Authority Q3 2014

SOCIAL MEDIA

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MEET CHUCK BARTLETT

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TECH GADGETS

AUGUST–OCTOBER 2014

Way

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Cloud

6 tips to find more success in the cloud

So, What’s Your Story?

Lesson from Cisco’s storybook

Introducing TDSMB » Sign up to receive Authority.

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New features for SMBs designed for simplified business

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» From the Publisher Our second quarter has been a busy one at Tech Data.

We’ve expanded our partnerships and are excited about the great opportunities ahead in the second half of our fiscal year. You can see the results of these efforts in the products we’re offering, in the programs we’ve started and certainly in the content you’ll find in Authority.

As Tech Data gears up to help you through one of the busiest seasons in the channel, we’ve focused this issue on new and growing areas for your business. Gain valuable tips on finding success in the cloud in “The Way to the Cloud” and take a look at some of our hottest products in “Tech Gadgets for the Holiday Season”—not to mention the many other markets covered in this issue. You’ll also find updates on Tech Data, including the new look for our TDSMB division. Check out the story to learn about the new, customizable features for our SMB customers and a brand-new website, smb.techdata.com.

Authority follows the IT channel and strives to provide the latest information for one reason: to better your business.

Our goal is to give you the best information when you need it—helping you succeed in the channel and strengthen your business. Check out our latest issue and let us know how we’re doing by sending a letter to the editor.

Sincerely,

Eric Jessen Publisher, Authority

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“ Authority follows the IT channel and strives to provide the latest information for one reason: to better your business.”

Editorial Staff Eric Jessen

Authority (ISSN #1940-9249) is published quarterly by Tech Data Corporation, 5350 Tech Data Drive, Clearwater, FL 33760, Phone: 800-237-8931

Editor-in-Chief

www.techdata.com

Publisher

Brian Kosoy

Creative Director Alex Fox

Editor Jessica Chapman

Lead Designer Leandro Castro

Production Janie Gibson

©Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Tech Data and the Tech Data logo are registered trademarks of Tech Data Corporation in the United States and other countries.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

We welcome your feedback on Authority. Please drop us a line at authority@techdata.com or visit techdata.com/authority.

Writers Laura Stewart Christine Hale Tracy Blalock

Contributors Julio Ramos

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August–October 2014

ON THE COVER

Way

The to the

Cloud

6 tips to find more success in the cloud page 24 »

NOT JUST ANOTHER SOCIAL MEDIA ARTICLE

3 steps to a winning social media campaign 4

page 16 »

Meet Chuck Bartlett: Tech Data’s Senior Vice President, Advanced page 10 » Infrastructure Solutions

ACTIVITY Events TechSelect Spring Conference

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In the News Get the latest news from Tech Data

page 8 »

TRENDS 12 »

Tech Gadgets for the Holiday Season The cool products on everyone’s wish list

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Modernizing Government IT Security, cloud, mobility and big data remain top priorities

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Off the Clock:

page 12 »

OPPORTUNITY So, What’s Your Story?

Lessons from Cisco’s storybook page 28 »

ABOUT YOU Introducing TDSMB New features for SMBs designed for simplified business

A Passion of Epic Proportions One fellow IT guy finally writes The Great American Novel

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In the Hot off the presses, here are a few key More Opportunities

Tech Data Accolades

Tech Data announced its new Integrated Data Protection Solution, built on world-class IBM technology, in May. The solution is designed to help small and midsize organizations achieve cost savings, stability and security while maximizing performance. Tech Data also announced the addition of two new Cisco programs in May, CORE and building on our strategic teams (boost).

Learn more here.

Heather Murray, the company’s vice president, Tech Data Mobile Solutions, and Tracy Veillette, vice president, U.S. Controller, were named to the 2014 Women of the Channel list by CRN magazine, with Murray earning a spot on the Power 100, in June.

Read more about the announcement here.

New Partnerships Tech Data announced in June that Sony Mobile’s lineup of smartphones, tablets and related accessories are now available to solution providers. Extreme Networks and Tech Data also expanded its partnership to offer more opportunities for solution providers.

Read about all the new partnerships here.

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News highlights of recent Tech Data announcements:

OF TECHNOLOGY

ON THE CUSTOMER

40 YEARS of strength and agility, providing cutting-edge technology to the world.

And we’re just getting started.

40 YEARS of delivering the best experience in the channel to our partners.

And we’re just getting started.

