Much like baseball, the telecom channel is one of the fastest growing industries, making more self-made millionaires than almost any other. 

The entry of private equity into the telecom industry underscores the importance of this collective success. Private equity firms invest with the expectation of selling their stakes for a profit, influenced by the overall health and growth prospects of the industry. When the industry showcases innovation, stability, and growth — traits made more likely by a competitive yet cooperative marketplace — it becomes more attractive to investors.

What are you doing to advance your career? What are you doing to set yourself apart from your peers? What are you doing to be seen as a thought leader in this space?

An elevator pitch is the beginning to any great relationship. Is the elevator pitch a lost art?   So many times we show up, start talking with a prospect and we just end up verbally throwing up on them and everyone walks away confused.

So why has this convergence taken so long? Why don’t the VARs and MSPs realize that there is so much money in this channel and come flocking to compete with the telecom channel? The real answer is that there were and are still too many obstacles for them to adopt this new mindset and structure. We didn’t have the answers back then, and we didn’t realize there were going to be any obstacles. I think we are getting closer to bringing these two groups together, but is the timing right?

“Two years of hard work and if you really put your head down and go to work you too can possibly make millions.” That’s the goal and time frame that is commonly known in the Telecom Channel as the requirements to get a Trusted Advisor off the ground. The fallout is staggeringly high and the number of failures in the first year of this business start-up follows the typical startup failure metrics. Which isn’t a very high success metric.

The Channel Chiefs list, released annually by CRN, showcases the top leaders throughout the IT channel ecosystem who work tirelessly to ensure mutual success with their partners and customers.

Things always get a little awkward during maturity, and anyone who has teenagers can likely relate. If not, just remember back to those days during your middle school years when everything was changing on you. You began to feel differently and likely a bit confused with all the emotions you were starting to feel. Like those awkward teen years, our channel is also maturing. Things are changing. But what concerns me most is, will the channel still feel the way it does after we go through this process?

We're all familiar with the industry adage about the three-legged stool: the supplier, the TSD, and the Trusted Advisor. Success for one spells success for all. As suppliers, it's time we return to the foundational practices, the fundamentals that fueled our success in the past. We need to start making phone calls again and re-embracing the basics that have always been at the core of building strong, lasting relationships.

Last year the buzz around Channel Partners Expo was all about who was buying who and what is this “partner roll-up thing” all about. Now that the dust is settling a bit, and the M&A announcements are starting to die down the remaining partners are putting their heads down and wanting to get to work. There is a new understanding of what success looks like in the channel and it’s no longer about 2 AM Trust but a focus on building a clear direct line to success.

Many of us collectively theorize on what the future of this industry looks like and the one thing I can say with confidence is we are going to continue to adapt, advance, and evolve. In time, this industry will go through another iteration whether it be; acquisitions, consolidation, private equity, venture capital, or something different. The known over the next few years is continued change.

The Channel is wondering why MSPs haven't entered the market. Who says they are not already here?