Net@Work: A Booming Tech Consultancy On the Rise - Accounting Today Cover Story
Last month Seth Fineberg, technology editor for Accounting Today magazine, visited Net@Work's New York City office to talk about the state of the (VAR) market, as well as the growth and success of Net@Work. These conversations resulted in a cover story of the current issue (Nov. 15, 2010) of Accounting Today magazine. Read the article.
Announcing the 2010 Sage Partner Advantage Award Recipients
We are pleased to congratulate and announce the winners of the 2010 Partner Advantage Award Series! This prestigious award program rewards our top performers for their diligence in representing Sage and consistently going above and beyond to achieve excellence.
These prominent partners have distinguished themselves among their peers by excelling in the various award categories for the year. Each of these partners will receive much-deserved recognition to celebrate their success. View qualifications and benefits details.
The Top Five, Chairman's Club, and President's Circle award recipients for 2010 will receive further recognition from Sage with an executive retreat at the Hotel del Coronado, the quintessential San Diego, CA luxury hotel from Jan 31 through Feb. 3, 2011.
We sincerely thank all of our partners for your ongoing dedication, support, and excellence. Your sales efforts and commitment to Sage are truly appreciated. View Partner Awards Listing.
Consulting Tip of the Month: Decoy Effect Pricing
by Ed Kless,
Senior Director, Partner Development and Strategy
Sage Business Partner Wayne Schulz of Schulz Consulting sent me this great example of decoy effect pricing from the New York Post. A decoy effect (or asymmetric dominance effect) is the phenomenon whereby customers will tend to have a specific change in preference between two options when also presented with a third option that is asymmetrically dominated. This is similar to the example Dan Ariely author of Priceless, used in his TEDtalk about the Economist magazine and their pricing options. However, in that case, the publisher seemed to believe they had made a mistake and pulled the ad when Ariely questioned them on it.
In this case, I think the Post knows exactly what they are doing. In addition to the dominated option (4 weeks for $9.18), they have also included two anchor products - $2 for a single issue and $5 for a back issue.
Adding the .18 to the dominated option also gives it an air of precision and simultaneously draws your attention to it. I originally thought this was a bad idea, but I have since changed my mind, I think it is brilliant!
I also find it intriguing that they do not list the price per issue of each of the options. Most subscription pricing options provide this and I think not providing it is the smarter idea.
Imagine if instead of a price on an item in a supermarket, they just gave us a range. A loaf of bread would be listed as between $2-$4. Once you got home from the store (I originally was going to write ‘got to the cashier,’ but that is not accurate), they would send you a final bill indicating that you paid $3.75 for loaf. It sounds crazy, but this is exactly what professionals do when they provide a prospect with a range of hours proposal. It is, in effect, an infinite number of options and it is confusing to the customer. Don’t provide a range of prices, price three distinct options instead.
The lesson for partners is that you can use the dominated option to influence customers to a higher or lower level (see the decoy effect), but only if you provide options in your proposal. A range of hours from low to high for the same result is not options pricing. In fact, if anything, it is confusing to the customer.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ed Kless or call 972-390-0902
Two industry Veterans Have Joined the Channel Management Distribution Optimization Team
As we start FY 2011, Rick Burtt and Roger Demers have joined our SBS business to assist in driving distribution growth within our partner channels. By focusing on channel capacity, development of channel initiatives, and partner recruitment across our portfolio, we intend to positively impact market share and revenue growth of our SBS products.
Rick and Roger will work closely with our leadership, sales, and marketing teams within SBS to drive collaborative efforts as we leverage our channel management resources and programs to evaluate, design, and execute channel expansion initiatives.
Both Rick and Roger have more than 20+ years of experience working with partners in the business application software industry and a deep passion for helping them build and grow their business. The current alignment for our team within SBS is as follows:
- Rick Burtt: MME (Sage ERP MAS, Sage ERP Accpac, Sage ERP X3), Employer Solutions
- Roger Demers: NPS, CRE, CRM
New BPAC Guidelines for Sage Business Solutions - Nominations Due by Friday, Nov 19
As we continue to drive toward creating greater consistency across the business processes and programs to enhance our partners’ experience working with Sage, we are pleased to announce the brand new Business Partner Advisory Council (BPAC) guidelines that will apply and replace all current BPAC guidelines across Sage Business Solutions. The new guidelines are effective immediately and supersede any other functional or business unit-specific BPAC guidelines that are currently in place.