PARTN E R

40 YEARS of channel-leading services for our partners defined by insight and integrity.

And we’re just getting started.

From the dawn of personal computers to the latest mobile devices, Tech Data has brought the world cutting-edge technology. We’ve strived to connect our partners with the latest innovations and help enable their success since our founding in 1974. Now in our 40th year, we’ve grown to No. 111 on the FORTUNE 500® and are annually named one of FORTUNE’s “World's Most Admired Companies.”

And we’re just getting started.

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Events Tech Data’s TechSelect community celebrated its 15th anniversary at its Spring TechSelect Partner Conference!

An exclusive Tech Data community, the team celebrated with members from across the U.S. and offered attendees solutions focused on marketing, services, culture and leadership. Take a look at a few highlights of the event:

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ABOUT YOU

Upcoming Events TechSelect University Atlanta, GA Aug. 11– 15 Fall TechSelect Conference Henderson, NV Oct. 23 – 25 Winter Regional Dec. 9

LEARN MORE Visit the website TechSelect@techdata.com

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MEET CHUCK BARLETT: Tech Data’s Senior Vice President, Advanced Infrastructure Solutions

By Jessica Chapman Authority Editor

Earlier this year, Tech Data realigned its strategic priorities around core, value-added and services, promoting Chuck Bartlett to senior vice president of Advanced Infrastructure Solutions (AIS)—one of Tech Data’s value-added businesses. We sat down with Bartlett to get his thoughts on AIS and Tech Data. Take a look at what he had to say.

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What does the Advanced Infrastructure Solution division do? » Barlett: AIS is predominately the business value-added division of Tech Data. Our role is to help our solution providers sell vendor technologies to their end-user clients. We provide services for higher value, higher touch, complex solutions in the market, primarily around data center, unified communications, video and security.

What do our customers need to run an efficient data center? » Barlett: For our customers to run a complete data center solution, they need to be a somewhat expert in server technology, storage technology, have some expertise around virtualization, core networking and certainly security. Our goal is to help them become experts in those areas. We focus on the same market segments that Tech Data does, which is that mid-market partner. These aren’t always big companies—they may only have a practice in one or two of those areas. What we do is help train them and specialize them to sell more of that complete solution so the end user doesn’t have to go someplace else for technology.

How can customers begin the process to work with AIS? What’s happening behind the scenes that most people don’t see? » Barlett: Customers will often come to our sales team looking for more information, and that sales rep then becomes the conduit to get them connected to the right person in AIS. The customer still has a single point of contact, but there are a lot of legs and arms behind that to make sure our partner gets the best information.

What’s your favorite part about working at Tech Data? » Barlett: We have some of the best people in the world to work with, and that’s what makes it so fun to come to work every day. And we’re just in an exciting place in the IT industry.

We have a lot of opportunities as a company to grow in the market and help our partners, and I find that to be just an exciting challenge. Tech Data’s Customer Experience First initiative (CX1) is huge— our customers are the most important part of our company.

“ We’re just in an exciting place in the IT industry. We have a lot of opportunities as a company to grow in the market and help our partners.”

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TECH GADGETS FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON THE COOL PRODUCTS ON EVERYONE’S WISH LIST

By Christine Hale, Contributing Writer AS SUMMER WINDS DOWN, IT’S TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT THE BUSY HOLIDAY SEASON AHEAD. GET A JUMP-START ON YOUR SHOPPING WITH SOME OF THIS SEASON’S MUST-HAVE GADGETS.

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SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE PRO There’s a new Note in town, and it’s no amateur.

In fact, Samsung has pretty much nailed down what people want in a tablet, including the enterprise set. The new Samsung Note Pro helps employees connect, communicate and collaborate securely thanks to 256-bit full encryption and secure VPN. The Mobile Print app and preloaded Citrix Go-To-Meeting makes business on-the-go a breeze.

iFROGZ CODA FORTE HEADPHONES Serious audiophiles are turning to high-quality Bluetooth® headphones so they aren’t wrapped around wires all day. The iFrogz Coda Forte Headphones offer the high-fidelity sound customers are buying in fun fashion colors, plus they keep a charge for 12 hours and easily switch between music and calls.

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GRIFFIN MOTO TC MONSTER Turn your home into a mini-monster truck rally with the Griffin MOTO TC Monster cellular phone-controlled car! Race and ram your way to victory using the MOTO TC app and your iPad, iPod or iPhone to control your car.

