This is an excerpt from a recent newsletter from David Russell (david@managetowin.com). I found his thoughts very valuable as he addresses doing things to set yourself apart as a leader and creating memorable moments.
You are a leader. Why not be a memorable one?
An important part of being memorable as a leader is listening well, making certain your people feel valued and having meetings that are productively interactive. However there are some little things you can do to increase your memorability in meetings also. Here are some ideas:
1. Bring gifts. I often bring hard-cover copies of my books to meetings as a gift. It helps them get to know me and our work better. It is thoughtful because the book retails for $29.95 and can be helpful. Yes, it also is a great business card. $10-$15 gift cards are an alternative that can be effective, especially if you match them to the interests of each meeting participant.
2. Bring treats. Consider bringing high quality treats such as See's Candies chocolate (high quality, not some cheap brand), brownies or other treats from a classy bakery, or anything that is classy but not too expensive. No doughnuts!
3. Bring examples. For instance, if you are talking about the importance of branding then bring some samples of great brands to give away after you explain why they are unique. (You don't have to bring a Macintosh computer, just an iTunes card...) Maybe give the examples as prizes for people who have innovative ideas or answers to your questions.
4. Tell great stories. If you are on a tight budget then be prepared with one or more great stories to tell. If you think others tell stories better than you, work with your storytellers before the meeting and weave their participation into your agenda.
Life is way too short! Be memorable.
Thanks for the great thoughts David. If you are looking for software to help with people management, check out his product at http://www.successwithpeople.com/.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Opportunity to Share your Faith in New Orleans
For those coming to Microsoft's WPC - we are holding a special prayer breakfast on Wednesday morning. This will be the second annual Partners in Christ prayer breakfast. Here are the details:
New Orleans Marriott at the Convention Center
859 Convention Center Boulevard
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
7:00 - 8:00 a.m.
Click Here to Register Today!http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2is6m4qfuzirfgr/a0115fwc143m2/questions
This is open to any and all who want to gather for a time of fellowship and sharing. Please register at the link above so we have plenty of space and food. I hope to see you in NOLA and particularly at this breakfast. It is open to VAR's, vendors, Microsoft staff - any and all are welcome to join us. There is no cost to attend. Just show up to meet and fellowship.
Our speaker this year will be Boyd Bailey. Boyd is founder and Chairman of Wisdom Hunters, LLC and is the author of two devotional books, Infusion and Seeking Daily the Heart of God; Boyd is also founder of Ministry Ventures, a venture capital firm for early stage ministries which has helped 45 start-up ministries raise over $15.5 million and impact over 35,000 people for Christ. Prior to Ministry Ventures, Bailey was the National Director for Crown Financial Ministries. He was instrumental in the expansion of Crown into 30 major markets across the U.S. He was a key facilitator in the 25 million dollar merger between Christian Financial Concepts and Crown Ministries. Before Crown he and Andy Stanley started First Baptist Atlanta’s north campus; and as an Elder, Boyd assisted Andy in the start of North Point Community Church. In college he bought a service business with five employees. This business endeavor financed his education and the equity from its sale was the economic launching pad for his graduate school experience.
Again this year we will be providing all attendees a free book, Boyd’s Infusion devotional. We look forward to seeing you at the Marriott on July 15 at 7AM!
New Orleans Marriott at the Convention Center
859 Convention Center Boulevard
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
7:00 - 8:00 a.m.
Click Here to Register Today!http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2is6m4qfuzirfgr/a0115fwc143m2/questions
This is open to any and all who want to gather for a time of fellowship and sharing. Please register at the link above so we have plenty of space and food. I hope to see you in NOLA and particularly at this breakfast. It is open to VAR's, vendors, Microsoft staff - any and all are welcome to join us. There is no cost to attend. Just show up to meet and fellowship.
Our speaker this year will be Boyd Bailey. Boyd is founder and Chairman of Wisdom Hunters, LLC and is the author of two devotional books, Infusion and Seeking Daily the Heart of God; Boyd is also founder of Ministry Ventures, a venture capital firm for early stage ministries which has helped 45 start-up ministries raise over $15.5 million and impact over 35,000 people for Christ. Prior to Ministry Ventures, Bailey was the National Director for Crown Financial Ministries. He was instrumental in the expansion of Crown into 30 major markets across the U.S. He was a key facilitator in the 25 million dollar merger between Christian Financial Concepts and Crown Ministries. Before Crown he and Andy Stanley started First Baptist Atlanta’s north campus; and as an Elder, Boyd assisted Andy in the start of North Point Community Church. In college he bought a service business with five employees. This business endeavor financed his education and the equity from its sale was the economic launching pad for his graduate school experience.
Again this year we will be providing all attendees a free book, Boyd’s Infusion devotional. We look forward to seeing you at the Marriott on July 15 at 7AM!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The HTG Way Part IV - Leadership Plans
Zig Ziglar said “It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.” Creating a business plan is foundational, but next we move to planning that will assure those who are required to perform in order to achieve the business plan are aligned. This requires personal commitments from those in leadership as well as those who will do the day to day activity required for success of the company plan. We call this personal commitment plan a leadership plan.
