Tag Archives: Sage

Going To Sage Summit 2013?

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sage summit 2013 square logo
The timing for this blog isn’t an accident. I wrote it specifically to be finished around Sage Summit 2013.

If you have questions about products and services and which Partners provide the best, look around while you’re at Summit. You’ll find enough quality VAR’s to answer any questions you might have. If you’re a customer attending and you don’t have a Sage VAR that you’re currently working with here’s your opportunity to find the best. They’ll be easy to spot; they’re usually the ones standing in booths, attending lots of sessions and you’ll usually find them between sessions talking with other VARs about software.

What factors make you want to return to a retail store, a vendor or a service provider? Is it price? Is it location or is it something even more?

One of my favorite quotations was written by Benjamin Franklin; “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten?”

What does that mean to you as a consumer or should it mean anything at all to you? My answer is “Yes it should.”

Saving money doesn’t mean buying the lowest priced products or services. It means buying products or services that offer the best value. This can be stripped down to 3 words, Focus on Value.

Traits to Look For In Your Sage Software Partner….

Do they have integrity, passion, & honesty? Or do you have to check and re-check every invoice they send you knowing that you’re going to have a less than pleasant conversation with them about the “Holy Cow” additional costs that you hadn’t anticipated?

Do you hear from them regularly to tell you about new updates, versions or maybe just an offer to go to lunch? Or, do they call just to remind you that your annual maintenance and support fees are due?

Do you recommend them to friends or business associates who are looking for ERP software?

If your “VAR” isn’t providing you with quality service like the ones that have been mentioned then maybe what you have is a Re-Seller, not a VAR.

If your software partner doesn’t appear to offer much beyond the ability to sell software I would refer to them as a Re-Seller. A Re-Seller doesn’t offer additional services, usually doesn’t have the resources to provide those services and generally has to charge you more because they have to pay an outside resource to provide those services.

Our clients deserve the best service that’s available. They trust that they’re getting the best service. It’s incumbent upon us to provide an extraordinary customer experience each and every time that we have a dialogue with them. It’s time that our clients are treated as something other than a quick buck.

If you’re losing more than your fair share of clients for “undetermined” reasons then it’s time to re-examine your business practices. Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate why you’re in business & if it’s just to make money then you’re probably in business for the wrong reasons.

However if providing an extraordinary customer experience for your clients is your number one goal, congratulations, you “get it” and not surprisingly so do your clients. Welcome to the World of VARs

Have Fun At Sage Summit 2013
July 21 – 26

http://na.sage/sagesummit.com

Bill Kizer

Bill Kizer

Sage Summit 2013 – Are You In Or Are You Out?

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Gaylord National Harbor Resort

Gaylord National Harbor Resort

There has been much discussion about the value of attending Sage Summit 2013 Partner & Customer Conference, which is being held in Washington D.C. July 21 – 26 at the Gaylord National Harbor Resort.

This is my favorite Gaylord because it’s easy to navigate (Not like the Opryland Human Maze), it’s close to some outside restaurants and clubs, (Again not like Opryland which is a $25 Cab ride downtown Nashville)

But I won’t miss it and neither should you!  I’ve have found that Summit provides me with great value and relevant information. Our industry changes daily and there’s no way to stay on top of these changes if we don’t talk to the source(s). You can find the source(s) and other partners who have utilized those changes successfully by attending Sage Summit 2013. 

Most of the real interesting conversations are those that you find in the hallways between sessions and keynotes. If you want to watch a partner who is adept at deciphering what is said and more importantly what’s not said, find Wayne Schulz and ask him if it’s okay to tag along, he’ll probably say “no” but go anyway. It’s how he and I became friends.

Its eye opening, informational and very rarely is his take on things wrong. I talk to Wayne 3-5 times a week and the conversation is always lively. You can catch Wayne on his daily morning walks at 6:00 a.m. along with other partners like Robert Wood, Peter Wolf & I swear I’m going to get up at Zero Dark 30 to walk with them.

