Making the Most of the New Distribution

From preintegrated solutions to professional services, distributors offer way more than shrink-wrapped products these days. By Rich Freeman

Reader ROI:

DISTRIBUTORS TODAY are more than just “a warehouse and a bank.”

THEY CAN ALSO HELP ASSEMBLE multivendor cloud software bundles and deliver preintegrated solutions.

DISTRIBUTORS CAN PROVIDE outsourced professional services assistance too.

ASKING DISTRIBUTORS about their latest offerings regularly is the key to learning what’s available and how it might help you.

Services

The professional services that leading distributors now offer make delivering solutions easier for channel pros as well. Crystal, for instance, often calls in service professionals from TD SYNNEX for cost-effective assistance with tasks like wireless network surveys that he only performs occasionally.

You’re Never Too Small

DON’T LET THE SIZE, age, or maturity of your business deter you from approaching distributors about solution design expertise, outsourced professional services, or other forms of customized assistance. According to Todd Crystal of Spencomp Solutions, companies like TD SYNNEX are every bit as willing to work with a two-person firm like his as with a much bigger firm.

“Whether you’re a reseller who sells $500,000 or $500 million,” he says, “they really give you the same resources.”

“You don’t need to hire a guy who does wireless surveys if you’re only going to do it three times a year,” he says, noting that’s especially true at a time when qualified employees of all kinds are scarce.

Bringing in outside experts can impress clients too. “My customer looks at me and says, ‘Wow, you’re only two guys at your company, but you have all these resources,’” Crystal says. “It gives me credibility.”

So does associating his company with the TD SYNNEX name, he adds. “I’ve never asked to white label anything,” Crystal notes. “I like to tell my customer up front my partner is the No. 1 distributor of IT in the world.”

To date, Crystal has been pleased with the know-how and professionalism of the TD SYNNEX service providers he’s been assigned, but he’s aware that your results may vary. “Do your due diligence,” he advises. “Ask for references, see how much things cost, and see if it makes sense for your business.”

Asking questions of your distributors more generally is a good habit to get into, Crystal continues, because they’re constantly adding new resources that could be of use to you.

“You just have to engage with them to see what they can offer beyond buying memory and a monitor and PCs or servers,” he says. “Really, they can do everything for you.”

Image: iStock