Far too often owners and managers create job descriptions and commitments for their staff or team, but seldom have written anything in regard to their involvement in achieving the success of the company business plan. We know from experience that as the owner or manager goes, often so goes the business. If the leadership in a company is not disciplined and dedicated to following a plan, or leading the execution of the company plan, it often falls by the wayside and becomes little more than a piece of paper with some words on it. The leadership plan is the document that allows the owner or manager to put a stake in the ground saying “I am going to do these things to assure we reach our goals”. The leadership plan should clearly define his priorities for how time is used on the job and should provide the team with clarity in what role will be fulfilled. Of course successfully using this plan means a willingness to be evaluated about how well it has been executed. That level of accountability to the team sets a standard and creates an environment that leads to growth and success of people and the organization as a whole.
HTG uses a simple worksheet to capture leadership commitments. These consist of three areas around each topic:
1. Commitments – specific areas of focus that aligns job performance goals and objectives with the company business plan and goals. Answers the question “What areas of my job align directly with the company business plan and goals?”
2. Execution Plan – how you will achieve your commitments. This should include key milestones, priorities and dependencies for success. Answers the question “What will you specifically do?”
3. Accountabilities – define how you will measure success and what metrics you will use to evaluate the realization of your commitments. These will be KPI’s and metrics related to measuring success. Answers the question “How will you know you have achieved success?”
Far too often owners and managers create job descriptions and commitments for their staff or team, but seldom have written anything in regard to their involvement in achieving the success of the company business plan. We know from experience that as the owner or manager goes, often so goes the business. If the leadership in a company is not disciplined and dedicated to following a plan, or leading the execution of the company plan, it often falls by the wayside and becomes little more than a piece of paper with some words on it. The leadership plan is the document that allows the owner or manager to put a stake in the ground saying “I am going to do these things to assure we reach our goals”. The leadership plan should clearly define his priorities for how time is used on the job and should provide the team with clarity in what role will be fulfilled. Of course successfully using this plan means a willingness to be evaluated about how well it has been executed. That level of accountability to the team sets a standard and creates an environment that leads to growth and success of people and the organization as a whole.
HTG uses a simple worksheet to capture leadership commitments. These consist of three areas around each topic:
1. Commitments – specific areas of focus that aligns job performance goals and objectives with the company business plan and goals. Answers the question “What areas of my job align directly with the company business plan and goals?”
2. Execution Plan – how you will achieve your commitments. This should include key milestones, priorities and dependencies for success. Answers the question “What will you specifically do?”
3. Accountabilities – define how you will measure success and what metrics you will use to evaluate the realization of your commitments. These will be KPI’s and metrics related to measuring success. Answers the question “How will you know you have achieved success?”
You can select a number of areas that align directly with the company business plan, but here are a few that may be good to consider:
- Revenue/Financial/Profitability Objectives
- Personal Growth and Training Objectives
- Customer Relationships and Satisfaction/Loyalty Objectives
- Company Culture/Fellow Employee/Process Improvement Objectives
- Business and Career Objectives
There likely will be other areas you can include. This is not the same as a job description, but should include the reality that many items on this personal leadership commitment plan need to align with the job description as well as the company business plan. Just make sure you are able to identify what role you play in achieving company success and then identify the things you need to do to achieve those, and how you can measure and assess your work along that path.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
The HTG Way Part III - Business Plans
Will Rogers said “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there”. We have to plan to take action. Underlying S.M.A.R.T. goals is the need for planning. In HTG we focus on four plans that we ask members to complete or update each year.
1. Business Plan
2. Leadership Plan
3. Life Plan
4. Legacy Plan
The first and foundational plan is a company business plan. This plan is targeted at capturing the key elements for the company for the coming year. HTG uses a version of the One Page Business Plan as a model, but members are able to use any plan methodology they prefer. The key is not what the plan looks like, but rather that there is a plan. This plan should serve as the basis for many of the goals that are set each quarter. If the goals don’t align with the plan (or one of the plans), then why is there focus being made on it.
There are five key elements to the one page business plan format which are important to address:
1. Vision – a graphical description of the business that answers the question “What are you building?” Your vision should describe what the business will look like in 3, 5 or 10 years. It should include the geographical scope, the type of business you will operate, product and service offerings and what customers you intend to serve. This is the “big picture” for your company.
2. Mission – is the statement of purpose for the organization and answers the question “Why does this business exist?” The mission statement should describe the reason this company exists in a sentence or less. This statement should be timeless and really give people a clear view into the purpose of the business over time.
3. Objectives – are a list of measurable results and desired outcomes. This answers the question “What will you measure?” While there is the potential for a long list here, it is recommended that this be a list of four to eight goals that must be achieved for the business to be successful. This should include KPI’s and other ways to measure success and to know goals have been met.
4. Strategies – define how business will be built and managed. They answer the question “How will you build and grow this business?” This should be a list of five to eight things the business must do extremely well over time to be successful. These are not typically short term or tactical activities, but longer term actions that will be done consistently over time.
