#B2BTech 5: How Partner Go Improves Customer Experience w/ Keith Graham and Craig Parsons

WEBVTT 1 00:00:05.639 --> 00:00:09.349 Hey everybody, it's logan with sweet fish. In today's episode we're going to 2 00:00:09.429 --> 00:00:13.710 share an interview from B Tob Tech Talk from our friends over at Ingram micro. 3 00:00:14.189 --> 00:00:18.070 Be Tob tech talk with Ingram micro is a podcast that shares news about 4 00:00:18.070 --> 00:00:23.420 emerging tech before it becomes mainstream. Maybe you're a sales or marketing professional with 5 00:00:23.460 --> 00:00:26.859 an aptitude for new tech, or you just like to nerd out a bit 6 00:00:26.980 --> 00:00:29.500 on some of this stuff from time to time. I know I do. 7 00:00:29.899 --> 00:00:35.060 Or maybe you know an it pro, a CIO and investor in tech companies 8 00:00:35.259 --> 00:00:39.210 that might find this episode useful. In this new series be tob tech, 9 00:00:39.369 --> 00:00:44.689 you'll hear conversations with tech leaders as they explore topics like Iot, cloud evolution, 10 00:00:44.929 --> 00:00:48.090 the future of AI and more. If you or a friend would like 11 00:00:48.170 --> 00:00:52.039 to go deeper on these topics, just search bb tech talk in apple podcast 12 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:56.439 or be on the lookout for Hashtag be tob tech in the headlines here on 13 00:00:56.560 --> 00:01:00.679 BB growth. All right, let's get into the show. Welcome back to 14 00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:04.829 another episode of BB Tech Talk With Ingram micro. I'm your guest host today, 15 00:01:04.870 --> 00:01:08.909 Logan lyles with sweet fish media. We're recording on site here in Denver, 16 00:01:10.030 --> 00:01:12.069 Colorado. At the Ingram micro one event. We're going to be talking 17 00:01:12.109 --> 00:01:17.269 about digital transformation, which has been a topic on this show. Specifically, 18 00:01:17.269 --> 00:01:21.540 we're going to be diving into connect wise and Ingram mic crow partnership and some 19 00:01:21.659 --> 00:01:26.180 makeciting things happening there right now. So, to kick off this conversation we're 20 00:01:26.180 --> 00:01:30.019 joined today by Keith Graham, who is the director of channel sales at connect 21 00:01:30.060 --> 00:01:34.810 wise, as well as Craig Parsons, senior business transformation manager at Ingram micro. 22 00:01:34.930 --> 00:01:37.409 Guys, how's it going today? Great, are you? Yeah, 23 00:01:37.409 --> 00:01:40.489 I am doing fantastic. You guys enjoying the event so far? Absolutely, 24 00:01:40.530 --> 00:01:42.209 so far, so good. Yes, absolutely, there are free puppy somewhere. 25 00:01:42.209 --> 00:01:48.760 I hear it right over there. Awesome. So moving right from free 26 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:52.840 puppies to integration. So let's talk about you know. I know that connectwise 27 00:01:52.920 --> 00:01:57.840 integrates with soft fire platforms such as Cisco and others. Keith, so can 28 00:01:57.879 --> 00:02:00.670 you tell us a little bit more about what connectwise does and how Ingram Micro, 29 00:02:01.189 --> 00:02:07.069 the partnership between Ingram and and connectwise, the status and things they're lately? 30 00:02:07.549 --> 00:02:12.030 Sure, absolutely so. So connect wise overall partners are joint partners. 31 00:02:12.229 --> 00:02:15.740 Income partners run on our platform. So we have practically about thirty FIVEZERO partners 32 00:02:15.740 --> 00:02:20.180 today that run on one more of our solutions. So when we look at 33 00:02:20.300 --> 00:02:23.139 partnering with the Right Distributor, we certainly in two thousand and twelve partnered with 34 00:02:23.139 --> 00:02:27.460 Inger micros because we understood we both were trying to self with the same challenges 35 00:02:27.979 --> 00:02:30.289 in around our joint partners, right. So, of which you know, 36 00:02:30.610 --> 00:02:35.810 if you look at it, I would say time will roll is a is 37 