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   I Want to Be a VAR When I Grow Up

Mark Badran From Juice Marketing
Recently Posted One of My Favorite All Time You Tube Videos

With so much change in the ERP marketplace and turmoil in the channel over the last few years, it seemed like a good time to dust off an oldie but goodie – the Channel Champions video on YouTube that was posted several years ago.

It’s a humorous look at the challenges of working in the channel and selling technology solutions, all through the eyes of some kids sharing their dreams of the future.

Some favorite lines from the video which all start with “when I grow up …”

  • I want everyone I meet to ask me what’s a V-A-R?
  • I want to have executives from multi-billion dollar manufacturers, with unlimited resources, tell me how to run my business
  • I want to fill out hundreds of RFP’s per month

Enjoy!


Sooo…Are You Going to Sage Summit 2013 or Not?

May 10th, 2013

sage summit 2013 square logo

The timing for this blog isn’t an accident. I wrote it specifically to be finished around Sage Summit 2013.

If you have questions about products and services and which Partners provide the best, look around while you’re at Summit. You’ll find enough quality VAR’s to answer any questions you might have. If you’re a customer attending and you don’t have a Sage VAR that you’re currently working with here’s your opportunity to find the best. They’ll be easy to spot; they’re usually the ones standing in booths, attending lots of sessions and you’ll usually find them between sessions talking with other VARs about software.

What factors make you want to return to a retail store, a vendor or a service provider? Is it price? Is it location or is it something even more?

One of my favorite quotations was written by Benjamin Franklin; “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten?”

What does that mean to you as a consumer or should it mean anything at all to you? My answer is “Yes it should.”

Saving money doesn’t mean buying the lowest priced products or services. It means buying products or services that offer the best value. This can be stripped down to 3 words, Focus on Value.

Traits to Look For In Your Sage Software Partner….

Do they have integrity, passion, & honesty? Or do you have to check and re-check every invoice they send you knowing that you’re going to have a less than pleasant conversation with them about the “Holy Cow” additional costs that you hadn’t anticipated?

Do you hear from them regularly to tell you about new updates, versions or maybe just an offer to go to lunch? Or, do they call just to remind you that your annual maintenance and support fees are due?

Do you recommend them to friends or business associates who are looking for ERP software?

If your “VAR” isn’t providing you with quality service like the ones that have been mentioned then maybe what you have is a Re-Seller, not a VAR.

If your software partner doesn’t appear to offer much beyond the ability to sell software I would refer to them as a Re-Seller. A Re-Seller doesn’t offer additional services, usually doesn’t have the resources to provide those services and generally has to charge you more because they have to pay an outside resource to provide those services.

Our clients deserve the best service that’s available. They trust that they’re getting the best service. It’s incumbent upon us to provide an extraordinary customer experience each and every time that we have a dialogue with them. It’s time that our clients are treated as something other than a quick buck.

If you’re losing more than your fair share of clients for “undetermined” reasons then it’s time to re-examine your business practices. Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate why you’re in business & if it’s just to make money then you’re probably in business for the wrong reasons.

However if providing an extraordinary customer experience for your clients is your number one goal, congratulations, you “get it” and not surprisingly so do your clients. Welcome to the World of VARs

Have Fun At Sage Summit 2013 July 21 – 26

http://na.sage/sagesummit.com

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Bill’s 4th Annual Booths Not TO Miss While At Sage Summit 2013

May 10th, 2013

sage summit 2013 square logoIt’s that time of the year again & that means my list of booths not to miss is ready for publication. This year’s list has some repeats but there are some newbies. They’re not listed in any order.

1. Information Integration Group; Booth 1096 Visit Alec & Gary to check out their Add On Solutions like Advanced Distribution Bundle, Material Planning & Production Mgmt, Service Maestro, Rental Maestro, Apparel Maestro, among others.

2. Altec; Booth 858 The Altec Team will be in Booth 858. Stop by to see what’s new in document management

3. Azamba/TechnoTropic; Booth: 721. Come see the strides that Peter Wolf & his team are making with 3rd party applications & productivity enhancements to SageCRM         

4. I Business Net: Booth 444. If you want to meet one of Sage’s Top VARs come by & say hi to Gary Feldman

5. Website Pipeline; Booth 491 Come by & see what Brian Seidel & Brian Nunes have to offer in the latest eCommerce solutions.