5. Plans – are a list of work or tasks to be completed. This answers the question “What is the work to be done now?” In this section, list six to eight specific business building or infrastructure projects that must be successfully completed within the next 12 months in order to implement the strategies listed above. These are tactical activities that need to happen now.
Of course the plan by itself does not guarantee success. You need to review it regularly, create a scorecard for key areas of measurement, identify KPI’s to watch daily, evaluate and provide regular feedback to employees so they are aware of progress, utilize to do lists with dates and progress benchmarks to track activity, and communicate verbally and via written word progress on the plan.
One other area you may want to include in your business plan is your Core Values. These are statements by which your company will be governed. They don’t change over time but are the very core of how you will operate the business and how it conducts itself through relationships with vendors, customers, employees and the community. These statements help all parties understand how you intend to interact and engage with them and how you will do business. These should be very visible to all people inside and outside your company.
1. Business Plan
2. Leadership Plan
3. Life Plan
4. Legacy Plan
The first and foundational plan is a company business plan. This plan is targeted at capturing the key elements for the company for the coming year. HTG uses a version of the One Page Business Plan as a model, but members are able to use any plan methodology they prefer. The key is not what the plan looks like, but rather that there is a plan. This plan should serve as the basis for many of the goals that are set each quarter. If the goals don’t align with the plan (or one of the plans), then why is there focus being made on it.
There are five key elements to the one page business plan format which are important to address:
1. Vision – a graphical description of the business that answers the question “What are you building?” Your vision should describe what the business will look like in 3, 5 or 10 years. It should include the geographical scope, the type of business you will operate, product and service offerings and what customers you intend to serve. This is the “big picture” for your company.
2. Mission – is the statement of purpose for the organization and answers the question “Why does this business exist?” The mission statement should describe the reason this company exists in a sentence or less. This statement should be timeless and really give people a clear view into the purpose of the business over time.
3. Objectives – are a list of measurable results and desired outcomes. This answers the question “What will you measure?” While there is the potential for a long list here, it is recommended that this be a list of four to eight goals that must be achieved for the business to be successful. This should include KPI’s and other ways to measure success and to know goals have been met.
4. Strategies – define how business will be built and managed. They answer the question “How will you build and grow this business?” This should be a list of five to eight things the business must do extremely well over time to be successful. These are not typically short term or tactical activities, but longer term actions that will be done consistently over time.
5. Plans – are a list of work or tasks to be completed. This answers the question “What is the work to be done now?” In this section, list six to eight specific business building or infrastructure projects that must be successfully completed within the next 12 months in order to implement the strategies listed above. These are tactical activities that need to happen now.
Of course the plan by itself does not guarantee success. You need to review it regularly, create a scorecard for key areas of measurement, identify KPI’s to watch daily, evaluate and provide regular feedback to employees so they are aware of progress, utilize to do lists with dates and progress benchmarks to track activity, and communicate verbally and via written word progress on the plan.
One other area you may want to include in your business plan is your Core Values. These are statements by which your company will be governed. They don’t change over time but are the very core of how you will operate the business and how it conducts itself through relationships with vendors, customers, employees and the community. These statements help all parties understand how you intend to interact and engage with them and how you will do business. These should be very visible to all people inside and outside your company.
Friday, June 19, 2009
The HTG Way Part II
S.M.A.R.T. goals are widely used across all types of environments. Setting goals that are not set against these guidelines give us little to really measure or achieve. So as members set their goals, we encourage them to use these guidelines:
Specific - A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six "W" questions:
*Who: Who is involved?
*What: What do I want to accomplish?
*Where: Identify a location.
*When: Establish a time frame.
*Which: Identify requirements and constraints.
*Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.
Measurable - Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the joy of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal.
To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as......How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?
Attainable - When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.
You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them.
Realistic - To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Some of the hardest jobs you ever accomplished actually seem easy simply because they were a labor of love.
Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal.
Timely - A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there's no sense of urgency. "Someday" won't work. But if you anchor it within a timeframe, then you've set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal.
T can also stand for Tangible - A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing. When your goal is tangible you have a better chance of making it specific and measurable and thus attainable.
Specific - A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six "W" questions:
*Who: Who is involved?
*What: What do I want to accomplish?
*Where: Identify a location.
*When: Establish a time frame.
*Which: Identify requirements and constraints.
*Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.
Measurable - Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the joy of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal.
To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as......How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?
Attainable - When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.
You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them.
Realistic - To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Some of the hardest jobs you ever accomplished actually seem easy simply because they were a labor of love.
Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal.
Timely - A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there's no sense of urgency. "Someday" won't work. But if you anchor it within a timeframe, then you've set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal.
T can also stand for Tangible - A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing. When your goal is tangible you have a better chance of making it specific and measurable and thus attainable.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The HTG Way
This is the first in a series of posts around HTG and exactly what it is.......
HTG is built upon the premise that peers working together and investing in each other can impact our businesses, leadership and life. We live by the Go-Giver mentality – pay it forward if you will. The purpose of our peer group program is to drive value into our member companies and collectively raise the value of all members’ organizations as we apply sound business principles and execute those in a culture of accountability. That value should take a couple forms. First the valuation of member companies should be higher than those of the industry when a member decides to sell, merge or pass on his organization. We believe that peer to peer interaction causes our members to grow more quickly and profitably than the industry at large. HTG is currently participating in a study being led by the University of Nebraska Kearney to measure the impact of HTG on our member organizations. It is our belief that because of the way HTG members collaborate, execute and manage through accountability relationships, that their company has more value than the one down the street. This longitudinal study by UNK will measure and verify our belief.
