Chapter 4: Putting the Final S in RESS

In the fourth and final installment of our series of articles on RESS – resources, expertise, services and specialization – we’re going to help you put it all together to make a hot mess with your RESS!

So you’ve got resources, expertise and services dialed in to maximize value, but you feel like there’s more you can do. Want to really stand out in your field? The surest way is to make the field smaller throughspecialization.

Let’s face it. When you think about all the possible ways you could leverage your resources, expertise and services, it can be overwhelmingly complex. In a fast-moving, ever-changing business like ours, you can’t possibly be all things to all people.

The key to making the most of what you already have just might be specializing. Successful resellers who want to put their value on steroids often specialize in specific technologies – like security, storage or networking – or specific verticals (e.g. healthcare, government, telecom, media).

Whether you go the technology route, the vertical route or a hybrid, your business can become the go-to guys (and gals) for your target market by learning its needs inside-out and meeting them.

Take just a few minutes to think about specialization. If you’re already specialized, what can you do differently to add some serious pizzazz? Write it down. Share it with your team. Make a plan. To lift off to maximum heights, make sure your resources, expertise and services (remember those?) are aligned to your specialization.

If you’re not specializing right now, write down some possibilities for getting there. Think about the resources, expertise and services that you currently offer. Do they point to a specific specialization that you haven’t noticed before?

If our favorite four-letter word – RESS – has you stressed, remember that you’re not alone. Avnet has been playing the RESS game for ages. Pick up the phone and find out how you can do more with less – with RESS.

In the next issue of Avnet Advantage, we’ll introduce you to the most important formula for sales and business success. Don’t worry – no calculus is required.

Eryc Eyl / Freelance Writer and Business Consultant