(Editor’s note: contributed blogs like this are part of ChannelBuzz.ca’s annual sponsorship program. Find out more here. This article was authored by Bruce Gilroy, field technical consultant at Avnet Technology Solutions.)
Today, we’re all busy getting used to the new normal: the explosion of third platform technologies (Cloud, Analytics, Security, Mobility and IoT), new customer challenges and the growing need for solutions that solve business problems. For some, scouring the internet for hours a day, searching for the latest and greatest information on high growth technology areas such as cloud and IoT, seems like a great time! For the rest of us, we’re looking to a trusted advisor to provide the information from experts to educate us first hand on the technology and how it solves for our customers’ business issues.
To that end, Avnet is releasing four new sales plays that are designed to drive your hardware, software and services sales and align with a solution approach. These plays were selected after many discussions with IDC analysts to identify high growth areas of the market, Avnet Suppliers to align with their solution strategies and many of our trusted partners who told us where their customers are focusing. The development of these sales plays were a team effort inside of Avnet that included resources from our Solution Development organization, our Supplier teams and our Services groups.
The new Sales Plays are located on the Avnet Knowledge Network so we encourage you to download them and take a look. Each play has a few components. First, you will find a several PDF files for each sales play which are in sales battle card format. The first page of each battle card is a vendor agnostic description of the customer’s business challenge along with a description of our solution, conversation starter questions to ask the customer, keywords to listen for and target markets to focus. The second page of the PDF is how we solve that customer challenge with a specific vendor product, solution, service or Avnet offering. In summary, the same “page 1” might show up in multiple PDF files that each have a unique “page 2”. Simple, right!
The second component of our sales plays is a short 10-15 min on-demand presentation that explains each play in a little bit more detail. This form of training is quick and easy to consume so we encourage to you take a few minutes and check it out. Who knows, you might even learn something. The goal is to prepare you to have a conversation with your customer that is business driven instead of focusing on the bits and bites of the technology.
Let’s take a look at the new sales plays we have launched this week.
Converged Infrastructure solutions
Overview of the key market drivers and trends impacting the converged infrastructure space and the key solution offerings available, including factory integrated solutions as well as Avnet specific solutions integrated in Avnet’s industry leading 228,000 square foot Global Solution Center. Keep on the lookout for a new sales play coming soon focused on the hyper-converged space and the many Avnet Suppliers that have offerings you can sell.
Real-time Analytics
Overview of the key market drivers and trends behind real-time analytics and some key solution offerings available, including SAP HANA on Cisco UCS, a solution where Avnet was selected as the exclusive integration provider to the Cisco channel.
Identity and Access Management (IAM) for Mobility
This Security sales play focuses on Identity and Access Management challenges and implications, along with some effective solutions. As customers are struggling with their employees bringing personal devices onto the corporate network and expecting full access to data, they are concerned with how best to control that access. Many of Avnet’s Suppliers have robust solutions to not only control who gains access to the network and the sensitive data, but also where they can go once inside.
Internet of Things in the Channel
Many of our partners are trying to figure out what exactly IoT is and how they play in this space if they don’t build/sell smart devices. The truth is that for most Avnet partners, participating in IoT means leverages skills you may already have in Cloud, Mobility, Security or Analytics. What is IoT if not analyzing the data that comes from smart devices and turning that data into business insight? In this play, we will explore this topic and start to learn how to leverage skills you may already have to help your customers answer questions about their data they never thought of before.
Avnet is excited to be launching these initial sales plays to the channel this week. Please take advantage of these sales battle cards and on-demand presentations on the Avnet Knowledge Network and while you are there, take a peek at the many other great resources we have available for you on that portal. Additional sales plays will follow soon, so make sure you keep tabs on our blogs and on the Knowledge Network for updates. Logging into the Knowledge Network is simple for Avnet partners – just use your Avnet Channel Connection ID. If you forgot your ID or password, sign-up here.
For more information or to discuss how you can capitalize on next generation technology trends to drive profitable growth and secure your position as a trusted advisor to your customers, please contact your Avnet representative.