The second area where value occurs is in the people who participate in HTG. Operating in a culture of accountability is a competitive advantage for owners and managers in our industry. The peer board of directors format causes behavior that does not occur without accountability. That behavior changes companies, leadership and lives. That is evident through observing hundreds of interactions and measuring the impact of goals and execution. Peer pressure works equally well on executives of companies as it does on the playground in kindergarten. HTG is focused on creating an environment of positive peer pressure that drives change.
The basic premise of HTG is execution driven by accountability. As Thomas Edison once said “vision without execution is hallucination”. It does no good to learn without doing. HTG quarterly meetings are focused on driving that execution. Each quarter every company has to set three goals which are due in 90 days. As the next meeting starts, companies must defend their accomplishment of those goals to their peer board. Failure to execute is not accepted lightly. HTG uses the “Survivor” model where non-performing companies are voted “off the island” in their individual groups. This is serious business. HTG members understand that each seat in their 12 member group has significant value and must be filled by a member that performs. So accountability is a key tenant of how HTG functions. Goals need to be set using the S.M.A.R.T. method so they can be fairly measured and evaluated.
HTG is built upon the premise that peers working together and investing in each other can impact our businesses, leadership and life. We live by the Go-Giver mentality – pay it forward if you will. The purpose of our peer group program is to drive value into our member companies and collectively raise the value of all members’ organizations as we apply sound business principles and execute those in a culture of accountability. That value should take a couple forms. First the valuation of member companies should be higher than those of the industry when a member decides to sell, merge or pass on his organization. We believe that peer to peer interaction causes our members to grow more quickly and profitably than the industry at large. HTG is currently participating in a study being led by the University of Nebraska Kearney to measure the impact of HTG on our member organizations. It is our belief that because of the way HTG members collaborate, execute and manage through accountability relationships, that their company has more value than the one down the street. This longitudinal study by UNK will measure and verify our belief.
The second area where value occurs is in the people who participate in HTG. Operating in a culture of accountability is a competitive advantage for owners and managers in our industry. The peer board of directors format causes behavior that does not occur without accountability. That behavior changes companies, leadership and lives. That is evident through observing hundreds of interactions and measuring the impact of goals and execution. Peer pressure works equally well on executives of companies as it does on the playground in kindergarten. HTG is focused on creating an environment of positive peer pressure that drives change.
The basic premise of HTG is execution driven by accountability. As Thomas Edison once said “vision without execution is hallucination”. It does no good to learn without doing. HTG quarterly meetings are focused on driving that execution. Each quarter every company has to set three goals which are due in 90 days. As the next meeting starts, companies must defend their accomplishment of those goals to their peer board. Failure to execute is not accepted lightly. HTG uses the “Survivor” model where non-performing companies are voted “off the island” in their individual groups. This is serious business. HTG members understand that each seat in their 12 member group has significant value and must be filled by a member that performs. So accountability is a key tenant of how HTG functions. Goals need to be set using the S.M.A.R.T. method so they can be fairly measured and evaluated.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Can't Miss Events in 2009
We are just about 6 weeks 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. There are only a few events on my “cannot miss” list any more:
1. Quarterly HTG meetings
2. ConnectWise Partner Summit
3. VentureTech Network Invitational
4. Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference
5. HP Americas Partner Conference (when held)
6. SonicWall Peak Performance (when held)
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 our organization has matured, it has become more important to select the events that will make the largest impact on our company that is possible. 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 six my picks?
HTG quarterly meetings are the backbone of my community involvement. At those meetings each quarter I get to focus on my business – checking out the benchmarking numbers that show how I did relative to the group we participate in, HTG as a whole, and the industry. It also gives me a great big batch of best practices and fresh ideas to evaluate, as well as a quick evaluation by the other 11 members of my group as we go through the peer board review. The days spent at HTG are the best investment I can make in terms of working on my business.
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. ConnectWise is the operating system of our business, and we need to continue to raise our effective utilization of the software to drive process and success in our business.
VTN is a great distributor affinity group that gives me a unique touch with key manufacturers and distribution executives. This is the one venue where I can shake hands and have dinner with executives from the major vendors in the industry. It also is a great place to hear quality content and be part of a large community of partners who are mature and focused. Supplemented by two quarterly local chapter meetings, VTN gives me a broad look at the industry and allows me to connect at a different level than any other event I attend.
Microsoft WPC – the next upcoming 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 criss crossing the country to be able to see and meet with the number of people I am able to connect with in 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 the Microsoft company. 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. There is no question that the success of HTS has been influenced heavily by our attendance at WPC. We have connected with dozens of Microsoft teams and staff who have helped us grow our company in a lot of areas. It takes a consistent presence and a lot of effort to schedule meetings, connect at receptions and events, find people at parties and lunch, but it is well worth it if you do it well. Of course, there is also the benefit of getting to know the partners who are typically the movers and shakers in the channel because those are the typical attendees. That gives rise to partnering opportunities and other lessons that happen as we build relationships with folks from around the world.
