Archive for 2006
Computer Business Products: Top 10 Products of the Year
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 [...]
IT Sales Calls and Breaking Through the Gatekeeper
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 [...]
EMC Names the Head of its Solution Providers Channel Partner Program
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 [...]
IT Marketing: How Do You Use Direct Mail Postcards
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 [...]
Cisco and LinkSys Decide to Add More Solution Providers to Their Partner Programs
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. [...]
IT Audits and Using Current Events to Get to Customers and Clients
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. [...]
Computer Consulting Services Firm Novell Misses Sales Target
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 [...]
IT Sales: How Do You Go From Free to Fee?
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 [...]
Computer Business News: Compushare and Computer Business Systems Join Forces
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 [...]
IT Marketing: Get the Most Benefits Out of Your Referrals
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 [...]
Solution Providers Begin Testing of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
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 [...]
Computer Consulting: Who Are the Time Wasters?
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 [...]
Computer Business News: Nokia and Red Hat Enter into Enterprise Linux Partnership
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 [...]
Computer Consulting: What About the Initial Consultation?
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. [...]
Computer Business in Mission, Kansas Raided by FBI
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 [...]
Computer Consulting is About Studying-Up Before-Hand
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 [...]
Computer Business News: Symantec Offers New Features to Backup Exec Software
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 [...]
IT Audits and Fulfilling Client Needs
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 [...]
Solution Providers Program From HP Improves Upon Old Models
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 [...]
IT Sales: What About the Initial Call?
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. [...]