‘Bringing their leadership to one of these conferences. I’m impressed to see not just the account manager but the CEO walking in with their team. That’s nice. It’s important to me because it makes a connection for me in the business to see all levels of people here represented at the conference,’ says Ross Feldman, chief technology officer at Better Call IT, on what he values in a vendor.
For MSPs, the vendors worth betting on are not always the ones with the flashiest technology, the biggest booth or the most aggressive sales pitch. They’re the companies that prove they understand what a real channel partnership looks like by listening, showing up consistently, investing in partner success and staying engaged with the MSP.
At CRN parent company The Channel Company’s XChange August event in Washington, D.C., many MSP executives said the vendor behaviors that make them invest deeper into a relationship have more to do with trust, accountability and follow-through. They want vendors that treat them as strategic partners, not just another route to market, and that are willing to adapt based on feedback, provide meaningful support and create programs that help partners stand out with customers.
“None of the vendors that we work with, do I consider ‘vendors.’ They are true partners,” said Melissa Swann, SVP of strategic growth and client success at Covenant Technology Solutions. “They respect and understand that this is something that is going to benefit both of us.”
Other MSP executives echoed the same theme. They said vendors stand out when they provide steady account support, make their leadership accessible, offer certifications that help partners differentiate and communicate honestly.
“The vendors we have true partnerships with, the ones we invest in heavily, are the ones that are supporting our growth,” said Joe Ussia, CEO of Infinite IT Solutions. “That’s really what it’s all about.”
CRN asked the following question to nine different MSP leaders: What’s one vendor behavior that makes you more likely to invest in a partnership? Here’s what they had to say.
Claude Bird, founder and principal consultant at BirdNest IT Services Training & Consulting
When it comes down to brass [tacks], relationships are what you know. People say data tells, but stories sell. Vendors have to have a high focus not only on their product or how they deliver that product to the end customer, but on the customer service that’s provided after the sale. Not just buying the drinks at the bar to get the sale, but after the sale. That is important to me. I tell people all the time, ‘Look, I don’t have business relationships. I have all personal relations that I do business with.’ And I look for partners that share the same characteristic. Let’s make sure we take care of the end user. For me, I’m the vendor’s end user, and through me, I expect that they will also help me take care of my end user.
Michael Tanenhaus, principal at Mavenspire
I’m more attracted to vendors where the people that are talking to me are not people that are going to change position in the next three months or two years or whatever, and who actually care about our experience. Very commonly, what happens is somebody you know hires somebody for a specific role that’s all about their needs, and so they’re very focused on what their company as a vendor needs. Such people know what goal they have, what they need to achieve it, and they come in and they like pitch it, and sometimes it just doesn’t land right when really it’s much easier when you have somebody who’s talking about making a relationship and figuring out what we need.
None of this is new, right? It’s so obvious, right? But it’s just not the way people do it. Figure out what we need, and then actually deliver on that, which is the key point. A lot of times, people will lip service it, but they won’t actually do it. Sometimes because they don’t have the power, the vendors don’t organize it like that. The ones that float to the top, the ones that become truly part of our business, are the ones we thrive with.
Ross Feldman, chief technology officer at Better Call IT
Bringing their leadership to one of these conferences. I’m impressed to see not just the account manager but the CEO walking in with their team. That’s nice. It’s important to me because it makes a connection for me in the business to see all levels of people here represented at the conference.
Melissa Swann SVP, strategic growth and client success, Covenant Technology Solutions
A lot of it’s relationship-based and about showing that they’re willing to work with you. [One example is a company that] improved their product based on feedback. That ‘beginner’s mind’ mentality—of always knowing and striving to make their product better for the client—is usually going to be a mutually beneficial relationship, a symbiotic relationship. None of the vendors that we work with, do I consider ‘vendors.’ They are true partners. They respect and understand that this is something that is going to benefit both of us. You’re not just serving a need that we need to fill for our clients—but we’re there to help improve your product as well.
Paul Anderson, founder and CEO, Novacoast
I do appreciate vendors that have certification requirements—and then when you meet those bars, there’s different [advantages] available to you. We’re going through that right now with a couple vendors, where they let you differentiate from your competitors by having enough engineers that have proficiency in their [products]. I like that. With some vendors, it’s a turnoff for me when they say, ‘Register with us as a partner. It’s free and there’s no requirements.’ Then why would I do that? That’s like getting a Yellow Pages ad. Give me some differentiators. [I’d rather they] say, ‘Sorry, we can’t partner with you unless you do X, Y and Z.’ Alright, I’m interested.
Shayan Khan, senior system engineer, Preeminent Technology
Every vendor wants us to invest, but it [all] depends on the client requirement. We want to work with the vendors, but the thing is, there are so many tools coming. [Too often] they are bothering me, calling me. I don’t like calls. I’m always telling them, ‘OK, send me an email.’ Give me some time so I can look at it. If it meets a requirement, we will get back to you. You have to prove to the customers that you are providing the right tools. I can’t implement every tool in my company or my client’s company.
Joe Ussia, CEO, Infinite IT Solutions
Consistently showing up at events and showing us how they’re investing in our future. Things like vendor programs, where their success is based on our success. It has to be a true partnership. It can’t just be, ‘What’s in it for them?’ It can’t be one-sided. The vendors we have true partnerships with, the ones we invest in heavily, are the ones that are supporting our growth. That’s really what it’s all about.
Timothy Chenowith, managing partner, PDS Manage
A relationship. Somebody who actually listens to you as an MSP owner, somebody who understands where you’re coming from and doesn’t just talk at you. They talk with you. They understand your perspective, they listen to what you need and they work with you to figure out the best path forward.
Robert Scott, partner and CEO, NorDutch Technologies Inc.
Honest communication and a willingness to work through issues. For us, that means having a consistent account manager who understands the needs of our business and isn’t just trying to sell us products for the sake of selling them. We also need a support channel that knows how to communicate effectively and provide intelligent, useful support when we need it.