00:02:35.889 --> 00:02:39.849 a precious resource that are partners as well as you and I have, right, 38 00:02:39.849 --> 00:02:45.240 yeah, that we certainly want to always maximize and certainly automate just so 39 00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:47.280 that we can get some extrare time out of the day to do something that's 40 00:02:47.319 --> 00:02:52.240 more productive, on thing that's going to grow the business right for our joint 41 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:54.280 partner. So absolutely so, you know, that's that's kind of what we've 42 00:02:54.280 --> 00:03:00.069 been successful in doing and growing our partnership with Ingram. We certainly the helped 43 00:03:00.349 --> 00:03:04.909 solve some of the current challenges that are our bars have today, specifically around, 44 00:03:05.229 --> 00:03:07.750 you know, with Cisco Today. Yep, absolutely. Well, let's 45 00:03:07.789 --> 00:03:12.430 talk a little bit about you know, I know that connectwise helps sales teams 46 00:03:12.509 --> 00:03:15.699 be more productive. Can you speak to some of the specific gaps that it 47 00:03:16.099 --> 00:03:21.099 that it fills. there. Whoever wants to take that one first. Sure. 48 00:03:21.219 --> 00:03:23.020 So, if you look at I mean just the time aspects alone, 49 00:03:23.060 --> 00:03:25.819 like what kind of you mention is like you want your what do you want 50 00:03:25.819 --> 00:03:30.210 your your sales team to be doing? You want them to do net you 51 00:03:30.330 --> 00:03:32.490 can acquisition right. So there's a lot of operational efficiencies in the back and 52 00:03:32.569 --> 00:03:37.610 that take away from their time to be to get that next custom to get 53 00:03:37.610 --> 00:03:42.719 that next project right. So certainly, when you look at what our platform 54 00:03:42.840 --> 00:03:46.000 does, as well as in conjunction with partner go, we certainly help take 55 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:51.520 away make the more efficient so that they can continue to focus on net new 56 00:03:51.560 --> 00:03:54.400 business and growing. You know, exponential numbers. Right. Yep, absolutely. 57 00:03:54.479 --> 00:03:59.909 As keys point, I really time as the time as the key here, 58 00:03:59.949 --> 00:04:01.469 and type savings of the key, so we can act twise, being 59 00:04:01.509 --> 00:04:04.150 able to go out there and manage these opportunities without having to spend time and 60 00:04:04.229 --> 00:04:08.830 spreadsheets and emails and phone calls and things like that as a big difference. 61 00:04:09.030 --> 00:04:13.419 So I really believe that the connectwise big your micro partnership is a great thing 62 00:04:13.580 --> 00:04:17.139 for time savings for our partners as well increasing their efficiency with their with their 63 00:04:17.139 --> 00:04:20.100 customers and improving that customer experience, which we keep hearing is a big thing 64 00:04:20.220 --> 00:04:25.689 here in the industry. Yep, absolutely. Customer experience doesn't just happen postale. 65 00:04:25.730 --> 00:04:29.129 It's in the sales interaction, right, but that's their experience of Hey, 66 00:04:29.170 --> 00:04:31.810 I want to quote, give me something right. AL's old first impression 67 00:04:31.850 --> 00:04:34.129 to write. So you want to make sure you have the best impression first 68 00:04:34.129 --> 00:04:36.490 time and then, like you said, it doesn't stop there. It's like 69 00:04:36.569 --> 00:04:41.759 what happens after that process? What happens if the customer accepts your your proposal? 