So MSP’s And VAR’s; Just Why Is The Phone Not Ringing?

I’m sure that this is a picture that resonates with everyone owning and running businesses in the IT Sales Channel, for whom successful sales and marketing campaigns are at the core of their success. In the past, especially in the IT sector, the phone in the sales department has just rung, you have been able to rely on referrals, organic growth and juicy margins to get you to where you are today; but now?

Well with the shift towards cloud services, ever-decreasing margins from hardware and software sales and rapid consolidation in the channel (all of which have already led to the channel in the States shrinking by an estimated 36% since 2008), combined with the most dangerous situation of all, customer apathy and a lack of desire and/or urgent need to purchase our products and services offerings, the landscape has changed beyond all recognition over the last 2 to 3 years and in truth, it will never be as it was.

To add to our problems, during this process many of you in the sector have drifted and let yourselves be led by the market and customer demand and now, just when it is becoming tougher than anyone can remember, many of you are scrambling around with no market sector defined product or services offering and no marketing and sales campaigns in place to get your message out there to your potential customers.

So, for those of you planning to grow your business during the remainder of this year and going into next, let me give you a quick synopsis of the challenges that await, in this commercially tough and brave new world.

Well, in the current challenging trading conditions, achieving your growth aspirations has become more difficult and all businesses with growth at the forefront of their objectives, must appreciate that it can never be achieved by just waiting for the phone to ring more often.

Most market places in the UK are over supplied and as a consequence, there is a natural “Culling Process” taking place, (this is no different in the IT Sector), and if we are to avoid this and grow, someone has got to build the strategy and the sales, marketing and business development campaign for growth from the ground floor up.

As a minimum this will include finding the answers to the following questions:

• What are our target growth markets, where we have a “Value Proposition?” 
• What product or services offerings do we have that can be taken to these target markets?
• Where do we have spare capacity and existing services that can be "Leveraged" and "Scaled Up?"
• How do we gain access to, contact and target the decision markers within our target markets? 
• How do we create our message, including a valuable and marketable USP? 
• How do we ensure our message is seen by the decision markers? 
• What are the correct platforms of engagement for these decision markers? 
• How do we generate and maximise opportunities to do business in these target markets? 
• What's the "Cost-Benefit" analysis? 
• How do we deliver on this? 

Unfortunately if you do not already have people within your organisation with the time and experience to answer these questions, just how are you going to achieve this? Because this is a full time job and in the absence of a “Plan B” you are going to have to acquire them, which invariably involves “Buying a Winner.” Now this process will not be cheap; in today’s market and trading conditions, these people are very scarce and highly sought after.

They know this of course, so excluding the tertiary costs of employing these people, they are unlikely to be obtained on a basic salary that will be the side of £150K per annum that you would prefer, and they will invariably want a share of the profits if, that is, you can even find one of these illusive people?

Fortunately, in the absence of being able to find one of these highly elusive professionals, there is another option available to the owners of IT businesses looking for sustainable and profitable growth. You can engage Virtuoso Consultancy as your outsourced Sales, Marketing and Business Development partners.

If you want to grow your business via building sustainable, effective and highly profitable sales pipelines, then Virtuoso Consultancy can deliver this for you. Working on a flexible basis around the needs of your business and supplying the skills and expertise required in order to succeed on your behalf, we have already constructed and delivered successful growth models for IT businesses operating in the Independent Schools, Pharmaceuticals, Legal, Recruitment, Accountancy and Financial Services sectors, to name just a few.

My fellow directors and I have over 40 years combined experience in growing businesses and can deliver sales, operational, business development and marketing experience that is IT sector specific, straight to your door.

We know how to build these models, they are “Current” and continually evolving, we know how to target and speak to the decision makers in your target markets and most importantly, we know how to grow your business and make you money!

If this post has resonated with you and you would like to explore how we can help you achieve your growth aspirations, then please do not hesitate to contact myself or my colleague Jane Gatfield on 0118 947 1010, or email us at andrewb@virtuosoconsultancy.co.uk or janeg@virtuosoconsultancy.co.uk

For more information about our services please visit www.virtuosoconsultancy.co.uk

To read more posts covering all aspects of sales, marketing and business development for MSP’s and VAR’s, please visit our blog; 

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Banning

DOWNLOAD THE WHITE PAPER
This post forms a small portion of a white paper I have written covering The Art of The Approach, a specific sales based white paper written for the IT Sector. To request a copy please email me directly at andrewb@virtuosoconsultancy.co.uk