The lights were low and the music was pumping. I smiled at the colleagues I was dancing with at the 2014 Cisco Partner Summit and started to leave the dance floor, my feet sore and my mind on partner meetings for the next day. I weaved in and out of the crowd, partners all around me dancing and having a good time. Then I saw my Director of Operations, Director of Services and Cisco’s Director performing live music and singing.
These people are great business and industry leaders, but they are also talented singers and dancers. Their ability to relax and let loose demonstrates how much we value participating in fun, light activities so that we can connect with partners on a personal level. Additionally, the connections we make at the Cisco Partner Summit often become lasting relationships that are paramount to what we seek to accomplish at Comstor.
Time is what we value most at these events. We value time because it’s time that really enables us to get to know our partners to cultivate the relationships and connections we make in the break-out sessions and more relaxed activities on the Summit agenda. The Partner Summit, for me as well as for many of my colleagues, represents a unique opportunity to spend time with partners to continue to grow well-informed and trusted business relationships. It is only through that quality time with our partners, building on connections and a shared vision, that we can really accomplish this.
While at the Summit, an aspect of the relationships we form is gaining a true understanding of what our customers needs are. A pivotal part of gaining this understanding of partner need is investing in getting to know them and their business. We strive to grow their business and their Cisco portfolio, but we also want to fulfill their overall business goals.
At Comstor, we endeavor to provide not just solutions but rather consultative services. In that capacity, we want to be a trusted partner with a shared vision and common goals for our customer’s business. We are their trusted advisor, developing customizable solutions for each partner we work with. It’s not a one-size fits all solution but instead an individual, well-thought out strategy that takes into account the partner’s goals, needs, and business model.
Ultimately, all of these goals are achieved through making lasting connections and nurturing those relationships. It is difficult to verbalize the sheer importance of these relationships to us at Comstor. For example, at the Partner Summit last year, I was able to meet and chat with a partner that I had previously only worked with over the phone and via email. It was wonderful to be in the same room and to talk face to face; interactions like that strengthen not only the business relationship, but also the trust that our partners have in us and our understanding of their business goals.
In a couple of weeks, we look forward to making these connections at the 2015 Cisco Partner Summit in Montreal and hope to see everyone there.
To learn more about Comstor’s unique consultative services, click here.
Izabela has over nine years experience in sales. She has worked in Cisco asset management since 2006 and spent almost five years working on Smartnet renewals, Cisco assets tracking, and interacting with Cisco channel and field reps, resellers and end customers.