6. Suntico, Booths 671, 680  Stop by & meet the team of Derek Stewart & Hugh Johnson  & see what’s new in online CRM and private social network that links to your accounts software.

7. TaskCentre; Booth 408  Stop by & let Paul Cannon & Nicole Laurier show you TaskCentre v4.5, a powerful suite of Business Process Management (BPM) technologies that ‘loosely couples’ business applications enabling organizations to automate virtually any employee-driven business process

8. xkzero; Booths 1208, 1209  Paul Ziliak & his team have developed Sage 100 ERP GetX Search & iSales 100 provide Universal Search for the Sage portfolio.

9. Net@Work; Booths 802, 803  Meet the Solomon Brothers & see what a full service business consultancy & technology solutions provider looks like. Their expertise goes beyond network solutions & across all areas of business, including accounting/ERP, CRM, manufacturing/distribution, HRMS,  eCommerce, & enterprise/ document management

10. Enbu Consulting; Booth 673 are experts in Sage CRM software. Companies  have been choosing Enbu to deliver CRM based solutions, address key business processes, including sales, marketing &  customer service.

Have Fun

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Don’t Ever Say These 8 Items To a Social Media Strategist…..

April 23rd, 2013

Written By Kim Garst @kimgarst / CEO, Entrepreneur, Social Media & Personal Branding Strategist & Mentor to Business Owners. Forbes TOP 50 Social Media Influencer

1. They pay you to do that? I thought social media was free! 

Well yes, it’s free to have an account on every social media platform. Some of the tools to increase efficiency in social media aren’t free. And that doesn’t even get into the issue of whether it’s cost effective to put yourself through the learning curve required to use social media effectively – posting fresh content regularly, writing at least 2 blog posts per week, and creating videos just to name a few. To use social media well takes time and a consistent strategy. I haven’t even mentioned marketing knowledge yet!

2. I know how to use Facebook! How do I start?

I think developing a social media marketing business is a great way for people to break out of traditional work environments – especially people like stay at home moms, retirees, etc. However, just because you use Facebook doesn’t mean you are ready to hang out your shingle and call yourself an expert! There are many other social media platforms, not to mention running a website or a blog. Plus, the endless hours of learning online marketing strategies – which are very different than standard marketing strategies.

3. You just play on social media all day? What kind of a job is that?

Honestly, while there are certain activities that go into every social media marketing campaign, every day and every client has unique needs. So while I know what kinds of activities I’ll be doing regularly, there are many days that I never know what is going to happen by the day’s end! (But I can assure you, it’s not just “playing” on any platform, be it Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or the rest!)

4. Pinterest and Twitter for business? I thought that was just for housewives or college kids!

Marketing is about providing your message to your ideal customers, wherever they are. Social media and content marketing takes that one step further and provides valuable information across multiple channels that helps you find, then develop relationships with the people most likely to be interested in the services or products you offer. Where is your ideal client? Chances are,  they’re on Twitter and Pinterest!

5. Social media is just a fad!

As Gary Vaynerchuk puts it, betting against social media now is like betting against the Internet. Six years ago, what was developing into social media was called “Web 2.0″ It was where the internet was going, and developers knew it. While social media platforms may continue to evolve, the likelihood that social networking will cease to be part of people’s everyday lives is as high as the likelihood that movies or television will stop existing all together. They may be made and distributed differently, but they’re not going away. Neither is the need for businesses to engage with their customers online.

6. Since we’re friends, can you help me out for FREE?

Unless you would also ask every friend to provide professional services  for free (and if you would, let’s talk about professional manners! you should also expect to pay for the professional services of someone handling your social media strategy. Besides the cost of access to tools that a professional social media strategist incurs, if he or she is serious about business, he or she also has invested a great deal of time and money learning the skills of the profession, just like any other professional. And one last thought…do you work for free?

7. My granddaughter is into computers; I’ll just have her do that for me

It’s important to understand that social media isn’t about the technology. It’s about understanding that whoever is providing your social media updates, designing a Facebook contest that doesn’t break the Facebook Terms of Service (TOS) and creates fresh blog content regularly is the face and the voice of your company to anyone who reads your content. It takes work and a strong strategy to provide a voice that indeed sounds like someone from your company. Building your brand as a company takes time – and it only takes one misinformed Tweet to ruin it for a long time to come.

