The playbook for partner growth is evolving. At AppDirect’s Thrive event, executives from Savvy Technologies, Bluewave Technology Group and Renodis discussed how telecom-focused solution providers are following customers into AI, cybersecurity, energy and other emerging areas while deepening their role as trusted business advisors.
From AI and cybersecurity to cloud and energy, solution providers are finding opportunities well beyond their traditional roots. At AppDirect’s Thrive event in Los Angeles, Donna Kruse of Savvy Technologies, Seth Penland of Bluewave Technology Group and Bill Frohriep of Renodis shared how the channel is evolving from a sales-driven model to a trusted-advisor approach built on deeper customer relationships and business outcomes.
Here are excerpts from the panel discussion.
The Technology Buyer Is No Longer Just IT
Increasingly, technology decisions are being spread across the enterprise, and solution providers are increasingly working with marketing, finance, security, customer experience and business operations leaders in addition to IT teams. As technology decisions involve more stakeholders, advisors must connect their recommendations to broader business priorities and outcomes, the partners on the panel said.
Bluewave Technology Group, a San Clemente, Calif.-based solution provider, has noticed that thanks to technology convergence, technology decisions have become more interdependent across various technologies and parts of the organization, according to Seth Penland, Bluewave’s founder and CEO.
“Whether it’s technology, finance, customer operations, the call center, etc., you have clients driving this thesis around: Help us do more, help us make better decisions. Our jobs are on the line. Our companies need to be successful,” he said. “One thing that’s been really important to us is following the clients.”
Solution Providers Must Follow Customers Into New Categories
Many agent partners that started with the core specialty of connectivity or voice are branching out to include cloud, security, and even energy solutions in their portfolios. The advisors on the panel all agreed: agents must expand their reach to stay relevant with clients and avoid leaving money on the table.
San Diego-based solution provider Savvy Technologies is one such example of a partner that grew up in the telecom world but realized quickly that accelerating growth meant offering more solutions and services. Luckily, the firm found plenty of opportunities within its own customer base to do just that, said Donna Kruse, CEO of Savvy Technologies on the panel.
“It’s simple. You’re already working with clients. You have a relationship … they trust you, and they are also evaluating and implementing disruptive technologies in a bunch of areas—communications, cloud contact center, AI, mobility, and security—[and] they need help,” she said.
Energy: An Unconventional Growth Opportunity
Predictable areas, such as customer experience, cloud communications and cybersecurity have given many partners the opportunity to grow their businesses successfully, but energy is emerging as a new and untraditional investment area for some solution providers. However, much like with a new area of technology, building an energy practice requires specialized talent, and, in some cases, acquisitions to gain the expertise necessary.
Bill Frohriep, chief revenue officer for telecom and utility solution provider Renodis, said energy has become a significant growth opportunity because businesses need expert guidance navigating rising and unpredictable utility costs. By building a dedicated energy practice, in addition to its connectivity business, partners can help customers procure energy, manage risk, control budgets and support sustainability initiatives, he said.
Energy is a major customer expense, and it’s created a ripe partner opportunity beyond traditional telecom and IT services, Frohriep said.
“[When] we started out, our core was basic connectivity, CX, and then we expanded into energy. What we were really trying to do [was figure out] how we capitalize on our proprietary platform and grow?” he said. From telecom expense management, the firm realized it could help customers with other utilities by leveraging the same customer data and advisory model.
“And so that led us into that energy conversation. Energy procurement, going out and buying energy for customers, it leads into other things with sustainability,” Frohriep said.
AI Is Changing The Customer Conversation
No longer a buzzword, customers are increasingly turning to solution providers for help navigating AI. The topic has become part of nearly every technology discussion, from communications and customer experience to security and business operations, the partners on the panel said. However, customers increasingly admit that they do not know where to begin, which has created an opportunity for advisors who can translate AI capabilities into practical business outcomes.
Rapid channel adoption is creating partner momentum around AI, the panelists agreed.
“Customers are now more than ever reaching out to advisors because they’re openly saying, ‘We don’t know what to do, we don’t have the experience,’ so they’re relying on advisors, and so that trust is critical,” Renodis’ Frohriep said.
The Channel’s Next Chapter
The panelists agreed that the channel’s next growth phase will be focused less on product sales and more by trusted advisory services, especially because of the emphasis on emerging technologies. Partners should set their sights on landing an initial customer opportunity and from there, expanding into additional technology categories to help customers navigate complex decisions around AI, cybersecurity, communications and business transformation. This focus on outcomes will help partners position themselves for the next wave of growth.
Advisors increasingly must develop business cases, engage multiple stakeholders across the organization, deliver repeatable processes and provide strategic guidance that helps customers make decisions and achieve measurable results, according to Bluewave’s Penland.
“We’re moving from being a broker industry to an advisory industry and I think that’s a good thing for those that are investing in it, but it means we have to be more robust in terms of our process, our recommendations, and the artifacts that we deliver to our clients,” he said.
