VARs cannot overlook training

Training is vital if resellers hope to succeed in the convergence market, claims Matt Hathorn

If you examine the key attributes of a reseller, it is skills, capability and confidence that make their business a success. To succeed in the growing convergence market a VAR has to have the skills and knowledge to translate customer needs into a solution to address their needs. Capability comes from putting those skills into practice.

VARs also need to have the confidence to go for convergence opportunities in the first place. All of these attributes are gained through training. Training for most resellers used to be – and to a certain extent still is – about acquiring knowledge about a specific vendor’s product, and therefore being able to specify, install or maintain the product concerned. No customer would use a reseller who couldn’t demonstrate the technical skills they are paid to perform.

But training is breaking out of its traditional role and becoming much more central to a reseller’s business. Customer requirements used to be predominantly product-based, such as the need for a 50 extension PBX – with limited prospects for a reseller to add extra value once installation and testing had been done.

Customers now want solutions – they might want to create a virtual contact centre staffed by 100 employees working from home, for example. This requires a solution or consultancy sale – and customers want to work with a consultant who understands their needs, rather than a box shifter or an order-taker. Customers also want answers on how convergence solution X can reduce costs or increase efficiency and profits. They may be looking for a return on their investment within 12 to 18 months. These requirements demand a broader skill set than just technical competence.

Voice resellers who do have a wealth of experience selling TDM-based products often lose their confidence when attempting to understand data technology and find the prospect daunting. Having to deal with IT departments as well as telecoms managers brings added pressure. This equally applies for data resellers dealing with telecoms terminology – such as whether a data network has ‘five nines’ reliability. A day’s course focused around breaking down these barriers can get sales staff back on the path of success.

In conclusion, if resellers believe that training is still the preserve of the technical team, they must remember the key attributes for success: skills, capability and confidence. Everybody in a business needs to demonstrate these attributes when selling, specifying or installing convergence solutions.