HP and SonicWall are also key partners for HTS and thus on my list of much attend events. They do not hold their conference each year, so it is not as regular as the other events I attend, but when they happen, I will plan to be there. A lot of the same reasons that I called out about WPC apply to these events as well. Great places to connect and grow your relationships and ultimately your business.
So the real question is – which events are on your “must attend” list? I know that WPC is a rather expensive event to attend, but the venue is always superb, the event and content very well done and the opportunity to create relationships that can make a significant difference is there for the asking. Things are tight, which means there will be less people there to compete for the meeting slots and opens the door for more interaction and connections. It will be too late when you hear the feedback that Microsoft put on another fantastic partner conference. We are on the dawn of some great new products with Windows 7, Exchange 10, Office and on the list goes. Can you afford to be in the dark about all that is on the horizon? Don't be one of the partners who says they want to have a deeper relationship with Microsoft but then fail to execute on one of the most important things they deliver to the channel each year - WPC. Your call - just don't talk out of both sides of your mouth at once......
1. Quarterly HTG meetings
2. ConnectWise Partner Summit
3. VentureTech Network Invitational
4. Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference
5. HP Americas Partner Conference (when held)
6. SonicWall Peak Performance (when held)
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 our organization has matured, it has become more important to select the events that will make the largest impact on our company that is possible. 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 six my picks?
HTG quarterly meetings are the backbone of my community involvement. At those meetings each quarter I get to focus on my business – checking out the benchmarking numbers that show how I did relative to the group we participate in, HTG as a whole, and the industry. It also gives me a great big batch of best practices and fresh ideas to evaluate, as well as a quick evaluation by the other 11 members of my group as we go through the peer board review. The days spent at HTG are the best investment I can make in terms of working on my business.
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. ConnectWise is the operating system of our business, and we need to continue to raise our effective utilization of the software to drive process and success in our business.
VTN is a great distributor affinity group that gives me a unique touch with key manufacturers and distribution executives. This is the one venue where I can shake hands and have dinner with executives from the major vendors in the industry. It also is a great place to hear quality content and be part of a large community of partners who are mature and focused. Supplemented by two quarterly local chapter meetings, VTN gives me a broad look at the industry and allows me to connect at a different level than any other event I attend.
Microsoft WPC – the next upcoming 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 criss crossing the country to be able to see and meet with the number of people I am able to connect with in 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 the Microsoft company. 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. There is no question that the success of HTS has been influenced heavily by our attendance at WPC. We have connected with dozens of Microsoft teams and staff who have helped us grow our company in a lot of areas. It takes a consistent presence and a lot of effort to schedule meetings, connect at receptions and events, find people at parties and lunch, but it is well worth it if you do it well. Of course, there is also the benefit of getting to know the partners who are typically the movers and shakers in the channel because those are the typical attendees. That gives rise to partnering opportunities and other lessons that happen as we build relationships with folks from around the world.
HP and SonicWall are also key partners for HTS and thus on my list of much attend events. They do not hold their conference each year, so it is not as regular as the other events I attend, but when they happen, I will plan to be there. A lot of the same reasons that I called out about WPC apply to these events as well. Great places to connect and grow your relationships and ultimately your business.
So the real question is – which events are on your “must attend” list? I know that WPC is a rather expensive event to attend, but the venue is always superb, the event and content very well done and the opportunity to create relationships that can make a significant difference is there for the asking. Things are tight, which means there will be less people there to compete for the meeting slots and opens the door for more interaction and connections. It will be too late when you hear the feedback that Microsoft put on another fantastic partner conference. We are on the dawn of some great new products with Windows 7, Exchange 10, Office and on the list goes. Can you afford to be in the dark about all that is on the horizon? Don't be one of the partners who says they want to have a deeper relationship with Microsoft but then fail to execute on one of the most important things they deliver to the channel each year - WPC. Your call - just don't talk out of both sides of your mouth at once......
Monday, May 25, 2009
The Next Frontier
Friday I was blessed to be able to do a live web TV show with Arnie Bellini in the ConnectWise TV studio in Tampa. I really had no idea what to expect, but they have really put together a first class studio to broadcast and record content using the latest in technology. I remember when I thought blogging was a big deal, and since then we have YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and a host of other ways to connect and share information. But this latest technology - the ability to put video and content together in a live and recorded format, takes it all to the next level. There are so many exciting ways to use the Internet, and web TV is certainly one of the most interesting and powerful.
We discussed HTG in a very interactive format, but also had the ability to share a PowerPoint deck while we had our discussion. So it brings together the power of a live meeting or webinar with live video and then lets you record and even edit it into smaller pieces after you finish depending on the needs you have. We spent an hour together talking all things HTG, and then in the next days it will be available on the ConnectWise website for viewing as well. They use an Adobe software platform, and it is slick stuff, but the power really comes in the marriage of all sorts of technologies into a very polished and powerful presentation format.
