INTERVIEW spend money if they are confident the tech is what they need. So, they are not more demanding in that way. However, it could be said they are more demanding in terms of proactive planning i.e. looking at what’s coming down the line, what they should be thinking about (see AI comments above), how they can act now to save later etc.. I strongly believe it is incumbent upon us to help our clients with this. Typically, they don’t have the time or industry knowledge to look ahead, whereas companies like ours, being immersed in this every day, are best placed to advise and guide. This is a clear example of where not selling (and buying) just on price can deliver benefits and be justified. TR: If you could change one aspect of your job, what would it be and why? SA: I enjoy my job enormously, so there is nothing I would change. OK, maybe one thing – I don’t get to spend as much time as I would like with our clients, something that in the early days was a constant source of education and awareness. I do miss that. I would love to stop doing admin, but alas! https://linten.co.uk Another, more structural issue is manufacturers selling direct. Some, perhaps larger, organisations can get better deals by going direct to the manufacturer – but there is a price to pay for that. The internal costs of searching, evaluating and negotiating with manufacturers (multiplied by x in the case of multi-vendor solutions) can easily outweigh the costs of working with a good channel partner. TR: Could vendors and distributors do more to help you overcome these challenges? And if so, what? SA: Yes, they could, primarily by being more flexible. It’s not easy to forecast sales volumes over a long period and a more flexible discount structure that recognised the existence of variability would be enormously helpful. In addition, as we often have to respond quickly to clients facing urgent issues, faster access to tech experts would help improve our service and could be built into contractual arrangements. TR: Are customers becoming more demanding, and if so, in what ways? SA: Customers are watching their pennies, as ever, but equally they are not afraid to Our approach is first to ask what the client is trying to achieve and then to look at how that can best be supported. On many occasions it turns out they don’t need AI at all but just need to rethink a process or upgrade a system or do some staff training. AI can help in many ways, but it should be seen less as a wonder-drug and more as another tool in the box that businesses can use to improve productivity. TR: What do you see as the biggest challenges facing channel businesses today? SA: The eternal challenge of not selling on price remains as real today as it has ever been. The services we offer help our clients use the right and most appropriate technology to give them trouble-free IT, to the point where they don’t even have to think about it – it’s just there and works. We are often not the cheapest, but are always the most reliable, available, responsive and supportive partner – at a price that most, if not all, clients appreciate. As Red Adair might have said, ‘If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do a job, wait until you hire an amateur’. nta.co.uk 01708 320 000 Unlock your potential for success by partnering with NTA. Our comprehensive, award-winning white labelling solution, combined with a resilient and feature-rich platform and fully flexible partner models, provides you with everything you need to thrive. Grow your business with no pressure but all of the benefits. Your Pace Achieve margins of over 80% with powerful Unified Communications. Your Margin Stop promoting your vendor and start promoting your own business. Your Brand
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDUxNDM=