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TEConnect is the podcast that tackles the news, trends, and technologies impacting the specialty IT reseller channel, software companies, and hardware manufacturers. Hosted by John Martin & Dean Reverman. Tell us what YOU want to hear about: teconnect@bluestarinc.com
Episodes
Thursday May 06, 2021
Thursday May 06, 2021
Whether your business is already growing or looking to it’s important to make that growth sustainable so that you can hold on to your base, add new customers and maybe try out some new ideas without forgetting what made you successful in the first place. This week, we’re offering up six tips to do just that. What’s your core competency? How much do you know about what’s happening in the channel? How are you using data? Do you have a reliable base of recurring revenue? Are your “steady Eddie” customers happy?
#VARValue – What services does BlueStar offer to support sustainable growth?
Sign up for the TEConnect Today newsletter at https://teconnectportal.bluestarinc.com
TEConnecting with us:
Dean - Netflix's "Play Something" button
John - Disaster Girl meme sold as NFT
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Code CR7000 iPhone cases
Zebra PartnerConnect Program
Thursday Apr 29, 2021
Thursday Apr 29, 2021
We preach automation every day in the channel—to improve workflows, enhance customer experience and eliminate inefficiencies—but do we practice that same philosophy in our own business? This week, we unpack the gains of internal business automation. We’ll discuss tools like professional services automation, chatbots, automated marketing, and more. How does automation improve profitability? Where can you remove redundancies? How can your web presence do some work for you? Where are you missing out on repeat business? It’s the episode that demands you fix your website and work smarter, not harder!
#VARValue – Where would you recommend VARs look first to automate their business? Is there any downside to automating?
Check out the first issue of TEConnect Today!
Subscribe to get each new issue at teconnectportal.bluestarinc.com
What's TEConnecting with us:
Dean - Tech internships (and their ridiculous salaries)
John - Ted Lasso on Apple TV+
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Code CortexDecoder
Zebra ZD Series printers
Thursday Apr 22, 2021
Thursday Apr 22, 2021
We spend every day talking, selling, marketing and using technology, but how often do we stop to consider the relationship between it and our daily lives? This week, MicroTouch’s Gene Halsey, a pioneer in the realm of touch technology, joins the pod to explore how our gadgets and innovations change the world we live in and what we can accomplish every day. When does the pursuit of "new" actually fail to meet real needs? Where did Gene see use cases before anyone else did? What is our obligation to make sure the digital divide doesn’t get wider and leave anyone behind? Finally, Gene helps us look at what’s next in touch (and touchless) tech. Get out your favorite flip-phone, send us a T9 text, and put on your 3D TV glasses!
#VARValue – How does understanding the relationship between tech and society add value to solution selling?
TEConnecting with us:
Gene - Autonomous vehicles and their ethical/moral dilemmas
Dean - Nano Diamond Batteries
John - Vaccines!
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Code - FIPS Validated Solutions
Thursday Apr 15, 2021
Thursday Apr 15, 2021
The one and only James Korte is back and he did the homework for us! He’s been reading a book called The Challenger Customer, which explores the complexities of selling and marketing to buying groups rather than individuals. We’ll explore how these groups are formed, why they present challenges, and where breakdowns occur. Who/what are you actually competing with? What are the common roles in a buying group? How do you get into the process earlier and champion change with your customers?
#VARValue – What are some key takeaways to consider when tackling buying groups?
What's TEConnecting with us:
James - Oribi
Dean - 3D-printed housing community
John - NOT TEconnecting - The Fox/Bally Regional Sports Networks debacle
Talk to Us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Code CR7000 series
Thursday Apr 08, 2021
Thursday Apr 08, 2021
Digital transformation is a broad term and it can mean different things to different people in a variety of industries. Machine vision. AI. IoT. Cloud computing. All of those buzzy, “future of tech” innovations sound great but how much of it is actually in practical application? We’re joined by Code’s Brian Lampright, Sr. Product Manager of Software, to explore not just what is happening with these big ideas, but how to explain, sell and speak confidently about them. How did the pandemic change those conversations? Where do you start “pitching” these ideas to customers that know they are the future but aren’t sure where to start? Plus, we’ll explore some real world applications where digital transformation has truly made a difference and how to ask the right kind of questions.
#VARValue – How does digital transformation make it easier to sell purpose-built enterprise devices?
