Today, automation is essential for resellers to deliver the latest IT solutions to clients. Managed and cloud services embody the very idea of automation, removing manual processes, allowing for more functionality and flexibility.
When a client can handle their data remotely and automatically, it enables their network to become more efficient. However, the tendency for IT resellers is to push for automation for their clients while they fail to work on their own processes to improve performance and functionality. It certainly helps the conversation when you’re recommending to clients that they automate their businesses if you’ve already made the switch internally. If you’re still relying on manual processes, how can you be more effective in providing automation solutions for your clients? Here are a few things to consider.
Test Internally
If you’re providing automation in the form of managed and cloud services, you should conduct an assessment of whether there are some manual processes that can be replaced with programmed tasks. As an IT reseller when it comes to business operations, how are you incorporating automation at your office?
For example, when it comes to handling your clients, are you using some form of CRM (customer relationship management) system? A CRM facilitates communication by using a cloud-based system to store contacts, messages, and other types of useful information. Or when it comes to something as simple as billing or managing invoices, do you have them stored on a server or are there stacks of paper and documents sitting on your desk?
One of the most important things that should be automated is your marketing strategy. The only way companies continue to grow is to find new leads and convert them into customers. Several automated marketing programs make this less challenging by implementing email marketing, referral programs, and lead-scoring to determine which leads are worth following up on. As an IT reseller, if you were to rely on manual processes in the examples mentioned, the time investment would prevent you from being valuable to your existing clients. Making use of the best tools and programs out there will help you become more versatile and effective in your approach.
Customer Application
When you start to automate your processes internally, you’ll be more equipped to help your clients automate as well. Doing this for yourself will help you have a better understanding of how the technology works and how you can better implement it in your customer’s business operations.
The best IT resellers look for ways to continue to automate so that they’re more reliable and efficient in their services. To help you make sure you’re doing this the most effective way, start by automating processes that can be repeated from client to client. Once you have mastered these processes, learn how to automate functions to help respond to the most frequent types of issues in your client’s network. Finding which issues are the most time-consuming will help you determine what types of automated processes you should consider implementing.
As you continue to make use of automated processes over manual ones, you’ll become more effective, your services will become more turn-key and reliable, and you’ll be able to help solve your customer’s problems faster and more efficiently. As a result, you’ll become more valuable as an IT reseller which will help turn your clients into loyal customers.
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