Qwest is an interesting company. On the verge of obliteration a few years ago, the folks in Denver are undergoing a remarkable rejuvenation, much to the delight of their channel partners. At the
Q.Marketplace Conference this week, management announced solid 2009 results and thanked partners for doing a better job of retaining customers than direct sales. Qwest then committed to “Perfect What’s Driving Growth” and
“Invest in the Future” by placing a big bet on the rising popularity of Cloud Computing. 2010 looks like it’s going to be a good year for them and, clearly, the comments were well-received by the partners.
My Breakout Session on Social Media was standing room only. A lot of Qwest Partners think Social Media might be a way to help them better connect with customers, but don’t know much about how it all works. So they filled the room and crowded the doorways to hear how other companies are doing it.
When asked about their Social Media experience, almost everyone claimed to have a LinkedIn Profile and about a third had Twitter accounts. But only a very few (maybe one person) said that they had connected with Qwest resources via Social Media. I showed them some screen shots of Qwest Blogs and Tweets. Many were surprised that “Corporate Qwest” was already blogging and Twittering away without involving partners. They were even more surprised to hear how Cisco and others were successfully engaging customers through social media already.
During the Breakout Session, we only had an hour to discuss a complicated subject and predictably we did not get to go into much detail. But the advice I gave these resellers was the same as I give every company just coming into Social Media. Don’t try to be everyplace and do everything. Pick the places where your customers “hang out” (if you don’t know, ask them which sites they visit.) Listen to what they are saying online and then respond accordingly.
After the session, a few Qwest partners found me near the coffee table and wanted to talk about 2010. They were already exploring Social Media and early attempts at finding or helping customers had been promising. They were eager to build on their Social Media successes. But they were also worried about making mistakes and wasting time. Unfortunately, Qwest was not providing any assistance in helping them figure it out.
My advice, pick a company goal and see if Social Media can help you achieve that goal. For example, if you want to increase the size of your customer base in 2010, spend time learning how to use a business site to get new introductions. If you want to increase your market awareness, incorporate Facebook or Twitter into your plan. If hiring certified technical people is important, find them in the appropriate on-line communities. In other words, have specific objectives:
Social Media is the means, not the end.
Then let
Qwest know social media is important. Vendors can’t have robust channel programs without paying attention to partner needs, and Qwest (like most vendors) is working hard to make partners successful. Since Social Media is an important enabler of future success, it’s a no-brainer for vendors to help.
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