8. Twitter? Do People Really Use That For Business?

Yes Twitter is used for business.  I can’t begin to tell you how many paid clients have first connected with me through Twitter or as a result of content I’ve shared via Twitter. You would be amazed at the power of 140 characters to make or break your brand.

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Sage Summit 2013 – Are You In Or Are You Out?

April 23rd, 2013

There has been much discussion about the value of attending Sage Summit 2013 Partner & Customer Conference, which is being held in Washington D.C. July 21 – 26 at the Gaylord National Harbor Resort.

This is my favorite Gaylord because it’s easy to navigate (Not like the Opryland Human Maze), it’s close to some outside restaurants and clubs, (Again not like Opryland which is a $25 Cab ride downtown Nashville)

But I won’t miss it and neither should you!  I’ve have found that Summit provides me with great value and relevant information. Our industry changes daily and there’s no way to stay on top of these changes if we don’t talk to the source(s). You can find the source(s) and other partners who have utilized those changes successfully by attending Sage Summit 2013.

Most of the real interesting conversations are those that you find in the hallways between sessions and keynotes. If you want to watch a partner who is adept at deciphering what is said and more importantly what’s not said, find Wayne Schulz and ask him if it’s okay to tag along, he’ll probably say “no” but go anyway. It’s how he and I became friends.

Its eye opening, informational and very rarely is his take on things wrong. I talk to Wayne 3-5 times a week and the conversation is always lively. You can catch Wayne on his daily morning walks at 6:00 a.m. along with other partners like Robert Wood, Peter Wolf  & I swear I’m going to get up at Zero Dark 30 to walk with them.

If sessions are your thing then go park yourself in every Ed Kless session that has an open seat. You won’t leave disappointed. I have sat in many of his sessions, taken the week long Consulting Academy, gone to conferences just to hear him speak and rate Ed as one of the top speakers in our industry.

Look at the business partners and vendors who consistently attend Summit.  If you want the keys to success they’re the people to see. Go to their booths and see what they’re doing that you’re not. It’s probably a safe wager that they’ve been involved in Summit for many years.

“It has always been MY rule that if I am serious about selling Sage products I need to attend Summit. I need to “breathe” the air, sense the mood of the Sage community, and get enough inspiration to see me through another year.” Arlie Skory; Managing Partner at Skory Employer Solutions LLC

There is a long term value of creating lasting relationships with other colleagues who will share their knowledge with you. I’ve spent many hours talking with them about the direction that our industry is headed.

What price tag do you put on the information you receive at Summit? How about face time with Sage executives, visiting with 3rd party providers? I don’t think you can put a tag on these. The sessions alone that Sage offers are topic rich.

We get caught up on doing work as we’ve always have not aware there are better ways to streamline our businesses & become more cost effective. If we don’t go to Summit & feed off the synergy then we’re going to stay in that same rut getting the same results.

There are BP’s who have concerns that they don’t write any new business at Summit. They’ve bought booth space, & brought a large group. Is it worth the expenditure? Can I justify the costs? How much business will I miss out on while I’m at Summit? These are valid questions. The answer is simple….How much effort are you willing to exert while you’re there.

If you’re going to Summit with the sole intent of closing deals you will be disappointed. It’s like going to the circus expecting Shakespeare; this is an unrealistic expectation. A lot of companies look at expenditures that don’t provide immediate return as worthless. I think of attending conferences the same as Spring Training, The chances of a productive year increase exponentially with a successful Spring Training.

If you’re still not sold, here are 3 questions to ask yourself.

►By not going am I adding or taking away value from the success of my business?

► What new technology can I find at Summit that I can add to my product portfolio?

►Am I the problem or am I the solution?

Come to D.C. & see what’s going on at Sage. You will go back to your business with new tools, ideas & a new attitude.

See you in Washington D.C. Bill Kizer

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Analytics? We Don’t Need No Stinking Analytics

October 7th, 2012

Okay, so the heading is just a bit over the top, but I don’t believe by much.

I’ve had several websites over the past few years & when I used to speak of them it was always from the Analytics perspective. How many unique visitors did the site have? How much time were they spending on it? What was the Bounce Rate? What city were they arriving from? What foreign countries, etc., etc., blah, blah, blah ad nauseum.

I realized that we had been sold a bill of goods by Google and took the current Analytics at face value as gospel. It was also, I believe, a stroke of genius on their part when they made these available to anyone by offering them at no cost.   What did those metrics really say? More importantly what didn’t they say?

