On December 2 at 9 AM Pacific, noon Eastern, you will have an opportunity to view a very action packed webcast as part of the Microsoft 5W50 series. The topic will be growing your company and how to leverage peers as part of the growth process. You will hear from HTG members Amy Kardell, Jamison West, and Dave Sobel as they join me to talk about some of the exciting things that have happened in their companies as they have leveraged their peers in HTG.
Growth is a lot of work, but it can go faster and more smoothly when you learn from those who have done it before. Peers can help you overcome the blockers that cause you to beat your head against the wall. They can prevent mistakes you would likely make if you do it alone. There is much to be gained from running and growing your company in the companionship of a group of people like yourself, and peer groups provide that opportunity. Join me as we tackle that topic.
To register for the event next Wednesday Dec 2, go here. I hope you will take an hour and learn with us about the power of peers!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Another SWOT in the HTG Books
This week I was in Rice Lake Wisconsin with DCS Netlink, a great company led by Dane Deutsch. On the SWOT team with me were Lyf Wildenberg (HTG2) and Mike Haworth (HTG15). We had a fabulous time as we dug deep into the business and worked to identify some tweaks and changes that will help the team there continue their growth. As is the case for most small businesses, there are a number of plateau’s and blockers that come up along the path to growth. That is the case at DCS, and so we worked to help solidify what the team already knew – they need to grow into a sales organization. This is definitely the most common problem that HTG companies are wrestling with. It happens to many about the same time. You grow pretty well without an official sales plan until you hit 1M – 1.5M or so in revenue. And then you hit the wall. No matter what you try, it just seems like you are stuck right there. Since a lot of us are entrepreneurs that came up through the technical side, we have a dislike for the whole sales process anyway. We can’t figure out why we can’t turn some screwdriver or find some new technical solution that will fix this problem.
The reality is that any business that wants to grow has to become a sales organization. Nothing happens until a sale gets made. It took me a long time to admit that fact. We can engineer the greatest solutions in the world, but if we never sell them, or don't get paid appropriately for them, we will go out of business. It is a pretty simple truth that many never figure out. So sales is not optional – it is essential and needs to come off the list of things you have to hold your nose about. Get over the fact that you think sales people are all like the used car types and embrace the reality that you need to find some good ones if you want to grow your company. But then what? Once you know you need to change from being an invincible engineering company to a sales company – what next? Well you actually have to hire someone to sell. And that becomes a challenge because a good sales person thinks very differently than your typical MCSE. They don’t necessarily understand every detail, or even care for that matter. I personally think it is better to hire someone who can sell before worrying about whether they understand technology or not. Sales is all about relationships, not how much you know about the latest gidgets and gadgets. But that is my opinion and certainly no one looks to me as the expert on this topic. There are some good resources out there in our channel that can help. HTG currently has some classes going on with Kendra Lee around hiring a sales person. Erick Simpson and MSPU has some fantastic resources. If you are struggling - get some help. Don't flounder around here - you need to find a salesperson and get started.
Of course, hiring is probably the easy part even though it does seem overwhelming. Once you have a person on your team, then you have to manage them. There are few things more dangerous to a business than an unmanaged sales person. ConnectWise has great tools to assist in sales management. Again - there are lots of solid resources available to help teach you how to manage sales people. One of the best though is to talk to peers who are successful doing it. There are a number of HTG companies with sales organizations that are making it happen every day because of great sales management. Find them and figure out how to put their practices into your business.
Nothing happens til somebody sells it. Get off the fence and find a salesperson and begin the process of becoming a sales organization. Vision without execution is hallucination - and I see more companies that are hallucinating in the area of sales than anywhere. Sales is not rocket science. It may feel that way, but it really isn't. And without it, you can plan to plateau and be stuck for as long as you allow it to happen to you. You can't grow without becoming a sales organization. Get over it and get on with it!
Thanks to Dane and the team at DCS for a great experience in rural Wisconsin. I learned much and look forward to watching you go through this challenge and on to the next one!