If sessions are your thing then go park yourself in every Ed Kless session that has an open seat. You won’t leave disappointed. I have sat in many of his sessions, taken the week long Consulting Academy, gone to conferences just to hear him speak and rate Ed as one of the top speakers in our industry.

Look at the business partners and vendors who consistently attend Summit.  If you want the keys to success they’re the people to see. Go to their booths and see what they’re doing that you’re not. It’s probably a safe wager that they’ve been involved in Summit for many years.

“It has always been MY rule that if I am serious about selling Sage products I need to attend Summit. I need to “breathe” the air, sense the mood of the Sage community, and get enough inspiration to see me through another year.” Arlie Skory; Managing Partner at Skory Employer Solutions LLC 

There is a long term value of creating lasting relationships with other colleagues who will share their knowledge with you. I’ve spent many hours talking with them about the direction that our industry is headed.

What price tag do you put on the information you receive at Summit? How about face time with Sage executives, visiting with 3rd party providers? I don’t think you can put a tag on these. The sessions alone that Sage offers are topic rich.

We get caught up on doing work as we’ve always have not aware there are better ways to streamline our businesses & become more cost effective. If we don’t go to Summit & feed off the synergy then we’re going to stay in that same rut getting the same results.

There are BP’s who have concerns that they don’t write any new business at Summit. They’ve bought booth space, & brought a large group. Is it worth the expenditure? Can I justify the costs? How much business will I miss out on while I’m at Summit? These are valid questions. The answer is simple….How much effort are you willing to exert while you’re there.

If you’re going to Summit with the sole intent of closing deals you will be disappointed. It’s like going to the circus expecting Shakespeare; this is an unrealistic expectation. A lot of companies look at expenditures that don’t provide immediate return as worthless. I think of attending conferences the same as Spring Training, The chances of a productive year increase exponentially with a successful Spring Training.

If you’re still not sold, here are 3 questions to ask yourself.

►By not going am I adding or taking away value from the success of my business?

► What new technology can I find at Summit that I can add to my product portfolio?

►Am I the problem or am I the solution?

Come to D.C. & see what’s going on at Sage. You will go back to your business with new tools, ideas & a new attitude.

See you in Washington D.C.
Bill Kizer
http://na.sage.com/sage-summit/
http://billkizer.com

The 7 Deadly Mistakes of Using LinkedIn & How To Avoid Them

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The 7 Deadly Mistakes Using LinkedIn & How to Avoid Them

Since starting 3 LinkedIn Network Groups, the largest is the Sage Partners, Employees, Alumni & Analyst with 7,500+ members in 60+ countries and the United States & the group has become a daily reading staple for many of the Sage NA executives. The group was created with the idea of members sharing ideas & opinions on current Sage changes, events & general take on the Sage environment with each other.

Since May 2008 I’ve seen many mistakes that members continually make about setting up their LinkedIn profile & utilizing it to its maximum benefits.

Below are some of the most common mistakes. This was taken from a presentation that I gave recently at Sage Summit, Sage’s Annual Partners & Customers Conference In Nashville

#1 / Never Complete Your LinkedIn Profile
Don’t Open Your Professional Profile to 175mil LinkedIn members worldwide
Don’t List Your Accomplishments & Certifications
Don’t Include Your History, Current Position or Core Competencies
For mediocre results keep you profile at less than 100%

#2 / Use The Ghost Avatar
                        
Does Anyone Really look like this?
Does Remaining Anonymous Really Help?
Don’t Build any Social Media Credibility

#2a / Use A Cartoon As Your Avatar
Pets & Children’s Photos Have NO Value on LinkedIn. If You Go To Spring Break Every Year & Consume Copious Amounts of Alcohol & Lose Your Clothes, Please Keep Those For Your Private Collection.

