https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • Analytics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud
    • Data Centers
    • Desktop
    • IoT
    • Mobility
    • Networking
    • Open Source
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Virtualization
    • Voice/Connectivity
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Best Practices
    • Business Models
    • Channel 101
    • Channel Programs
    • Channel Research
    • Digital Transformation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Specialty Practices
  • MSSP Insider
    • Back
    • Business of Security
    • Cloud and Edge
    • Endpoint
    • Network
    • People and Careers
    • Training and Policies
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2021 MSP 501 Application
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Our Sponsors
    • From the Industry
    • Content Resources
    • COVID-19 Partner Help
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • EMEA
  • Awards
    • Back
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • 2021 MSP 501
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Evolution
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
  • Channel Mentor
    • Back
    • Channel Market Intelligence
    • Channel Educational Series
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • Analytics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud
    • Data Centers
    • Desktop
    • IoT
    • Mobility
    • Networking
    • Open Source
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Virtualization
    • Voice/Connectivity
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Best Practices
    • Business Models
    • Channel 101
    • Channel Programs
    • Channel Research
    • Digital Transformation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Specialty Practices
  • MSSP Insider
    • Back
    • Business of Security
    • Cloud and Edge
    • Endpoint
    • Network
    • People and Careers
    • Training and Policies
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2021 MSP 501 Application
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Our Sponsors
    • From the Industry
    • Content Resources
    • COVID-19 Partner Help
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • EMEA
  • Awards
    • Back
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • 2021 MSP 501
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Evolution
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
  • Channel Mentor
    • Back
    • Channel Market Intelligence
    • Channel Educational Series
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Digital Service Providers
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • CHANNEL PARTNERS ONLINE
 Channel Futures

Leadership


Handshake Greeting Business

Meet the Channel: Ingram Sales Manager on How Distribution Has Changed Since Y2K

  • Written by Kris Blackmon
  • April 6, 2018
Kelly Sander, SMB senior sales manager, joined Ingram Micro in 2000. Here she describes why the 21st century has been good for distribution and Ingram partners.

Meet the Channel is a recurring Channel Futures column that leaves the C-suite and focuses on how channel trends impact the day-to-day job functions of employees “in the trenches.” This week, we sat down with Kelly Sander, who’s been working in distributor Ingram Micro’s sales team since the turn of the century.

Channel Futures: What was the IT landscape like in 2000 when you first entered the channel?

Kelly Sandler: I was lucky enough to start at Ingram Micro 18 years ago while finishing my business degree at the University of Buffalo. I worked part-time, finished school part-time, and then was able to come on full-time. Back in 2000, we were still basically a call center. Everything was done on the phone to conduct business. I just remember phone call after phone call after phone call. There was very limited email use to do anything business-wise other than interdepartmental communication.

As my career progressed from inside sales to the field to management, I was able to go through various departments including public sector, classic VAR, and right now in SMB. I would say in the current climate today, I have the benefit of both worlds, where I’m able to interact with the SMB partner face-to-face with our partner alliance community and I can also help them from my own network, to show them and guide them through the value of distribution. The SMB partners have a very nimble and open way of doing business. They’re not set in traditional ways. They’re eager to grow, and they really take advantage of what Ingram Micro has to offer through what we have now: professional services, training, embracing the cloud.

Kelly Sandler

You really become part of their success, which is a great feeling. In the past, when you’re a call center, you don’t have those kind of ties to those engagements. It’s a partnership now.

CF: You moved into management in 2008, right around the initial rise of cloud. What was it like from a distributor’s point of view navigating that big paradigm shift?

KS: It was a different conversation at that time. It changed from speeds and feeds, here’s how many boxes of this laptop we have – this IBM laptop at the time, not even Lenovo yet – and now we have these broader conversations on how to transform business and create a better experience, not only to our customers, but to my associates and our partners. We weren’t order-takers anymore. My job function changed. Instead of just learning about the products and educating ourselves like that, we needed to educate ourselves about solutions. We slowly had to become consultants and work with customers on how to solve their business challenges and achieve their goals — and generally make their lives better using this new technology.

The industry is constantly innovating. In response, now we have to be creative and think of ways to serve as that trusted adviser, and then partner to these customers. At that time is when we started seeing the increasing importance of partner community.

CF: When the conversation moved from slinging boxes to solving for business outcomes, how did Ingram Micro learn how to not only have those conversations with their partners, but to train partners in how to have those conversations with end customers?

KS: At that time, Ingram Micro started to expand their business units. We started to have these specialized departments that knew everything about these new areas. We started to build our cloud practice. How do we help partners expand their business? It wasn’t necessarily educating them on all the dirty details, but enough to get the lead and then bring in the resources that live and breathe there. Really, Ingram Micro started to evolve. We didn’t rely on the sales rep to know the in-depth knowledge of everything — as long as they knew enough to identify the opportunity and expand their conversations outside of just, “Here’s your order.” You’re quoting 15 systems, you have to know where they’re going, who they’re for — how are you deploying that? It’s having those bigger conversations, so around that time Ingram Micro did start to create these specialized business units which really helped us internally and externally. It’s more of a holistic offering than it was in the past.

