Collaboration First: Insentra brings a partner-only approach to solving pervasive business problems

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Seeing the gaps in the market

When Ronnie Altit began work as a General Manager for a large Integrator in Australia, he found himself confronted with two constant problems. He frequently needed pre-sales consultation support to provide technical insight into the solutions he was selling, yet consultants often were unavailable when needed and, once an engagement was won, delivery resources were often already engaged in other projects. As a result, many engagements fizzled due to scheduling issues and resource availability.

When a lack of resources presented issues, Ronnie only had a few paths to resolution. He could reach out to a vendor for resources, but in doing so he would give up a large percentage of his margin and run the risk of losing the client to the third-party vendor. He could use contractors, but would then run the risk of insufficient expertise.

“We see a lot of value from MPN and from our gold status when working with partners. Being a gold partner is a testament to our expertise when working with new partners and being a part of the Microsoft partner community is valuable when looking for new partners to join our channel.” – Ronnie Altit

Better Together

Insentra’s business model offers insight into how to effectively work and collaborate on P2P engagements. When asked about the single biggest hurdle for other partners regarding collaborative strategy, the answer was clear – trust. Effective partnering requires a shift in mindset and, above all, requires the partners engaged to enter the deal as collaborators, not competitors.

Insentra’s business model is designed with partnering as its foundation and is structured to assuage partner fears when engaging. Insentra never transacts directly with end user clients, rather they transact exclusively through their channel, assisting in engagements throughout the sales cycle and providing services when the engagement begins.

By committing wholeheartedly to their approach, they imbue a collaborative mindset into their engagements. When asked how other partners could learn from their approach to P2P, Altit offered similar advice.

“Do what you say are going to do and don’t budge on your commitments. Meticulously structure engagements to eliminate any possibility for gray area in regards to which part of an engagement belongs to whom. If you have a direct model that can compete with your partners, have very clear rules of engagement and live by them religiously so you don’t take your partners by surprise.”

Insentra’s approach has proven incredibly successful and is gaining traction outside of their local market. By working exclusively through the channel, Insentra eliminates the overhead of staffing their own sales force, economically enabling a strictly-services business. Now, having just begun their US strategy four short weeks ago, Insentra is already ramping up 12 major partners.

Insentra’s approach to partnership offers a roadmap to other partners looking to expand the scope of their business through P2P engagements. Operating with integrity and a commitment to collaboration and cooperation, Insentra’s success proves the voracity of their company’s tagline, that the partner community is truly better when we work together.