#3 / Don’t Contribute To Your LinkedIn Profile
Stay Secretive About Yourself & Don’t Let Anyone Know Who You Are
Don’t Share Your Industry Knowledge
Let Others Determine & Shape Your Online Brand

#4 / Don’t Ask (Or Answer) LinkedIn Questions
By All Means Keep Your Unique Business Acumen All To Yourself
Don’t Become An Expert in ANY Industry, Remain an Enigma

#5 / Don’t Invite Others to Your Network
Keep Your Network Your Own Private Domain
Reduce The Number of Your Relevant Connections(Or Just Don’t Get Them In The First Place)
The Less Connections You Have Will Result In Fewer Search Results That You’ll Appear In

#6 / Don’t Give Or Ask For Recommendations
Don’t Let Your Colleagues Say Anything Positive About You
Remain An Enigma In The Virtual Word
Don’t Send Any Recommendations To People You’ve Worked With

#7 / Don’t Include Any Current Contact Information
Make It Impossible To Contact You
Make People Guess Where You’re Currently Working
Don’t Answer Messages or LinkedIn Invitations

These are but a few of the mistakes that I see people making but they seem to be the ones that continually show up.
Remember that an intriguing & complete LinkedIn Profile will help you Take The Work Out of Networking

Bill Kizer
Creator Sage LinkedIn Partners, Employees & Alumni Networking Group
LinkedIn Profile: http:// www.linkedin.com/in/bkizer  ~  williamkizer52@gmail.com
760.518.2493

Robert Wood; 2012 Co-Presentor
DDF Consulting Group, Inc.
Linkedin Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/bertowud  ~   robertw@ddfcgi.com
352.615.5898

Top Ten (Or So) Booths Not To Miss @ Sage Summit 2012

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Another Year; Another Conference & 10 More Top Booths To Stop & Meet. Have Fun! 


Altec ~ Booth 817

Come & meet the best team in Document Management in Booth 817. Altec understands the world of accounting, the importance of business communication through all mediums and has the expertise and product depth to begin your journey to the paperless office of tomorrow – today

Avalara ~ Booths 743 & 745

Look for the Booths with the Orange theme & you’ll have found Avalara! Their company has one of the shortest “Elevator Speeches.” We provide the fastest, easiest, most accurate and affordable way to manage sales tax compliance.” Their dynamic team will help you walk through the maze of taxation. They’re sponsoring the after party at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville on Tuesday evening. Don’t Miss It!

Scanco ~ Booth 511


You have to stop by & see what’s new in Bar Code solutions. I have worked with the entire team for multiple years & have found them extremely helpful. They’re customer oriented & will do just about anything to help you close a deal.When you work with Scanco, you have the security in knowing you are working with Sage’s Barcode Vendor of Choice. They develop and enhance the MAS 90/MAS 200 Barcode Module and fully integrates Scanco’s Warehouse Automation Module and LabelXpert Designer to Sage MAS 500. They’ve spent 20 years in the automatic identification business specializing in everything from barcode software and hardware to RFID applications. Scanco’s staff is well equipped to meet virtually every warehouse management need.

ISM ~ Booth 411ISM began as a company with one vision in mind: “Simple answers to difficult questions.” Their goal was to convert complex technology into   tangible business value so you get more work accomplished using fewer  resources. Keeping that same vision in mind, today they’ve grown to become  one of the top Sage resellers of business ERP and accounting software in the country.

ISM has a fantastic team of professionals that make ERP fun. Keeping that same vision in mind, today they’ve grown to become one of the top Sage resellers of business ERP & accounting software in the country. They’re also a Sage Master Developer with 20 years off application development experience. Stop by & see why customers choose ISM as their “Partner in Success”
                                                                   xkzero ~ Booth 746

Stop by xkzero’s booth to see their new products iSales 100 & GetX, their new mobile apps designed to make your business more efficient. Take the apps for a ride & say Hi to Paul & his team of experts! These solutions are a “Can’t Miss!”

                   Fisher Technology ~ 421

TaskCentre lets you integrate data between applications, on premise or in the cloud, build fully automated processes, generate alerts and automate reports all without having to write any  program code.

TaskCentre has a new Web service connector tool that can be used to bridge not just your ERP and CRM solutions but also your
Ecommerce, Logistics, Marketing Automation or Content Management Solution, ensuring that your business systems are not
separated by information silos. Meet Paul & Nicole.