SONY 4K TV 4K TVs may not top the wish lists of casual TV viewers quite yet, but they sure are ready for gamers. Sony’s capitalizing on 4K technology by streaming its popular PlayStation® 3 games directly to Sony Smart TVs, like the 65-inch, 3D Bravia, through its PlayStation™ Now app. You’ve never seen color so rich, action so vivid and an experience quite like gaming on 4K!

LENOVO THINKPAD S1 YOGA Flexible technology is all the rage, and the Lenovo Yoga delivers more than a downward dog. It twists, bends, folds and turns into a laptop, tablet, tent and stand modes, perfect for watching movies or video conferencing.

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PROMOTIONAL ADVERTISEMENT

From the Device to the Data Center—And Everything In Between The home and workplace of the future is one that talks to itself—in fact, machines have been talking to each other for a long time, and the trend is growing. Whether sitting in an office or working on the road, the combination of mobility and the Internet is making products smarter than ever, including a host of products within Tech Data’s Systems & PeripheralsIT division.

Diving deeper into bold brands enables you to offer end-to-end solutions to your customers that work together seamlessly. Connecting devices and crossing your fingers that they’ll play nice is a thing of the past. Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth and AirPrint, which helps connect Apple devices through a wireless network, are just a few technologies that make it possible to easily connect devices. Files can be sent wirelessly from mobile devices to printers, scanners and just about every other device needed in today’s workplace and home. Smart TVs operate intuitively with tablets, smartphones, wearable technology and accessories.

“There are opportunities for solution providers growing horizontally through a vendor partner,” says Wendy Maurer-Linsky, Vice President of Tech Data’s Systems & PeripheralsIT division. “Vendors provide marketing services, lead generation, education and partner programs that increase growth for committed solution providers.”

While there are a lot fewer wires today than the past, there are some cords that can’t be cut—namely the power cord. As the Internet of Things evolves and Big Data gets even bigger, there’s an even greater need for dependable and efficient power supplies and cooling systems.

Data centers are moving toward high-density computing environments as newer, denser servers are deployed. Power distribution and cooling systems have evolved to enable increased density, reduced cabling and more effective use of data center space.

Designing next-generation workplaces that increase productivity and maximize efficiency is more important than ever. Tech Data’s industry certified staff can help solution providers understand how to sell ecosystems that work together for home or work environments. Come get authorized for Tech Data Mobile Solutions and become a one-stop shop that offers the wireless connectivity to make it all happen.

To learn more about creating Complete, Not Complex solutions for your customers, call the Systems and PeripheralsIT division at 800-237-8931 or visit their Solutions Hub.

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NOT JUST ANO SOCIAL

BY CHRISTINE HALE, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

3 STEPS TO A WINNING SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN

Social media isn’t an option anymore—companies must leverage social media to engage their audience, reach more people and increase profits. Just like any marketing platform, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Learn the three steps you need to take to develop your social media presence and see how some of your IT favorites use social media to bolster their brands.

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OTHER MEDIA ARTICLE

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STEP 1:

BUILD A SOCIAL STRATEGY TO REACH YOUR BUSINESS GOALS

Does your company have a marketing plan, value proposition or strategic plan? Use them to guide your social strategy. If you haven’t done an analysis of your company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis), now’s a great time to begin the process.

Find out the basics about your customers, starting with demographic information and what they’re buying. A company specializing in big data will speak differently than a company selling the latest smartphones.

Maybe your audience is diverse enough to warrant speaking in multiple tones—funny, informational, campy, shocking, maybe even sarcastic—it all depends on who you’re trying to reach and why.

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STEP 2: CURATE ENGAGING CONTENT Businesses new to social media tend to focus only on their business. But social media is really more about “you” than “me”—don’t think about what your company wants to promote, think about what your audience finds interesting.

Sharing industry posts that support your brand messaging will make your partners more likely to share your posts with their audience—and around and around the social media square-dance goes.

Create an editorial calendar and plan campaigns around specific events or holidays so you can strategize how to make your marketing messages relevant. Software like HootSuite can help you schedule posts in advance across social networks to make updating easy.

Head of the Class Can’t figure out how to use Pinterest to promote your business?

Don’t think Google+ is worth the effort?

Check out these IT companies that have it figured out.

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Facebook

Twitter

Google+

It doesn’t get much more engaged than Lenovo’s 2.5 million Facebook followers who are treated to lively image and video posts that provide ample opportunity for interaction.

