Roundtable Discussion: Commoditization and Competition During COVID

Today we discuss the marketplace as the pandemic rages on.  May MSP's are fighting to stay afloat as we head into what looks like it can be a long winter.  Robb starts the discussion sharing that in the peer groups he operates sales pro's are indicating that the race to the bottom is on. We then dive into the difference between building strategic relationships for the long-term vs. solution selling.  The goal of a strategic approach is getting closer to the customer and by leveraging a more aligned approach to client management, margins can be preserved. Brian talks about the fact that the solutions starts through understanding.  We are seeing a trend to solution first selling where solutions are't being fully fleshed out and quotes are hitting the streets. We then discussed how both companies strategies need to be aligned to have a successful relationship and to box out commoditized competitors. Tim and Brin discuss how sales reps can struggle with the strategic discussion as it is a conversation that many reps are not accustomed to holding and as a result their only sales tool is the discount. We then discuss that training and a culture of empowerment can help sales teams to elevate and preserve margin when taking on a small shop delivering only a lower price. Robb then shares practical tactics for how sales people can approach their meetings.