Small Business Computer Consulting

IT sales calls are very simple if you are prepared.  You need to do enough background research and figure out how badly prospects need you.  If you are ready and know what prospects’ greatest needs are, IT sales will be easier to close and you will be able to be the solution to problems.  

Prospect Pain

Prospects have to have points of pain in order to be receptive to IT sales.  Get prospects to name their three top computer problems.  They will probably not be able to limit this list to three, but the key is to get them to talk.  If you can get a lot of information from them, you will be better able to decide how you will be the solution to their problems and get them to sign onto IT sales.  

Investigate

How can you become a solution to prospects’ problems?  First, you need to really know what the problems are.  Ask the right questions to get rational answers.  Then think about how you can be cost-effective and get to IT sales.  

Computer Problems are Irritating

Prospects will most likely get pretty emotional about computer problems and will get frustrated and angry.  Try not to be intimidated by the presentation of your prospects’ problems.  Instead, read between the lines to figure out what the problem really is so you can offer a solution and be able to close the deal on IT sales.

The Main Idea

If you can figure out the biggest problem with prospects, you will be more likely to construct a compelling solution and be successful at IT sales.

Created By:  Computer Consulting Kit

On Thursday, computer Dell finally announced a specific date on which it would start selling PCs in Wal-Mart stores.  Two different Dell Dimension desktops will officially be for sale starting June 10 in the U.S. and in Puerto Rico.  Other models will be sold at Wal-Marts in Canada and also at Sam’s Club.  

While prices for the computer business’ store products have not yet been disclosed, the word is the PCs will be less than $700.  Wal-Mart will only be a tiny part of Dell’s reseller plan.  Computer business Dell plans to sell 30,000 – 50,000 PCs there as a start.  Overall, Dell sold 9 million PCs in the first three months of 2007 via catalogue and the Internet.  

The new plan for computer business Dell to sell computers at retail stores is a major change in its business model.  The direct sales model previously used kept costs low and held up a close relationship with customers.  Because of a rapidly changing market, Dell has been forced to alter its sales model to keep pace.  

Computer business Dell’s direct sales model worked well in the 1990s when PCs were mainly purchased by businesses.  However, business buying of PCs declined after the dot-com crash of 2001, which actually led to increased consumer buying.  In 2005, laptop sales trumped PC sales in the consumer market.  

The computer business’ latest Wal-Mart deal is going to put Dell more deeply into the retail market.  But the company is moving cautiously to avoid over-exposure in the beginning.  The retail strategy for the computer business is still evolving, and Dell will most likely expand its electronics offerings in the future and develop new partnerships with other media companies.  

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

As an IT specialist, you will have to provide a wide variety of services, including network design, helping clients with procurement, managing relations, dealing with phone companies, Web hosts and Internet access ISPs, deciding what to buy and examining it when it comes in as well as doing the configuration, testing, integration, customization, training and troubleshooting for your clients.   

You’re doing everything, which means in essence you’re an IT generalist.  But do you have to be a generalist for every type of client?  Focus on being an IT specialist to make marketing and sales a lot easier.

Be Selective with Clients

As a professional involved with virtual IT, you will have to be all things to your clients.  But why not be all things to some of the people by providing a complete solution for a specific type of business?  Be a one-stop shop for virtual IT as an IT specialist for a specific kind of clients and not just every type of small business.  

Choose a field as an IT specialist in which you have experience.  Be able to get testimonials and references to prove you’ve worked in the field with other clients so you can come across as a true IT specialist for that industry.  

Specialty Does Not Mean Extensive Experience

Finding a niche as an IT specialist may be as easy as having one or two long-term clients that work in real estate.  Over an extended period of time, you will learn about their businesses and their industry.  Other real estate professionals will be interested because you will have knowledge of their issues, which will set you apart from other computer consultants vying for their business.  

The Main Idea About Specialization

You don’t have to have huge amounts of experience to be an IT specialist within a specific industry, but the decision to specialize will vastly improve your marketing results.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Dell recently announced it would definitely be forming sales partnerships with solution providers as well as with channel partners and retail partners.  Previous plans were to stay with a direct sales model.

This plan to work with solution providers will alter the industry as Dell begins to sell PCs in the same marketplace as competitors including Hewlett Packard, Lenovo and Acer.  Dell will continue direct sales, but will attempt to grow its business through solution providers and in retail outlets throughout the world.  This statement came from Lionel Menchaca, manager of digital media for Dell.  

Dell already sells $4 billion of computers through solution providers annually in North America, so this model is not entirely new.  Even though the company’s sales were down in 2006, the company still shipped 39 million PCs last year, which was 16.3 percent of the computer business market.  

Investors are concerned with this new model to form partnerships with solution providers.  But analysts are stating that Dell’s decision will be a good idea to help it survive in a changing marketplace.  While Dell’s direct sales model was a benefit in the 1980’s, now it is a disadvantage that keeps the company out of the running in international markets.

Michael Dell suggested this move towards solution providers in April, three months after he took over the chief executive title to save the company.  He claims the direct sales model was never meant to be religiously followed, rather it was meant as a way to distinguish the company.  