The reality is that any business that wants to grow has to become a sales organization. Nothing happens until a sale gets made. It took me a long time to admit that fact. We can engineer the greatest solutions in the world, but if we never sell them, or don't get paid appropriately for them, we will go out of business. It is a pretty simple truth that many never figure out. So sales is not optional – it is essential and needs to come off the list of things you have to hold your nose about. Get over the fact that you think sales people are all like the used car types and embrace the reality that you need to find some good ones if you want to grow your company. But then what? Once you know you need to change from being an invincible engineering company to a sales company – what next? Well you actually have to hire someone to sell. And that becomes a challenge because a good sales person thinks very differently than your typical MCSE. They don’t necessarily understand every detail, or even care for that matter. I personally think it is better to hire someone who can sell before worrying about whether they understand technology or not. Sales is all about relationships, not how much you know about the latest gidgets and gadgets. But that is my opinion and certainly no one looks to me as the expert on this topic. There are some good resources out there in our channel that can help. HTG currently has some classes going on with Kendra Lee around hiring a sales person. Erick Simpson and MSPU has some fantastic resources. If you are struggling - get some help. Don't flounder around here - you need to find a salesperson and get started.
Of course, hiring is probably the easy part even though it does seem overwhelming. Once you have a person on your team, then you have to manage them. There are few things more dangerous to a business than an unmanaged sales person. ConnectWise has great tools to assist in sales management. Again - there are lots of solid resources available to help teach you how to manage sales people. One of the best though is to talk to peers who are successful doing it. There are a number of HTG companies with sales organizations that are making it happen every day because of great sales management. Find them and figure out how to put their practices into your business.
Nothing happens til somebody sells it. Get off the fence and find a salesperson and begin the process of becoming a sales organization. Vision without execution is hallucination - and I see more companies that are hallucinating in the area of sales than anywhere. Sales is not rocket science. It may feel that way, but it really isn't. And without it, you can plan to plateau and be stuck for as long as you allow it to happen to you. You can't grow without becoming a sales organization. Get over it and get on with it!
Thanks to Dane and the team at DCS for a great experience in rural Wisconsin. I learned much and look forward to watching you go through this challenge and on to the next one!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
A Couple of Awards Opportunities
There are two big opportunities for partners to nominate themselves or others for some channel awards. The first is for Channel Insider's Bull's Eye Awards. These awards need to be submitted by November 20th. You can find the nomination survey here.
Another opportunity for recognition is available from MSP Mentor. They are taking nominations for their MSPmentor 100 list now through December 11th. You can nominate yourself or someone else here.
Two great opportunities and now it comes down to execution. Vision without execution is hallucination. Let's get companies nominated and win these!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
HTS Annual Vendor Planning Meeting
Today we held our 5th annual HTS planning meeting. We huddled in the KC Microsoft office with our field reps from Microsoft, SonicWALL, Ingram Micro, HP and Altigen. The goal was to review our performance from 2009, evaluate what we could have done better, and then create a joint plan across all our vendor partners for 2010. When we started doing this 5 years ago, there was a lot of question and concern. "You really expect us to sit in a room with competitive vendors and share our thinking and plans for next year?". I have always had a simple answer. "It is up to you. You only have to participate if you want to do business with us next year." This is not an optional activity. It is about partnering and creating solutions across our vendor partners to drive business. No one has ever failed to show up. And each year it gets better and better and the walls have come down and we are working to build cross vendor solutions we can take to our markets.
We come away with joint training plans, joint sales models, joint marketing programs - just a unified approach to making HTS and our vendor partners successful. We started our event last night with a dinner for all our vendor participants to allow some pre-game activity - tailgating if you will to help warm up the crowd. Had a nice time at On the Border eating and sharing about life. Today we dove in early - reported on our YTD status - and shared specific information with our vendors. In fact, we give them all our data on our customers and sales activity. Many would say we are crazy to trust a vendor with the keys to our kingdom. Our feeling is that it is only when we truly partner and work together that we will succeed. Jane Cage, our COO and pivot table queen, is able to slice and dice our data in dozens of ways. Our vendor partners can see things in that data we would never see because they work with many different partners in many different markets. We look to them for guidance and best practices they learn from watching others. It is a very valuable experience and well worth the risk in our opinion.
