The country’s emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in new business opportunities for communications resellers.
Patches must be stripped, permanent solutions installed. The adoption of 5G expands enterprise communications opportunities for resellers. And electronic marketing options have increased, which makes it easier to reach and educate more people – if you know how.
Terra Bastolich, executive vice president for marketing and business development at Get Wireless, discussed this and more during a session at MSP Expo 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
While she used wireless to illustrate her points, Bastolich largely focused on more generic ways resellers can capitalize on the new normal of remote engagements. In the wake of COVID-19, where companies scrambled to upgrade their remote work capability, resellers are now offering enterprise solutions to combat the Great Resignation.
“It’s hard not to feel the hype,” she said. “There’s a tremendous amount of opportunity for legacy products that need to be pulled out.”
For resellers to be successful in the new marketplace, they should concentrate on understanding:
- Channel ecosystems
- Technology trends
- Marketplace and OEMS
- Modernized marketing.
Bastolich said resellers should develop their services revenue to complement their platform revenue. She cites two types of partners: money-flow partners and impact partners.
“You can be an advocate even though there might not be money flowing into it,” she said. Impact examples include building your brand through community donations or establishing a consultive relationship with a local government.
Money partners come first. “There are lots of ways to get paid,” Bastolich said. To prosper, today’s product resellers should:
- Evolve – Look for new opportunities and keep up with trends. Even of you don’t offer the product, you need to know about it enough to discuss it.
- Show value – “It might not be just about the hardware anymore. Services and security, as well as access and potential, drive sales today.”
- Specialize – “Pick your lane. It’s hard to be successful if you’re trying to serve too many markets.”
Bastolich said attendance at MSP Expo and the other collocated events at #TECHSUPERSHOW is a great way to keep up with technology trends.
As for OEMS, she said resellers are experiencing more direct competition from product producers. Resellers should ask their OEMs upfront what their plans are. “Will they compete with you?” she asked. “Do they allow you to compete?”
Bastolich says three new opportunities have emerged as 4G LTE is supplanted:
- Cellular evolution – The move to 5G has created new installation needs.
- Sunsets – Likewise, the demise of 2G and 3G offers chances for upgrades.
- Low-power and private-wireless – 5G now supports these technologies.
Bastolich noted that B2B customers typically go 70% of the way through the sales process before they encounter a salesperson. If that’s your situation, your electronic marketing better be great.
“That’s a lot of selling activity that happens before the salesman get involved,” she said.
She suggests instituting influencer marketing, which includes producing thought leadership positions, reaching out to content communities and concentrating on account-based marketing.
“Learn your customers interests and desires, then market to them,” she says.
Edited by
Erik Linask
