855.2.THECLOUDinfo@awesomecloud.com

AwesomeCloud.com1001 Yamato Road, Suite 300WBoca Raton, FL 33431

BY JESS COBURN: FOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

CLOUD SERVICES SALES GUIDEPractical advice for selling cloud services to your clients.

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HOW TO SELL CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES TO YOUR CLIENTSWhile plenty of technology professionals are pretty excited about the cloud,

many traditional business executives may be reluctant and might not welcome a

transition to the cloud with open arms. When offering cloud services, technology

providers often jump into describing the typical benefits that the cloud offers

with the expectation of enthusiastic adoption. The frustration that follows after

an organization opts to avoid cloud computing—or chooses another vendor that

is not the best fit for their needs—is both understandable and avoidable.

EXPLAINING THE FUNDAMENTALS ........... 3 OF CLOUD COMPUTING

RELATING CLOUD COMPUTING ................. 4 WITH EXAMPLES AND ANALOGIES

IDENTIFYING ORGANIZATIONAL ............... 5 BENEFITS OF CLOUD COMPUTING

OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS TO ................. 6 CLOUD COMPUTING

RECOMMENDING CLOUD COMPTING ...... 7 DEPLOYMENT MODELS

WRAPPING THINGS UP ............................................ 8

1 4

2 5

3 6

The following sales guide reviews how to sell cloud computing services to your clients. We’ll explore some high-level concepts to keep in mind when offering cloud services as part of AwesomeCloud’s Cloud Reseller Program. As your client’s trusted technology advisor and, most importantly, technology educator, you’ll be:

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When our partners have questions about how to sell cloud computing services, taking a step back to review how they explain the concept of cloud computing services is a great starting point. Although the textbook definition of cloud computing has been repeated ad nausea by business leaders across the globe, elegantly defining and explaining cloud computing can be challenging. To make matters worse, meteorological themed stock photography and intricate networking diagrams can leave non-technical decision makers desperate for a communicator who is able to summarize what cloud computing actually is.

With that in mind, you need to deliver an accessible and succinct definition of cloud computing so that your sales prospects spend the bulk of their time with you weighing the pros and cons, not deciphering what it is that you’re trying to sell them.

After scraping away all the technical terminology (scalability, security, licensing, CAPEX reductions, etc.), you’re left with the statement to your right. While this is not an official definition that meets the criteria laid out by technology think tanks, it’s an easy way to keep the conversation moving with your sales prospect.

By explaining cloud computing, cloud service providers and cloud computing users, you’re giving your client a frame of reference for each of your roles when using the cloud.

What is Cloud Computing - A Sales Guide For IT Providers offers guidnace on how to explain cloud computing to your sales prospects as well as provides background on cloud computing technology, and the service offerings.

1 Explaining the Fundamentals of Cloud Computing

“Cloud computing is using the Internet to deliver hardware and software services instead of keeping physical hardware and software at your office. Cloud computing providers deliver hardware and software over the Internet. Cloud computing users access hardware and software over the Internet.”

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We recommend using analogies to our partners who have questions about how to sell cloud computing services. Using analogies will help prospective clients, who have a basic understanding of technology, to better grasp the cloud, and it will be far easier for your prospects than if you jump straight into networking fundamentals (that’s later in the buying process).

Since the fundamental concepts of cloud computing are not new, the roots of cloud computing go back to the basic architecture and operations of the Internet. The analogies you can use to relate the cloud are unlikely to change in the near future.

Mentioning Salesforce.com is a great example because decisions makers often use Salesforce.com and are familiar with the benefitsthat come with external databases. Your prospect has probably already spent time logging into their Salesforce.com account from various locations with an Internet connection and using the service without installing software. Ask your prospect to think of cloud software as an online service they log into.

Explaining cloud infrastructure (hardware) using analogies may seem to be a little more intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Using the Salesforce.com example above also works for cloud hardware because every decision maker understands that there is a well-oiled, efficient machine behind every product and service we use. Ask your prospects to think of cloud hardware as the nuts and bolts that power their climate control.

Cloud Computing Examples & Analogies - A Sales Guide For IT Providers offers concrete cloud computing analogies and examples you can use to help improve your cloud computing sales pitch and land new clients.

2 Relating Cloud Computing with Examples and Analogies

“Cloud computing is like giving your IT department thermostats that they can turn on, up, down or off, based on their needs. Need extra processing power to cover your peak period? ”

“Cloud computing is like plugging into a central power grid instead of generating your own power.”

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3 Identifying Organizational Benefits of Cloud Computing

The list of cloud computing benefits can be exhaustive. However, there are several features that most organizations using cloud computing can benefit f om, including:

» Business Agility: If your clients are interested in spending more of their time focused on their business strategy instead of their technology, you may find it extremely relevant to discuss the virtues of turning their technology headaches into your job as part of a managed service.