Our team left today with a list a mile long for us to consider as we write our 2010 business plan. And our vendors left with a list we had for each of them for commitments we expect them to execute for us next year. It is a two way street. Both of us are accountable in this, and we will review mid year to make sure everyone is executing. If you aren't planning with your vendors and distribution partners, you are really missing something special. It truly can propel your business. It will put you in a very elite class of partners - not many are willing to be transparent and go to the work of pulling together an event like this. But it is well worth the effort and can help you grow in ways you will never be able to do any other way. As I say over and over - the differentiator between partners is not sales or technical skills - it is understanding the power of strategic relationship management. That begins with planning with your vendors and disty partners. If you want to be status quo - try and do it yourself. If you want to be one of the elite partners in the channel - get over yourself - reach out and work with the folks who can propel you to the next level!
We come away with joint training plans, joint sales models, joint marketing programs - just a unified approach to making HTS and our vendor partners successful. We started our event last night with a dinner for all our vendor participants to allow some pre-game activity - tailgating if you will to help warm up the crowd. Had a nice time at On the Border eating and sharing about life. Today we dove in early - reported on our YTD status - and shared specific information with our vendors. In fact, we give them all our data on our customers and sales activity. Many would say we are crazy to trust a vendor with the keys to our kingdom. Our feeling is that it is only when we truly partner and work together that we will succeed. Jane Cage, our COO and pivot table queen, is able to slice and dice our data in dozens of ways. Our vendor partners can see things in that data we would never see because they work with many different partners in many different markets. We look to them for guidance and best practices they learn from watching others. It is a very valuable experience and well worth the risk in our opinion.
Our team left today with a list a mile long for us to consider as we write our 2010 business plan. And our vendors left with a list we had for each of them for commitments we expect them to execute for us next year. It is a two way street. Both of us are accountable in this, and we will review mid year to make sure everyone is executing. If you aren't planning with your vendors and distribution partners, you are really missing something special. It truly can propel your business. It will put you in a very elite class of partners - not many are willing to be transparent and go to the work of pulling together an event like this. But it is well worth the effort and can help you grow in ways you will never be able to do any other way. As I say over and over - the differentiator between partners is not sales or technical skills - it is understanding the power of strategic relationship management. That begins with planning with your vendors and disty partners. If you want to be status quo - try and do it yourself. If you want to be one of the elite partners in the channel - get over yourself - reach out and work with the folks who can propel you to the next level!
Monday, November 9, 2009
What a Week in Orlando
This past week HTG members and ConnectWise partners descended on Orlando for the HTG Q4 meetings and the ConnectWise Partner Summit. Both events were packed and very well executed (except for a little AV fiasco you had to be there to appreciate). HTG members spent two days working to drive business and personal growth by holding each other accountable. We have moved to using a standardized quarterly board review template that members use to prepare and present their quarterly performance. From that background information, the other 11 members provide feedback and direction for the future. Feedback on the change was very strong. We are shifting from being backward looking at historical data – to forward looking with strategy and the future in mind. This is a big change for most of us in the channel. Our default thinking is to be focused on the past and present – looking at execution and tactical items – rather than peaking forward at what is to come.
During the ConnectWise Summit, Verne Harnish – the growth guy – challenged all of us to change how we think. We need to become CEO’s if we want to truly lead our company. That means forward looking, future focused, strategy based leadership. It is a shift for many. But driving while always looking in the rear view mirror is a good way to assure you will go in the ditch. So the change is necessary and important. HTG has been focused on that transition for some time, and we are midway through the process using our tools – Service Leadership benchmarking, quarterly board reviews, ConnectWise PSA and a few others. It is a slow and tedious mindshift, but this quarter it seemed that lightbulbs were going on and members were starting to understand the need for the change.
Christy Sacco, Ken Shetler, and Scott Scrogin did an amazing job with our HTG event. Three packed days of content and learning with hardly a bump. The HTG team is top notch and dedicated to making things happen. Our new special interest groups on Wednesday were highly successful and received much praise. Partners want to get together and learn. That is the bottom line. People who are part of peer groups understand the impact and value, and can never get enough. And they know that being a Go-Giver is the key to making that success flow to everyone involved.
I will be writing about the breakout sessions, announcements and other important topics that were discussed in Orlando over the next weeks. For now, as always, execution is the focus. Take that one thing and get to work making it reality for your organization!