CF: How is the rise of specialized, niche partners changing the way you do business with your vendor partners?

KS: It goes back to the community. The community creates those internal networking solutions with Ingram Micro and with partners that are facing those challenges day-to-day. It’s a peer group. It’s not [the same] competitive landscape anymore. Resellers really work together to say, “Hey, I’m in Dallas and I specialize in law firms that are 10 users and below.” We also have a partner in, say, Florida that does this as well. Here are the vendors that he found beneficial. It’s that peer-to-peer network that it didn’t exist before. I know that’s the biggest impact that we’re seeing, and we’re engaging the vendors into that. The vendors can say they have a solution that works for something, but until a partner actually tries it — it’s that peer-to-peer recommendation that’s really driving the business.

CF: Are the power dynamics shifting from vendors dictating to partners what they should sell to the other way around?

KS: 100 percent absolutely. It is the voice of the partner that the vendor is forced to listen to instead of vice versa. What do you need, and let’s create a solution. And it might be multivendor solutions to achieve your goal.

Tags: Cloud Service Providers Digital Service Providers MSPs VARs/SIs Cloud Leadership MSP 501 Sales & Marketing Strategy Technologies Voice/Connectivity

Related


  • VDI
    IGEL Integrates Amazon WorkSpaces DaaS with Its Virtual Endpoint OS
    Also, the new Arm-based Raspberry Pi, co-developed by Citrix, IGEL and NComputing, is generally available.
  • Job cuts
    Latest VMware Job Cuts Impact More Workers in California
    The layoffs will begin March 30.
  • Hottest Ticket in Town
    Channel Partners Virtual 2021 Is the Hottest Ticket in Town
    And that means any town, since it’s 100% online. Will you be there?
  • strong customer relationship
    Datto Partners with ThreatLocker for Secure MSP Business Operations
    MSPs have seen increased security risks for clients amid COVID-19.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • The “Roaring 20s” Are Coming
  • OneLogin Hires Juniper Networks Vet to Lead Accelerate Partner Program
  • Fortinet Vet Geoff Kreiling Departs for Deep Instinct
  • Ready To Add Cutting Edge IoT Solutions To Your Portfolio?

Galleries

View all

McAfee Sells Enterprise Security Business; Separately, Feds Charge Founder

March 8, 2021

Industry Perspectives

View all

5 Ways XDR Can Improve Operational Efficiency for MSPs

March 4, 2021

Multi-Cloud: Strategy or Inevitable Outcome? (or both?)

March 3, 2021

Backup Vulnerability: 4 Targets Hackers Might Utilize to Infiltrate Your Backup Solution

March 2, 2021

Webinars

View all

A Partner’s Perspective on Channel Success in 2021

March 23, 2021

XDR and Why it Matters to MSPs

March 24, 2021

Top Security Trends Impacting Technology Security Providers In 2021

March 25, 2021
  • 1

White Papers

View all

Why Fortinet for my MSSP?

March 2, 2021

Small and Mid-Size Business Security: 4 Steps to Success

March 2, 2021

How SMBs Can Secure Endpoints and Remote Workers for the Long Haul

March 2, 2021

Upcoming Events

View all

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

November 1, 2021 - November 4, 2021

Videos and Fastchats

View all

FASTCHAT: How SOAR Eliminates Security Challenges and Elevates Service Provider Revenues

January 6, 2021

Happy Holidays from Channel Partners & Channel Futures!

December 21, 2020

FASTCHAT: How Old, Unpatched Technologies Are Creating New Security Threats for MSPs and Their Customers

December 3, 2020

Twitter

ChannelFutures

Have you heard? @McAfee is selling its enterprise security business. And 75-year-old founder #JohnMcAfee faces deca… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 8, 2021
ChannelFutures

Today we celebrate the achievements of women worldwide, and we are proud to give the rockstar women in the channel… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 8, 2021
ChannelFutures

The list of #Accellion FTA breach victims keeps growing. Another bank joined the list over the weekend.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 8, 2021
ChannelFutures

Happy #InternationalWomensDay! The Channel Futures / @Channel_Online team is proud to support @AllianceofCW and… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 8, 2021
ChannelFutures

#MSPs can help businesses deal with #cloudcomputing and #cybersecurity pain points, says @Dreamix_Ltd.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 8, 2021
ChannelFutures

Chinese hacker group #HAFNIUM exploits critical @MSFTExchange Server vulnerability, could impact thousands.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 7, 2021
ChannelFutures

Our latest #Cybersecurity Roundup highlights #CPVirtual, @Huntresslabs, @Entrust_Corp and @InsightEnt.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 5, 2021
ChannelFutures

RT @Channel_Expo: A HUGE thank you to our amazing #CPVirtual sponsors and exhibitors! 👏 @ATTBusiness @DellTech @8x8 @lumentechco @telarus @…

March 5, 2021

MSSP Insider

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Channel Partners Online

Want more? Find more channel news and analysis on our sister site, Channel Partners.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Online
  • Channel Partners Events
  • MSP 501
  • MSSP Insider
  • IoT World Today
  • Webhostingtalk

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X