It’s easy to see what Samsung Mobile’s priorities are when tweeting to their 5.23 million followers.

Their coordinated campaigns extensively use hashtags and partnerships with hip events like the Billboard Music Award to drive traffic.

Should you have a social media presence on a site run by the world’s most widely used search provider?

Probably a good idea!

Sony shows us how to Google+ like a rock star to its nearly 900,000 followers.

SEE FOR YOURSELF

SEE FOR YOURSELF

SEE FOR YOURSELF

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STEP 3:

ADAPT YOUR BUSINESS TO SOCIAL CUSTOMER SERVICE

It’s great when someone visits one of your social media outlets to rave about your quality and service, but your day can go south quickly if someone posts negatively about an issue and other audience members voice in to agree or disagree. Be prepared to act quickly—and don't just delete the post— when someone uses your social media page as a soapbox.

Software such as Zendesk integrates with social media to handle customer service inquiries, whether from social media, email or chat. If you don’t have resources to offer customer service through social media, funnel requests through traditional channels like call centers or contact forms

to let people know you’re serious about finding a solution to their problem.

And now the fun part of social media customer service—rewarding your audience. Entice your audience to become brand advocates by rewarding their engagement. For instance, Tech Data offers solution providers exclusive discounts through a private Twitter handle, @TDReseller. Bookmark the link for exclusive opportunities and examples of how you could use similar tactics.

Once these three steps are mastered, it’s time to see how your strategy is working and how many followers actually become customers—but that’s a story for another time.

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Instagram

YouTube

Google+ and LinkedIn have been called the top two B2B social media sites.

Microsoft even provides people who complete their courses with links to add their certifications to their LinkedIn profile.

With nearly 1.7 millions followers, the IT giant has clearly mastered LinkedIn.

Pinterest isn’t just for pies. ZAGG has 19,000-plus followers pinning images of the coolest tech accessories and things you can do while using them.

Intel gets the power of images, and it’s clear to see that they appreciate abstract photography on their Instagram site followed by nearly 15,000.

Cisco relies heavily on video to tell their brand story to more than 77,000 YouTube subscribers.

SEE FOR YOURSELF

SEE FOR YOURSELF

SEE FOR YOURSELF

SEE FOR YOURSELF

ADDITIONAL READING For more on social media, visit SocialMediaToday.com or check out the Pew Research Center Social Media Report 2013.

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MODERNIZING GOVERNMENT IT SECURITY, CLOUD, MOBILITY AND BIG DATA REMAIN TOP PRIORITIES

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he government is certainly no stranger to IT needs and infrastructure updates. Not surprisingly, the focus areas for many businesses this year can be applied to those trusted to lead the nation’s federal IT needs, too. While government IT spending is tight this year, CIOs and government agencies have a very prioritized to-do list—including hot topics like cybersecurity, data management and cloud services.

From the use of cloud and mobile services to big data and cybersecurity, federal IT departments are evaluating the use of communication and how best to update their infrastructure. These agencies

are starting to plan for the next five years and are interested in how the innovations leading the channel might help them— but it’s not as simple as finding the solution.

THE REALITY: BUDGETS ARE DOWN The government IT budget is down for FY15, according to analyst firm Deltek in an interview available here.

Of course, it doesn’t change the fact that IT departments still need the latest innovations and are actively searching for the right ones. The best time to start selling into the federal space is the final three months of the fiscal year. The closer it gets to September, the more opportunities government contractors will have.

BY JESSICA CHAPMAN, AUTHORITY EDITOR

WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING? According to CIO/CSIO Insights, a report produced

by TechAmerica based on a survey of federal CIOs, the federal IT budget looks like this: • 37% operations and maintenance of existing systems • 23% infrastructure (telecommunications and data center) • 16% development of new systems • 13% cybersecurity • 11% modernization of existing systems

Although cybersecurity falls toward the bottom of the list in spending allotment, TechAmerica reported that it’s the No. 1 priority of those surveyed, as well as the No. 2 challenge.

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Although cybersecurity falls toward the bottom of the list in spending allotment, TechAmerica reported that it’s the No. 1 priority this year of those surveyed, as well as the No. 2 challenge—with human capital coming in as the top challenge. Packaged services and solutions—ones that account for updating infrastructure with cloud and data solutions (think Internet of Everything) and also offer top-notch security software— might be a successful route for solution providers looking to work with government

agencies. Be sure to focus on their objectives, not your own, and consider the growing challenges around retaining good talent.

