PSP Channel Insights
Strategies & partnerships central to doing business with the public sector

Twenty-second in a Series of Newsletters
Addressing Building Effective Partnerships

 

Steps in Developing Your
System Integrator Partnership Strategy


Most of you have either started or are about to start your new year's business plan.  As part of your overall plan I would imagine that most of you are (or should be) also reviewing your SI partnership strategy. 

As most of you with experience in partnering with the SIs know, close to 80% of ALL government IT spending goes through the system integrators/solution providers. 

In reevaluating your strategy, or in planning your strategy for the first time, you need to consider the following:

Value Proposition

  • Communicate clearly your value to the SI community (why should the SIs work with you?)
  • Map your products and services to solving specific business problems (vs. speeds and feeds)
  • Map your value to key business drivers that the SIs care about (i.e. healthcare, security, identity management, virtualization, homeland security, and energy efficiencies)

Developing or Updating Your SI Target List

  • Do the research to identify SIs that have or are building solutions in areas and agencies that you best support (consider outsourcing research to someone who understands the data and the SIs)
  • Look at all SIs as a possible partners, not just the household names (midsize to small SIs are more likely to develop true partnerships).  Check out Washington Technology's Top 100 list here.

Marketing

  • Develop marketing strategies to communicate to Government AND the SI community
  • Map your percentage of marketing and communications spending to the percentages of how sales will take place (i.e. if 40% of sales are expected to go through the SIs, then a similar percentage of your marketing spending and activities should go toward the SI community)
  • Develop specific sales and web tools that speak to the SI community
  • Develop and maintain a database of key SI contacts and use it for marketing

Events/Networking

  • Research the 2009 events, activities and organizations in which the SIs are most likely to attend and participate
  • You must assign ownership of these events and organizations (attend, sponsor and network)

 

Compensation Plans

  • Develop compensation plans that reward your agency field reps and your SI BD reps for working together (good sales reps will work their comp plans to their advantage)

Let us know if we might be of assistance in helping you re-shape your 2009 SI partnership development strategy.  Please contact me at 571-218-0288 or via email at slewis@pspartnerships.com. 

Happy partnering!

Scott

Scott Lewis
President
slewis@pspartnerships.com
PS Partnerships
http://www.pspartnerships.com
About PS Partnerships

President and CEO Scott W. Lewis has more than 15 years of experience in public sector information technology. As Group Publisher of Government Computer News and Washington Technology, Vice President of INPUT, Vice President of Partner Development of Micro Warehouse Gov/Ed and Vice President of ENC Marketing & Communications, Lewis has worked with numerous information technology firms in the development and execution of their channel/partnering business and marketing strategies into the Public Sector (Federal, State & Local)

Over the years, Lewis found that many companies either did not understand how or had difficultly in establishing the partnerships and teaming relationships that are absolutely critical for success in the government market. So he established PS Partnerships in July 2005 to focus directly on helping companies build strategies and partnerships for doing business in the public sector.

For more information about the services PS Partnerships provides, please contact us:
PS Partnerships LLC
607 Knollwood Drive
Falls Church, VA  22046
Scott Lewis, President and CEO
PHONE: 571.218.0288
slewis@pspartnerships.com
www.pspartnerships.com