During the ConnectWise Summit, Verne Harnish – the growth guy – challenged all of us to change how we think. We need to become CEO’s if we want to truly lead our company. That means forward looking, future focused, strategy based leadership. It is a shift for many. But driving while always looking in the rear view mirror is a good way to assure you will go in the ditch. So the change is necessary and important. HTG has been focused on that transition for some time, and we are midway through the process using our tools – Service Leadership benchmarking, quarterly board reviews, ConnectWise PSA and a few others. It is a slow and tedious mindshift, but this quarter it seemed that lightbulbs were going on and members were starting to understand the need for the change.
Christy Sacco, Ken Shetler, and Scott Scrogin did an amazing job with our HTG event. Three packed days of content and learning with hardly a bump. The HTG team is top notch and dedicated to making things happen. Our new special interest groups on Wednesday were highly successful and received much praise. Partners want to get together and learn. That is the bottom line. People who are part of peer groups understand the impact and value, and can never get enough. And they know that being a Go-Giver is the key to making that success flow to everyone involved.
I will be writing about the breakout sessions, announcements and other important topics that were discussed in Orlando over the next weeks. For now, as always, execution is the focus. Take that one thing and get to work making it reality for your organization!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Making the Handoff - Passing the Torch
At the ConnectWise Partner Summit next Thursday at 3PM I will deliver a session around succession planning and begin to navigate the many options and decisions that need to be addressed in order to plan for the future of your company. This is a journey filled with landmines and many roads to follow. It is not simple, and left undone, will be handled by the government and other disinterested parties in your wishes.
It doesn't matter what you want to do - sell, give it away, put employees in an ESOP or any of a dozen other options - if you never plan for it there is no way to assure it happens your way. Don't miss the chance to create the legacy you desire. This session will ask lots of questions most have never really considered. It will cause you to think deeply about your future and make you squirm in your seat. But it is such an essential part of making the transition smooth and your company sustainable and valuable.
Do you have your next set of leaders idenfied? Have you began the process of mentoring and training the folks you hope will step up and take over? Have you figured out how you will get your money out of the company someday? How about your employees - have you identified a way to keep them employed and cared for? So many questions and thing to consider. It is enough to drive you crazy.
Join me at 3Pm on Thursday in the Senate and Gallery room during the ConnectWise Partner Summit to dive into this topic in depth. I can't promise all the answers, as we are walking this journey ourselves right now. But as part of that process there are lots of questions we have had to address and many more still on the horizon. We'll talk about all those things and leave you with some things to go think through so your legacy can continue long past your working days.
It doesn't matter what you want to do - sell, give it away, put employees in an ESOP or any of a dozen other options - if you never plan for it there is no way to assure it happens your way. Don't miss the chance to create the legacy you desire. This session will ask lots of questions most have never really considered. It will cause you to think deeply about your future and make you squirm in your seat. But it is such an essential part of making the transition smooth and your company sustainable and valuable.
Do you have your next set of leaders idenfied? Have you began the process of mentoring and training the folks you hope will step up and take over? Have you figured out how you will get your money out of the company someday? How about your employees - have you identified a way to keep them employed and cared for? So many questions and thing to consider. It is enough to drive you crazy.
Join me at 3Pm on Thursday in the Senate and Gallery room during the ConnectWise Partner Summit to dive into this topic in depth. I can't promise all the answers, as we are walking this journey ourselves right now. But as part of that process there are lots of questions we have had to address and many more still on the horizon. We'll talk about all those things and leave you with some things to go think through so your legacy can continue long past your working days.
Key Steps Along the Path to Growth
I am presenting a breakout session in Orlando on Friday afternoon that focuses on the key decisions that business owners need to make along their journey to grow their company. For most, I see five major areas that tend to be the "big rocks" that need a lot of work and are hard to overcome. We will focus on those areas and try to identify important considerations that company leaders need to work through in order to leave the plateau that so many end up stuck on as they hit the wall with these things. Here is my list of the major hurdles to overcome:
1. Transitioning into a sales organization. Hiring your first sales person is a challenge. Managing sales people is an adventure. Running a sales organization is mind numbing.
2. Supporting your sales team with quality and consistent marketing. Once you actually find a good sales person and build a team, there has to be a system to keep the pipe full of opportunities and prospects for these guys to chase.
3. Building process and actually executing them. It really is the 3 P's - process, policy and procedure. You can't grow without a consistent plan in place on how your business will operate day after day to do the right things right every day.