I know there will be more trips to Tampa to utilize the power of the ConnectWise TV studio and platform. Arnie and team are once again stepping up to help the channel by making their studio available to HTG to use for recording content to deliver to our members. When I consider what a partner friendly channel looks like, I have to say the investment that ConnectWise continues to make in our future is a very strong example of what all need to do to help us succeed. There is no way HTG could put together the cash to have this kind of technology available, so partnering with ConnectWise really brings a significant benefit to our members and helps us continue to drive toward our goal of creating strong members and being the best peer groups in the industry. Thank you ConnectWise, for your continued investment in HTG and the channel. We appreciate it!
We discussed HTG in a very interactive format, but also had the ability to share a PowerPoint deck while we had our discussion. So it brings together the power of a live meeting or webinar with live video and then lets you record and even edit it into smaller pieces after you finish depending on the needs you have. We spent an hour together talking all things HTG, and then in the next days it will be available on the ConnectWise website for viewing as well. They use an Adobe software platform, and it is slick stuff, but the power really comes in the marriage of all sorts of technologies into a very polished and powerful presentation format.
I know there will be more trips to Tampa to utilize the power of the ConnectWise TV studio and platform. Arnie and team are once again stepping up to help the channel by making their studio available to HTG to use for recording content to deliver to our members. When I consider what a partner friendly channel looks like, I have to say the investment that ConnectWise continues to make in our future is a very strong example of what all need to do to help us succeed. There is no way HTG could put together the cash to have this kind of technology available, so partnering with ConnectWise really brings a significant benefit to our members and helps us continue to drive toward our goal of creating strong members and being the best peer groups in the industry. Thank you ConnectWise, for your continued investment in HTG and the channel. We appreciate it!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Upcoming Webinars You May Want to Watch
We have a host of webinar activity this week that may be of interest to you. I will be on ConnectWise TV with Arnie Bellini on Friday May 22 at 10 AM Eastern to discuss HTG.
HTG Peer Groups: Execution Driven By Accountability
Join Friday May 22nd at 10am Eastern when Arnie Bellini will interview Arlin Sorensen, Founder of HTG Peer Groups and CEO of Heartland Technology Solutions. Arlin will share the Vision, Purpose, Mission, and Values of HTG Peer Groups as well as the requirements and focus. Join the webinar and find out more!
May 22, 10am Eastern US: HTG Peer Groups: Execution Driven By Accountability
Lyf Wildenburg will be hosting a Microsoft 5W50 on Business Continuity Plan and Disaster Recovery with SBS 2008
Are your customers ready?...... More importantly are you ready? When was the last time you really looked at your disaster recovery (DR) strategy? Not just the big binder on the shelf that documents downtime procedures. I mean the actual “strategy” to recover your operations. If there were a “disaster” today, could you survive? One of first steps to ensuring Business Continuity for our customers is to evaluate vendors providing key products and services.
Register here
Five Cool ConnectWise Things to Keep Your Clients Thrilled, the Pipeline Full and the Referrals Flowing
Join Friday May 22nd at 3pm Eastern for an informative webinar with Arnie Bellini, ConnectWise CEO and creative marketing partner Thomas Fox, President of Tech Experts of Michigan. Thomas will cover five topics: Tracks, Targeted Campaigns, Referral Marketing, Tracking Opportunities, and Closing Ticket Surveys.
May 22, 3pm Eastern US: Five Cool ConnectWise Things to Keep Your Clients Thrilled, the Pipeline Full and the Referrals Flowing
HTG Peer Groups: Execution Driven By Accountability
Join Friday May 22nd at 10am Eastern when Arnie Bellini will interview Arlin Sorensen, Founder of HTG Peer Groups and CEO of Heartland Technology Solutions. Arlin will share the Vision, Purpose, Mission, and Values of HTG Peer Groups as well as the requirements and focus. Join the webinar and find out more!
May 22, 10am Eastern US: HTG Peer Groups: Execution Driven By Accountability
Lyf Wildenburg will be hosting a Microsoft 5W50 on Business Continuity Plan and Disaster Recovery with SBS 2008
Are your customers ready?...... More importantly are you ready? When was the last time you really looked at your disaster recovery (DR) strategy? Not just the big binder on the shelf that documents downtime procedures. I mean the actual “strategy” to recover your operations. If there were a “disaster” today, could you survive? One of first steps to ensuring Business Continuity for our customers is to evaluate vendors providing key products and services.
Register here
Five Cool ConnectWise Things to Keep Your Clients Thrilled, the Pipeline Full and the Referrals Flowing
Join Friday May 22nd at 3pm Eastern for an informative webinar with Arnie Bellini, ConnectWise CEO and creative marketing partner Thomas Fox, President of Tech Experts of Michigan. Thomas will cover five topics: Tracks, Targeted Campaigns, Referral Marketing, Tracking Opportunities, and Closing Ticket Surveys.
