By Gary Schick

As you expand the value you bring to your customers by bringing aboard an ability to deliver cloud services, youll face two issues one internal, the other external.

Issue #1: Why you need a cloud partner who shares.

Internally, you need to decide how youll deliver cloud when a customer expresses a need: build it from scratch, buy an existing cloud provider or find a reliable cloud services partner?

Its likely that the size and nature of your current business will drive your choice. Building from scratch means hiring the right people, which takes time, money and skill
and will delay your market entry. Buying an existing provider is faster, of course, but requires deep pockets, management time and a commitment to integrate someone elses business into your own.

Which leaves partnering. For most telecom agents, this entrée into cloud services offers the best deal that is, it delivers the quickest and greatest potential for relatively less financial risk. But you have to do it right.

Doing cloud partnering right means finding a partner who, above all, shares.

Many cloud providers who are willing to partner are actually rather stingy when it comes to sharing, so you have to tread carefully when you make a partnering arrangement. These stingy partners offer a one-time commission for bringing them your customer. But the next time your customer signs up with them for a cloud service or a managed service or anything else that partner provides, you see nothing. In effect, your customer has become their customer, and you are out of the loop for good.

Other cloud partners understand, respect and thrive on your relationships with your customers. These sorts of cloud partners offer you both recurring commissions (a piece of your customers monthly cloud subscription fee) and commissions on any business the partner does with your customer after that. Which is to say: Your customer remains your customer even after your cloud partner has engaged with them.

Issue #2: How do your customers perceive you?

Assuming your survival instinct is strong and youve opted for the kind of cloud partner who shares and isnt bent on stealing your customers, youre in a position to address that external issue of how your customers perceive you.

It does you little good to have found a cloud partner who shares if your customers call somebody else when it comes to their non-telecom needs. So how do you get your customers to understand that your reach and capabilities have broadened? How do you get your customers to think of you first and to call you first?

The short answer is, simply, that you have to tell them what youre able to do for them. Over and over again. At every opportunity. Using all means at your disposal. You can do this without spending big bucks.

Start by answering these six questions:

Every time your customer sees or thinks of your business, you want them to recall all that youre capable of right now. Because each time a customer does not understand what you can provide them, youve missed an opportunity. And none of us can afford that.

Gary Schick is director of sales

Quest

, with direct responsibility for partner sales, growth and customer satisfaction. He brings more than 30 years technology sales, management and channel leadership experience to this role. Prior to joining Quest, Schick worked in sales and management positions at Netigy, Amerivox, Epson and Toshiba. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and is a member of

the 2012-13 Channel Partners Advisory Board.