The new program provides opportunities for all business partners to apply through self or peer nominations and is a two year term commitment. Find out more about the new BPAC guidelines, or nominate yourself or a peer to become a BPAC member by Friday, November 19, 2010.
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Submit Your Sage Spirit and Sage Community Service Award Nominations
At Sage, we believe it is absolutely essential to recognize members of our diverse, vibrant, and strong partner community. That is why we invite you to nominate Sage partners for the distinguished awards listed below. (And it is perfectly acceptable to nominate yourself.) |
Winners will be selected by Sage executives and announced at the Sage Summit Conference in 2011. Winning partners will become eligible to attend President’s Circle in 2012.
Please read the award descriptions below, the Benefits and Qualifications , and take a few minutes to complete this brief nomination form . Submissions are due by March 31, 2011. But don’t wait - nominate a partner company today!
Sage Spirit Award
This partner embodies all five of the Sage principles: Agility, Innovation, Simplicity, Trust, and Integrity. They are identified as a role model in the partner channel, and they value their relationship with Sage and embrace the Sage culture to create a mutually beneficial partnership. We will be awarding two Sage Spirit Awards.
Sage Community Service Award
This partner raises the bar in terms of corporate responsibility and recognizes the need to give back to the community through volunteerism and charity work. They are proud to support their community through corporate citizenship and philanthropy. We will be awarding two Sage Community Service Awards.
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Sage Partner Advantage: Competitive Webcast Series
The Sage Partner Advantage Competitive Webcast Series focuses on competitive strategies as part of an overall initiative to support and arm you with the tools you need to be successful and to ensure that you are adequately prepared to compete effectively in the marketplace. Each month, the Sage Partner Advantage team will present relevant and timely information on the top competitors in each product group.
How to Compete Effectively Against NetSuite
Wednesday, November 17 - 10:00 a.m. PST / 1:00 p.m. EDT
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Agenda
- Corporate overview of NetSuite
- Where and how we compete
- Sage Battle Card
- Partner interview
- Sales topic
- Much, much more!
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Presenters
- Tom Miller, VP, channel management
- Tom McGee, product marketing manager
- Rob Johnson, senior director channel programs
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How to Compete Effectively Against Computer Ease (CRE)
Wednesday, December15 - 10:00 a.m. PST / 1:00 p.m. EDT
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Agenda
- Corporate overview of Computer Ease
- Where and how we compete
- Sage Battle Card
- Partner interview
- Sales topic
- Much, much more!
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Presenters
- Tom Miller, VP, channel management
- Rich Rudolph, VP sales, CRE
- Diane Haines, director marketing
- Jeff Adams, director, product management
- Rob Johnson, senior director, channel programs
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Important Note: In the registration process, you will be asked to provide your Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro Meeting login and password. If this is your first experience with Connect Pro, you will need to set up a unique personal login and password that you can remember and reference for all future Sage webcast events. This is not provided by Sage. Returning registrants only need to provide their login and password.
The Sage Partner Advantage Competitive Webcast Series focuses on competitive strategies as part of an overall initiative to support and arm you with the tools you need to be successful and to ensure that you are adequately prepared to compete effectively in the marketplace. Each month, the Sage Partner Advantage team will present relevant and timely information on the top competitors in each product group.
You can also view the recordings or download the presentation slides of previous webcasts in this series from the Sage Competitive Webcast Series menu under the Build Knowledge tab of the Sage Partner Advantage .
 Sage Summit is the conference that will bring together the entire Sage community, including customers, partners, product leaders, developers, and more, for a collaborative learning experience. Save the date for Sage Summit 2011 and make plans to attend.
Sage Summit 2011
Gaylord National | Washington, DC
July 10-15, 2011
www.SageSummit.com
Call for presentations: Take the first step!
Has your Sage product helped you overcome a specific business challenge? Do you have unique experience in your industry that other Sage users might benefit from? We’d love to have you help create the best Sage Summit experience ever. You can do that by sharing your experience and knowledge with others.
If you have something to share, begin by submitting a presentation proposal for consideration on the Sage Summit 2011 Presentation Submission website. Look for it soon on SageSummit.com. It’s simple and easy to do.
Sage Partner University
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Register for product training, partner academies, and boot camps, and complete your certification requirements, all on Sage Partner University.