Last week, Dell formalized the new solution providers plan and stated it would also be creating a structured partner plan for solution providers and that it would be also creating a special logo for solution providers to use to help with sales.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit

A huge part of IT sales is establishing a connection with clients.  How can relationships be beneficial to IT sales?  The size of your customer list is not the most important thing and neither is the revenue of each customer.  Establishing long-term relationships with customers is paramount, since most of your ideal clients will provide you a lifetime value well into the six-figure range.  

IT Sales:  The Management of Customer Expectations

If you are the primary salesperson at the start of your business, you don’t need to worry about the salesperson you’re sending changing multiple times throughout the year.  Salespeople often misrepresent an organization in order to get a signature.  This will come back later to haunt you and make the process of managing expectations nearly impossible.  

IT Sales:  Train Your Sales Staff Yourself

Don’t get so involved in generating leads and closing sales that you neglect to delegate responsibilities to new salespeople once you get comfortable and stable.  Once the IT sales process becomes routine and you have five or ten solid clients earning you between $5,000 to $15,000 per month in services, hiring someone else to join you on sales calls is a good idea.  Delegation might be time consuming initially, but it is essential to getting to new levels of IT sales.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit

On Friday, computer business IBM stated it had a new energy saving plan to help businesses with their IT departments.  The computer business will invest $1 billion per year to help businesses increase energy efficiency and save money.

The strategy is called “Project Big Green” and will help businesses save as much as 42 percent on their power bills.  Val Rahmani, general manager of Infrastructure Management Services for the NY-based IBM Global Technology Services reported that the energy crisis impacts both society and everything that is used to run businesses.  IT departments can have a critical impact when helping run a business, and with computer business IBM’s help will be able to help improve efficiency.

Computer business IBM has plans to double the computing capacity of its data centers without increasing power usage by 2010.

Computer Business IBM:  The Five Step Approach

1.    Diagnose

2.    Build

3.    Virtualize

4.    Manage

5.    Cool

This five-step approach will be achieved through a series of bundled hardware, software and services.  According to spokespeople, IBM’s approach to helping with the energy crisis differs from other environmental ideas because it uses hardware, software and services together to create a more comprehensive solution than other computer businesses that are just focusing on hardware.

A podcast will tell solution providers how to get involved in data center cooling and this energy saving idea.  For more information on this important computer business story, please visit the attached link.

Created By:  Joshua Feinberg

Partnering is not a quick process.  You need to tackle it slowly and with a clear plan.  You would not sleep with a person or propose marriage on the first date, so why try to close a deal with a potential partner the first time you meet?

Partnering Can Take a Long Time

Partnerships can take weeks or months — sometimes even years — to fully develop, so do not try to close a partnering relationship in an initial meeting.  

Partnering starts when you get introduced to someone by a common client or a friend.  You get together for coffee, send some emails, call each other back and forth, get together again, talk about common client issues and talk about needs you have a hard time fulfilling.  Take your time to do this right, and do not try to close a sale or a deal too quickly.   

Partnering is About Personalities

Partnering is about personalities working well together and the ability to trust and have good working chemistry.  You have to have a connection related to IT or business, but personalities are still the most critical components that will make a partnership successful.    

Partnering:  Look for Opportunities

You have to keep your eyes and ears open for partnering opportunities when you go to reseller channel events or technical training classes.  You could find your next partnering endeavor at any time.  

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

Recently SAS announced to the VARs community that it had expanded partner programs at all levels of government.  A leader in business software and intelligence, SAS launched its partner programs for VARs last year.  The expanded partner programs will be offered for VARs, systems integrators and independent software vendors in order to help improve SAS’s presence at local, state and federal levels.  

Spokespeople for SAS state that government organizations are in need of better business intelligence; SAS’ software helps partners bring efficiency to government entities and give them more opportunities.  

The SAS Global Reseller Program was launched in 2006 and reached its initial goal of 50 VARs within the first eight months.  SAS will use its existing infrastructure that consists of development teams for government, internal channel sales teams and systems engineers.  Government teams use the SAS Enterprise Intelligence Platform.  This program includes data integration, business intelligence and advanced analytics.  

The market strategy focuses on the program’s expansion at the state and local level, but the company hopes to build partnerships with VARs on all levels.  

Last week SAS got the SLED (State, Local and Education) Program of the Year honor from GovernmentVAR magazine.  Its government partner program for VARs also got a 5-Star Award for excellence in March.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit

You can handle IT sales calls efficiently with enough preparation.  Do background research and determine how urgent their needs are in order to get closer to IT sales.  Find out what your clients’ biggest issues are and learn to be their best solution.    

IT Sales:  Clients in Pain

Get clients to tell you about three big problems.  Typically, they won’t be able to give you only three during an IT sales call, but the process will encourage them to talk to you.  If you get enough information about their computer problems from their perspective, you will be more easily able to design a pitch that will be a real solution.

IT Sales: Investigate

How can you become a real solution for clients’ biggest issues?  First you have to define the real problem.  Ask questions that will get reasonable answers from clients and determine the real problems they are having.  If you think about addressing clients’ real points of pain, you can offer the best solution through IT sales.   

IT Sales:  Computer Problems

People get emotionally involved in computer problems and can become easily frustrated when talking to you about them.  You have to cut through this frustration and get to the real issues so you can recommend the best solution and get closer to IT sales.

Added By:  Joshua Feinberg