Computer Consultants Secrets ™

The 2006 Product of the Year special report for the computer business, developed by CRN points to software and hardware that determined the standard for technology this past year.  This computer business list was created by the CRN Test Center that retested both recommended and updated products in 10 different areas.  

The common denominator of these computer business products is their flexibility and ability to help solution providers within the computer business design, configure and customize systems.

Web Development Tool

Stylus Studio 2007 XML Enterprise Suite from DataDirect Technologies won this category with two powerful tools, XML Pipeline and XML Publisher.  Pipeline is a set of XML operations that provide control over data transformations, whereas Publisher helps create XML solutions without any coding.  This computer business tool’s map diagrams allow users to manipulate a variety of data sources.

Computer Business:  Security Software

Astaro’s Security Gateway acts as a virtual appliance, allowing partners to offer benefits that resemble those found in an integrated appliance without the need for extraneous hardware.

Networking Hardware

FileEngine from Server Partners offers an on-site server appliance that can be managed remotely and treated like an SMB service.  This product provides the ability for profitability.  This product combines Linux, open-source software and the Pentium 4 platform and offers no hidden costs.  It can be replaced every few years and the contract renewed.

Storage

Intel’s SS4000-E offers a plethora of custom options for solution providers to create NAS units or white-box NAS solutions across the board.  This storage option wins accolades for its fitness in the small business arena.

Application Development Tool

Compuware’s DevPartner 8.0 offers an option for developers that work with .Net.  This system simplifies .Net without getting rid of features and can help with debugging.  It is better than Microsoft Visual Studio and has been said to be easier to use.

Computer Business:  Imaging

Minolta’s Magicolor 7450 is a color laser printer that offers great image quality and paper handling at only $2,999, an excellent deal for a large-format color laser printer.  It is at its best when used for high-volume jobs.

Notebook

The Hewlett-Packard Compaq NC6400 offers many different configuration options and price points.  It is supported by a strong channel program that can help VARs sell and earn when offering it as part of their solutions.  The notebook series can be created with 512 Mbytes, 1 Gbyte or 2 Gbytes of RAM and can feature SATA drives that go from 40 to 100 Gbytes.

Applications Software

Microsoft Exchange 2007 features an update to Exchange 2003 that spreads out jobs across a set of roles-based servers.  The product is based on modular architecture and helps create a more reliable experience and improve administration options for VARs.

Operating System

Microsoft Vista Enterprise Edition took the prize in this computer business category.  This product has been controversial but brings new features to the table for solution providers.  One of its most notable features is its Aero Glass interface that gives it an aesthetically-pleasing look and makes it very user-friendly.

Computer Business:  Server

SuperServer 5015M-MR from Supermicro Computer in California offers a small server that can support dual-core technology.  This server is an inexpensive and smaller alternative to blade servers and allows for lower-cost, lower-space server.

For more bests of 2006 in the computer business, please see the provided link.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting 101

You have to get in touch with the right person when making IT sales calls.  Often-times getting in touch with the key contact in a company during sales calls means exercising a great deal of creativity, but most importantly being respected and known in your community for a successful IT sales person.  

Getting past gatekeepers within companies is not easy, but certain techniques can help make it more possible.

Cold IT Sales Calls

Most gatekeepers will only take your name and number and probably will express a lack of interest in your services.  This happens most often during cold calling, so you should probably implement some new IT sales techniques to improve your chances of getting new clients.  If you’re going to use cold IT sales calls to build demand generation activities, you have to get past the gatekeeper to get to the next step.

Methods for Getting Past the Gatekeeper

1.    Call before or after the gatekeeper leaves.  You can expect them to be on a nine-to-five, eight-to-six or eight-to-four schedule.

2.    Send an e-mail.

3.    Send a fax.

4.    Send a letter.

5.    Send a postcard.

6.    Send a Fed-Ex marked “personal and confidential.”

Unfortunately many of these IT sales call strategies have been used by many people for years, so you may not have success with them.

The Ultimate IT Sales Strategy

The best way to get past gatekeepers is to become a known expert within your community.  Get to know power brokers like local accountants and solution providers in deep niches, speak at events, hold seminars, volunteer and invest quality time in network-building activities.  When you get a reputation within your community for being an expert and someone known, liked and trusted you will have better luck with IT sales.  

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

Recently EMC named the head of its partner program for channel parters, Pete Koliopoulos.  Formerly vice president of global channel marketing, he will run all of EMC’s channel programs on the heels of the departure of John Koury who was previously vice president of worldwide channel marketing.

