30
Selling Storage Software in a Troubled
Economy
How to help empower your customers when IT budgets are shrinking.
ECTIVES
By Chris Ross, VP of EMEA, BakBone Software.
P
ERSP
While budgets are shrinking There are several ways the solution, the partner should
and many organisations are channel can help its show the long-term benefits
faced with difficult cutbacks, customers. For example, the and the value the initial
there is one element of the purchasing process should be investment will have in the
business world that continues made easy; the partner future. This type of planning
to grow exponentially ?data. should lay out a storage is a valuable tool not only for
THE CHANNEL
The creation of digital data, roadmap for the next five IT administrators but also for
the lifeblood of organisations’ years so that the user is not their management, and it can
knowledge and a source of surprised with more add-ons be leveraged as an ROI
revenue generation, doesn’t or a larger support package calculation. When budgets are
slow down because IT after the initial purchase. Not under close scrutiny, it is
budgets are trimmed or a only will a clear plan avoid especially critical to be able
company is faced with staff wasting the customer’s time, to show the long-term value
cutbacks. These unfortunate but it will remove the need to behind IT investments.
circumstances can make get additional budget cleared
managing, protecting and by the management, an Another way resellers can
implementing new increasingly difficult task make themselves more
technologies around this data given the current economic appealing to their customers
overwhelming and difficult situation. It is critical to be is by making licensing simple.
and this is an opportunity for clear from the beginning and This goes back to the first
the channel. make sure customers know point of making purchasing
that all their needs will be an easy process as licensing
Despite the economic climate, met with the initial quote. can be a major hurdle for
there are several ways to customers. Having to do more
break these barriers. Helping When a reseller is creating a with less, many
customers stay on track roadmap a customer, they administrators are forced to
through their day-to-day should clearly explain what is spend extra hours on
storage infrastructure is just included in the initial administrative work; the
as crucial for resellers to purchase and how the thought of having to figure
address as initial sale and investment will grow over a out complex licensing models
related training. It is crucial to five-year period; how much is not welcome. For example,
empower customers with extra budget will be required if a company switches from
resources that will help make if any? What other Windows to Linux, do they
their job easier, cut down on technologies will be necessary have to repurchase licenses or
administration time and help or desirable to add to the are they transferable without
them get buy-in from the environment? How much will a fee? Many backup
budget holders; help them do the support contract cost for administrators will ask this
their homework and research. the next five years and what question for the first time
This will show the partner’s are the available options? If during a live hardware
value as a resource, rather the customer is switching to transfer. These may seem like
than just a product reseller. an entirely new storage simple tasks on paper, but for
MAR/APR 09 WWW.SNS-UK.CO.UK
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