Where Are You Focusing Your Sales Efforts in 2013? Check Out the Lucrative Mid Market

Are you looking to grow your business and boost profits?  With close to 500K businesses and an estimated addressable market of $21B globally, mid-size customers offer partners a lucrative selling opportunity.

I recently presented at the Alexander Group’s Chief Executive Forum, an event for Global 2000 leaders that explores sales-related topics and innovative solutions.  After the event, I sat down with Alexander Group Senior Vice President Gary Tubridy to discuss how Cisco is engaging with our partners to do more.  In particular, we discussed how we are enabling our partners to sell into the Mid-Market with Partner Led, the go-to-market model that empowers and rewards Cisco partners to lead sales with midsized and small customers.

Watch the full interview or read on to get the highlights.

Untapped Opportunity
Mid-Market customers, those with roughly 250-999 employees, need the same types of technologies and solutions as our largest enterprise customers.  They have data deluge.  They need to collaborate.  Their employees use their own devices to work, and they need to be part of a network.  These organizations, with big business needs and smaller IT staffs, need guidance to find the right solutions for their needs.  They need a trusted advisor.  And this need provides an exciting opportunity for our partners, and the services they can provide.

The Impact of Partner Sellers
Our partners have more than 280,000 sellers and engineers who have registered and done training with Cisco.  That is a big multiplier over the 17,000 sellers, engineers, and sales specialists in Cisco sales.  Engaging and enabling partner sellers to scale into the Mid Market and lead the sale offers huge upside.  In addition to the technology and solutions play, there is a large services opportunity for partners as they learn the nuances of the customers’ business needs.   It’s a win-win situation.

Finding the Right Fit
Ensuring the right partners are associated with the right opportunities is extremely important.  Not only does it minimize conflict in the channel, but it also enables Cisco to back a partner earlier in the sales process.  Several factors play into the matching process, but incumbency, certifications and specializations, and bringing in new deals all play a big role.

Supported by Cisco
Partners are not going it alone with the Partner Led model.  Cisco provides support for partner teams throughout the process.  There are Territory Managers to make joint calls on customers, pre-sales support, trainings, and partner relationship managers that ensure partners have the tools and plans in place to succeed and be profitable.   It’s a team effort, led by partners and supported by Cisco.

Accelerate Your Competitive Edge
The Cisco Partner Plus program provides additional support and resources to partners selling into the Mid Market.  The program is focused on achieving sustainable business growth in midsized customers, with qualified partners who are committed to an integrated, collaborative selling approach with Cisco. It offers preference, support, and investment in return for commitment, engagement, and business growth.  A few of the program benefits include access to technical resources during the sales cycle, marketing resources and customer intelligence, and the ability to obtain incentives and rewards.

As more people and more things become connected to the Internet, the opportunity for everyone grows.  We are committed to bringing together the right resources to help drive increased productivity and profitable growth for partners and their customers. Watch this space to learn more ways Cisco supports you selling into the Mid Market through Partner Led.