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Why would you (NOT) sell your IT service business right now?

Tony Lael — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:15:08 +0000

Over the last several months I have met a few owners of IT service firms that have told me, in confidence, that they would like to sell their companies because they have concerns in their ability to keep earning revenues to support the growth of the business.

Lost a big client and revenues are down significantly – a big

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7 Keys to Successful Blogging

Derek Brown — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:35:33 +0000

One of the most effective ways you can get yourself (and your business) noticed on the web without getting drown out by the sheer size of the medium. Don’t kid yourself – you may be one of the best in your industry, but if potential clients can’t find you, being the best does you no good.

Here are seven simple…

How Clients View IT Resources – Commodity or Trusted Advisor?

Tony Lael — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 01:31:09 +0000

There are a lot of IT service firms charging clients a monthly rate based on the number of machines they are managing for their clients, usually because this is easier to price and explain to the client. Presenting pricing this way may be easier, but ultimately positions the IT service firm as a commodity that can be replaced at a…

What clients really want from their VAR, MSP or IT service provider

Tony Lael — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:11:19 +0000

IT service companies who are getting the best results during these challenging times are the ones who have built the strongest business relationships with their clients over time. These relationships are based on the IT service firm understanding what really matters to their clients:

Be a part of their business team
Coach them on changes in technology so they are aware, but

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Find Out What Motivates the Other Guy When Planning Your Negotiations

Jeanette Nyden, J.D. — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:58:34 +0000

A discussion between two lawyers I recently listed in on reminded me that (usually) hidden motivations are what drive leverage in negotiations, not personality traits of the person you are negotiating with.

Let me elaborate; I put on my Negotiation Coach hat during the discussion I overheard and here is what I noticed – #1 Guy started by asking #2…

Growing and Managing Your Prospect Pipeline

Derek Brown — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 04:39:13 +0000

In my last blog (What Should Marketing be Doing Anyway?) I introduced the concept of a Client Creation Factory and discussed the three stages of building that factory – understanding the first stage (your Prospect Pipeline) is key to building a productive and healthy factory that yields increased revenues.

Your pipeline is your identified opportunities for future revenue. It’s a…

Selling Made Easier

Tony Lael — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 23:30:40 +0000

Everyone can sell services if they can develop a technique that they can get comfortable with.

There is not a day that goes by that I do not hear a VAR using PSA software in the IT service world tell me they do not like to sell, how uncomfortable it makes them, and how they just can’t seem to muster…

What Should Your Marketing be Doing, Anyway? (1 of 4)

Derek Brown — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:05:05 +0000

Many VARs, MSPs and IT service firms know at some point they need to market their services, but often ask themselves, “What should marketing be doing for our business?” While the common thought might be something nebulous like “building awareness” or perhaps “generating leads”, the truth is many companies like yours struggle to get this right.

I’ve always liked Peter…

Portfolio Basics: Analyze Your Client Portfolio (2 of 3)

Tony Lael — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 19:56:54 +0000

Why should I analyze my client list?
Part 1 in this series, Portfolio Basics: The Client Portfolio Concept, introduced the concept of managing your clients as a portfolio. This is a way to understand the value and opportunities in the list of clients you currently serve. The goal of managing your clients as a portfolio has several benefits,…

Client Portfolio Basics: The Client Portfolio Concept (1 of 3)

Frank Coker — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:20:42 +0000

Overview
The term “client portfolio” gets used a lot, but the real power of the concept is usually lost. The portfolio concept is actually a very rich way to understand the value and opportunities in your existing list of clients. It takes time and effort to do a full portfolio evaluation but it can make a big difference in how…