IndustriOS ~ Booth 532


All I’m going to say about these great people from Canada is that they’re incredibly nice people who know their stuff. They also sponsor the Dan & Linda Run Challenge. Dan should be a breeze to beat, (Are you listening Rob Johnson?) but I’m sure Linda will give the women a run for their money, Check out their You Tube at the link below.

Blytheco ~ 517

If you like a full menu of product, resources & experience then you have to stop by & see what’s new in the “House That Stephen Built” Say hi to Ginger Kittinger who has worked the booth for Blytheco since, well, you’d have to ask her. They also have a race car simulator!

Foremost in accounting technology solutions for almost 30 years, Blytheco has provided a level of service that offers proven business solutions to clients that are customized to their needs. Providing a high level of consistently reliable customer service, support and satisfaction is Blytheco’s trademark in the industry. Our experienced staff of over 120 can provide you with unparalleled hardware and operating system support, accounting application training and support, custom programming and modifications and third-party software integration. Tailoring software to provide timely, accurate, and effective information will result in your business becoming more efficient and more profitable.

  I ~ Business Network Booth 711  

“Everyone knows that “Cloud” is the new buzz, but I-BN knows cloud. Since 1999 I-BN has been delivering Sage products over the internet. I-BN hosts products from over 30 of the exhibitors at the trade show. If you need to know whether something is possible in the cloud, stop by the I-BN booth.”

For those of you who are VARs looking to transition to the cloud, we do a lot of research about the business angles and the impact on a VAR practice and are glad to share insights (old Sage pun intended) so that the individual practice leaders can craft their own strategies to deal with the new realities of subscription based pricing and connected services consulting. Your top 10 including Altec, Avalara, Blytheco, ISM, Scanco and Task Centre have all run in our data center. We look forward to working with xkzero and others in the future!

Vendors & Booths Were Chosen By The Team of Trent, Trevor & Bill Kizer

                 Congratulations To All Those Chosen. Much Success To All

This List Does Not Reflect the Opinion of Sage Nor Any Of It’s Employees

Another (2) Reason(s) To Attend Sage Summit 2012

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One of my goals at my early Insights was to meet these two guys listed below. The first was Ed Kless and I would attend every one of Ed’s Sessions, sit in the front row where I made sure Ed could see me and then I’d spend the entire hour thinking of questions to ask. (Some were good, some weren’t) I went to Sage Consulting Academy in Dallas and I still think it’s one of the best investments that any VAR can make and it doesn’t have to be just for your consulting staff. I’m Sales oriented and found it to be invaluable. Since those early days Ed has had a positive influence on me and when I really have an issue I know I can call him and get the feedback that I need. With his travel schedule it makes it a little tough, but I know he’s just a phone call away.

When I first started working at Blytheco somehow a newsletter came through my e-mail from some guy named Wayne Schulz and after a few weeks of deleting them I started to read them. I was surprised that this VAR from small town Glastonbury, CT. had his pulse on the Sage environment and that so many people knew him. As with Ed I met Wayne at an Insights meeting because I wanted to get to know him better and find out more about him, how he got his information (He still won’t tell me) and only using information that he could confirm.

What I found from both Ed & Wayne was that you can succeed and still hold on to your core values.

I asked Wayne and Ed to be Managers on the Sage LinkedIn group because I trust their judgement and know that they have solid reputations in the Sage Software World. There’s been times when I would see a post that would send me flying through the roof and I would run it by them only to hear that I needed to come in off the ledge. Neither of them are “Yes” Men. If they disagree they’ll let you know.

Wayne and I talk 2-5 times weekly with most calls running 30 minutes or so and the topics are of a wide variety but mostly center around what’s going on at Sage, who he just saw at the Indian Casino and his family.

I sometimes think about what would have happened if I hadn’t trusted my gut instincts and taken the chance to meet this guys.

So if you’re going to Summit for the 1st time and are looking to maintain new relationships, work the floor and don’t stop working it until you can’t walk anymore. Wayne is always surprised at how many people I know at Summit. I’ve just made it a goal and if I can help someone feel a little bit more comfortable in a sea of nameless faces then I’ve accomplished what I’ve watched people like Ed & Wayne do for years.