In addition, your complete course and certification record will be posted to your profile on the new site. Already have a profile at Sage University? Your user ID and password are the same on Sage Partner University. |
Skill-Building Workshops coming to a location near you in November and December
Regardless of which Sage product line(s) you represent, it is our goal to provide ongoing training opportunities to equip you with key skill-sets needed to gain the competitive edge in the marketplace. We encourage you to take advantage of the following free skill-building workshops and register today at a location near you!
Business Strategy Workshop: You are invited to a free one-day interactive Business Strategy workshop. Facilitated by Ed Kless, senior director, partner development and strategy, the workshop will focus on how Sage partners can build true strategy in their businesses. You will be challenged to suspend your thoughts about the immediate nature of your business and to instead focus on where you want to take your business for the future. Ed will explore how to build strategy on top of your purpose and aspiration by looking at several different strategic planning tools. You will then take these tools and begin to develop your plan.
View Schedule and Registration details.
Customer Experience Workshop: You are invited to a free one-day interactive Customer Experience workshop. Facilitated by Ed Kless, senior director, partner development and strategy, the conversation will focus on how Sage partners can build extraordinary customer experiences with their customers. Improving the customer experience requires putting ourselves squarely in the position of the customer. We will explore what is entailed in providing an extraordinary customer experience and develop a framework that can be implemented within your organization.
View Schedule and Registration details.
Sage Sales and Sage Consulting Academies - December 6-10 in Dallas, TX
Sage Consulting Academy: Consulting Essentials is designed to give consultants, new and seasoned, a comprehensive and perhaps different look at the consulting process, a thorough understanding of the business and industry issues faced by the companies in the industries they're consulting to, and a hands-on approach to implementing Sage solutions in the marketplace.
Sage Software Sales Academy Essentials I: A five-day course designed to provide a comprehensive education on the selling process, a thorough understanding of key industry issues, and a hands-on approach to improving key skills necessary to succeed in the marketplace.
View Schedule and Registration details.
We expect these workshops and academy to fill up quickly, and seating is limited, so please register today! For assistance with registration, please contact [email protected] .
Marketing Focus
Introducing Sage Partner Marketplace
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Join us for an introduction to the new partner print on-demand solution called the Sage Partner Marketplace. Select from the following sessions: |
- Thur, Dec 9 at 10:00 a.m. PT
- Tues, Dec 14 at 10:00 a.m. PT
- Thur, Dec 16 at 9:00 a.m. PT
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The Sage Partner Marketplace leverages the new on-demand print and delivery solution already in place with Sage Learning Services. For over a year, Sage Learning Services has been using third-party services from Mimeo to provide customers and partners with high-quality printed training materials. Now Channel Marketing has leveraged the Marketplace technology to offer you a price-competitive solution for your Sage product collateral needs.
The Marketplace is easy-to-use and provides quality printing and reliable delivery - even overnight if you need it. You can order Sage-branded white papers, spec sheets, success stories, and brochures. You will also have the option to customize and co-brand the latest product brochures and spec sheets with your own logo and contact information.
During this introduction, we will demonstrate how to access the Sage Partner Marketplace, review the Sage Business Solutions selection of product collateral, and demonstrate how to customize and co-brand a product order. Learn how to get set up with your own Mimeo account so you can place your first order!
Increasing National Advertising with Radio Campaign
One of the most common requests we get from business partners is to increase Sage brand awareness by conducting national advertising. We are pleased to let you know that we are doing just that, with a significant increase in national advertising last month.
Sage North America kicked off a national radio campaign with the objective to increase both overall Sage brand awareness and category awareness for Sage in ERP, CRM, and HR software. Last year, tests on radio advertising in regional markets showed both increased awareness and increased activity in pay per click and lead generation for Sage. As a result, we are running several 30-second slots on shows such as World News Roundup, Business Radio Network, WSJ Daybreak, News & Information Network, Bloomberg Financial Reports, and the Kim Komando Show.
Click here if you would like to hear the piece.
The campaign runs all year, and is part of a broad-based media buy including print insertions in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Inc., Entrepreneur, Business Week, and Fortune, as well as online insertions across a broad array of properties. We will also be launching a separate campaign for Canada to include radio, airport, and print focused on Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal markets. We will let you know once this kicks off.
Stay tuned and let us know what you think.
Please contact Sage Channel Communications, [email protected], regarding this publication.
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