70 00:04:42.199 --> 00:04:45.120 It's all the things that happen on the back end. It's understanding where, 71 00:04:45.160 --> 00:04:47.399 where that your Cisco Equipments. You know when it's going to reach that 72 00:04:47.480 --> 00:04:50.680 destination, when you're going to deploy your engineers on site to do I rack 73 00:04:50.759 --> 00:04:55.509 stack. There's a lot of things that come on the back end that certainly 74 00:04:55.550 --> 00:05:00.629 help you, know, our joint partners, be more efficient and certainly more 75 00:05:00.790 --> 00:05:05.430 profitable. Real quick before we jump straight back into the episode today, we 76 00:05:05.550 --> 00:05:11.180 want to tell you about Ingram micro financial solutions and how you can maximize your 77 00:05:11.220 --> 00:05:15.939 buying power and get to yes with your customers faster. For the last nine 78 00:05:15.939 --> 00:05:20.610 years, Ingram micro has been channel pros reader's choice for best financing options. 79 00:05:21.009 --> 00:05:25.529 Put The power our of our credit and leasing options to work for you. 80 00:05:25.569 --> 00:05:31.370 You can easily contact financial solutions at Ingram microcom. All right, let's get 81 00:05:31.370 --> 00:05:35.519 back to the show. Can you guys speak to a little bit of you 82 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:41.959 know, who is connectwise best for based on some of the software platform integrations? 83 00:05:43.240 --> 00:05:46.000 So I'll let you take that one, but I so from it. 84 00:05:46.199 --> 00:05:49.750 We have a product coal connect Mysel, which certainly is what the maving focus 85 00:05:49.829 --> 00:05:55.470 here is. You know, CPQ type product, hill quote automation, quote 86 00:05:55.470 --> 00:06:00.069 and Proposal Automation Right by which we can certainly realize that within our partner base 87 00:06:00.189 --> 00:06:03.819 we certainly have people that run on products other than platforms, other than manage. 88 00:06:03.939 --> 00:06:09.819 So we certainly had agree to nets feed dynamics sales force and there's a 89 00:06:09.819 --> 00:06:12.500 lot of Cisco partners out today that that's what they're run their business on. 90 00:06:12.660 --> 00:06:15.699 We realize that. We certainly want to make sure at least we have the 91 00:06:15.779 --> 00:06:17.889 integrations to those platforms as well as well as the partner goes, that we 92 00:06:18.009 --> 00:06:21.970 could make the more successful. Yeah, absolutely, Craig. Could you tell 93 00:06:21.970 --> 00:06:26.769 us a little bit more about the experience and the aim of partner goes. 94 00:06:26.810 --> 00:06:30.009 We've touched on that a little bit and just conversations so far. Sure, 95 00:06:30.129 --> 00:06:33.279 so partner goal is really we've designed it as a self service tool for our 96 00:06:33.319 --> 00:06:38.000 Cisco partners to be able to go out there and manage whether it be their 97 00:06:38.040 --> 00:06:41.560 orders, their quotes or whatever they might need for finger micro. So we 98 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:43.800 looked at how this is done in the past, as is done by a 99 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:46.230 phone call or an email. That would take four to eight hours, if 100 00:06:46.269 --> 00:06:50.069 not twenty four to forty eight hours for returns, right. So everybody wants 101 00:06:50.069 --> 00:06:53.990 the Amazon feel. You can't do that by emails, you can't do that 102 00:06:54.069 --> 00:06:56.829 by phone calls. So what we've done is we've created a kind of a 103 00:06:57.110 --> 00:07:00.269 bridge off of our online website where customers can go in and they can see 104 00:07:00.620 --> 00:07:04.899 all their real time availability. They can go in there see they're tracking order 105 00:07:04.939 --> 00:07:10.259 status from Cisco Direction products, which they were never really able to see before. 