UNDERSTANDING HOW TO INNOVATE CIOs and other decision makers might know what objectives they need to accomplish to function at best capacity (as far as IT is concerned, that is), but they still don’t know how to go about it.

That’s where you come in.

When it comes to spending, sustaining and balancing the workforce comes head-to-head with focusing on developing

innovative solutions to help improve infrastructure, manage data and protect the agency. Keep that in mind when working with your federal customers and find scalable solutions that improve productivity and plan for the future. For those not currently selling into the federal space, opportunities abound so reach out to Tech Data’s TechEDG team for more information.

WANT MORE? View the TechAmerica report here or contact the Tech Data team to dive into the government space.

TECH DATA IS YOUR Rx FOR HEALTHCARE IT Join TechMED Alliance to grow your healthcare IT sales using a broad range of services, products and solutions.

Tel: 800-436-5353, opt. 2 (Healthcare) Fax: (727) 571-9353 E-mail: publicsector@techdata.com

Better Solutions.

Better Healthcare.

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Go Vertical Discover products in our five core pillars that support high-margin verticals.

Dive deeper into nearly 200 bold brands to deliver end-to-end solutions and access partner programs that make your business more profitable.

Make an appointment to visit the Systems & PeripheralsIT Experience Center at the Tech Data Clearwater campus and sit down with our industry-certified staff to explore growth opportunities for your business.

800-237-8931 techdata.com/techsolutions/systemsandperipheralsit

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Cloud

6 ways to find more success in the cloud

By Laura Stewart, Contributing Writer 24

When it comes to making money, the way we see and approach opportunities has a tremendous impact on our success. So it makes sense, then, that we take a look at how we should approach the cloud industry if we want to start really making money in the cloud. We scoured the field and found six tips that help you do just that.

cloud part of 1 Make a broader solution Cloud is not one-size-fits-all. It’s a method to solve a problem—and too frequently we try to separate cloud from other solutions instead of evaluating it alongside them.

Paul Mulner, director of cloud services at Stalwart Systems in Atlanta, GA, learned that lesson the hard way. In an effort to grow cloud business, Stalwart made the bold move to create a separate division focused solely on the cloud. But segmenting cloud didn’t result in the growth they were expecting—in fact, in some ways it had the opposite effect.

Although Stalwart ended up going back to its old system, Mulner says they learned a very important lesson.

“We’re trying too hard as an industry to segment cloud instead of treating it like another solution,” Mulner says. “When it came to addressing our customers’ needs, the cloud team wasn’t as aware of traditional on-prem solutions that might be a great fit for the customer. Likewise, our on-prem team wasn’t as equipped to recognize when cloud might be the best solution for that customer.”

See a need,

2 fill a need

Customers' needs come first—and that is something that will never change. They need to feel that you genuinely want to find solutions that will make sense for their business.

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“If you’re truly selling to fill your customers' needs, you’re going to be selling a pretty broad mix of solutions,” Mulner says. “You hear a lot of people say, and I think it’s accurate, that the customer doesn’t care about the technology; they just care about the solution.”

Whether the best solution turns out to be cloud or on-premise—or a combination of both—the considerations are largely the same. Is it something that fulfills customers' needs? What is the cost? What is the burden of switching?

Have 3 confidence There is often a lot of posturing within the industry when it comes to cloud solutions. But the reality is that everyone is still learning and discovering how to make cloud solutions a bigger part of their business. The more transparent we are, the easier it will be to share ideas and break down the barriers to real growth.

“It’s easy to get intimidated with cloud because it seems that everyone else has it figured out,” Mulner says. “But when you start talking to fellow resellers, vendors and even distributors, you realize that’s not really the case. Not many people have it figured out, and that makes sense.

I think it’s a very honest and transparent response.”

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4 Balance recurring revenue

Monthly recurring revenue (MRR) is where everyone wants to be, but it’s presented some major challenges, including salesperson compensation.

MRR creates an ongoing revenue stream that promotes customer loyalty and stability, but, according to Mulner, it’s not that easy. If you abandon the one-time revenue model altogether, you’re going to experience a cash flow problem pretty quickly, he says.

A $36,000 contract that a salesperson wins today, for example, might only realize $1,000 by the end of that month if it’s a 36-month contract. Maintaining the one-time revenue model as well will ensure that you have cash on hand to compensate your sales staff up front without giving up the opportunity for recurring revenue.

