Description

In this episode of SaaS Connect by Cloud Software Association, guests Patrick Oborn, co-founder and CPO at Telarus, and Michael Sterl, president at Mobile Solutions at the time of this interview and now SVP of Sales at Intelisys—talk about how the telecoms industry really knows how to sell complicated, variable cost subscription digital products, and how SaaS can learn from the Telecoms channel.

Points covered in the conversation include:

• How the telecoms model works.
• In telecoms, how new software programs go to market.
• The reality of breaking in as a new vendor.
• What agents do in an initial sale, and then the renewal to support the customer and earn payment forever, and how to set up agents so that they create value.
• Getting customers to renew and the importance of the customer experience.
• The deal registration process, which opens customers up to the vendor’s direct sales reps.
• The role of trust and relationship between customers and partners.
• What master agencies look for in new suppliers; primarily the need comes from the bottom up, as well as exclusivity (UVP).
• Channel demand pulling, and channel stuffing, and the response of Mobile Solutions to this common issue.
• Why stop selling and educate instead.
• How to create value on something that you don't truly own.

Teaser Tip: … “If you can design the model to educate and train master agents on where they need to go and how your product or platform or solution can get them there, you ultimately have a win-win and a pretty smooth process, though it still takes time.” - Michael Sterl

Resources Mentioned:

• Amazon Web Services
• Office 365
• CenturyLink
• Verizon
• Rogers
• Telus
• Comcast
• Azure
• Equinix
• IBM 
• Salesforce
• Oracle
• Windstream
• Letgo
• Fortify

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