Title: Vice President and General Manager of Channel Sales
Years in current position: 1
Years with current company: 5
Years in the indirect channel: 5
Past jobs in the indirect channel: Channel Manager, Regional Director of Channel Sales
Annual revenue responsibility: Not disclosed.
Main channel goal:
“The main goal of our channel sales effort is to augment our direct and national sales channels with channel partners, who can leverage their preexisting business relationships and act as an extension of our sales organization. Our channel partners include value-added resellers, local area network consultants and other IT and telecommunications consultants.
Our channel efforts are focused on recruiting, enabling and sustaining channel partners who value industry-leading communications technology and unparalleled customer support. We recruit channel partners who service, and are dedicated to supporting, the growing entrepreneurial class of U.S.-based small business customers, which we define as companies with four to 250 employees. We also provide our channel partners with a consistent and ongoing residual revenue stream from the sale of our services that compliments their existing equipment and professional services revenue streams.
To ensure their success we provide our channel partners with numerous tools to successfully sell Cbeyond service in a way that adds value to their own business – through new productivity-enhancing applications to the opportunities we can offer as a leader in SIP Trunking to our unmatched channel support and customer experience.”
Biggest challenge:
“We believe one of the biggest benefits of participating in our channel program is the opportunity that all of our channel partners have to engage in our channel partner community where competitors can come together in a forum (at Cbeyond) and share best practices in a way that is value-add to all, and non-threatening to their business interests. Creating a collaborative community at times poses challenges, but most often is a valued engagement for our channel partners who participate.”
Please comment on the importance of the indirect channel to your organization and tell me what you see as the future for your channel operations.
“Channel sales is a growing share of our overall revenue stream at Cbeyond yielding approximately 25 percent of our total annual revenue. In addition to being an effective way to acquire new customers, we believe that small businesses are looking for ‘turnkey solutions,’ which encompass communications services, equipment and the professional services needed to implement them. Building a network of channel partners who can demonstrate and communicate the combined value proposition is a powerful way to successfully grow into new markets and expand our existing customer base.”
To what extent do you, personally, show leadership within the companies you have worked for, the business community at large, the communications industry and the channel?
“I believe the best way to lead in the channel industry is to stay abreast of the trends impacting the community and to continuously build relationships within the partner community. I attend as many industry events as I can, and I’m always looking for ways to add value to the companies participating in Cbeyond’s channel program.”
Why do you consider yourself to be innovative in bringing new ideas to the channel?
“Primarily, I do my best to stay in tune with our partners’ needs. To have a successful channel program, you have to understand what a partner’s business looks like on a daily basis. I understand that our partners live and die by the billable hour. If we can deliver a program that maximizes the return on a partner’s time invested to learn and sell our product, then we build longer lasting, more profitable relationships. We accomplish this by sharing our strategic relationships with IP PBX manufacturers, providing a customizable marketing experience, and constantly educating our partners on the latest industry trends.”
To what extent do you engage in activities to promote or advance the channel?
“I attend as many industry events as I can, and I’m always looking for ways to add value to the companies participating in my channel program.”
Words to live by: What goes around, comes around.
Lucky charm: A really old sweatshirt from high school that his wife hasn’t thrown out yet. He wears it to watch big Dallas Mavericks games.
Childhood aspiration: To be a sports psychologist
Most prized possession: His car stereo
Biggest fear: Heights
What others are saying about Dave:
“Dave and his staff, Matt Payne, offer exceptional service to me and my company. On one instance, I actually received help directly from Jim Geiger on a problem with a current account. Cbeyond has a competitive and reliable product line.”
-- Jeff Donelson, President, Atlanta Network Technology Group Inc., VAR
“Since partnering with Cbeyond, I quickly realized that there is a unique energy and dedication that comes from the channel team at Cbeyond. In my opinion, this all starts from the top down. Because of Dave’s strategic vision, I have seen the partnership opportunities available continue to grow – from SIPconnect interoperable, incentives, marketing materials etc. We value our partnership with Cbeyond as they are focused on customer service, and hold true to their value proposition. Their go-to-market strategy is in line with being channel-friendly and holds a proactive growth strategy. I value a leadership team that does what it says it will do!”
-- Megan Burton, Owner/President, LatusPoint, VAR |