Koliopoulos was running EMC’s software channel programs until spring when all channel programs were shifted into one program.  Koliopoulos says the transition was fairly seamless; solution providers will be asked to sell both hardware and software solutions.  He believes that having one partner organization to talk to solution providers will make it easier for them to work together and deliver services.

Since the shift of the solution providers program, partner revenue registered under EMC’s deal program rose 30 percent in 2006 when compared to 2005.  EMC solution provider using incentives to get customers to combine hardware and software sales experienced a 35 percent growth in sales in the first half of 2006.  

Koliopoulos noted this would be the last major change in the solution providers program for a long time.  The goal for EMC is to make programs as simple as possible to help increase business.  However, there will be slight changes designed to make the transition process simple for solution providers.  For example, EMC will provide training to solution providers for data protection software obtained from Kashya in May and will help make other applications more accessible and easily-learned by partners.

For more details on EMC’s program for solution providers, please visit the link provided.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

Direct mail postcards are a great IT marketing technique because they provide you with a chance to catch someone’s attention.  Because they are already opened, they will not just get tossed in the trash.  Direct mail postcards are less expensive than other types of direct mail so they’re easy on your IT marketing budget as well.

How can you use direct mail postcards as part of your IT marketing campaign?

IT Marketing:  Target!

You want to target a very specific group when sending out direct mail postcards as part of your IT marketing campaign.  Don’t sent to a couple thousand area small businesses and hope you will snag one of them.  For example, if you have specialty with accounting offices, speak to the hot buttons of a partner or an office manager in an accounting office.  Make your expertise known and target the recipients of your IT marketing campaign!

Direct Mail Postcards Help with Relationship IT Marketing

Direct mail is not intended to seal any deals.  You will not get a huge contract because of a direct mail postcard, because relationships that bring real benefits take a long time to grow.  IT marketing postcards should generate a response and get people to take interest.  Once you get interest, you can foster the opportunities.

You want to lead prospects to events like seminars where you are gathering groups of people with similar interests.  You can also lead prospects towards free reports or free needs analyses as part of IT marketing campaigns.

IT Marketing Postcards:  Be Timely

You need to give a sense of urgency to those targets of your IT marketing postcards.  If you don’t set deadlines, prospects might file your ideas away for six months or for emergencies.  IT marketing postcards are a way to open up the opportunity for people to like, know and trust you and the best way to do this is to get one-on-one contact or one-to-group contact that allow them to see what you do and how they will work with you.

Blogged By:  Joshua Feinberg

Cisco is planning to add 3,000 solution providers to its partner program over the next few years to get ready to deal with the boom for small and mid-size businesses in need of IT consulting services.  Currently, Cisco has 3,000 global solution providers in its SMB Select channel program for partners dealing with small businesses.  This plan to double its ranks over the next two-to-three years was announced by Keith Goodwin, senior vice president of worldwide channels at the company during the Cisco C-Scape Global Forum 2006 conference.

Goodwin says the plan comes as a reaction to the need to build capacity to take full advantage of the SMB opportunities that are expected to continue to increase in coming years.  Cisco wants to build solution provider capacity in relationship to the number of partners and the amount of revenue each partner brings in during specific periods.

The recruiting will focus on Cisco partners that work with distributors, and will involve an enhanced specialized training program for specific solution providers along with greater incentives and a building of systems and processes.

The SMB Select program was developed in the U.S. in 2004 for solution providers working with small businesses with less than 500 users.  Cisco will add new tools to make sure solution providers can continue to grow with SMB accounts.

In conjunction with this solution providers program, Cisco intends to work on its consumer/small business-focused Linksys division by building investments in 2007.  Linksys will help add to the new programs for solution providers and also is itself looking for executives to fill two new positions – a worldwide channel lead and a worldwide service provider lead.

Linksys is also planning to add more certifications and specializations with its technology starting in approximately three months.  It will also create a much more defined program for solution providers and customers to help them migrate from Linksys platforms to Cisco products as the two segments work to build congruency between their partner programs.  

Linksys, like Cisco intends to recruit solution providers into its own channel, especially those that are capable of dealing with very sophisticated technologies.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting 101

IT audits are a typical request after big news about IT disasters.  Current events present a great opportunity to ask customers about a back-up plan that includes virus protection and other important items during IT audits.  

