By Greg Chappell, Vice President Global Sales and Partner Success at Think On, Inc.
In a cloud-smart world, we need to focus on business outcomes rather than adding to the volume of cloud applications that may or may not serve customer needs. At ThinkOn, we approach partnerships in the same way. We help our partners grow by shifting from a technology-driven ideology to an outcome-driven approach that follows a strategic roadmap to success.
This customized planning process engages our partners in a tightly knit, symbiotic relationship, one that goes beyond the kind of cloud-first mentality where vendors buy technology from a cloud provider and don’t hear from them again unless there’s a problem or an opportunity to increase sales. At ThinkOn, we get involved with your business to help you make strategic decisions that improve your bottom line, assist your team, grow your business, and help you and your customers succeed.
Skills shortage: Filling the gap
The formidable challenge of the skills shortage in the technology industry is a compelling reason to work within a partner ecosystem, where extensive resources and expertise help you design customized solutions that fit customer needs and ensure the right outcomes.
The difficulty businesses experience filling IT positions is a growing problem. According to a recent study by the US Federal Reserve reported in the Financial Times, “Job openings exceeded available workers by 4M, equal to 1.7 jobs for each jobseeker.”[1]
By working with top-rated global technology providers, partners can overcome skills shortages, increase opportunities for innovation and product/service advancement, and pool resources to customize strategic solutions that extend their offerings. It also provides support in implementing solutions based on business outcomes that help grow their businesses and that of their customers.
The partner journey: Strategic planning makes partners grow
Filling the skills gap is an important component of cloud partnership, but at ThinkOn, we’re not just here to offer you our technical expertise; we’re with you throughout the partner journey to help you succeed.
An outcome-driven, cloud-smart partnership is not about signing on to a pre-packaged, jam-packed, one-size-fits-all solution; it’s about building a relationship that benefits your whole business.
That starts with a holistic approach to working with the people who make your business thrive. Our Thinkers partner with multiple roles across your organization to save them time, lend our global expertise, and help you make strategic plans for the future.
The changing landscape—keeping up in a global world
Technology advances at break-neck speed. Keeping pace is critical to gaining and maintaining business—in any industry—and working with a trusted partner is key.
According to Isaac Sacolick in an article for InfoWorld, “The bottom line is that organizations that can’t find ways to partner and collaborate with third parties will struggle to keep up with the pace of transformation.”[2]
Our Thinkers understand global IT business and all its benefits and pitfalls, from the implementation of our true sovereign cloud to world-class backup and cybersecurity, and international compliance backed up by our 20+ data centers worldwide. We bring extended global perspective and resources to our partners’ strategic business plans.
Recruitment specialists Cavendish Professionals advocate for the crucial role your IT provider should play as a partner, “A technology provider can help keep your business’s technology relevant and help you uncover new technology solutions. More importantly, a technology provider can help you see through fads in technology and ensure that new purchases are relevant for your business for the long haul.”[3]
We help our partners navigate this constantly changing landscape by sharing industry knowledge and resources, collaborating with top innovators, and offering competitive pricing and escalating rewards for success.
Lifecycle support: A collaborative go-to-market strategy
Creating opportunities and helping your teams work together to grow your business is what a holistic approach is all about. As our Thinkers work with your team members, we collaborate throughout your organization to break down silos so everyone contributes collectively to the strategic business plan.
Our lifecycle support means we’re here for the long haul, before, during, and after implementation. We provide a range of marketing supports, from customer-facing collateral to joint marketing opportunities. That includes attending and presenting at your events, marketing campaign assistance and cross-sell opportunities, We also support you with double-digit margins, partner recognition and incentive programs, and go-to-market assets that fit your needs.
The LAERed approach: A whole new level of support
Your ultimate goal is to grow your business. We help your teams achieve this goal by providing support all along the customer journey. It’s what we call our LAERed approach to helping you land, adopt, expand, and retain business. Here are the four pillars of ThinkOn support that take your customer accounts to the next level.
LAND—ThinkOn solution architects collaborate with your IT specialists and sales teams to assess requirements, design and execute proof of concept, and support proposal development. We help with everything from free trials to developing quotes on ThinkOn products and services, and we reward your success with incentive programs and sales recognition.
ADOPT—Our post-sale technical teams lead subscriber onboarding and provisioning. Our quick and nimble services can often be provisioned in as little as one business day. We also provide ongoing training, 24/7 Tier 1, 2, and 3 support, and comprehensive get-started guides.
EXPAND—Our Thinkers engage with your teams to support cross-sell opportunities, develop collaborative marketing support, and offer new service and feature training for our partners and your subscribers.
RETAIN—Everyone loves the thrill of gaining new business, but retaining that business is equally important. ThinkOn understands how to nurture long-term relationships that really stick. We lend our knowledge and expertise to support partner-led customer retention and renewal programs.
ThinkOn is part of your team because we help partners grow, retain trust, and build relationships. That’s good for business—yours and ours. But it’s also about our values. We started ThinkOn to contribute to the industry and help customers use technology to make a better world. To do that, we need to put our partners’ interests as our priority.
Partnership with ThinkOn is more than a contract
At ThinkOn, we think differently, and that’s why our strategic partnerships are different. Collaboration, innovation, customization, and cloud-smart strategic thinking go into every relationship. Partnering with ThinkOn is a strategic deep dive and a business relationship that goes far beyond product. Navigate the new digital reality with confidence, expand your business, and make data thrive—with ThinkOn.
Learn more about our LAERed approach to partnerships and why we put partners first.
[1] Financial Times. Lucy Colback. 2023. “Technology and the Skills Shortage.” https://www.ft.com/content/b1b710a1-6d12-43e5-8508-ae4584a7289a
[2] InfoWorld. Isaac Sacolick. 2023. “5 best practices for software development partnerships.” https://www.infoworld.com/article/3697131/5-best-practices-for-software-development-partnerships.html
[3] Cavendish Professionals. 2023. “How Technology partnerships can be mutually beneficial.” https://www.cavendishprofessionals.com/how-technology-partnerships-can-be-mutually-beneficial/