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Tell a prospect that he needs virtualization, and he’ll ask why. Ask him how he plans to cut costs and increase IT operational efficiency, however, and he’ll invite your ideas. IT manufacturers and resellers spend far too much time pitching systems, and not nearly enough time understanding their clients’ businesses. The latter is what leads to near-term sales and long-term relationships … not to mention referenceable projects and referrals.

Don’t think about selling technology – that’s what your competitors do. Instead, become a true “solution provider.” Take a consultative approach through the sales process. Work with your clients to understand the business problems they face, and you’ll have the opportunity to develop and implement technology solutions that solve problems inside and outside the datacenter. The key is to get as specific as possible and show how the pain can be alleviated in a manner that improves the business operation while reducing costs or increasing revenue.

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There are two reasons to enter the social media marketing space: to protect your brand and market share and to go out and grab more. How many reasons are there to avoid this marketing venue? None.

The ubiquity of social media means that you have to enter the space. IT manufacturers and resellers are already experimenting with blogs, LinkedIn profiles and Twitter feeds – some have already made them marketing priorities. Their reasons for doing so vary, however.

For the cautious, blogs and other social media tools are defensive. They provide a way to protect the company brand and keep competitors from rushing to claim the high ground online. By maintaining a social media presence, including regular and consistent blog-based communication, they are able to prevent other technology companies from reaching out to their clients. This protective approach doesn’t generate a powerful ROI case it does help prevent revenue from leaking to the competition.

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