May 22, 3pm Eastern US: Five Cool ConnectWise Things to Keep Your Clients Thrilled, the Pipeline Full and the Referrals Flowing
Friday, May 8, 2009
Another SWOT in the Bank
I have been in Dallas with three other HTG members doing a SWOT for Networking Results this week. Jeff Howard and his team have hosted Zack Schuler, Jeff Wood, Jonathan Warrey and myself for the last couple days. The NetRes team has been a fantastic host. We arrived Wednesday evening and started our time here with dinner at Trail Dust - a local restaurant where they cut your tie off if you wear one. Not an issue for me though - I surprisingly wasn't wearing a tie. (If you believe that let me know - I have some stuff to sell you). We started bright and early on Thursday morning and spent the entire morning with the executive team going over the 3-5 year vision and business plan, and then walking through the SWOT process with the management team. We had lunch with the entire staff except the management team and verified the information we had collected in the morning. The afternoon was filled with individual interviews and some team time reviewing our findings. Last evening we went to Salt Grass for dinner - Jeff treated us to a great steak and fun evening with the management team.
Day two involved some more time with the executive team, personal interviews and lunch at Pappasito's for some fajitas. The afternoon was busy with the creation of our recommendations for the NetRes team. The focus on this SWOT was to prepare the company for growth. They have been doing great the past few years, but want to accelerate growth and move much more quickly to becoming a larger company in the Dallas Metro. We shared our recommendations and findings with the executive team and determined buyin for the main recommendations we had for them. We put timelines and measurable objectives in place. Late this afternoon, we presented our findings to the entire NetRes team and helped create the expectations for change. That is the purpose of a SWOT visit - to bring rapid and structured change to the company we visit. Zach, Jeff, Jonathan and myself shared the findings, vision and proposed changes to the team. The group is excited and expectant. That is the normal result of a SWOT - people expect action so the SWOT team stays engaged for a while to watch the process and make sure things happen as planned. There are some major things on the plate to help move NetRes forward. Jeff, Doyle, Steve and the folks there are going to have a bright future as they execute the things that we put in place this week. It is SWOT visit #10 for me, and each time the experience is different but always impactful and fulfilling. I learn so much as we turn over rocks and examine how a business and its team ticks.
HTG is committed to helping our members in a number of ways. The SWOT process is just one of the many that we use to make a difference for our members.
Day two involved some more time with the executive team, personal interviews and lunch at Pappasito's for some fajitas. The afternoon was busy with the creation of our recommendations for the NetRes team. The focus on this SWOT was to prepare the company for growth. They have been doing great the past few years, but want to accelerate growth and move much more quickly to becoming a larger company in the Dallas Metro. We shared our recommendations and findings with the executive team and determined buyin for the main recommendations we had for them. We put timelines and measurable objectives in place. Late this afternoon, we presented our findings to the entire NetRes team and helped create the expectations for change. That is the purpose of a SWOT visit - to bring rapid and structured change to the company we visit. Zach, Jeff, Jonathan and myself shared the findings, vision and proposed changes to the team. The group is excited and expectant. That is the normal result of a SWOT - people expect action so the SWOT team stays engaged for a while to watch the process and make sure things happen as planned. There are some major things on the plate to help move NetRes forward. Jeff, Doyle, Steve and the folks there are going to have a bright future as they execute the things that we put in place this week. It is SWOT visit #10 for me, and each time the experience is different but always impactful and fulfilling. I learn so much as we turn over rocks and examine how a business and its team ticks.
HTG is committed to helping our members in a number of ways. The SWOT process is just one of the many that we use to make a difference for our members.
Friday, May 1, 2009
The Need for Thank You's
We have just come off an unbelievable event with HTG Summit 2009. It would be easy to bask in the glowing reviews and positive comments from our members and vendor sponsors, but the reality is a whole lot of people were involved in making this event happen. I want to make sure to recognize as many as I can (sorry if someone get's overlooked). Too often we don't stop to say thanks to those who make things happen. So here is a list of people who were instrumental in making HTG Summit 2009 a success. A very special thanks to all of you.
Scott Scrogin who serves as president of HTG, is my first thank you. Scott works tirelessly and passionately to make HTG what it is. He was instrumental in helping pull off a great event.
Bob Burg did an awesome job sharing the principles of being a Go-Giver and the power of referrals, networking and relationships. His time with us was powerful and gives us a true focus for how we need to engage with our clients and community.
Christy Sacco was our event planner and took us up a few notches in terms of everything. She is the best there is and really helped make HTG Summit a fabulous experience for all.
Ken Shetler manages our vendor relationships and worked many long and sleepless days trying to herd the vendor cats so we could have a meaningful engagement with them in the lunch and learns, dinners, seats at the table and vendor fair experiences.
My bride Nancy tolerated a whole lot of long days and lots of people for months leading up to this event. I could not do what I do without her support and encouragement. Nancy also trys to keep up with all the agreements and contracts for HTG which is a whole lot of paper.
Sue Sorensen handles all the accounting for HTG. Talk about a wizard at billing and managing the A/R and other aspects of accounting, we could not do it without her.
Mary Petersen did all the design work and handles our newsletter production each month. She worked to help put the conference book together, sign design, shirt design and on the list goes. She also took a whole lot of pictures that are posted to the member portal.