Have fun and I’m looking forward to another Sage Summit and I’m anxious to see what Danielle and her team have up their sleeve.

BTW: Tomorrow 7/10 is Wayne’s birthday. Drop him a Happy Birthday wish and if he wants to share his advanced age with you that’s his business.

What Does A VAR Look Like To You?

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Robert_Himanshu_Bill_Pascal @ Sage Summit 2011

What Do You Think A VAR Looks like?

Do they have integrity, passion, & honesty? Or do you have to check and re-check every invoice they send you knowing that you’re going to have a less than pleasant conversation with them about the “Holy Cow” additional costs that you hadn’t anticipated?

 Do you hear from them regularly to tell you about new updates, versions or maybe just an offer to go to lunch? Or, do they call just to remind you that your annual maintenance and support fees are due?

Is This What Your Re-Seller Looks Like?

 Do you recommend them to friends or business associates who are looking for ERP software? 

Or are they like your drunk Uncle Charley who shows up for every holiday, drinks too much, starts swearing like, well a drunken uncle. He then proceeds to pass out on your new couch which is when he chooses flatulence as his primary language. Upon awakening to the smell of something burning in the kitchen and the shrieking of the fire alarm do you realize that Drunken Uncle Charley has plans to stay the entire Holiday weekend at your place, which is when you whip out the plastic and book him a room at the furthest hotel from you with promises that he’ll pay you back.

If your “VAR” isn’t providing you with quality service like the ones that have been mentioned above then maybe what you have is a Re-Seller, not a VAR.

I was just reading  a social media post from a new Sage partner who wrote the following (paraphrased)

They wanted input from other partners because they wanted to know why Sage is better than Quick Books & another solution but they weren’t really sure as they have no experience in the usage of Sage or any other accounting program. Okay, fair enough we all have to learn sometime about the software that we represent but here’s where I was just dumbfounded. I went to their website, wait for it, and wait for it
This was what I read (paraphrased again)

At ____________ we specialize in the use of, and training in, Sage accounts, Payroll and HR programs. We offer good value and great service during training and, if you require it, maintenance.

Okay, so is there something that I’m missing?  So which classification does this partner fall into? They don’t appear to me to offer much beyond the ability to sell software so I’m going with Re-Seller. A Re-Seller doesn’t offer additional services, usually doesn’t have the resources to provide those services and generally has to charge you more because they have to pay an outside resource to provide those services.

I know what the Re-Seller looks like because I worked for one for a short period of time. Not only did they not have the in house resources to help their clients but they hadn’t bothered to have their IT person certified, why by the way is a requirement by Sage. What that means that even if we had a sale we couldn’t process it because our online Sage access had been shut off.  That’s called a red flag and a reason to find a real VAR who could provide those services.

Our clients deserve the best service that’s available. They trust that they’re getting the best service. It’s incumbent upon us to provide an extraordinary customer experience each and every time that we have a dialogue with them.  It’s time that our clients are treated as something other than a quick buck. If you’re losing more than your fair share of clients for “undetermined” reasons then it’s time to re-examine your business practices.  Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate why you’re in business & if it’s just to make money then you’re probably doing in business for the wrong reasons. However if providing an extraordinary customer experience for your clients is your number one goal, congratulations. You “get it” and not surprisingly so do your clients. Welcome to the World of VARs

Transition Versus Change

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I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about change lately and the reasons for each individual event have one basic conclusion, but we’ll get to that later.

What’s your initial response when the company you’ve worked for a period of time experiences significant change in the overall ownership structure? My first reaction is one of fear and that fear is usually based around one re-occuring. “What Am I Going To Lose?” With that one simple question my mind can run off in all sorts of directions that aren’t healthy for me or anyone around me because that’s when the negativity & fear of the unknown start to cultivate & grow in my mind. 95% of the time when I have speculated about what change is going to bring is so off the mark that I feel like a moron.