Your marketing efforts can be helped by worms and viruses, especially when these issues are mentioned in the news.  Your targeted small business might even have felt the consequences, which gives you a great opportunity to get sales.  Customers and clients will more deeply realize the need for power protection and shutdowns, along with backup generators.  And virus clean-up and security will really get them thinking too, which gives you the perfect opportunity to conduct IT audits.  

IT Audits:  Devise a Marketing Plan

You should compile a fixed-price IT audits package that you can really deliver.  Go in with an inventory checklist and talk to customers about system security, their plans for virus protection, license status, update status, what firewalls look like and how they are keeping things up-to-date and running smoothly.

Most new small business accounts will present you with a really great opportunity for cleanup.  Because businesses typically feel they are better protected against viruses and security than in actuality, most have real issues with which you can help.  IT audits might reveal that all antivirus software is two years old or more, which then gives you the chance to prove yourself and get valuable clients.

The Importance of Data Backups

A lot of prospects will not know much about data backup and might even tell you what they think you want to hear when asked directly about it.  Typically, small business data backup items are not current if the businesses don’t have a good tech staff or regular provider.  IT audits are the time and opportunity to think about these things.   

Opportunities with IT Audits

 IT audits give you a real chance to uncover weaknesses and put together a plan of attack for helping small businesses get organized and improve efficiency.

Added By:  Joshua Feinberg

Computer consulting services firm Novell, Inc., a seller of popular networking software and computer consulting services experienced a loss Wednesday when its stocks fell 5.4 percent.  This drop in stocks was the result of inaccurate sales estimates in the fourth quarter.  

Computer consulting services firm Novell’s stock shares fell 34 cents and closed out at $5.99, according to the Nasdaq.  In total, stock shares have fallen 32 percent this year.

Sales for Novell also declined 15 percent compared to the previous year.  Reported sales were $244.99 million in the period that ended October 31, 2006.  Analysts say the computer consulting services firm’s sales should have reached $261.3 million based on a survey earlier in the year.

Approximately one-third of Novell’s 5,200-staff person work force in Provo have predicted that the fiscal 2007 revenue will reach $945 million to $975 million, which is less than analysts’ predictions of $999.8 million.

Fourth quarter sales for the computer consulting services firm dropped for the fourth quarter in a row, partially due to Linux’s failure to recover from falling sales of old products.  Novell remarked that the results are only preliminary, and stated the company would be reviewing stock option grants before the year’s end.  

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101

In order to be successful with IT sales, you can’t give away services and products for free.  Research to make sure a client is someone with whom you can work before you move to IT sales.

An IT sales call can’t be an extended free consultation.  You’re not there to answer countless questions for free and show your certifications, prove your technical expertise or display your brain power.  The purpose of a first IT sales call is to figure out if you can work with the prospect for the long term.  

IT Sales:  Can You Work With this Prospect?

You need to make a big part of the IT sales call determining if the prospect is a good fit for your company, and specifically that the client resembles other good clients you have.  By this time you’ve already asked important questions about size and platforms.  You are looking at personalities and good chemistry to go to the next IT sales step.  

Spend an hour or so figuring out a prospect’s needs and giving away some limited advice for free.  But, be prepared to stop it at that point and start talking about IT sales, typically by proposing an IT audit or a tech assessment.  Move from free to fee!

Free in IT Sales Will Not Equal Success

If you don’t stop offering things for free, you will not earn a profit.  You have to draw the line or small businesses will keep asking you for free advice that will never end in IT sales.

What Service Do You Want to Sell Them?

Don’t give away the store.  Determine your client’s needs now before you go on the IT sales call.  Think about how you can solve problems and be prepared to sell something concrete for a fixed price, like an IT audit or a tech assessment.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

The two computer businesses, Compushare, Inc. and Computer Business Systems, Inc. announced they signed an agreement to merge their companies to expand their ability to deliver community banking services throughout the state of Illinois in the U.S.  Compushare is a company that provides solutions for community financial institutions and CBS is a service provider working with small banks to fulfill IT needs.

The financial details of this new merger within the computer business have not yet been stated, but the merger is the result of the need for consulting companies to respond to the demand for service by under-served banking associations and banking user groups.  Banks throughout the U.S. have expressed the need to outsource service providers that can help with technology integration and compliance issues and programs as part of their IT plan.

Many regulators and compliance officials continue to raise the requirements for technology management, particularly for smaller banks and have had a difficult time finding the right level of expertise.  The merger between these two computer businesses, Compushare and CBS will bring new levels of IT services to the table.

Compushare, based in Orange County, CA has merged previously with a direct competitor, Garrison Security Services of Austin TX.  The merger with CBS marks the third in two years as the business expands.