Brad Schow and family (Robyn, Ben and Rachel) were instrumental in helping us with registration and a thousand other tasks that week. They spent spring break serving the HTG membership. Now that is commitment (or they live in a dictatorship). We never would have made it without them.
Aaron Booker brought VarVid to the event and captured some powerful video for us. We really appreciate all the support Aaron gives to HTG. Check out the video at http://www.varvid.com/ and next time you need something done, let Aaron know.
The HTG advisory board of Brad, Lyf, Scott, Stuart and Dan really help set direction and keep the ship on course. We are thankful for all their investment and leadership. A special thanks to Lyf for the literally hundreds of hours he spent making sure the HTG portal was ready for the event (which is why he recieved the Founders Award on Tuesday evening).
The facilitators did a bang up job of leading their collective boardrooms. These folks are in the trenches and do a fantastic job of helping members learn and grow.
As always, the team at the Omni did an unbelievable job of taking care of us. Ramses, Terri, Cameron and team were very efficient in meeting our needs and serving our members.
We had 37 vendors there to connect with HTG members and this event doesn't happen without their support. Make sure you reach out and thank our vendor partners for being part of HTG.
The lineup of speakers for our breakout sessions was first rate. Thanks to all who were willing to share knowledge and guidance to our membership. You did a fantastic job.
A very special thanks to Paul Dippell and Ryan Morris for helping us convey the HTG 3.0 message to our membership. Change is a coming, and these industry thought leaders helped flesh out and explain the changes that are driving our strategy for the next version of HTG.
Last but certainly not least, we thank our members who spent 3 or 4 days out of office to attend the week in Dallas. As we talked about in our keynote, HTG is you. It would not happen without your willingness to be part of the community and living a go-giver life.
So thanks to all. A great week with a long lasting impact. THANK YOU!
Scott Scrogin who serves as president of HTG, is my first thank you. Scott works tirelessly and passionately to make HTG what it is. He was instrumental in helping pull off a great event.
Bob Burg did an awesome job sharing the principles of being a Go-Giver and the power of referrals, networking and relationships. His time with us was powerful and gives us a true focus for how we need to engage with our clients and community.
Christy Sacco was our event planner and took us up a few notches in terms of everything. She is the best there is and really helped make HTG Summit a fabulous experience for all.
Ken Shetler manages our vendor relationships and worked many long and sleepless days trying to herd the vendor cats so we could have a meaningful engagement with them in the lunch and learns, dinners, seats at the table and vendor fair experiences.
My bride Nancy tolerated a whole lot of long days and lots of people for months leading up to this event. I could not do what I do without her support and encouragement. Nancy also trys to keep up with all the agreements and contracts for HTG which is a whole lot of paper.
Sue Sorensen handles all the accounting for HTG. Talk about a wizard at billing and managing the A/R and other aspects of accounting, we could not do it without her.
Mary Petersen did all the design work and handles our newsletter production each month. She worked to help put the conference book together, sign design, shirt design and on the list goes. She also took a whole lot of pictures that are posted to the member portal.
Brad Schow and family (Robyn, Ben and Rachel) were instrumental in helping us with registration and a thousand other tasks that week. They spent spring break serving the HTG membership. Now that is commitment (or they live in a dictatorship). We never would have made it without them.
Aaron Booker brought VarVid to the event and captured some powerful video for us. We really appreciate all the support Aaron gives to HTG. Check out the video at http://www.varvid.com/ and next time you need something done, let Aaron know.
The HTG advisory board of Brad, Lyf, Scott, Stuart and Dan really help set direction and keep the ship on course. We are thankful for all their investment and leadership. A special thanks to Lyf for the literally hundreds of hours he spent making sure the HTG portal was ready for the event (which is why he recieved the Founders Award on Tuesday evening).
The facilitators did a bang up job of leading their collective boardrooms. These folks are in the trenches and do a fantastic job of helping members learn and grow.
As always, the team at the Omni did an unbelievable job of taking care of us. Ramses, Terri, Cameron and team were very efficient in meeting our needs and serving our members.
We had 37 vendors there to connect with HTG members and this event doesn't happen without their support. Make sure you reach out and thank our vendor partners for being part of HTG.
The lineup of speakers for our breakout sessions was first rate. Thanks to all who were willing to share knowledge and guidance to our membership. You did a fantastic job.
A very special thanks to Paul Dippell and Ryan Morris for helping us convey the HTG 3.0 message to our membership. Change is a coming, and these industry thought leaders helped flesh out and explain the changes that are driving our strategy for the next version of HTG.
Last but certainly not least, we thank our members who spent 3 or 4 days out of office to attend the week in Dallas. As we talked about in our keynote, HTG is you. It would not happen without your willingness to be part of the community and living a go-giver life.
So thanks to all. A great week with a long lasting impact. THANK YOU!
HTG Summit Review
Stuart Crawford hosted a great blogtalk radio show about the HTG Summit. Hear feedback from a number of HTG members on their takeaways from the show.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/smb/2009/05/01/Thought-Leaders-Converged-On-Dallas
It is worth the listen!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/smb/2009/05/01/Thought-Leaders-Converged-On-Dallas
It is worth the listen!
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