Cisco, AMS.NET, Baker Communications Partner to Streamline the Data Center

Partner Profile

AMS.NET is an IP Convergence Specialist providing infrastructure and communication technology solutions to businesses, educators and government entities since 1988. The company offers a turnkey solution using cutting-edge technology in the areas of data center and desktop virtualization, IP communications, video management, IP surveillance, network infrastructure and more. AMS.NET is a 34 million dollar company with more than 85 employees.

In addition to its Cisco Gold status, they have strong partnerships with manufacturers including VMWare, EMC, Citrix and others. AMS.NET has extensive experience with various procurement methods including CMAS, WSCA, SPURR, E-Rate and more. Several AMS.NET success stories have been featured on Cisco’s website, and AMS.NET has received several awards including the Cisco Outstanding Customer Solutions Partner of the Year Award- Western Region.

The Challenge

“We are very proud of what we have accomplished here at AMS.NET,” said Tom Vasconi, AMS.NET Vice-President of Sales. “Our organization has always been very proactive and we have been early adopters of any new technologies that can help our customers achieve their needs and goals more effectively.

Recently, we have been expanding our data center focus, and we are very interested in capturing more data center business. I happened to mention this to Alan Scheik when I ran into him at a conference, and he told me he had an opportunity for a great marketing play. He put us in touch with Baker Communications."

The number one challenge facing sales organizations today is demand generation,” said Marisa Hamilton, Director of Strategic Accounts for Baker Communication. “Less than 55% of reps are making quota. Less than 25% of leads are called. Customers say ‘no’ 6 times before they say yes, but 65% of sales professionals stop at the second ‘no.’ This is all complicated by the fact that it is very difficult to track marketing campaign results, so a lot sales initiatives die on the vine. Frankly, traditional sales training programs have no answer to this dilemma.”

The Solution

Partner sales organizations are generally skeptical when someone suggests another marketing campaign or a new demand gen strategy. Most of them turn out to be disappointments and nothing really ever changes. Vasconi admitted that AMS.NET engaged with Baker Communications with essentially no expectations.

“When we met with the Baker team, it quickly became obvious that their Data Center Virtualization Play and approach was different from anything we had ever seen before,” said Vasconi. “They explained to us that this wasn’t sales training or “death by PowerPoint.” Instead, it was a high-touch, experience-driven and skill-based strategy focused on quickly building pipeline and closing new business.”

In contrast, Baker Communications’ Data Center Virtualization play integrates new skills with very targeted marketing and demand generation programs that deliver tangible ROI. These results are provable, measurable and repeatable. Baker Communications Plays align the interests, goals and objectives of both sales and marketing to drive superior results. Baker Plays generate immediate sales pipeline and drive short-term, fast sales impacting the current or the next quarter. The activities of marketing, sales and training co-occur in a highly coordinated, collaborative effort to execute a revenue generation strategy from start to finish. Delivery of Baker Plays is staged and delivered 100% in the cloud leveraging weekly WebEx burst sessions that last between 60 – 90 minutes. A typical Baker Play runs for 12 weeks.

The Results

The difference between innovation and novelty boils down to results. In the case of the AMS.NET play, the numbers speak for themselves.

"Honestly, we really didn’t know what to expect at the beginning,” said Vasconi. “This isn’t like anything you have ever done before. I think some of our sales team was a little surprised at the level of participation and accountability this required. They definitely weren’t just sitting in a class. Every session is built around a very clear cadence – account planning, sending out MarCom, making follow-up calls, setting appointments. However, once it became clear that they had a key part to play and they were going to have to report back every week on what they had accomplished and what their results had been, they quickly adapted to the cadence and everything went very smoothly.”

“From a Marketing perspective, the cadenced MarCom approach is very attractive because it gets activity completely aligned,” said Colleen Jones, AMS.NET Marketing Manager. “We will definitely use this as a marketing strategy in the future because it helps with follow-up as well for sales. This approach doesn’t rely on getting out some kind of magic marketing piece that you hope people will respond to. Instead, the MarCom goes out to prospects and customers as a way of setting a follow-up call that is coming from the sales rep. It is a much tighter and more effective approach.”According to Vasconi, momentum really began to build as sales reps began to experience success.

“This process ties people to the chair and gets them to make phone calls,” he said. “You know you should do it but it easily gets pushed aside. But then someone says, ‘Wow, I got three new meetings this week.’ Someone else says, ‘Hey, I just got a new customer,’ and suddenly everyone catches fire.”

Gateway To Success

So how does Vasconi feel about the results of the Baker Data Center Virtualization Play?

"I think one of my senior reps said it best when he said, ‘You know, this just reminds me of how important the basics are,” said Vasconi. “Getting out the MarCom, making calls, setting appointments, building pipeline – this used to be the bread and butter of sales. I think a lot of organizations have gotten away from this. The Baker approach not only refocuses everyone on the skills and cadence necessary to implement a successful prospecting strategy, it does all of that while you are actually building pipeline, growing new business, and driving a remarkable amount of revenue.”

Vasconi also pointed out that the Baker Communications Data Center Virtualization play strategy is simple and flexible enough to work with any organization from the small/medium space up to large enterprise corporations.

When asked if AMS.NET would be continuing to deploy the strategies they learned, now that the play was over, he answered enthusiastically in the affirmative.

“We are definitely going to continue to use the cadence and the marketing materials going forward,”he said. “The success speaks for itself. Not only is this a great way to close new business, but we intend to use the same basic concepts to follow up on our new customers as we continue to strengthen those relationships.”

Click here for more information.