This year’s gold standard Comms Vision Convention (6th-8th November, Gleneagles Hotel) doubles down on the technology drivers transforming the channel’s portfolios alongside how go-to-market (GTM) and revenue models are evolving – and what this all means for the channel’s strategic planning.
In today’s competitive technology marketplace getting closer to customers and understanding their future intentions is vital to securing new business and long-term growth – and how MSPs connect with ICT buyers and influence their decision-making will ultimately determine whether customer relationships stand the test of time. ICT buyers in the private and public sector are more tech savvy than ever before and more likely to rethink how they engage with MSPs. This means that an MSP’s strategic approach to the technology forces reshaping the future not only requires a sharp eye when reading the market, it demands a deep dive into the tech factors transforming businesses and how these drivers will play out in terms of IT buyer decision-making.
A GTM sales and marketing model that supports these goals is also vital. Therefore this year’s Comms Vision Convention will delve into how revenue models are evolving and the implications for MSP strategic planning. This conference track will also examine the rapid and far-reaching changes in sales, marketing and customer experience models that new technology is enabling, and explore ways to succeed through an agile, trusted and relevant GTM strategy that reflects changes in customers’ buying behaviours.
Steering the right strategic course
Where these two conference tracks (technology evolution and GTM strategies) converge leads us onto the Road to Future Growth. But astute decision-making on mapping the route ahead demands critical insights into the technology transformations accelerating channel growth, along with the inside track on pivotal factors that will steer MSPs towards making the best strategic choices around propositions, GTM and target markets. Among the many hot topics to be fully considered and explored at Comms Vision is the cardinal question of which technologies are driving (and will continue to drive) business model reinvention, and how end user tech requirements are evolving. Key points to be addressed include what’s topping the CEO’s technology agenda, the extent to which business and comms industry transformation is being driven by emerging technologies rather than more mature products and services, and what a successful skills and tech partnering strategy will look like in five years time.
Astute decision-making on mapping the route ahead demands critical insights into the technology transformations accelerating channel growth, along with the inside track on pivotal factors that will steer MSPs towards making the best strategic choices around propositions, GTM and target markets
This track will also bring into focus evolving cloud models and how far data, AI, analytics, security and intelligent applications will impact channel and end user businesses; and how these trends underscore the growing role of a channel partner as technology educator, enabler and problem solver. Furthermore, last year’s Comms Vision Convention highlighted the technology and market knowledge gap that can exist between suppliers and their partners. Given that bridging this gap and enabling MSPs to succeed as educators and problem solvers in this evolving world is vital, what more can vendors do to help MSPs get closer to customers and maximise growth opportunities?
Among the risks facing ICT resellers and MSPs is the rise of commoditisation (supported by ICT buyers’ growing preference for a more frictionless purchasing experience) which means that the drive for differentiation takes on a new urgency. Questions to be addressed include whether specialisation and verticalisation through the deployment of sector specific solutions will become more critical as a differentiator – and which technologies will provide MSPs with the best differentiation opportunities both today and tomorrow.
Comms Vision will also gauge how important it is for MSPs to review their tech stack and roadmaps and reassess partnering strategies, while identifying the priority focus areas for MSPs to consider when deciding on the right tech-enabled approach to differentiation.
Remodelling GTM and revenue creation strategies
The question of how to achieve better results through a fit-for-purpose sales and marketing model has also taken on greater urgency. Understanding the evolution of marketing and selling is crucial. But what strategies should resellers and MSPs focus on as they transition their GTM towards the business transformation and CX demands of end users? This pressing issue will be considered in the context of the big shift from transactional technology upgrades towards organisations requiring business transformation and tangible value creating outcomes, which closes the gap between the customer’s technology and business strategy. The impact of these expectations on MSP sales and marketing approaches will be fully under review at Comms Vision, alongside how MSP sales and marketing leaders could most propitiously target their resources and planning.
More broadly, this conference track will also consider the biggest challenges facing MSP sales/commercial and marketing leaders; and spotlight their golden opportunities and how to turn challenges into meeting opportunity with confidence. We will also assess whether MSPs focused inwardly on a cross-selling strategy are missing new organic customer acquisition opportunities. And gauge whether there is a strong case for the channel to recharge new organic customer acquisition as a primary growth driver. Furthermore, given the need to fully understand the end customer business and get closer to ICT buyers, we will explore how MSPs’ commercial resources are evolving, including pre-sales, and how far these functions need to be re-engineered.
The question of how to achieve better results through a fit-for-purpose sales and marketing model has taken on greater urgency
To help MSPs stay ahead of the GTM curve and ensure a competitive advantage our intention is to underscore the priority areas that MSP sales and marketing leaders would be wise to consider in order to make the right long-term commercial choices when setting out on their growth journey. This may involve tough decisions when remodelling sales teams for a brighter future, and will certainly involve an assessment of the impact of growing end user demand for tangible outcomes and value versus deliverables.
As well as commercial topics such as these... the emerging technologies requiring most attention will also be under the spotlight during an MSP-led insight panel where high profile MSP business leaders will provide first hand perspectives on navigating challenges and addressing market opportunities through the right technology, value propositions, GTM and revenue creation strategies.
Pictured above: The then Minister for Implementation Oliver Dowden CBE opening 2018’s Comms Vision Convention
About Comms Vision...
Comms Vision is the leading annual leadership forum for CEO, MD and CTO delegates making up the major league of the UK reseller and MSP community. To find out more about this year’s conference please visit – www.commsvision.com