TEConnecting with us:
Brian – Microsoft Flight Simulator
Dean – Hackers clone Google's 2FA Titan keys
John – Apple’s connected ecosystem
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Thursday Apr 01, 2021
Thursday Apr 01, 2021
Supply chain came under a lot of scrutiny around this time last year as stay-at-home orders swept the world and people found themselves in need of more supplies, food and fundamentals than we typically keep on hand. It’s easy to assume that all the cool new tech we know is available for warehouses would make it easy to pivot to meet higher demand, but what you may not know is that there is a lot of hesitancy to adopt it. This week, we’re joined by StayLinked CTO Justin Griffith to get to the bottom of this. What’s preventing new tech adoption? How have legacy systems become so entrenched? Where do we start the conversation to move forward? And how does this affect hardware sales? It’s the episode that begs you not to take away our spreadsheets and green screens.
#VARValue – If you were to advise a VAR that has customers still using legacy systems, where would you recommend they start the conversation to upgrade?
TEConnecting with us:
Justin - 3D printing and massless batteries
Dean - Joby Aviation "flying cars"
John - Scientists Announce a Physical Warp Drive Is Now Possible. Seriously.
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Thursday Mar 25, 2021
Thursday Mar 25, 2021
It’s another topic from the new #TEConnect Today newsletter! Recurring revenue is an increasingly popular concept in the reseller channel and while it might normally be something we associate with companies deploying Software as a Service, there’s no reason it can’t be applied to hardware, services and full solutions. We’ll get into the benefits to your business, your financials, your customers and your employees. What are some other paths to recurring revenue? Finally, we’ll tell you a bit about how BlueStar can make it easier to offer this model to your customers and still meet your own goals. #Stickiness
#VARValue – What is BlueStar’s HybridSaaS program?
What's TEConnecting with us?
Dean - Non-fungible tokens (NFTs)
John - Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV
Talk to us!
Twitter: @TEConnectPod
Email: TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Thursday Mar 18, 2021
Thursday Mar 18, 2021
It has now been just over a year since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic and the world changed in ways we could have never predicted. While we reflect on what we’ve lost and missed out on over the last year, it’s also important to think about what we’ve gained in innovations and technology. Healthcare, of course, had the most to learn, adapt and struggle with so we brought in Mike DeLibero from Agilant to find out what he experienced with those customers. Where were the biggest challenges? What technology suddenly leapt from “interested” to “must have”? We’re talking telehealth, purpose-built devices, contactless solutions and much more.
#VARValue - What are some tips, advice or best practices you have for VARs working in the channel and healthcare in particular?
TEConnecting with us
Mike - Patient experience software
Dean - Data trusts
John - Kinect touchless elevator
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
BlueStar - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Thursday Mar 11, 2021
Thursday Mar 11, 2021
As a sneak preview of BlueStar’s new TEConnect Today newsletter, Dean & John dive into one of the articles featured in the first issue: “The Good VAR Channel Partner Checklist.” We have five tips for what to expect from a good channel partner, doubling as a primer for how to be such a partner as well. What questions should you ask internally before you start “courting”? What should you ask prospective partners? How much should you expect to know about a company’s customer base, their culture, and their financials? Don’t lower your expectations to find the right partner(s)!
#VARValue – How should VARs self-evaluate to make sure THEY are a good channel partner?
Sign Up for the TEConnect Today Newsletter!!
TEConnecting with us:
Dean - Deep Nostalgia
John - Cradlewise smart crib
Talk to us!
Twitter: @TEConnectPod
Email: TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Thursday Mar 04, 2021
Thursday Mar 04, 2021
You might have noticed that we have a new President and new administration in the U.S. That means new priorities, new policies and new people to work with for resellers that operate in the public sector. It’s a complex time with a lot of nuance to navigate and there’s no time to waste! To provide some tips and tricks, we’ve brought in Jeff Smith, a consultant who frequently works with Zebra and is super savvy about government selling. What are VARs thinking about as the Biden administration takes over? What is the Technology Modernization Fund? What are the differences between cybersecurity & cloud security? Finally, how does Jeff recommend VARs approach state & local partners?
#VARValue – What should government VARs be doing right now to get a leg up and create a path to success this year?
Resources:
Federal Cloud Computing Strategy
TEConnecting with us:
Jeff - AI defense technologies
Dean - Organic slime
John - Amazon Zoox robotaxi
Talk to us!
Twitter: @TEConnectPod
Email: TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Zebra's "What Can You See?" Campaign