CBS welcomes this merger, stating the demand in the Chicagoland area has grown as compliance requirements on community banks has increased, and it is excited about having additional resources to meet the demands.

According to spokespeople, this merger in the computer business has been in the works for nearly three years.  

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

As an IT consultant, you want to seek out certain people for partnering as part of your IT marketing plan.  People in professions like accounting can make great partners; you might even be able to create a formal revenue sharing arrangement here your accountant would get financial rewards in connecting you with his/her clients.

Formal Revenue Sharing Ideas for IT Marketing

1.    A finder’s fee;

2.    A referral fee;

3.    Subcontracting you out;

4.    Bartering services.

Less formal ideas for IT marketing when partnering with your accountant or other professional contacts include a gift basket, sporting events tickets or a free lunch or dinner.  These ideas should be a part of any conscientious IT marketing budget.

Are Their Clients in Need of Your Services?

You need to see if your accountant gets questions from clients about IT services and how he/she handles them.  If your accountant responds, “We don’t really know where to send them,” then you have the perfect opportunity to propose an IT marketing idea that includes you.

You should discuss IT investments with your account and tell him/her what they can do for a business.  You can then have an educational seminar in your accountant’s office at a time of year that works for him/her (not at the height of tax season!), such as in the fall and late spring.

IT Marketing:  What is an Educational Seminar?

You and your accountant will co-sponsor the educational seminar and invite customers of yours and theirs to talk about how small businesses can better utilize accounting systems and protect them by putting better controls in place.  Your accountant can discuss accounting issues, and you would talk about the IT side of things.  The key is to get customers thinking about computers and how they can help a business.

Personal referrals are a necessary part of IT marketing plans.  In order to get more referrals, partner with people that have clients that ask them about other professional services like the ones you provide.  Get behind the people that help you get referrals and reward them when they help with your IT marketing.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Red Hat recently stated that members of its solution providers community, Red Hat’s independent software vendors (ISVs) have begun testing of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Beta 2 in order to help Red Hat achieve its next subscription goals.  Solution providers hope to ensure early certification of the new program and make Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 avaiable this winter for customers.

The ISV community has been instrumental in Red Hat’s success, particularly during the past 5 years, according to Tim Yeaton, Senior VP of Enterprise Solutions, Red Hat.  He hopes that with the help of the ISV and solution providers community the company can continue to increase the scope of applications available to customers.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 is set to be released early in 2007 and marks the next big subscription endeavor for the company.  Working with solution providers, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 will provide complete, full-integrated commercial-strength virtualization.

Red Hat’s ISV Partner Program has been attracting solution providers that support the Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system.  The goal of this program for solution providers has been to provide great choices for customers building their architectures based on open source.  Solution providers partners include IBM, Oracle, Computer Associates and BEA Systems.

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101

The computer consulting business revolves around selling your personality, your charisma and of course business know-how.  But in the end, you’re selling time above all else, and wasting it is not an option.  You need to keep track of every hour spent, whether billable or part of your sales function, prospecting or administrative.  

How do you know whether a service call is appropriate?

Computer Consulting Emergency or Not?

If you want to find the time wasters to work better, you need to determine the urgency of the sales call from the very beginning.  It may be a server down problem that is destroying productivity at the company, which is really an emergency and something that requires immediate attention.  

On the other hand, it could just be a link not working between a PDA and a computer or something that is just a one-person problem.  This would be less of a good use of your time when you’re busy with computer consulting.

What’s the Computer Consulting Budget?

You need to know what your clients’ budgets is before you go into the situation.  If they are broke and have no ability to pay, you are wasting your time.  Don’t ignore them completely; put them on a follow-up list for three or six months and find out later if there is more money available for your services.

Computer Consulting:  Are You Being Polite?

You can’t ask outright about money issues.  Be subtle with your inquiries, and of course tactful.  Ask if the prospects currently get computer consulting support and how they have received it in the past.  If they use volunteers or moonlighters, it’s probably going to be a waste of your time because they most likely do not have a proper IT budget.  If the prospects are working with other VARs or with a legitimate competitor, you can assume there are funds.

What’s the Degree of Pain and How Badly Do They Need Computer Consulting Services?

You need to figure out what the prospects are facing and if you have a solution that can fix it.

Your time is part of your inventory and should not be freely offered.  Be careful when proceeding in computer consulting.

Added By:  Joshua Feinberg

Computer business innovator Red Hat, Inc. recently released information about its Enterprise Linux operating system.  The system has been selected by Nokia Corp.’s Networks Business as the primary operating system for platforms that are carrier grade.

