Janet Schijns, CEO of channel consultancy JS Group, talks sales and marketing tactics in a COVID world.

Kris Blackmon, Head of Channel Communities

June 4, 2020

JS Group’s Janet Schijns, CEO of the channel consultancy, was a social selling advocate long before the coronavirus pandemic kept us from those face-to-face sales calls. But it’s inarguable that the sales and marketing tactics – like networking and referral programs – many partners have used for years don’t have much of a place in this COVID world. Partners have to learn a better, easier way — a way that gets more results with fewer resources.

Schijns-Janet_JS-Group.jpg

JS Group’s Janet Schijns

In our recent Channel in Crisis: How Partners Are Navigating COVID-19 survey, more than one in four (28%) respondents say that the time they’re spending supporting existing clients has increased during this pandemic to such a degree that they’re unable to maintain new sales and onboarding activities at pre-March levels. That’s really scary, says Schijns. If those existing customers go out of business, the partners won’t have a funnel to fall back on.

In this installment of “It’s 501 Somewhere,” Schijns dons her social selling advocate hat once more. She talks frankly about how to sell reality without selling on fear; plus, the elements partners must now integrate into their online presence in order to stay relevant.

Read more about:

MSPsVARs/SIsMSP 501

About the Author(s)

Kris Blackmon

Head of Channel Communities, Zift Solutions

Kris Blackmon is head of channel communities at Zift Solutions. She previously worked as chief channel officer at JS Group, and as senior content director at Informa Tech and project director of the MSP 501er Community. Blackmon is chair of CompTIA's Channel Development Advisory Council and operates KB Consulting. You may follow her on LinkedIn and @zift on X.

Free Newsletters for the Channel
Register for Your Free Newsletter Now

You May Also Like