May/June 19 - ChannelVision Magazine

channel management So it is with sales, especially in the realm of business communications. New carriers, new devices, new gimmicks, gadgets and bundled packages are constantly vying for the attention of your prospective customers. You have to step up your game, and fast. Be the shiniest, loudest, most attractive – all the time – or they’re going to go home with someone else. Let them. As a provider of business communica- tion solutions, you have to ask yourself, daily, “Am I looking for some fast fun and a quick paycheck, or am I in this for the long haul?”. As a partner to a busi- ness communication solu- tions provider, you’re more like the wingman. Your role is to make great con- nections between people who need one another. So, you have to ask yourself, “Am I set- ting up my customers for one-night stands or long-term relationships?”. You already know what your cus- tomers want, and it will become more difficult to convince them that “this is the one,” unless you are truly invested in their future. How does this relate to channel sales in business communications? First, align yourself with a provider that is more interested in your cus- tomer’s business than writing trans- action receipts. Find that provider who will take a consultative approach to solution selling, based on the cus- tomer’s long-term goals and objec- tives. Find a provider that takes the time to understand the questions be- hind the questions, so that what they offer is of great value to your custom- ers. In return, your customers will be more trustworthy of recommendations you make going forward. If they’re looking for an SD- WAN solution, find out why. Odds are, they’ve only heard about it as a tech trend. This is attraction, not a connection. Hook them up with a provider that will customize their SD-WAN system according to their specific needs, vulnerabili- ties and, yes, desires. Maybe they don’t know where their data signals are failing, how their customers are using their network, or if their employees are faithful. Help them to understand their own business, recognize opportunities, then hold their hand and assure them they’ll never be alone again. It’s the difference between a bright future together and waking up with a stranger. o Robert Stubbs is marketing director for NetFortris. By Robert Stubbs TheValue of Relationship in the Age of Attraction Corner T he one-night stand – it’s exciting, enticing, the stuff of legends (even though they are mostly overblown in the retelling). Nonetheless, many of us, at one time or another, believed it was worth pursuing. 57 May - June, 2019 | Channel Vision