This is also the time that I start to speculate about those changes. The best definition of speculation is “a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence.” The key phrase is incomplete evidence. Apparently it was pretty evident to others that I wasn’t dealing well with the changes that were going on around me so they gave me a book to read titled Managing Transitions by William Bridges. In it he says the following;

 “Change,” which he describes as external and public, and “transition,” which is internal, private, and psychological.  He claims that change is relatively easy but transitions are more difficult and emotionally demanding.  He states “Transition is the psychological process people go through to come to terms with the new situation….and, it is these interior processes of learning and adaptation—not the external facts of change—that are underestimated and can be treacherous to one’s health and happiness.”

“ In our highly mobile society, where change and ambition are considered coin of the realm, people fail to recognize that any transition process—in life, in love, in work—not only requires adapting to a new situation, but it means letting go of old habits.”

Prior to reading this book I didn’t realize that there were two parts to change. I just thought that I thick headed and stubborn. Well, maybe there’s still some of that, but……

You might ask why I’m writing about this at this juncture. Since you asked I’ll tell you. Sage is going through some major changes in terms of re-branding its entire product line. There’s been a lot of discussion amongst the Sage partners about how it’s going to affect their bottom line.

What’s interesting to me is that I haven’t lost a minute of sleep because I understand the need for a change so I’ve passed through the Transition phase with flying colors and am anxious to see how this all works out.

I’m in the Change phase which allows me to move forward and I hope that all the partners who are still in the Transition phase get to enjoy the Change phase.

All VAR’s Are Not Equal

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Beats Me

All VAR’s are not equal nor are they the same. Some VAR’s shouldn’t be VAR’s which makes the exceptional VAR’s stand out even more, but gives the entire industry a Big Black Eye. This is just my opinion but some partners should close their doors and find their core competency and go do it.

Pre-2000 deals were flowing and everyone was happy, except for the customers. They were unhappy because they found that selling the solution was but a small part of the process and a lot of these customers were left out in the cold silently, and sometimes not so quietly cursing the entire industry. They were justified in their anger and disappointment.

What they found, much to their dismay was that not all VAR’s had their best interest in mind. This reminds me of Ben Franklin’s quote which was written more than 200 years ago;

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”

Deloitte and Touche did a study a few years back. They asked first and multiple time purchasers of Accounting Software what their #1 criteria was for choosing a system. (See Results Below)

Top 10 Criteria for Selecting Accounting Software

Rank                            Reason

Price of Software

Ease of Implementation

Ease of Use

Software’s ability to fit the business

Functionality of software

Software works with existing hardware

Growth potential of software

Level of support provided by local firm

Quality of documentation

Developers track record of performance

2nd Time Buyers

Rank                          Reason

Level of support provided by local firm
Developers track record
Software’s ability to fit the business
Growth potential of software
Price of software
Quality of documentation
Functionality of software
Ease of use
Ease of implementation
Software works with existing software

Take a look at the top 5 in the second group. The level of support provided by the local VAR was #1. I have shared this study with many prospects over the years, 50% took a look at it and still decided that price was the most important and paid the price. I’ve had many calls from prospects who chose price over substance asking us to clean up the mess from the partner they chose. The other 50% bought the right solution from the right partner and lived happily ever after! I recently ran into a Sage Software distributor who doesn’t have any in house resources to implement MAS products and yet call themselves a VAR. Apparently they’re unaware that VAR is the acronym for VALUE ADDED RESELLER intimating that the reseller provides Value. They can sell and they can provide support for the customer. If there are any potential customers reading this please don’t make the mistake that many others have made by choosing your Solution Provider on price alone.

  1. a. Ask them for 3 – 5 reference able happy and satisfied clients.
    b. Ask them what their implementation methodology is. All successful VAR’s should have this ready to send to prospects.
    c. Ask them how long they’ve been in business as a Sage VAR.
    d. Ask them if their staff is certified. If they can’t provide you with any of the above then you’re probably not dealing with a VAR, you’re dealing with a distributor; and anyone can distribute software.This is your time to ask questions and you should expect answers to your questions.Being a VAR requires a healthy investment and there are companies out there who are looking for shortcuts to this process. The Sage Software distributor that I mentioned earlier didn’t even have up to date certifications for their IT guy to do implementations. Really? Yet, they call themselves a VAR. Its people like this who give the industry a bad rap and unfortunately the rest of the industry has to answer for these companies.