“ It’s easy to get intimidated with cloud because it seems that everyone else has it figured out. But when you start talking to fellow resellers, vendors and even distributors, you realize that’s not really the case.”

— Paul Mulner, director of cloud services, Stalwart Systems

5 Marketing matters

Strategize a marketing plan and don’t rely on simply word-of-mouth promotion— that won’t cut it.

“That’s not marketing,” Cloud Guru CEO Terry Hedden says. “You can create great cloud solutions, but if you don’t fully leverage them by going to market with smart sales strategies and lead-generation strategies, you’re going to miss out on huge growth potential.”

For small businesses or those without a full-time marketing person on staff, you might want to consider outsourcing your marketing services. Done right, the incremental business will easily justify the cost of effective marketing services.

Check out this website for a few ideas or to start making inquiries.

6 Don’t discount the value of service

Sell the value you provide, not just the product. Try bundling service offerings with cloud solutions to give customers the total package, Hedden recommends.

Bundling allows you to off-set the sale of low-margin products like hardware and storage with high-margin support services, he says.

“We don’t make a lot of money on PCs, but we do make a lot of money because of PCs. It’s no different in cloud,” Hedden says.

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SMB Spotlight

So, What’s Your Story?

Lessons from Cisco’s storybook

By Tracy Blalock, Contributing Writer

This story is the second in a two-part series. To read the first story, click here.

More and more companies—including your competitors—are mastering the art-turned-business strategy of storytelling. So, what exactly is a good story and why should you care? Because it’s authentic, emotional and inspirational—and it gets results.

Since a great story shows rather than tells, we sat down with Cisco’s Mercedes Maglin, distribution marketing manager, to gain helpful insights from a company that’s writing the book on success through storytelling.

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» CREATE A STORYTELLING CULTURE “Absolutely everything we do is based on the Cisco story,” Maglin says. “That’s the premise to drive thought leadership in the marketplace, drive innovation and position how we’re different.

It’s the reason why you should listen to what we have to say.”

Fostering a great storytelling culture for your company starts with the company’s leadership. Maglin says it’s Cisco CEO John Chambers’ vested interest that makes the difference. He’s not just telling the Cisco story wherever he goes, but he tells it in such a way that it sets Cisco apart, she says.

There’s no doubt the power and consistency of Cisco’s story and Chambers’ efforts can claim at least partial credit for the company’s growing revenues from $70 million when Chambers joined in January 1991 to record revenues of $48.6 billion in FY13. During his tenure as CEO, Cisco has been named to Fortune’s “Most Admired Companies”

list since 1999, ranking No. 1 in the Network Communications category eight times, Bloomberg Business Week’s “Top 50 Performers” list six times and is one of the top 10 places to work in the United States and many other countries.

“ Absolutely everything we do is based on the Cisco story,” Maglin says. “It’s the reason why you should listen to what we have to say.”

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» FIND THE STORY AND START SHARING It doesn’t matter what technology you’re dealing with—data, software, hardware—everything has the potential for storytelling.

Don’t get stuck in left-brainonly thinking just because the IT industry focuses on all things technical.

“The story isn’t about the widget—it’s about what the widget can do,” Maglin shares.

“Your story is a vehicle to share your vision and stimulate the desire for a better future, a better end result.”

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Your widget, she says, is simply a path that translates to bigger profits or a more efficient way of executing a process. In other words, it’s your method to building a strong customer relationship—the opportunity to unlock real connection, find an emotional hook or risk just being one more in the pack.

Keep in mind decisions are ultimately based on emotions, so it makes sense to engage others in your vision. When employees, customers and partners are emotionally connected to you and your vision, it’s a whole different story.

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» THE STORY NEVER CHANGES—IT JUST GETS BETTER The core of what Cisco stands for is printed on every employees' badge and reads, “Changing the Way We Work, Live, Play and Learn.”

Maglin admits, in the beginning, it took a lot of onpurpose thinking and strategy to come up with a message that resonates and can stand the test of time. Part of Cisco’s success hinges on the fact that it’s constantly evolving.

“Across every business area, no matter what you’re doing, three core questions drive every action of every team: Why Cisco? Why now?

Why the network?” she says.

Storytelling is always in the background. The creative, or skin, may change but the core story never changes, it only gets better.

» AND SO THE STORY GOES

Cisco uses storytelling in a variety of mediums, including at its TD|Cisco Ignite event, featured here.

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A good story, Maglin says, is very specific, easy to digest and consistent. She recommends thinking of storytelling in terms of a pyramid.