» Reduced Capital Expenditures: Minimizing capital and operational expenses is essential for small to medium-sized businesses. When you offer cloud services to your clients, be sure to explain that they’ll be moving from large, upfront capital expenditures to small monthly payments.

» Scalability: If your clients have peak seasons or bring on seasonal employees, the cloud is a great way for them to meet seasonal demands without purchasing hardware and software that will go unused during slower seasons.

» Anywhere Access: One of the major benefits of cloud computing is having access to your computing resources, regardless of where you are. Your clients can access their cloud services as long as they have access to the Internet.

Articulating these benefits in a way that is specific to your client or prospect is a fantastic way to make your sales pitch more relevant and generate new recurring revenue.

Cloud Computing Benefits for SMBs - A Sales Guide For IT Providers offers an overview of key cloud computing benefits and how each benefit resonates wth to small, medium, and large businesses.

“In general,small- to medium-sized businesses are most in tune with the agility and productivity benefits that the cloud can offer, as well as the redistribution of upfront IT expenses into revenue-generating

activities. ”

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4 Overcoming Objections to Cloud Computing

Overcoming objections to cloud computing is key to providing guidance around how to sell cloud computing services. After delivering a well-rehearsed and polished presentation regarding the cloud-computing benefits that relate specifically to your prospect, you’ll likely need to address and overcome objections or rebuttals. There’s always a devil’s advocate or skeptic in the room. If you take some time to genuinely address concerns, you stand a better chance of winning clients over to the cloud. Several of the common objections you’ll receive include the following:

Cloud Computing Objections - A Sales Guide For IT Providers does a deep dive into addressing and overcoming some of the most common objections to cloud computing that you will face during the sales process.

OBJECTION: How do I know that the cloud is secure? Does it meet regulatory requirements?

OBJECTION: Will my cloud services always be available?

RESPONSE: As an AwesomeCloud partner, you can pass on AwesomeCloud’s 100% Up-Time SLA to each of your clients.

OBJECTION: What kind of technical support is available?

RESPONSE: We recommend offering 24/7/365 support to each of your clients to quickly resolve any issues. If a serious issue arises, you can always reach one of our US-based support team 24/7/365.

RESPONSE: Each of your client’s data will reside at Verizon Terremark’s NAP of the Americas, so you can assure your clients they will benefit from SSAE 16 certification

“ If you can'thonestly and legitimately address your each of your prospect’s concerns, the odds of you closing a sale ultimately depends on your competition’s presentation skills (or lack thereof), not the value that you offer.”

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5 Recommending Cloud ComputingDeployment Models

Based on your experience with your client’s organization and its unique needs, you can determine what type of cloud computing deployment is a good fit for that particular organization. Here’s a brief breakdown of the three major cloud deployment models.

» Public Clouds: Most organizations benefit from the public cloud due to economic advantages, metered usage, and the fact that public cloud enables organizations to focus more of their time on their strategies instead of managing time-consuming on-premise technology.

» Private Clouds: If your client is looking for additional control and an added level of security, we suggest discussing private-cloud deployments. A private cloud is built exclusively for a single organization, providing it with access to the entire pool of available computing resources.

» Hybrid Clouds: When your client doesn’t fit neatly into a public or private cloud, hybrid cloud deployments are available. Hybrid clouds combine the scalability and economic benefits of the public cloud with the security and control of the private cloud.

“If one of your

clients asks about the different types of cloud computing, it’s a sign that you have that client’s attention and that he or she is seriously considering a move to the cloud.

We suggest that you develop an in-depth understanding of the

ways that each of the above deployment models would impact yourclients; you may even want to go so far as to prepare alternative scenarios for each deployment model.

”Cloud Deployment Models - A Sales Guide For IT Providers offers deep dive into reviewing and recommending the most appropriate type of cloud computing deployment model for your sales prospect based on their specific needs.

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6 Wrapping Things Up

If you’ve made it this far, chances are you’re pretty serious about selling cloud computing services to your clients. Not every client you work with will embrace the cloud; but if you take some time to hone your sales pitch, you’ll have a better chance of aligning your prospective client’s needs with the cloud services you offer as part of our Cloud Reseller Program.

As more organizations realize that cloud computing can securely drive their routine and mission-critical business operations, you gain a tremendous opportunity to capitalize on the growth of cloud computing by making it part of your product line. For more information about becoming a part of our partner program, please email me at jcoburn@awesomecloud.com.

JESS COBURNFounder & CEO, Awesome Cloud Services

jesscoburn.com

linkedin.com/in/jesscoburn twitter.com/@jesscoburn

AwesomeCloud is a White Label Cloud Services Provider offering secure, scalable services to IT service providers, enabling them to generate new revenue by delivering cloud services to their clients.

About Awesome Cloud Services, LLC

855.2.THECLOUDinfo@awesomecloud.com

awesomecloud.com 1001 Yamato Road, Suite 300WBoca Raton, FL 33431

“I hope the above

guide reviewing how to sell cloud computing services to your clients is both helpful and relevant. ”