4. Developing a bench of leadership. This is necessary in a lot of areas, but once you reach a certain point there is not nearly enough "you" to go around. When you grow to the point of needing to build practices - you need leaders. When you begin to hand off responsibility for areas of the business - you need leaders. Your management team needs to be built with - you guessed it - leaders.
5. Building strategic relationships. This is THE single MOST important differentiator I see between technology companies today. Most seem to believe that the vendors and distributors are the enemy. The reality is, I know of no successful growing company who takes that approach. Sure you can grow to a point all on your own, but the fast growth and sustainable companies understand this in spades. It is their secret weapon. It is the competive advantage in the marketplace. Relationships are the thing that separate the men from the boys.
There is a lot more we will cover, but this gives a general overview of what I have observed are the key factors for most technology company leaders to get under their control. Are you successful in these areas? If so, I want to meet you because you are exactly the kind of company we would love to get into HTG. If not, I want to meet you too because you need to be involved in HTG to learn from your peers how to overcome these obstacles. Either way, I hope to see you at 3PM on Friday in the Scribe room!
1. Transitioning into a sales organization. Hiring your first sales person is a challenge. Managing sales people is an adventure. Running a sales organization is mind numbing.
2. Supporting your sales team with quality and consistent marketing. Once you actually find a good sales person and build a team, there has to be a system to keep the pipe full of opportunities and prospects for these guys to chase.
3. Building process and actually executing them. It really is the 3 P's - process, policy and procedure. You can't grow without a consistent plan in place on how your business will operate day after day to do the right things right every day.
4. Developing a bench of leadership. This is necessary in a lot of areas, but once you reach a certain point there is not nearly enough "you" to go around. When you grow to the point of needing to build practices - you need leaders. When you begin to hand off responsibility for areas of the business - you need leaders. Your management team needs to be built with - you guessed it - leaders.
5. Building strategic relationships. This is THE single MOST important differentiator I see between technology companies today. Most seem to believe that the vendors and distributors are the enemy. The reality is, I know of no successful growing company who takes that approach. Sure you can grow to a point all on your own, but the fast growth and sustainable companies understand this in spades. It is their secret weapon. It is the competive advantage in the marketplace. Relationships are the thing that separate the men from the boys.
There is a lot more we will cover, but this gives a general overview of what I have observed are the key factors for most technology company leaders to get under their control. Are you successful in these areas? If so, I want to meet you because you are exactly the kind of company we would love to get into HTG. If not, I want to meet you too because you need to be involved in HTG to learn from your peers how to overcome these obstacles. Either way, I hope to see you at 3PM on Friday in the Scribe room!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Starting to Think About How to Kick Your Economic Recovery and 2010 Plans into High Gear?
In a piece posted earlier this week by MSPmentor you may have noticed a brief mention of a program focused on building sales organizations that we launched in early October with Kendra Lee and KLA Group. Here is the skinny on this offer. HTG announced a strategic offering with KLA Group focused on sales hiring and lead generation. Two separate series are available exclusively to HTG members starting November 11th. We have heard loud and clear that our members are struggling with sales and hiring. Whether you are hiring your 1st salesperson or your 21st, this is one of the most critical and difficult roles you’ll hire in your company. A successful hire means successful sales growth. I don’t think there is anyone out there that doesn’t want to strive for growth.
Leads are another highly discussed topic at the many HTG peer group meetings I attend. How to get them, how to manage them, how to get results……At HTS, our solution provider organization, we have first-hand knowledge of the guidance and insight Kendra Lee can bring to an IT organization. We engaged with Kendra last year and had outstanding results. That is not the only reason we decided to engage with Kendra and team at HTG. We took the time to talk to Kendra, understand what she had to offer and work with her to build something we felt would benefit our members the most at a reasonable price. Both of these offerings were designed with the needs of the HTG membership, and YOU, in mind.
Learn more and register by clicking on the links below:
How to Hire & Onboard Great IT Sales People
Developing an Executable 2010 Lead Generation Strategy
Are you ready for 2010?
Leads are another highly discussed topic at the many HTG peer group meetings I attend. How to get them, how to manage them, how to get results……At HTS, our solution provider organization, we have first-hand knowledge of the guidance and insight Kendra Lee can bring to an IT organization. We engaged with Kendra last year and had outstanding results. That is not the only reason we decided to engage with Kendra and team at HTG. We took the time to talk to Kendra, understand what she had to offer and work with her to build something we felt would benefit our members the most at a reasonable price. Both of these offerings were designed with the needs of the HTG membership, and YOU, in mind.