At the very top is the core idea that communicates what the company is really about. Then you build out layers. Whether it’s case studies, whitepapers, social media, presentations, sales engagements, blog posts, videos or event branding, all mediums are about helping people see new possibilities.

Crowdsourcing is also key, she adds. Customer reviews are an amazing tool and people will gladly tell your story if they’re, as Maglin says, “riding the bus with you.” Use that to your advantage by finding customers to offer testimonials and incorporate those in your communication methods.

And don’t forget those who’ve gone before you. Experts in the storytelling field—and even better, the IT storytelling field— are invaluable resources. Cisco recently enlisted TDAgency to

write, cast, direct and produce the Cisco Services and World Without Services videos to share their story in unexpected and memorable ways. Take a look at your business and consider ways you might be able to do the same.

» MANY HAPPY RETURNS Can stories drive real business results? Absolutely. For two great examples, look no further than Cisco’s two distinct reseller communities—Ignite and Charged, both created with the help of TDAgency and each built on its own story. Ignite is all about accelerated growth, while Charged is about taking your business to next level.

In the second half of Cisco’s fiscal year, the Ignite community has grown 62 percent and Charged

30 percent. Proof, Maglin say, that when customers feel vested and emotionally connected, they execute.

» FIND YOUR INNER STORYTELLER Given the ever-increasing number of devices and ways to communicate, there’s never been a better time to master the art of storytelling.

Look for ways to make it personal. Leverage your story across all platforms, keeping a close eye on consistency.

Storytelling is a powerful tool to drive business success and you can bet your competitors are doing it.

“We’re all storytellers, and it can become a guiding principle for any company,” Maglin says.

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INTRODUCING BUSINESS SIMPLIFIED. TDSMB The launch of SMB.techdata.com was part of a broader Tech Data initiative aimed at customizing the way Tech Data supports its SMBs. The initiative included a re-alignment of the SMB sales divisions, now organized by market niche to fit customers’ individual service profiles. The sales force now includes four specialized teams:

TDElite – Uniquely qualified to service all high-end technology needs

TDFuel – Highly trained to focus on Systems & Peripherals

TDEnable – Tenured team, aligned by technology and buying groups

TDLaunch – Trained to support new-account onboarding and acquisition

The change has allowed Tech Data “to deliver the very best value-added sales team in the industry,” says Greg Banning, vice president, TDSMB at Tech Data. And it’s been 32

BY LAURA STEWART, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

well-received by the SMB community—which makes sense—because Tech Data understands what it takes to build a company from the ground up.

In 1974, Edward C. Raymund started Tech Data from his garage, marketing data processing supplies directly to end-users of mini and mainframe computers. Forty years later, Tech Data is taking that hard-earned experience in IT and using it to help other SMBs build and grow.

“TDSMB puts SMB partners first,” Banning says. "We understand that business is not one-size-fits-all, and neither are SMB solution

This June, Tech Data launched a brandnew interactive website, SMB.techdata.com.

Revolutionary in its design and created to fit the needs of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the channel, the site has gained a tremendous amount of traction.

But it’s just one of several steps Tech Data has taken to further develop and refine the support they offer SMBs, helping them win business and continue to grow in today’s competitive marketplace.

providers’ growth strategies. Today’s market demands speed and human-to-human interaction, which Tech Data has addressed with the TDSMB sales division and through the new website.”

SMB.TECHDATA.COM Created using a four-pillar strategy that focused on usability, content, commerce and community, SMB.techdata. com is revolutionary in its design. It’s optimized to work on any device from anywhere and features a completely customizable dashboard, so users can quickly and easily organize information based on what is important to them and their business.

"The TDSMB website embraces B2C standards of usability and personalization capabilities, providing our SMB solution providers with a platform individually customized to best meet their business needs,” says Phil Filippelli, vice president, E-Business at Tech Data.

And placing orders through SMB.techdata.com is a breeze.

Users can see hot-selling products at a glance, view their

own Tech Data customer pricing and easily keep track of their open orders with the Track Open Orders plug.

Plus, if users need help, the site features a convenient live chat option, so they can connect to a trained TDSMB representative, on-hand to help them get the answers they need quickly and efficiently.

Lead creator of the new website, Filippelli raves about the site’s capabilities and why it differentiates Tech Data from the competition.

