Author: Cam Wayland
I recently had the privilege to attend the ARN roundtable discussion where Dell and Intel were the key sponsors, and so much was discussed about the development Dell’s channel engagement and program.

While there was robust discussion amongst the participants about Dell’s (and other vendors’) engagement, the conversation actually began with the changes in customer behaviour and therefore what changes the partners had to adapt to.

Our core channel framework - the DynamicDSI model - reflects our belief that everything begins with the customer, and that a successful partner is a reflection of the needs of the customers they serve or are targeting.   Read More

Author: Cam Wayland
As the saying goes, two things are certain in life, death and taxes. That maybe correct but I think a more relevant quote given the current headlines might be:

“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts” – Arnold Bennett

Whether or not the Carbon Tax legislation gets through parliament is not up for debate here;, what does matter is that the current debate is introducing further uncertainty into the business environment, and specifically the IT sector. However what is certain is that electricity prices are already rising rapidly, regardless of if, when, or what format a Carbon Tax eventuates.   Read More

Author: Moheb Moses
What a difference a year makes!

As channel consultants, we get a feel for the health of the industry by the type of projects we are asked to work on. And over the last twelve months we’ve seen a real shift from tactical, short-term return projects, to strategic, longer-term projects designed around building strong sustainable foundations with partners.

Last year, while the industry and general economy were still in the doldrums, most vendors only looked three months ahead, and the majority of our projects were focussed on increasing sales in the coming quarter. Many vendors established teams that had direct end-user touch, with the goal of driving business directly but still fulfilling through the channel.

Today, we see a very different (and much more positive) outlook. Projects are once again becoming more strategic in nature. There is growing recognition that simply using the channel for fulfillment is not very efficient and does not build channel profitability or loyalty. More vendors are realising that investing to properly enable partners means that those partners will be more loyal, and will play an active role in uncovering and bringing sales (especially complex solution deals) to fruition quickly and cost effectively.  Read More

Author: Cam Wayland
I recently attended the RSA security conference in London. Being part of the IT industry we always assume there is a technology fix for technology related problems such as a security breach of a network, server or system. As technologists we might look at patching, layering or even upgrading the hardware or software as a “fix”.

During the conference I attended a number of the less technical sessions focusing on human behaviour and security, and especially data leak prevention. These sessions made me have a bit of a general rethink as well as how this might apply to the channel.   Read More

It may be 50 years old, but the Ansoff Growth matrix is still an “oldie but a goodie” when it comes to partners and/or vendors deciding on the best strategy for sales growth. Developed by Igor Ansoff - a Russian immigrant who went on to become known as the father of strategic management - this simple 2x2 matrix is still a very valuable tool for examining your sales growth options.

In this ARN "Consulting Room" article, Cam Wayland explains the model, and makes recommendations around how resellers can use it as a foundation for sales growth planning.

http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/366983/consulting_room_what_your_sales_growth_options_/

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