The following are three tips that can help small business server consulting firms get the most out of their businesses. For the past seven years, Microsoft SBS has grown into a renowned and reputable small business server networking suite, and many have decided to get involved with the product. Before you, as a computer consulting professional and small business server specialist get involved with Microsoft, you have to consider this advice.
MOST SMALL BUSINESSES HAVEN’T HEARD OF SMB
Even if there are hundreds or thousands of small businesses in your area that would benefit from Microsoft Business Server, you can’t just assume all of them will know what the product is. In order to get the most profit and avoid being looked at as a commodity, you need to start your sales meetings with something more recognizable to more non-technical people, such as virus protection, SPAM-blocking and other security issues.
SELL YOUR COMPANY FIRST
You need to sell small business prospects your company before anything else. The money in the small business server business is not in reselling the software, rather in selling a long-term relationship with a potentially great client. You want to make your company the client’s outsourced IT department. When clients have emergencies, they will turn to you for computer system solutions that give them peace of mind, not Small Business Server. The relationship needs to be developed before you can sell the product.
MICROSOFT DOESN’T CARE ABOUT COMPUTER CONSULTANTS AS MUCH AS IT CLAIMS
The first version of Microsoft Small Business Server was released in 1997 under the codename “SAM” because the company’s initial purpose was to eliminate the reseller channel from the equation and sell the product at Sam’s Club warehouse clubs. Therefore, the program was originally non-technical and designed without you, the computer consultant in mind at all. Microsoft didn’t realize until after the product had shipped that it needed the resellers in order to reach small businesses. However, Microsoft Small Business Server can still be found in retail stores, so you have to explain to small business owners why they need your company before you can explain to them why they need the Small Business Server program solution.
Blogged By: Joshua Feinberg
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