“Tech Data is the first company in distribution to offer a site with this level of technology for both solution 33

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“ Tech Data is the first company in distribution to offer a site with this level of technology for both solution providers and vendor partners, offering online collaboration, enhancing the user experience and enabling a better flow of information.”

— Phil Filippelli, vice president, E-Business at Tech Data providers and vendor partners, offering online collaboration, enhancing the user experience and enabling a better flow of information. The website streamlines the ordering process and provides value-added resources seamlessly on one website.”

TDLOYALTY As part of TDSMB, Tech Data is also proud to introduce TDLoyalty, the company's first loyalty program designed exclusively for SMB resellers. The point-based loyalty

program is grouped into three levels— Advantage, Choice and Preferred—based on participants' total web sales for the year.

At each level, participants are eligible for additional services, discounts and incentives. Participating solution providers can earn points by purchasing eligible products through the TDSMB website and can stack points to purchase items from a catalog of more than 10,000 items, including point redemption for Tech Data's marketing services through TDAgency.

TRAINING MADE EASY Certifications, authorizations and training can make your job an expensive hassle before you know it—until now. Add to Tech Data’s new SMB options with affordable training and certification offered by Tech Data’s TDEducation.

Just visit the TDEducation website to learn more.

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RESPONSIVE DESIGN Tech Data's new SMB website has simplified business and includes customized features to improve the users' experience.

Watch this video to get a better idea of how SMB.techdata.com can simplify business for you.

Contact the TDSMB team at 800-237-8931, TDSMB@techdata.com, or reach out using our live chat feature on SMB.techdata.com to learn more!

“ We are excited that Tech Data has created a website that’s easy to use, decreases turnaround time and includes valued-added services such as the order status menu and live chat feature. We thank Tech Data for providing us with a best-in-class customer experience through the TDSMB website.”

— David Spencer, account manager at Government Technology Depot 35

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Off the Clock

By Tracy Blalock, Contributing Writer

A PASSION OF EPIC PROPORTIONS One fellow IT guy finally writes The Great American Novel

W

e’ve all had the dream—our name in lights—or on front of a bookcover on Amazon.com.

Andrew Carpenter is living that dream.

Carpenter is a busy guy.

That’s one reason his writing is so engaging—he pours his experiences and passion into every paragraph. By day, as a business processes consultant for Eagle Datagistics in St. Petersburg, FL, he handles sales and a CRM implementation that helps Eagle track all its company data. After-hours, he works toward his masters in industrial and organizational psychology.

And in his "spare time,” he writes epic tales of intrigue.

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A huge fan of epics like Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, once Carpenter discovered his passion for writing a novel, he knew that was his genre. But his first book, The Blood Born, is far from a me-too tale.

Released in November 2013, the book took a little more than a year to write and another year to publish. Available now on Amazon, he’s moved into marketing mode. He expects to complete the second installment in his trilogy series—The Blood Land— in half the time it took to write the first.

As if working on his master’s degree and writing novels weren’t enough, Eagle Datagistics Business Processes Consultant Andrew Carpenter has taken on learning to sail too. Living aboard a sailboat named Sea-Celia, learning to sail has shifted into a top position on his bucket list.

“When you write fantasy, there are so many details, characters and locations,” Carpenter says.

“When I come across an interesting name or characteristic, it goes in [my swipe] file. Before you know it, you have an entire paragraph about a character, down to the eye color and what they like to eat. You feel like you know them. I think readers pick up on that attention to detail.”

And it’s no wonder that Eagle’s Non-Standard Request (NSR) and Additional Discount Request (ADR) proposals for Oracle solutions, now authored by Carpenter, have seen a significant jump in approval rates.

There’s no certainty when you write a novel that anyone will read it, but Carpenter says the rewards and sense of accomplishment are priceless. One of his greatest rewards came when a man reached out to say thank you. Despite endless efforts to get his son to read, one look at Carpenter’s book cover and he was hooked.

For Carpenter, writing is something he has to do. He sees storytelling as a lost art, one his father and grandfather were masters at and one he’s committed to keeping alive.

You could say writing is in his blood.

Download a digital copy of Andrew’s book, The Blood Born, or order a paperback version here.

So what does the Eagle crew think about his epic work? Eagle Datagistics President Chuck Egerter and one of Eagle’s recruiters read Carpenter’s book before the ink dried. Both gave it huge thumbs up. Since getting wind of Andrew’s writing abilities, Eagle Chief Operating Officer Richard Wood routes all sorts of marketing projects his way— ads, commercials, magazine articles, emails—the list goes on.

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