Life’s Crossroads

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Have you ever come to a crossroads in your life and not known which branch to take? They all seemed about the same at the time but in retrospect they were about the same as night and day.

So, what to do, you ask? Beats the heck out of me, I can’t answer for anyone else but myself. Making wise decisions was never my forte when I was younger and I’ve only got smarter as a result of repeatedly taking the wrong road. Taking short cuts seemed to be the easier, softer way, and they were fun. But life has a way of turning shortcuts into valuable life lessons.  Fast forward a few years to 2001. I had a small business and my partner ran off with our remaining $91,000, left the country and me with few options.

See where this is going? Crossroads? Decisions? I was at a crossroads and I was willing to listen to others. I received a call from a friend who had been selling Oracle software for a few years. He had made the switch from Oracle to Sage and was the Sales Manager at Sage’s largest partner.

He asked if I wanted to come to work for him selling software. I told him “sure” but I’d never sold software. He told me not to worry, he’d teach me everything that I needed to learn. Thus, my career in the world of software began. He left the company shortly after hiring me but I wanted to stay because I was really enjoying what I was doing.

The owner of that company became my first software mentor and even though I left his company I still consider him a friend today. Occasionally we get together for lunch (almost always sushi) and we catch up with each other.

When I left his company I was at a crossroads, I thought that it was time to take what I had learned out “into the world.” It wasn’t my best decision. The difference in this decision and the ones that I made when I was younger; was that I was making this decision to take better care of my family.

Since then I’ve had to make a lot of crucial  decisions, but that’s part of life, making decisions each and every day and the one thing that I keep in mind when I’m making those decisions is this, how is this going to affect my family?

One of the hardest decisions that I’ve had to make in the past year was my relationship with my son’s mother and how we both knew it was time for me to get my own place. I remember leaving the house that night and I was filled with a feeling of  ”failing.” I sat in my car that night for a long time wondering how things had gotten to this. Since that night to right now I’ve grown more and as a result of that growth I have become a better person. I make sure that my wife has plenty of whatever she needs to continue to give the boys what they need and I treat her with the up most respect because no matter what she’ll always be their mother and I’ll always be their father and I’ll always be the father I never had. I don’t talk bad to the boys about their mother Why do I do this? Because it’s the right thing to do.  As a result of doing the right thing I get to spend quality time with them and that’s extremely important to me.

I was at a crossroads when I left the house and I had two roads to take, the first would have been the selfish one and my sons would have had to pay for that. The second and the most rewarding road is the one when I do things for other people because it’s the right thing.

How Important Is Transparency?

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Webster’s Definition of Transparency; “Implies Openness, Communication & Accountability”

In many corporations you’ll find the “Executive Team” cloaked in secrecy, making decisions that affect their employees all the way down the organizational chart often changing the relationship between the company & their customers. The sub text of this type of secret organization implies that they don’t trust their “valued” employees, nor do they care for their input & if they complain enough the company finds a way to let them go & finds someone else to fill that space & the behavior goes on unchecked, but who cares because profits are up, so why change?

Most of their customers are treated the same way. Other than the revenue that they generate the company looks at them as a necessary evil, invests minimally in support & knows that they can find more customers.

All of these decisions are made behind closed doors & in hushed tones & it’s this sort of company that creates no employee or customer loyalty. It’s just a job or in the case of the customer it’s just a vendor & you won’t find any Raving Fans in either group.

We have all probably worked in this atmosphere, I know I have & even though I had great ideas most fell on deaf ears. Eventually that dream opportunity becomes the dreaded work place that I have to show up to so that I can get a paycheck. In time creativity is gone from my spirit, I’m taking sick days off; I’m getting in late, leaving early. There is an astronomical cost that goes along with this type of operation.

Now flip the page & look at a company that is doing it’s best to become transparent. I understand that complete transparency is impossible, so I’m not being naïve about my definition of transparency.

