Pre-Conference Workshops: Monday, June 21, 2010

8:00 Registration for Workshop A

8:30 - 11:30 Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution – Managing Relationships Channel Sales Cycle: Leveraging The “New” Channel To Successfully Sell To SMBs

The key to selling IT products, services and solutions to US and Canadian small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) is leveraging the VAR channel. This is most successfully accomplished by considering all stages of the Channel Sales Cycle and how it fits your specific situation. Continuous open dialog between the Vendor and its VAR partners is imperative.

With the growing focus on the hard to reach SMBs, the need for leveraging the skills, relationships and reach of VARs to provide service and support for these businesses is greater than ever. However, VARs typically are not business oriented and require assistance in selling and managing their relationships. Attend this interactive workshop and learn how to tackle these challenges!

Participants will learn how to:

  • Successfully work with channel
  • Develop complete end-to-end channel sales procedures
  • Grow net new sales as opposed to focusing on nebulous measurements like increased ad click-throughs, number of channel program initiatives they run or the number of new partners recruited
  • Avoid the “share shift” circle of merely shifting sales between: direct and channel, from one distributor to another, or between channel partners

How you will benefit from this workshop:

  • Discuss how the channel is structured today and its current strengths and weaknesses
  • Gain insights into where the channel is going and how it will get there
  • Find out how you can leverage the new channel model and strengthen your relationships with the channel partners that can help you reach your goals.
  • Find out inexpensive ways to develop strong brand awareness/ preference in the channel.
  • Learn how you can leverage the “new” channel to successfully sell to SMBs.
  • Measure ROI on marketing expenditures

Workshop Leader:

Robert Cohen
President & Business Editor
Integrated mar.com Corporation

11:30 Registration for Workshop B – Lunch will be served during this workshop.

11:45 - 2:45 Partner Programs’ “State of Mind”: Current Trends, Future Considerations

Whether you are just trying to fine-tune your program or conduct a major overhaul, it is extremely important that you are able to identify and measure your gaps or weaknesses relative to your overall partnering goals and performance expectations.

DON’T MISS OUT on the groundbreaking data from the 4th Annual State of Partnering Study and Results!

What will be covered:

The 5 major themes evident in this year’s data:

  • Extreme optimism when it comes to growth
  • Business planning and selective recruitment
  • Big demand for pre-sales sales skills and industry knowledge
  • Services engagement and delivery
  • Investments in people, pay for performance incentives and systems

How you will benefit:

  • Familiarize yourself with the most recent trends across industries
  • Plan and account for current and upcoming changes that will impact your partners’ programs
  • Monitor your project’s performance and identify areas for corrective action

Workshop Leader:

Beth Vanni
Director
Market Intelligence, Amazon Consulting

2:45 Registration for Workshop C

3:00 - 6:00 12 New Channels in Cloud Computing

The benefits of Cloud are clear and very tangible! Any business that uses cloud can easily outsource their IT infrastructure needs and better leverage their internal assets! 50% of Facebook revenue comes from applications leveraging Facebook as marketing channel for games. Those games run on Computing Clouds such as Joyent.com.

Cloud Computing is creating new Channels for cloud providers, their customers and the partners that work with cloud providers. What are the limitations to cloud-only applications? What opportunities cloud can provide for channel?

What will you learn:

  • Identify and utilize benefits of Public Cloud, the Private Cloud and the Hybrid Cloud
  • Review 12 new channel partners and associated case studies
  • Identify potential challenges and how to overcome them

How will you benefit:

  • Gain understanding on enterprise class foundation of virtual appliances deployed in an ecosystem of the highest grade networking, routing, load balancing and persistent storage
  • Familiarize yourself with powerful software to manage your cloud
  • Determine what infrastructure your applications need

Workshop Leader:

Rod Boothby
VP, Business Development
Joyent

[ Register Now ]