Thursday, January 01, 2009 Together We'll Make Our Business Dreams Come True In 2009! Posted by Robert M. Cohen at 11:25am President and Business Editor Integrated mar.com (eChannelLine Daily News; Conne
Happy New Year.
Walt Disney Corporation proclaimed 2008 to be the year of a million dreams.
For the IT Channel, I am predicting that 2009 will be the year when our most important dreams come true.
For this to happen, I need your help. I need the hardware manufacturers, software developers, distributors, resellers SMBs and service providers to the industry to check their guns at the doorway to 2009 and agree to work together. We need to collaborate, support each other and take advantage of the technology we have at our disposal.
After the dot-bust manufacturers and developers started focusing on creating single vendor solutions. With 2009 starting with a global downturn, the key to the channel’s overall success is moving from selling products to delivering, servicing and supporting IT-centric, multi-vendor business solutions for SMBs.
Seeing more manufacturers and developers collaborating and intensifying their focus on building multi-vendor solutions.
Knowing that distributors are making it easier for resellers to package the various products into solutions and then ensure that the necessary financing is available.
Hearing from hundreds of resellers who understand that they have to sell business solutions to their SMB customers and they have to be considered Trusted Business Advisors to them.
Our ability to partner with about 100 service providers to the industry who are working with us to launch the Trusted Business Advisor program. TBA is a unique program that provides:
Resellers with business education (educational modules and articles on business subjects, new technologies and the TBA code of ethics)
Resellers with business certification (individual reseller Trusted Business Advisor certification and reseller organization Trusted Business Partner Trustmark)
The industry with a central channel community and collaboration tools
Channel advocacy focusing on the IT industry and SMBs
Vendors with easier ways to recruitment resellers
Resellers with a fully automated FREE suite of marketing and sales enablement tools and vehicles that include: full feature web catalog, eNewsletter, ePromotions, online community
Resellers with qualified leads
Vendors with an easy and reliable way to send their promotional messages to SMBs through resellers … with all the leads flowing back through the resellers.
Why should you be enthusiastic about 2009
As a Vendor, you can sign-up NOW for a FREE one month sponsorship of the Trusted Business Advisor program. No commitment required. Simply let me know that you want to take a test run, provide me with a banner ad and 10 products you want us to promote. Then sit back and watch your sales grow. Easy. Powerful. GUARANTEED to double your business opportunities at half the cost.
As a VAR, the program is FREE. Simply let me know that you want to sign up. Fill in the registration information that I will have sent to you and then invite your customers and prospects to join your community. Simple. Powerful. GUARANTEED to double your business opportunities.
I invite you to call me to discuss this program or better yet, sign up NOW for your FREE test ride of the Trusted Business Advisor program.
This is the best way to kick start 2009. By working together we will make our business dreams come true in 2009!
I would like to find out more about the program. We
service very small customers and retail stores with
hardware, services and point of sale soultions.
"
Robert M. Cohen replies:
Hi Jeff:
The program is ideal for very small customers as it
provides you with a FREE completely automated suite of
marketing tools that will grow your business without
taking up your valuable time or resourses. As well,
through the busy education and certification will help
you run your business more effectively, enable you to
better provide your customers with IT-centric business
solutions and will let you receive new, qualified leads.
Call 905-763-1200 or email me rcohen@integratedmar.com
and we will quickly discuss how you can get started
immediately.
Have a wonderful 2009.
Robert: sounds like an interesting program. With FOX
GROUP being telecom/technology consultants and analysts for
both end users and the telecom industry, I too struggle
with how we can benefit and/or contribute that is a win,
win. We do however, have access to hundreds of small
businesses through our community and chamber programs and
hear their challenges in purchasing and using ICT solution.
Also, our enterprise customers who use us to help them
develop their ICT converged telecom/IT strategies and
migration plans also struggle with having suppliers who can
provide both telecom and IT solution.
We at FOX GROUP believe in what you do, so welcome your
thoughts and ideas on how we can participate to support
this evolution of your firm.
"
Robert M. Cohen replies:
Hi Roberta:
Great to hear from you. The program is designed to be
an industry-wide solution rather than a single entity
driven solution that blocks out competitors, etc. I
think the FOX GROUP has a ton of opportunities to
leverage the TBA program for your own benefits and to
offer a ton of knowledge to the program.
In particular, one of the 10 service areas that the TBA
education and certification addresses is
telecommunications (currently listed as Unified
Communication). If FOX GROUP is receptive, we would
like you to help us with content, educational modules,
articles, blogs, community stuff, webinars, events,
etc. to talk about ICT solutions and how the
telecommunications and the information technology
industries can and should work together.
By bringing your audiences together with ours, I
believe that everyone will benefit. Afterall ... it is
a natural fit.
Please call me to discuss in more detail.
I would like to find out more about the program. We
service very small customers and retail stores with
hardware, services and point of sale soultions.
Robert: sounds like an interesting program. With FOX
GROUP being telecom/technology consultants and analysts for
both end users and the telecom industry, I too struggle
with how we can benefit and/or contribute that is a win,
win. We do however, have access to hundreds of small
businesses through our community and chamber programs and
hear their challenges in purchasing and using ICT solution.
Also, our enterprise customers who use us to help them
develop their ICT converged telecom/IT strategies and
migration plans also struggle with having suppliers who can
provide both telecom and IT solution.
We at FOX GROUP believe in what you do, so welcome your
thoughts and ideas on how we can participate to support
this evolution of your firm.
Hi Robert: I like the concept, but am not sure our
participation makes complete sense as my company
specializes in the K12 and State/Local markets. However,
we are a TBA for our customers, and to that end, I would
like to learn more. Please let me know your thoughts on
how we may (or may not) be a good fit. Happy New Year!
"
Robert M. Cohen replies:
Hi Dale:
Like most programs, part of the TBA program will be
great for you and part will not apply as well.
The Great Part: The FREE marketing and sales tools (web
catalog, eNewsletter, promotional eBlast, community)
will help you keep in contact with your marketplace in
a very regular and consistent way ... with virtually no
effort on your part. The community provides you with a
great way to get your audience talking about various IT
concerns and solutions while putting you right smack in
the middle.
The Not As Great Part: The business certification does
not apply as directly in the educational sector as it
does in the SMB space. However, it will enable you to
run your business better and will come in handy if you
are working with the schools on their own
administration stuff.
Best News Of All: The program is completely
customizable so that you can select which parts to
engage in and which parts to leave alone. My guess is
that the catalog, eNewsletter and community would be
the best places for you to start.
Blog or call me (905-763-1200) if you want to discuss
this further.
Have a wonderful 2009.
Hi Robert: I like the concept, but am not sure our
participation makes complete sense as my company
specializes in the K12 and State/Local markets. However,
we are a TBA for our customers, and to that end, I would
like to learn more. Please let me know your thoughts on
how we may (or may not) be a good fit. Happy New Year!
In response to Jeff Stone's comments
