Stories by: Cam Wayland

It may be 50 years old, but the Ansoff Growth matrix is still an “oldie but a goodie” when it comes to partners and/or vendors deciding on the best strategy for sales growth.

I recently participated in ARN’s Partner Profitability roundtable, which fostered spirited discussion around some of the business and profitability issues facing the channel, as well as new profit opportunities going forward.

I recently participated in ARN’s Partner Profitability roundtable, which fostered spirited discussion around some of the business and profitability issues facing the channel, as well as new profit opportunities going forward.

Here is my own real example of not asking the right customer questions, or worse – thinking I had asked the right questions, but still ending up with a project situation that took longer and cost more than anticipated.

By now the holidays are becoming a distant memory and it is either the beginning of a new financial year for some, or the run to the finish for others. Welcome to 2009, a year that will undoubtedly have its share of ups and downs – hopefully more ups if some structured channel planning is put in place now.

At just about every meeting, client catch up or industry event I attend these days, people ask me the same basic questions: “How’s business, what’s going to happen next and when/where is it all going to end?”

I have been a regular visitor to Interop in the US for nearly 15 years and have found it a reasonable guide to what is going to happen in networking and communications over the coming months and years. This show has both scale (over 500 networking and communications vendors exhibiting) and focus, something that events in Australia cannot match.