Learn more and register by clicking on the links below:
How to Hire & Onboard Great IT Sales People
Developing an Executable 2010 Lead Generation Strategy
Are you ready for 2010?
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Are You a Winner?
From our friends at Channel Insider:
We want to recognize solution providers and vendors’ good work. Channel Insider Announces its Bull`s Eye Awards and you have a chance to win. Let's have HTG take them all!
Channel Insider will recognize excellence in customer service, technology prowess, business acumen, channel leadership, communications and community building, and innovation among vendors, solution providers, distributors and channel services companies. Nominations are now open. To apply check out the link here:
http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Surveys/Channel-Insider-Announces-Bulls-Eye-Awards-651165/
HTG has the cream of the crop when it comes to partners in the IT channel. Don't hide your talents and abilities - apply and let's bring home the bullseye awards to our members!
We want to recognize solution providers and vendors’ good work. Channel Insider Announces its Bull`s Eye Awards and you have a chance to win. Let's have HTG take them all!
Channel Insider will recognize excellence in customer service, technology prowess, business acumen, channel leadership, communications and community building, and innovation among vendors, solution providers, distributors and channel services companies. Nominations are now open. To apply check out the link here:
http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Surveys/Channel-Insider-Announces-Bulls-Eye-Awards-651165/
HTG has the cream of the crop when it comes to partners in the IT channel. Don't hide your talents and abilities - apply and let's bring home the bullseye awards to our members!
Friday, October 23, 2009
A Flurry of Marketing Opportunity
The Frontline Program from HP and Microsoft is back! This is one of the best marketing programs that have ever existed, and while it is not as flush as it once was, it is still good. You can apply for up to $2000 to run a campaign. Market Development Funds (MDF) are available again effective November 1, 2009. You should consider running a marketing campaign focused on HP and Microsoft® solutions that will produce revenue for HP, Microsoft and your company. A 20:1 ROI is required to get paid. To submit an application for FLP market development funds, complete the application/proposal form. They are especially interested in supporting your proposal for marketing activities focused on Microsoft Windows® 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, and HP PCs and HP ProLiant servers!
Another place to check if you are a Microsoft SBSC is www.mspartnerdirect.com and add promotion code SBSC to claim your $1000 in market development funds (or use the money for reimbursment of other marketing efforts - see www.mspartnerdirect.com/sbsc for more). More money set aside for us as Microsoft partners to use in driving business. This leverages Microsoft's Ready To Go campaigns which include Microsoft-focused events, services, templates, case studies, and newsletters, and are designed to help VARs devote the bulk of their time to business oriented activities.
Also expand the leverage by working with your local engagement team (LET) field person. If you don't know who it is, you can find out at http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/local/partner/connect.aspx and get the relationship started.
Some good news for partners. But it only matters if you actually take advantage of it. Don't mess around - money is still not growing on trees and while there is some in the bucket today, get out there and start putting it to work driving your company. Nothing happens without some work, but good things can if you leverage the investments available and add a few bucks of your own and some elbow grease. Don't miss the boat!
Another place to check if you are a Microsoft SBSC is www.mspartnerdirect.com and add promotion code SBSC to claim your $1000 in market development funds (or use the money for reimbursment of other marketing efforts - see www.mspartnerdirect.com/sbsc for more). More money set aside for us as Microsoft partners to use in driving business. This leverages Microsoft's Ready To Go campaigns which include Microsoft-focused events, services, templates, case studies, and newsletters, and are designed to help VARs devote the bulk of their time to business oriented activities.
Also expand the leverage by working with your local engagement team (LET) field person. If you don't know who it is, you can find out at http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/local/partner/connect.aspx and get the relationship started.
