the changes in their organization over the last 8 months or so. Jeff and Rene Sloos have merged their companies and created a new one that now includes Stuart Crawford as well. I heard from many that his section of the interview was filled with value and great insight. Thanks for making all of us HTGer's proud Jeff!
HTG will be working to identify ways we can work more closely with CompTIA in the days ahead. They certainly have a class organization that provides a lot of value to members in the channel. HTG wants to leverage their vast resources across our membership so we can participate with and take advantage of the quality programs and activities they are serving up. There is new leadership at the helm, and a fresh perspective on how they can engage the channel and drive the best interests of all involved. HTG is proud to be recognized as a leader in the channel and to partner with CompTIA to continue to help the ecosystem succeed and serve our collective customers the best way we possibly can. So a big thanks to the CompTIA team for a job well done and for allowing us to be part of your event. We look forward to much more in the coming days.
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