For years now I’ve been in the unique position to be able to help companies with their IT and Telecommunications needs. In the beginning I did was most vendors do and I reacted to PO’s with joy and then pushed for more PO’s without even blinking an eye and without any real understanding of where they were coming from. The fact is it’s a lot easier to be a Box Pusher than it is to be a Solution Provider. But easier for whom?!?

Let’s break down and clarify these two terms:

Box Pusher: Someone who literally translates a PO into a sales order and pushes the computers, printers, switches, PRI’s, T1’s, etc. right out the door. Once they are delivered, it’s up to you. These folks often have quotas given to them by the upper management of their company and they are forced into a position to make as many sales as they can. These companies often call themselves solution providers, but are they really?

Think about your experiences over the years with your vendors (I know it might be hard as these folks are constantly changing on you) while we look at what a solution provider can do for you. Then, as you read further, think about how much smoother your operation would run and how much easier your day would be if that person truly came from a place of understanding your business and not just what matters to them (sales of the above listed products and services in order to hit goal before they’re replaced by another ignorant box pusher).

Solution Provider: This is someone who generally has a bit more experience in the technology fields we are talking about (sometimes specialists, sometimes generalists), but in either case they know how things work and more importantly to you, how to get things done. They understand the distribution channel, how companies and sales reps are compensated and where the systems strengths and vulnerabilities lie. Another key component to the background of this type of vendor is their understanding of business; your business. These solution providers may have specific experience in the printing industry, healthcare industry or government organizations and will proactively share this knowledge with you.

Having this type of vendor as a part of your team is not only important, but crucial when it comes down to the line… your ass on the line. The relationship that you build together can not only save your company money, but it can make your company money as well! You trust these people with your career to act as a true advisor for what is best for your company. This may mean that they don’t make the sale that day, but instead they help you to realize alternative solutions to your problem by thinking outside the box and relating it back to your industry.

Throughout the years I’ve dealt with hundreds of organizations ranging in size from the Fortune 200 to small mom and pop shops all across the US. I think we can all agree there is at least one common problem facing all of these organizations and the managers who lead the IT initiatives (while knowledge and access to it is of the utmost importance in the day to day operations), I believe the most crucial and fundamental problem you deal with on a daily basis is the way technology is perceived within your organization. While we’ve seen these waves go in and out, ultimately IT/Telecom is still seen as cost centers and you are constantly trying to reverse the tide to show your superiors that it can be a profit center!

A good relationship with a provider of solutions (and not just a box or two) can make or break this perception problem with you. Give it a try and let me know what you think. If you’d like help in trying to create new or transform your existing relationships into something which will proactively help you, then give us a call and I’d be happy to review this in greater detail with you.