Some good news for partners. But it only matters if you actually take advantage of it. Don't mess around - money is still not growing on trees and while there is some in the bucket today, get out there and start putting it to work driving your company. Nothing happens without some work, but good things can if you leverage the investments available and add a few bucks of your own and some elbow grease. Don't miss the boat!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Some Thoughts and Follow Up
On Monday of this week, Zenith Infotech, one of our key partners at HTS, released a video they produced on HTS and my life called "A Day in the Life of Arlin Sorensen". It was broadcast on MSPtv. Produced by CommCentric Solutions, it really does a great job of capturing the essence of what we do at HTS and HTG. If you missed it and have any interest in checking out the recording you can find it at:
http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=166400&s=1&k=5E5A9DA343FF1E010F60B700EBAD2E0D
Also this week, another article was released called "Passing the Torch" in the RCP November issue. I believe this topic is one of the most important things we need to be talking about in the channel today. How we effectively pass leadership to the next set of leaders in an organization is so vital to a smooth and seamless transition. Things will change, and there needs to be a lot of thought and preparation done to make sure that happens well. You can read the article at:
http://rcpmag.com/Articles/2009/11/01/Passing-the-Torch.aspx?Page=2
I will be sharing two presentations in Orlando at the ConnectWise Summit the first week of November on this topic as well as growth. Thursday afternoon my topic will be on "Making the Handoff" which will focus on options for exit and leadership transistion
On Friday afternoon, my breakout will focus on "Steps Along the Way" which will identify key areas of decision in the growth cycle of a business. There are so many blockers and plateaus that have to be overcome in order to keep a company growing. We will identify and talk about how to work through those things during this session.
I look forward to seeing many of you at HTG Q4 in Orlando, and at the ConnectWise Summit there as well.
http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=166400&s=1&k=5E5A9DA343FF1E010F60B700EBAD2E0D
Also this week, another article was released called "Passing the Torch" in the RCP November issue. I believe this topic is one of the most important things we need to be talking about in the channel today. How we effectively pass leadership to the next set of leaders in an organization is so vital to a smooth and seamless transition. Things will change, and there needs to be a lot of thought and preparation done to make sure that happens well. You can read the article at:
http://rcpmag.com/Articles/2009/11/01/Passing-the-Torch.aspx?Page=2
I will be sharing two presentations in Orlando at the ConnectWise Summit the first week of November on this topic as well as growth. Thursday afternoon my topic will be on "Making the Handoff" which will focus on options for exit and leadership transistion
On Friday afternoon, my breakout will focus on "Steps Along the Way" which will identify key areas of decision in the growth cycle of a business. There are so many blockers and plateaus that have to be overcome in order to keep a company growing. We will identify and talk about how to work through those things during this session.
I look forward to seeing many of you at HTG Q4 in Orlando, and at the ConnectWise Summit there as well.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
A Day in the Life
I am humbled by the video that our good partners Zenith Infotech have created around my life and what makes this simple Iowa farmboy tick. They dispatched a video crew to the farm back in August and the team has been feverishly trying to find enough things I said that made sense to put together a video about HTS/HTG and what happens here on the farm. This project really is their first in a series of video's about people in the IT channel, and I certainly was honored to be selected. The team that was sent led by Lynette Bohanon of CommCentric Solutions was unbelievable, and we are extremely pleased with the work they have done.
This video is not an attempt to toot my horn. It is intended to give credit where it is due - to God, my family and the team that I am blessed to work with each day at HTS and HTG. The blessings have been amazing, and what has sprung up from this place in the center of a cornfield in rural Iowa is not my doing for sure. If you know me you know I am not anywhere close to that smart. But it has been a very wonderful ride, and it continues to grow and flourish because of people, not me. They did a nice job capturing that message I think.
On Oct 19 there is a webcast that will focus on the video and their series. Here is the link if you want to register to watch it: http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=166400&s=1&k=5E5A9DA343FF1E010F60B700EBAD2E0D&partnerref=ARLIN&deletecookie=true
This video is not an attempt to toot my horn. It is intended to give credit where it is due - to God, my family and the team that I am blessed to work with each day at HTS and HTG. The blessings have been amazing, and what has sprung up from this place in the center of a cornfield in rural Iowa is not my doing for sure. If you know me you know I am not anywhere close to that smart. But it has been a very wonderful ride, and it continues to grow and flourish because of people, not me. They did a nice job capturing that message I think.
On Oct 19 there is a webcast that will focus on the video and their series. Here is the link if you want to register to watch it: http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=166400&s=1&k=5E5A9DA343FF1E010F60B700EBAD2E0D&partnerref=ARLIN&deletecookie=true
Thanks to all who helped make this possible. I hope you take time to watch the video at some point and share your thoughts.
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