RE: Tattoos & hugs: Malcolm's at it again!

["M. Lazarus" <mlazarus@xxxxxxxx>]

JT,

At 3/3/04 03:02 PM, you wrote:
> So how's "the little guy", the smaller BPs, supposed to get by???  If they
> do all the legwork and sometimes write The Software SOLUTIONS that gets a
> client all Excited about the 400.. and then they don't end up with the
> ROI?!?  The mega-BPs are Always gonna have the advantage of bigger staffs
> and discounts to siphon off the customers, right?
>
> Mebbe I just don't get it (which wouldn't be the first time...;-).

 My take on it (in a simplistic way) is that IBM doesn't know how to mass 
market to small customers.  They never have.  That's why they got stomped 
when the IBM PC clones came out.  The clones were faster, cheaper and 
easier to buy.

 They probably feel that it costs them almost as much to sell a $250,000 
system as a $15,000 system, so why should they bother?  "Let's make some 
business relationships w/ some large VARs and let the rest pick up any 
remaining crumbs."

 My case (just closed this month) was that I made the sale.  The hardware 
company I usually deal with did most of the research for the config.  Due 
to the current BP structure they were forced to actually place order with a 
Super-VAR, who, of course, wanted a piece of the action.

 My guy used to be a BP, but since he could only supply a certified sales 
guy, not a certified techie, they had to drop out of the program.  He got 
rejected by IBM because he refused to change his business model to include 
onboard techies - despite the fact that he made his quotas and his primary 
business structure is sales, not technical services!  When technical 
expertise is needed he calls on technical experts.

 His feeling is that IBM tries to thwart the little guy every step of the 
way.  I see his point!

 -mark