106 00:07:10.339 --> 00:07:12.740 This always came from a an email or a phone call. That I 107 00:07:12.779 --> 00:07:15.129 said before. So it really were taking out that touch and allowing customers to 108 00:07:15.209 --> 00:07:18.449 go in there and do this themselves. And then we've kind of built on 109 00:07:18.649 --> 00:07:21.170 top of that and we're now going into the quoting side of this to where 110 00:07:21.170 --> 00:07:25.290 this is where connect myself on some and so the customers can go in there 111 00:07:25.329 --> 00:07:28.250 and, rather than sending in an email, which takes for to eight hours, 112 00:07:28.290 --> 00:07:30.680 or calling their sales are up and picking up a phone, they can 113 00:07:30.680 --> 00:07:34.279 go and hit two buttons and create a quote for themselves and now they can 114 00:07:34.279 --> 00:07:38.680 go in to connect by seldency that quote immediately in that system. So we're 115 00:07:38.759 --> 00:07:42.319 taking out a number of different clicks, a number of different emails and touches 116 00:07:42.839 --> 00:07:45.990 that they've never seen before. So to me this is a very big time 117 00:07:46.069 --> 00:07:48.029 savings and it actually improves that customer experience. When you when you look at 118 00:07:48.029 --> 00:07:51.149 it overall, absolutely agree hundred percent on that. Yeah, and you look 119 00:07:51.149 --> 00:07:56.029 at the investment that you put into your sales force, any time savings that 120 00:07:56.430 --> 00:07:59.980 you can give them is exponential for your business, hundred percent. And I 121 00:08:00.019 --> 00:08:03.100 think that the biggest focus really, and we'll just keep saying it, is 122 00:08:03.100 --> 00:08:05.139 the customer experience. It's right. I mean if you can walk out of 123 00:08:05.180 --> 00:08:09.620 a sales meeting and register a deal with CISCO, be able to go into 124 00:08:09.620 --> 00:08:13.410 our system and quote that deal within minutes and get that inconnectiwise cell and put 125 00:08:13.449 --> 00:08:18.449 a proposal out to your customer same day. That's a very big difference that 126 00:08:18.529 --> 00:08:20.449 it used to be. I mean you used to be talking about days, 127 00:08:20.449 --> 00:08:22.769 Keith. Right, to be able to do this sort of thing. What 128 00:08:22.850 --> 00:08:26.529 a first impression that would be. Right, just leaving the beating beautiful proposal, 129 00:08:26.439 --> 00:08:31.759 you can close the person you know within yeah minutes, and there's nothing 130 00:08:31.919 --> 00:08:35.879 been cooling off a hot lead with, Oh, I've got to get I'm 131 00:08:35.879 --> 00:08:39.240 waiting on information. It's twenty four hours. Right, absolutely. You know, 132 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:43.710 it's both the salesperson's experience, right, I'm a salesperson. I heard 133 00:08:43.789 --> 00:08:46.950 Craig say, you know too, button clegs. I love that. Right, 134 00:08:48.070 --> 00:08:50.149 and then the customers getting a better experience, and so it's really a 135 00:08:50.269 --> 00:08:54.990 win win on both sides of the transaction. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. 136 00:08:54.110 --> 00:08:58.980 I think to you know, and for the first new customers you bring on 137 00:08:58.059 --> 00:09:01.539 board, that's even more important. Right. We do a lot of project 138 00:09:01.620 --> 00:09:05.100 for specific custerers, but the nit new person for that company it's very critical 139 00:09:05.139 --> 00:09:09.250 that they have that optimal experience and so that we totally would that. Yeah, 140 00:09:09.450 --> 00:09:13.009 absolutely. Well, I love that on both sides. Both the salesperson 141 00:09:13.169 --> 00:09:16.769 is experience, the customer experience, and as you improve one, the other 142 00:09:16.889 --> 00:09:20.210 is going to raise, vice versa. Right, agreed. Yeah, I 143 00:09:20.330 --> 00:09:24.399 love it. So, guys, we love to ask guests on this show 144 00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:28.039 where they see technology going in the next year. So if you guys want 145 00:09:28.039 --> 00:09:31.120 to speak to that, you know from a sales tech perspective, you know 146 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:33.679 it. Definitely open to that. But, Craig, let's let's start with 147 00:09:33.799 --> 00:09:37.159 you. Where do you see? What's what's the big trend? You got 148 