These two companies will work together to design carrier-grade telecommunications products, and Red Hat will provide consulting, certification, training services and support as part of the partnership.  

The Networks Group is about to merge with Siemens AG to provide carrier-related services under the name Nokia Siemens Networks.  Whether or not Red Hat will transfer to the new organization is still unknown.

Red Hat announced last month that it would focus more strongly on telecommunications and was joining a European Commission project to create telecommunication service delivery platform standards.  VP of worldwide marketing and general manager of Red Hat’s product division stated that the next set of delivery services would be based around some of the concepts of open source.

Earlier in November the computer business Red Hat stated that 29 telecommunications independent software vendors had become a part of the telecommunications partner program within the past six months.

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101

When you’re involved in computer consulting, you need to do plenty of homework before the initial consultation.  You will be spending time and money, so you need to be sure about prospects for your computer consulting business.

Think about the sales process.  The initial consultation is more of a pre-sales consultation than an actual sales opportunity.  You want your professionalism to shine and to stand out from other computer consulting professionals.

So how do you handle the initial consultation in computer consulting?  You need to show interest in your prospects’ businesses, their problems and get a real handle on these problems to determine whether or not you have a solution to help them as part of your computer consulting business.

Get the Dirt

When you’re researching prospects, you might find dirt that makes doing business with them highly undesirable.  The initial computer consulting sales call is an interview for you as well as for your clients, and if you see some really strange things anywhere when doing your homework, you may want to decline.

Time = Money in Computer Consulting

You will most likely need a half an hour or an hour to get together some informational materials for prospects.  You will spend another half an hour or more driving to the site, and your consultation will probably not start or end on time.  Even if you’re really well-organized, you could spend two or three hours on an initial consultation easily.

For example, if your hourly billing rate is $75 an hour for computer consulting, you will probably invest about $225 in your time on an initial consultation, so you have to be sure you do some qualifying to figure out if you will be a good fit and vice versa.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

Last Wednesday, Federal authorities raided a Johnson County, KS computer business.  So far, no details have been released on the reason for the raid.  Agents from the FBI and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were said to have searched computer business Deals Express, located at Interstate 35 in Lamar Avenue in Mission, KS.  Seven storage facilities owned by the computer business, including six in Johson County and one in Wyandotte County also experienced raids.

FBI agent Jeff Lanza reported that approximately 50 agents with the FBI and ICE along with support staff from those agencies were also part of the search.  They are expecting the search of the computer business to last for quite a while before any details are released.

Computer business Deals Express is an Internet resale company for electronics and computers, with some of its business conducted through online auction site eBay.  

Kansas records note the computer business as having been incorporated in December 2001; the only name attached to the business on public record is Chris Meyers, and no arrests have been made, nor have charges been filed.

FBI agent Lanza stated he cannot yet reveal details of the investigation, except a federal search warrant is being executed based on information uncovered during a criminal investigation.

More information will be available about this computer business once the results of the search warrants are filed in federal court.  

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101

Computer consulting is about researching clients in order to stand out from your competitors.  Why is it so important, and what can you do to research clients and get sales in the computer consulting world?

You should be careful of vendors that try to tell you what you do in your business.  Give a basic explanation of what your computer consulting business does so a client can quickly figure out if you can work together.  Be proactive and know what your prospects are doing before you go into the sales meeting so you are ready to be of service.

Computer Consulting:  What Research Will Prepare You For Your Meeting?

Although you might have to spend 30 to 45 minutes doing research before a sales call, you need to in order to close a sale right away or within a week or two.  In order for prospects to buy into your computer consulting services, you need to build your credibility and share ideas with your prospect to show you really care.  With so many resources, particularly the Internet, you have no excuse to avoid finding information about prospects in advance of meeting.

Computer Consulting:  Know Your Clients

A client profile should include the following information:  details about the client’s business; the industry of the business; the types of services provided by the business; number of company locations; number of years the company has been in business.

Recent News About You Client

You will probably find articles about clients in the local newspaper by looking at Google or searching through the online version of a newspaper.  Look for anything you can find that will give extra information about a client so you can be familiar before you even set foot in the client’s office as a computer consulting professional.

Created By:  Joshua Feinberg

In computer business news recently, Symantec announced it had enhanced its Backup Exec data protection package with a brand new version.  The new version of the software includes continuous data protection and encryption capabilities.  The company’s Ghost desktop migration software is also now compatible with Windows Vista.

Continous Data Protection

The major news for the computer business with Symantec’s new data protection program is the continuous protection feature.  CDP allows data changes to be immediately backed up at defined intervals so that users can instantly get to a deleted corrupted or compromised file.

Continuous data protection means that there is increased ability to protect company emails.  Customers can also do a full backup monthly and rely on the CDP feature of Backup Exec to change the e-mail database as needed.  This means e-mail can be backed up all at once instead of having to do backup of individual mailboxes.

Encryption Features

This new software package for the computer business, Backup Exec 11d also comes with 128-bit and 256-bit AES encryption, all-inclusive.  Solution providers thus get the opportunity to sell to more customer organizations that use encryption.  Turning encryption on adds approximately a 20-percent overhead to the process of backing up.

Ghost Solution

Symantec is also preparing for the release of Windows Vista by offering a new version of its Ghost Solution software that allows for the deployment and management of PC images.  Ghost Solution 2.0 offers support for Vista as well as x64-bit Windows.  This new version allows customers to move PC images from current versions of Windows and past Windows versions.

Backup Exec 11d will ship Monday, while Ghost Solution is set to ship November 30.  Cost per license in the computer business will be $39.20.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting 101

When you’re in the process of IT audits, you want to solve client problems.  What problems do they have, and what can you do about them?

Questions Will Get to the Needs Analysis

Ask lots of questions during IT audits.  What are prospects looking for?  You will find that their needs have not changed for a long time.  During the course of IT audits, clients will ask you for advice on purchases.  They will need to know what the best product and platform is for their companies, and what will give them the best value.  A needs analysis will give them the answers they want during IT audits.  Look at what they have for a few hours.

Also look at what products will work together.  Any average person can go to the store and buy random things, but only an expert can make these things work together.  Integration and customization are incredibly important, as it product management.  If you can coordinate things, all the better.

What Other Services Will Clients Want?

Your clients will want formal and informal training that includes end user training and administrator training.  They will also want you to deal with upgrades and coordinate with outside vendors for package installation.  They will look to you for network installation and maintenance.

IT Audits: You Are a One-Stop Shop

Clients are seeking a single point of contact.  They want you to act as a technology advisor that will give them the expertise of an accountant or an attorney, or even a managing consulting firm or marketing consultant.  IT audits can determine your role with your clients and customers.  

Blogged By:  Joshua Feinberg

Hewlett-Packard announced Tuesday that it would be improving its partner programs for solution providers, including those geared towards servers and mobile PCs.  The company hopes the new program will help solution providers better use new technologies and the opportunities they provide.

This announcement came from HP execs as part of the solution providers XChange Tech Innovators conference.  HP plans to grow its Value Big Deal special-pricing to include the brand new four-way ProLiant Servers.  This will take effect on November 1st.

Part of the new program for solution providers will also include increased work between HP’s direct and indirect sales channels that control mobile PCs.  The new programs, most particularly the ones involving servers will focus on protecting solution providers that register prospective deals.  

This is the second expansion of the solution providers program, the first happening a few months ago hen blade servers were added on top of enterprise storage and server products.

The goal of the program for solution providers is increased communication and to make it easier for HP and solution providers to compete against direct vendors, most particularly Dell and others.

Many solution providers have expressed interest in the program, even in the absence of real details about its contents.  The program will allow several resellers to be part of a deal solution providers register.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting 101

In order to be successful at IT sales, you have to do homework on your client before-hand and figure out what they think their biggest problem is.  Once you find out what the problem is, you can give them a solution and make IT sales.

IT sales calls are no big deal if you are well-prepared.  Do background research and determine how urgent the clients’ needs are.  You can better your chances in IT sales if you can clearly identify clients’ biggest needs and be their IT answer.

IT Sales:  Is Your Client in Pain?

Get prospects to tell you their three biggest problems.  They may not be able to limit them to three, but you need to get them thinking and verbalizing.  Only when you have enough information can you create a tangible solution that will close IT sales.

IT Sales:  Do Detective Work

Being a prospect’s problem solution may sound easier than it is in actuality.  But if you know their problems inside and out, you are closer to achieving IT sales.  Ask questions that elicit reasonable and logical responses about issues.  Then think about how your solution can be the most cost-effective solution possible. 

IT Sales:  No One Likes Computer Problems

People tend to get heated when thinking about computer problems, and this can lead to frustration.  Don’t be intimidated by strong emotions.  You have to get to the core of the problem so you can recommend solutions that will help you close IT sales.

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101