Let’s talk about the new Sage. For those who have been living in Mukluk, Alaska or wandering the Sahara Desert for the past year, News Flash! We have new faces & new attitudes at Sage. Our CEO is making changes along with her management team that they believe will help the partners & customers, not hinder us. Were some of the decisions that were made last year popular? No, but I believe that they were made because they had to be & someone has to make them.

They’re open to hear what we have to say & in most cases people just want someone to listen to them. In the past 6 months I’ve seen more evidence of a transparent society than ever. We’ve been offered free training classes, Workshops, Road Shows, etc. There are a lot of Sage employees crossing the skies everyday to bring that new message to us & if you’re not taking advantage of them it’s your own fault.

One of the bright spots of this new transparency is that it looks like its being backed up with action. Understand that all these actions by Sage are not going to make everyone happy, but if you have a complaint take it to the right people & think about a solution that you think might work. That opens up the communication lines, it makes people feel valuable, & they know they’re being listened to, & you can’t put a price tag on that.

Creating a work culture that trusts its employees doesn’t happen by accident. It takes work. It also takes dedicated and passionate people who not only trust their employee but are “Part Of The Solution.”

When I was managing sales persons and support people I encouraged them to bring their concerns to me. But if they were in my office just to complain they had to bring a solution with them. It’s a small paradigm shift but if everyone’s thought pattern is centered on the solution rather than the problem the culture will change into a more positive atmosphere. It has to.

For a great book on these topics read Paul Spiegelman’s “Why Is Everyone Smilng? The Secret Behind Passion, Productivity & Profit”

Say Goodbye to 2009

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2009 was an interesting year. It was certainly better than 2008, but new solution buyers still seem to be cautious, but they’re out there.

There were alot of personnel changes at Sage, some understood, some not.

Partners closed their doors either by choice or their circumstances demanded a change. Other partners chose the comfort of a merger with a larger VAR who could protect their tier & provide them with resources that they didn’t have prior to the merger.

Still, other one time Select partners picked up other solutions outside the Sage family in hopes that the ability to offer product diversity would add additional sources of revenue.

Overall business was about what everyone expected, but the interesting outcome of talking with alot of partners is that there is some hope in the air that the worst is behind us.

The second part to those conversations is that people are starting to believe in the current leadership that we have at Sage.

A new method of business was probably just what the doctor ordered & now we’re having to find better ways to take care of our customers.

Social media is not just an buzzword, it’s here to stay. Look at the number of members of this group (2,900+) LinkedIn has over 50 million daily users, Facebook has 350 million active users. Twitter doesn’t release their user base numbers, but I’m sure their numbers are up there to. Are you utilizing these new sources to their fullest?

Let’s all say goodbye to 2009 & bring in 2010 & all that it will bring.

Taylor Macdonald leaves Deltek

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After having spent less than a year at Deltek, Vice President of Worldwide Channels and Sales Alliances Taylor Macdonald has left the professional services software company, effective immediately, for an executive position at an unspecified educational company.

Taylor Macdonald had previously been the popular and long time Executive VP Channel and Sales for Sage Software. He started with Sage in 1998 and in July 2004 was promoted to Executive Vice President, Channel and Sales Operations for the Mid-Market Division. He left Sage in October 2007 during a sweep of executive management which also included the departure of CEO Ron Verni, CFO Jim Eckstaedt, and CTO Jim Foster.

He had recently been signing up a significant number of top Sage vars who seemed to largely flock to Deltek based upon their interest in diversifying product lines as well as their faith in Taylor Macdonald. Continue reading →

We’d Like to Hire You….But……….

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Here’s a sign of the times that I want to share with you. I have been interviewing with an software VAR for the past 5 weeks, driving to their offices in Orange County several times. I passed with flying colors; I became the person that they had to have. A couple more phone interviews with the VP,  & he utters the words that every job candidate wants to hear, ”We’ll have a job offer letter to you” by the end of the week.

Well, as you can probably guess the offer letter never came & here’s why.

After crunching numbers they realized that unless I was willing to come on board on a commission only basis then they don’t have the budget to hire someone of my caliber right now. According to the VP it has nothing to do with my skills & knowledgebase; but everything to do with their fear of the economy. Continue reading →