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:39.909 your eye what's next for partner go? Yeah, so what's next for partner 149 00:09:39.990 --> 00:09:43.110 go is we're really looking at, I mean you've heard around annuities and software 150 00:09:43.149 --> 00:09:48.190 platforms and I'm doing recurring billing and things like that. So we're looking at 151 00:09:48.269 --> 00:09:50.350 that for next year. On top of that, we're looking at doing further 152 00:09:50.389 --> 00:09:54.340 integrations with connectwise. So we're at the first step here, which that first 153 00:09:54.379 --> 00:09:58.139 step is actually doing the quoting and being able to integrate those quotes in the 154 00:09:58.139 --> 00:10:01.179 conect ysell. But how powerful would be if you could place it or the 155 00:10:01.259 --> 00:10:03.940 through connect by cell or actually going to be able to manage your serial numbers 156 00:10:03.980 --> 00:10:09.769 and the things like that and manage for cells are in correctwise, manage so 157 00:10:09.889 --> 00:10:13.929 there's we have our eyes on continuing to grow the integration piece of this. 158 00:10:13.129 --> 00:10:16.610 That customers saved time across the board, not just on the front of it. 159 00:10:18.009 --> 00:10:20.409 Yeah, I love it. Yeah, I totally agree with that. 160 00:10:20.529 --> 00:10:24.720 I mean, if you look at the potential at least to help our partners 161 00:10:24.759 --> 00:10:28.200 be more efficient around smartnet renewals alone, that's a big opportunity. Yeah, 162 00:10:28.519 --> 00:10:33.039 so I definitely, you know, think that the integration components, the more 163 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:37.990 we can get more connective tissue between our two platforms, that the more our 164 00:10:37.110 --> 00:10:41.470 benefit. Partners will benefit mutually. Right, absolutely, so awesome. Well, 165 00:10:41.590 --> 00:10:46.669 Keith Greg for anyone listening to this that would like to learn a little 166 00:10:46.669 --> 00:10:50.179 bit more about partner go or reach out to you guys asking you follow up 167 00:10:50.179 --> 00:10:54.139 questions, what resources would you point them to or what's the best way from 168 00:10:54.139 --> 00:10:56.940 them reach out or go deeper on this topic? Sure, so we have 169 00:10:56.019 --> 00:11:01.100 information on the anger micro website. So I think macrolcom or they can contact 170 00:11:01.100 --> 00:11:05.289 their sales wrap it or their market development executive for Cisco for any information. 171 00:11:05.049 --> 00:11:09.809 It just simple, is going to you know, ww kinneckwisecom. We certainly 172 00:11:09.850 --> 00:11:13.889 have a lot of easy navigate information around what we're doing. Here regards the 173 00:11:15.129 --> 00:11:18.960 integrations and and that's probably about the easiest way to to kind of search in 174 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:22.120 form. Yeah, I love it, nice and simple. Yeah, all 175 00:11:22.120 --> 00:11:24.559 right, folks. Well, that wraps it up for another episode of Beb 176 00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:28.519 Tech Talk. You can join the discussion on twitter if you follow us at 177 00:11:28.679 --> 00:11:33.750 Ingram text soul or use the Hashtag be tob tech talk. Thanks, as 178 00:11:33.750 --> 00:11:37.990 always for listening to beb tech talk with Ingram micro. If you're not already 179 00:11:37.990 --> 00:11:41.590 subscribed to the show, make sure you do in apple podcasts or wherever you 180 00:11:41.710 --> 00:11:46.669 do your podcast listening. All right, everybody. I hope you like that 181 00:11:46.830 --> 00:11:50.100 episode of the BB text series with Ingram micro. Again, you can find 182 00:11:50.179 --> 00:11:56.539 their full podcast feed by searching beb tech talk in apple podcasts or wherever you 183 00:11:56.659 --> 00:11:58.860 do. You're listening. As always. Thank you so much for listening. 184 00:11:58.940 --> 00:12:01.179 STAY SAFE, everybody.