How to Leverage the Popularity of the Cloud to Make it Rain

Cloud computing: technology revolution or marketing gimmick?

You will hear arguments on both sides. But one fact is beyond argument: the cloud has fundamentally altered the way technology services are bought and sold. Ignore this change at your peril!

The MSPs and VARs that capitalize on this shift and update their selling strategies to reflect the popularity of cloud computing will enjoy a more reliable stream of clients, revenue and income. More importantly, these businesses will cement a competitive advantage that will continue to pay dividends down the road.

Join Kutenda CEO Mike Cooch and Autotask Online Marketing Manager Rich Akullian on Wednesday, February 15 at 1 PM US ET as they identify the challenges and opportunities facing IT service providers in today’s rapidly changing business environment.

Don’t miss your opportunity to discover:

• How the cloud has changed the rules of game—and why yesterday’s selling methodologies won’t work today
• Why it’s imperative that you become a change agent
• The simple lesson about sales that all IT service providers must learn
• The 3 core skills that top salespeople always focus on and mediocre salespeople rarely do
• How to match your selling process to the client buying process (a key ingredient for selling success)
• The 4 places to look for qualified leads
• How to embrace your selling role (even if you’re not a so-called “natural born seller”)
• How to know when the time is right to close the deal and how to do it right
• The top 3 misconceptions preventing most VARs and MSPs from reaching their earning potential

The cloud has the potential to be either a costly disruption or a lucrative opportunity for your business—it’s up to you!

BONUS: Register today and enter to win a list of 1,000 local contacts! We’ll be drawing winners from our list of registrants after the event. Register now to enter your submission today.

Register now!

Overcoming Road Blocks in the IT Sales Cycle

When most technology solution business owners first open their doors, they often don't think about the many potential marketing hurdles potentially blocking their path to success.

However when these obstacles do arise, most entrepreneurs roll up their sleeves and go to work trying to devise a way forward.

Well then what could ever stop these extremely ambitious IT professionals in their tracks? A well-known phrase is 'you can be your own worst enemy'. It's possible you might inadvertently be creating some self-inflicted marketing challenges!

To find out the top five most common roadblocks technology firms impose on themselves, register now for this upcoming webinar on Tuesday, February 14 at 1 PM US ET!

Join John Black of MSP Telemarketing as he reveals several marketing 'patches' that can be applied to your current marketing campaigns. Rich Akullian of Autotask will also present on how to use the Autotask CRM to track your relationships better with an integrated IT business management platform.


Register now!

Autotask Community Live 2012 Moves to Orlando, Florida, June 10-12

Worldwide Conference Expected to Attract a Record Number of IT Service Providers

EAST GREENBUSH, NY - February 1, 2012 - Autotask Corporation, the world’s leading provider of cloud-based IT Business Management software, today announced that Autotask Community Live 2012, one of the largest educational and business-building events for the global IT services industry, will be held at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes in Orlando, Florida, from June 10-12. Autotask users and others interested in attending the conference may visit www.autotaskcommunitylive.com for information or to register for the event. Early registration discounts are available through February 29, 2012.

 

Since its inception in 2009, Autotask Community Live attendance has grown an average 35% per year, attracting Autotask users and IT professionals from around the world. Participation by industry-leading vendors has more than trebled over the same period. The three-day conference features multiple, concurrent education tracks including both product-centric and broader business-building courses.

The product training tracks includes a range of role-based and business process sessions, from basic to advanced training, to deliver tips, time-saving workflow automation techniques and best-practices for optimizing the use of various Autotask Pro modules and features.

The business-building tracks feature a wide variety of keynotes, panels and individual strategy sessions devoted to growing and managing a profitable IT business, including forward-looking insight on significant industry trends, market guidance, and new tools, services and solutions which can be offered based on integrations with Autotask’s vast community of strategic partners.

Several pre-conference boot camps and workshops will also be available, including a full-day Autotask Pro Accelerator Boot Camp (which sells out quickly each year), an Autotask API for Developers Boot Camp, and two half-day sessions focused on building skills, insight and service delivery intelligence using Autotask’s new Live Reports engine.

The final agenda for Autotask Community Live 2012 is currently under development and will be made available in mid-February. 

- What
Autotask Community Live 2012

- Who 
IT solution providers, IT service companies, managed services providers, value-added resellers, systems integrators or other technology solutions provider who wants to manage their business more efficiently and more profitably. Last year’s conference attracted more than 700 attendees, and Community Live 2012 is expected to draw more than 1,000 conference goers.

- When 
June 10 – 12, 2012

- Where
Autotask Community Live 2012 will be held at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes, 4040 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando, FL, 32837 www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mcojw-jw-marriott-orlando-grande-lakes/

- Registration 
For more information about Autotask Community Live 2012 or to register for the event, visit www.autotaskcommunitylive.com

- Speakers
Industry leaders interested in presenting at the event, should complete the Call for Speakers form at www.autotaskcommunitylive.com/call_for_speakers.htm

- Sponsorship 
Industry vendors and Autotask partners interested in learning more about Community Live 2012 sponsorship opportunities are encouraged to visit www.autotaskcommunitylive.com/sponsors.htm

Top Considerations Before Designing Your Managed Service Packages

Are you looking to implement new managed services and make more money in 2012? In this one-hour webinar, industry professionals talk about how to build a successful migration strategy for your customers!

On Wednesday, February 8 at 11:00 AM US ET, join Stefanie Hammond, Senior Partner Development Specialist of N-able Technologies and Len DiCostanzo, Senior VP Community & Business Development of Autotask as they share their insights on the importance of understanding the needs of your target customer when developing your managed services programs. This seminar will also review the different types of programs that exist on the Program Development spectrum and discuss the typical core and optional features that MSPs include in their various program packages.

In this session you'll learn:

• The different types of Managed Service offerings in the marketplace from a la carte to Fully Managed.
• What you need to ensure you are ready to go to market.
• Common features and elements that are included, optional, or excluded from service offerings.

This webinar is ideal for:

• Any service provider that is currently living in a break/fix world and is tired of the constant fire-fighting that T&M work brings! This webinar will provide you with the foundational knowledge needed to evolve your business out of the traditional break/fix model and provide key strategies on how to move into the Managed Services space.
• Any young MSP that is relatively new to the MSP space and is struggling on how to best design their Managed Services practice.

Register now!

CompTIA Quick Start to Virtualization

Virtualization has become a critical component of many IT strategies and is a foundational technology in cloud computing.

Please register for this webcast on Tuesday, February 7 at 1 PM US ET to understand this underlying element of the cloud. Terry Hedden, Founder & CEO of Infinity Technology Solutions and Rich Akullian, Online Marketing Producer of Autotask, will present on helping firms better address issues such as cost structure and security.

In addition to learning how virtualization works and the benefits and issues, Terry will review how you can get started including:

• understanding your workloads
• building the business case
• training your staff
• examining IT policies and plans
• starting small
• monitoring and adjusting as needed

Register now!