You already know that managed services providers (MSPs) are joining peer groups like HTG. But now, some IT vendors are taking a similar path to potential success. One prime example: Roughly a dozen IT vendors — ranging from ConnectWise to Xerox — are seated in a peer group meeting right now at the HTG All conference in Orlando, Fla. What value do peer groups have to vendors? Here are some thoughts.
First, some background for those who aren’t familiar with peer groups. Peer groups typically include about 12 VARs and MSPs from non-competing regions. The peer group members share financial and business information to drive each member’s business forward.
The big question: Can IT vendors also share best practices with each other in a peer group setting? My knee-jerk answer: Yes, based on what I’m hearing while seated in HTG‘s first peer vendor group. A few quick examples:
- CA Technologies shared best practices for hosting webinars that drive qualified end-customer leads to channel partners.
- Great America Leasing shared best practices for HR, hiring and retention.
- SonicWall described how the company inspires VARs and MSPs to renew customer service contracts.
- There are plenty of additional examples… but I arrived a bit late to this party.
Bottom line: Each Best Practice presentation lasted about 10 minutes. Vendors were taking notes frantically during the session. And most of the presentations triggered plenty of questions — and answers — from each vendor in the room.
Simply put, it sounds like HTG Peer Group Founder Arlin Sorensen is onto something with this vendor peer group concept. Shared best practices among non-competing vendors… It sounds so simple but I think it rarely happens. HTG appears poised to change that.
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Posted In: Finance | HR | Marketing | North America | Sales
Tags: CA Technologies | ConnectWise | Great America Leasing | HTG All | HTG Members | HTG Peer Groups | SonicWall | Xerox
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Great post, Joe.
We are big fans of HTG Peer Groups, and have found our relationship with them to be extremely helpful in pushing our brand out in the Channel. In the early stages of Doyenz, we had a lighthouse program in which several prominent HTG members provided feedback that helped form our product roadmap and pricing strategy.
Getting back to the point of this post, it would be great for IT vendors to build on today’s momentum and continue to sit down in a peer group setting to address the same challenges we all face. Sharing best practices will support both the vendors and their partners, ultimately making the channel a better place for everyone to do business.
Best,
-Eric
Eric: Thanks for your 2 cents. Hope all is well. The other interesting thing: Hardware, software and cloud companies sharing best practices. Vastly different companies with similar challenges. As HTG Founder Arlin Sorensen told me during the vendor peer group meeting… it all comes down to people, and best practices for helping your people succeed…
Joe: One difference between the Vendor peer group and the solution provider peer group is that some of us in the Vendor peer group ARE competitors! The prime example is that both IBM and Microsoft are members of HTG Vendor Group 1. As such, and due to the nature of our businesses, there is less emphasis on the reviews of each vendor’s financial statements.
We share a common interest in helping our partners be more successful, but the Vendor groups are as much about growing personally and professionally as they are about being more effective with our partner programs and offerings.
As Microsoft, we were skeptical at first and even declined to participate in the initial meeting. However, Arlin was persistent and persuasive (imagine that!) and we decided to at least check it out. After having 2 meetings under our belt, we are sold on the value.
Arnie Mondloch
Director, Microsoft Partner Network team(US)
Arnie: Thanks for sharing your voice here. Arlin can be a very convincing person. Having sat in on a few HTG Peer Groups over the past two years I now see the value as well.
-jp