“Most businesses measure only Activity Metrics which I’ve come to believe don’t tell the whole story. What we should be looking at are Outcome Metrics  which monitor impact,” according to Jonathan Becher, CMO SAP.   After reading his brief column titled “Counting What Counts: How Outcome Metrics Have Changed the Game” in the Sept. 24th issue of Forbes Magazine, I felt that I has found a kindred spirit.

This idea that maybe we were looking at the wrong metrics was the basis for the movie Moneyball in which Billy Beane, then the General Manager of the Oaklands Athletics MLB team turned the baseball world upside down with his theory. He had a lot of naysayers within, old school scouts, owners, even his own team manager. Read the rest of this entry »

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Are You Still Missing The Social Media / Blogging Train?

October 3rd, 2012

Don’t Be This Guy, He Missed The Train

Since Sage Summit I’ve been talking to a lot of companies of different sizes & different industries about the importance of getting on the social media train. Social media is not a fad, it’s here to stay.

Consider these statistics from Econsultancy Network Statistics Quarterly Compendium

1.Global Wi-Fi usage is up by 240% between Q2 2011 & Q2 2012
2.76% of marketers plan to increase their YouTube and/or video marketing
3.25% of corporations have at least 1 staff member who works exclusively on social media
4.57% of corporations have their social media team within their marketing department
5.Most corporate social media is used for Communications, Marketing, Customer Service & Reputation Monitoring
6.62% of corporations intend to increase budgets for social media
7.90% of corporations say social media is becoming a more important part of their marketing strategy

A LinkedIn profile can bring many opportunities in your direction. If you’re not sure what to do ask someone who has had success utilizing LinkedIn and to a lesser degree Twitter and Facebook  The other area that I’m stressing to companies is blogging and that’s because most of them  don’t have a blog because most people don’t think they can write. I employ a very simple methodology that proves that ALL people can write and they shouldn’t be afraid to.

Below are my reasons why I think blogging is so important to a company:

a. It gives the company a face & more visibility
b. It helps build a trust relationship
c. If your blog is about your industry it helps mark you as an industry expert
d. Some people are leary & weary of “Push Notification,” be careful that you don’t come off as being pushy with your sales pitch. As a matter of fact, don’t try to sell anything other than yourself and your quality company
e. A blog can generate leads & business provided your blog isn’t one huge sales pitch

There are more reasons to blog, these are but a few. I’m sure that you can come up with a lot more of your own. Read the rest of this entry »

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5 Things Sage Partners Should Do on Twitter Right Now

June 29th, 2012


A few months ago, Greg Tirico (Social Media Manager at Sage) posted an invitation on LinkedIn for Sage partners to share their Twitter handle in order to connect ahead of Sage Summit 2012.  To date, there have been 125 replies.  What’s surprising, though, is how many Sage partners have set up a Twitter account and that’s about as far as they got.  So here are 5 things Sage Partners need to do on Twitter right now.

1. Get Rid of That Egg   Nothing says “I don’t use this Twitter thingy very much” more than the generic profile image that Twitter uses as a placeholder when you sign up.  It looks like this:  Twitter Egg

Replace that thing with a headshot, or even your company logo, today.

2. Add a Short Description   How does anyone know if they want to follow and engage you on Twitter if they don’t know what you’re all about?  That’s the purpose of providing a short description just below your name (and to the Right of that profile Egg you’re sporting).  It looks like this:

Juice Marketing Twitter Description   Be sure to include a link to your website or blog.  Most people will click through to learn more about who you are.

3. Start Following Some Other Tweeters Twitterers … People Using Twitter   Part of the idea behind using Twitter effectively is to build an audience of “Followers” who’ve opted in to hearing what you’ve got to say, Tweet, or share.

Think of Followers as if they were subscribers to your email list.  You probably wouldn’t spend much time on (or get much benefit from) email marketing if you only had 5 people subscribed to your email list.   The same goes for Twitter.  You won’t get much value out of sharing and tweeting if you only have a handful of followers.  And while you can find a million-and-one strategies for building a following on Twitter, the easiest way to get started is to simply start following other people.   Once you follow some folks, the power of reciprocation and the law of averages kick in.

Simply put, there will be people that will automatically follow you back. So you don’t have to put a bunch time into creating or sharing amazing content before starting to build your audience. Seems to me that a good percentage of those 2,100+ people she followed simply (and some would say blindly) followed her back. Read the rest of this entry »

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