Would you like the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of Microsoft solutions to an audience of business leaders in your community? That's probably a pretty easy one to answer, and on a recent Thursday in Greene County, Va., Phil Jaderborg and Chip Taylor of PJ Networks took advantage of just such an opportunity. The Greene County Chamber of Commerce and PJ Networks sponsored a lunch-and-learn through Microsoft's Community Connections program.
Connecting Local Businesses with Partners
The Community Connections program was recently launched by Microsoft as a way to connect local business organizations like Chambers of Commerce and Rotary Clubs with Microsoft partners. Promoted to the end-user organizations, Microsoft provides everything from event promotion materials to prepared presentations. The presentations are designed to help business leaders learn how current Microsoft Windows, Office and other productivity tools can help them improve their business operations. More
Posted by Barb Levisay on June 09, 20110 comments
As businesses emerge from their buying moratorium, how can you help them spend their IT budgets wisely...and spend them with you? The top concerns of organizations evaluating IT purchases include cost overruns and project failure. Overcome those worries with packaged services that clearly define costs and outcomes to build prospect confidence and add to your bottom line.
Packaged Services for Repeatable Project Delivery
There is some confusion about the term "packaged services" in the partner channel. Packaged services don't have to be "vertical" or focused on a specific industry. Any set of services that solve a problem or offer a benefit and can be delivered in a replicable process can be "packaged." Some examples of service packages that you could offer to your customers include: More
Posted by Barb Levisay on June 02, 20110 comments
You may feel like the odd man out if you don't have a blog on your Web site, but is a blog really important to your marketing efforts? That's a good question and there is no black-and-white answer. A recent study gives us some interesting data points to consider.
According to Hubspot's The 2011 State of Inbound Marketing report, the percentage of businesses with a blog grew from 48 percent to 65 percent from 2009 to 2011. And while the survey also reported that many (57 percent) of those businesses are indeed generating leads from their blogs, that's not the whole story. More
Posted by Barb Levisay on May 18, 20110 comments
How do most of your new customers find out about you? If you are like most partners, you will answer, "From referrals." So why is it that so few partners include referral programs in their marketing plans?
For some reason -- whether it's because you are humble or it seems presumptive or defies the manners that your mother taught you -- asking for referral business makes most partners uncomfortable. Maybe some creative ideas will help you overcome your reticence. Here are a couple: More
Posted by Barb Levisay on May 12, 20110 comments
Do you send out a monthly newsletter to your clients? Quarterly? Randomly? Maybe your commitment to the newsletter is tempered by the results; if you got new work from clients every time you sent out a newsletter, you'd be more likely to devote the time and resources.
Do you offer them a compelling reason to call you? Do you ask them to respond? Do you give as well as ask?
Here are some pointers to help you motivate your clients to respond when your newsletter hits their inbox: More
Posted by Barb Levisay on May 03, 20110 comments
Twice in as many weeks, I have gotten the same surprising reaction during lunch conversations from friends who work in technology-related professions. When I asked them what they were doing with the cloud, each one of them said, "The cloud? I keep hearing that term and am afraid to sound stupid, but I don't think I understand what it really means."
If we say the word enough, will everyone understand? Maybe. In the meantime, there are a plenty of smart people out there, including your clients, that don't know what "the cloud" means and are afraid to ask for fear of sounding stupid. And if they don't understand it, they sure aren't going to adopt it. More
Posted by Barb Levisay on April 28, 20110 comments
So you're thinking about holding an event to promote a new service that you've recently added. You know that a visual presentation will wow the audience if you can get in front of the right organizations. Unfortunately, your target e-mail list is as limited as your advertising budget. Time to get creative.
As with any good marketing campaign, you have to start with the definition of your target market. Who will your new service benefit the most? Retail businesses, HVAC/plumbers, health care providers? Narrow your target. More
Posted by Barb Levisay on April 20, 20110 comments
Everyone has seen the statistic: You need at least six and as many as 17 impressions to get the attention of your target prospects. Multiple factors affect that number, like your list quality and call to action, but the fundamental point is that you need to repeat your message again and again to get the attention of your audience. Consistency is your secret weapon.
Most of your competitors -- and maybe even you -- engage with prospects in fits and starts. You send out an e-mail when the latest version of Windows is released or when you hire a new salesperson and promise marketing support. Most of the time, there are more pressing day-to-day issues that have to be handled and marketing goes to the bottom of the pile. More
Posted by Barb Levisay on April 13, 20110 comments
Finding an organization that attracts people that fit your prospect profile is the first step to building your business through networking. Attend a meeting or two as a guest to make sure the group is a good fit before you invest in the membership fee. When you find the right organization, attending events won't be a chore -- you will have fun and feel like you are building valuable business relationships. Here are some tips for maximizing your networking value.
Meet local business owners at the Chambers of Commerce. Your local Chamber of Commerce is an obvious place to start if your focus is serving local businesses. Most Chambers hold regular networking meetings and many sponsor special interest group meetings and workshops. "Technology" and "Women in Business" subgroups can be a great place to start with a smaller group if you are hesitant to attend a large group meeting. More
Posted by Barb Levisay on April 06, 20110 comments
While content and social media marketing are grabbing all the headlines, there's still no replacement for building business by getting out and meeting people face to face. Start small -- commit to attend one event per month -- and don't let excuses keep you away. Look for organizations that serve the needs of your potential customers like a Chamber of Commerce, or business partners like the International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners (IAMCP).
If you're the type of person who is uncomfortable walking into a room with a bunch of strangers, you're not alone. Manage your stress by setting very specific, reasonable goals to help you focus on the purpose of your attendance. Make it easy -- talk to three people you don't know and exchange business cards. More
Posted by Barb Levisay on March 30, 20110 comments