By: Jim Roddy, President & CEO at the RSPA
The #1 challenge for many VARs and ISVs in the retail and restaurant channel has been competing against the gigantic, VC-backed, 800-number POS providers. During BlueStar’s VARTECH 2024 Conference Sept. 15-17 in Orlando, I heard a simple yet effective guiding philosophy for solution providers in this predicament.
Be radically different.
That advice was provided by BlueStar Director of Marketing James Korte during a marketing-focused breakout. Korte was actually answering a question about social media strategy, but his statement neatly tied together what we heard all week in the hallways, during the networking receptions, and from BlueStar executives on the main stage.
Promoting yourself as a local provider of leading IT brands isn’t good enough. Compare that to an RSPA member VAR who shared during a VARTECH breakout that he hosts every year a two-day event for his customers so they can meet the vendors he partners with. That’s radically different from the 800 number guys.
A sales rep pulling doorknobs sun up to sun down might generate lots of contacts. But what’s more effective an RSPA ISV told VARTECH attendees is taking a people-oriented technician and moving them into a sales engineer role. Half their job is solving problems for customers while the other half is talking solutions with prospects who actually welcome the conversation because the helpful sales engineer doesn’t have “commission breath.” That’s radically different.
Barraging merchants with “buy now and save!” sales emails won’t set you apart. But consistently creating what one RSPA ISV member called “credibility content” – such as an insightful podcast, YouTube series, or thought leadership blog – will elevate your trusted advisor status.
That’s not ordinary stuff. That’s radically different.
The path to success for VARs and ISVs isn’t being more like the big guys who offer a lower price and one-size-fits-all solution.
BlueStar didn’t just preach that type of differentiation at VARTECH. They walked the walk and shaped the path for high-initiative, growth-oriented solution providers. VP of Marketing Dean Reverman opened the event with a slide showing a plethora of technologies and services including AI, blockchain, sensors, RFID, edge computing, 5G, computer vision, SaaS, cybersecurity, and more (including POS, of course).
The sold out VARTECH show floor then delivered on that with 120+ vendors – dozens of them ISVs – showing their wares. BlueStar also provided the emotion and motivation to spur solution providers to act. A video chronicling the company’s 95-year history led into a tribute to late CEO Steve Cuntz who transformed BlueStar into a billion-dollar distributor with a blue-collar attitude.
VARTECH keynote speaker Dr. Erika Hamden, an astrophysicist and acclaimed TED Talk speaker, preached perseverance to the attendees: “If you want to find something new in the universe, develop a new way to look at the universe. Your act of building something new will result in problems and failures. The important thing is to wake up the next day and make it better. Keep going and make decisions so it will go better the next time. Discovery only happens when people choose to keep going.”
That journey starts with choosing to be radically different.
Steve Cuntz Memorial Scholarship
RSPA raised funds for the Steve Cuntz Memorial Scholarship during VARTECH 2024. Learn more about Steve’s scholarship and donate to the fund here: RSPA Establishes Steve Cuntz Memorial Scholarship
The moving video tribute to Cuntz included a behind the scenes look at how he and wife Vicki built BlueStar. I loved seeing the note taped behind Steve’s desk reminding himself and every visitor to his office that, “Second best is not an option.” VARTECH 2024 certainly wasn’t the same without hearing from Steve and seeing his smile, but I still felt his influence at the event.
Attendees of all stripes – VARs, ISVs, manufacturers, and BlueStar staff – shared with me Steve’s impact on their business and beyond. He helped them live their best life because … second best is not an option.
Payments: New Players, Hot Trends
The VARTECH Day 1 breakout “Payments: New Players, Hot Trends” featured insights from panelists Ken Schember of PAX, Chuck Howard of Elo, Tad McLaughlin of Elavon, Josh Bennett of US Bank, and moderator Toby Hutchinson of BlueStar.
Many of their insights focused on SoftPOS and ISVs:
- “SoftPOS is on the verge of setting the stage. Payment acceptance on anything is almost here. Combined with managed services, SoftPOS is the forefront.” McLaughlin
- “You’re going to see SoftPOS emerging across all verticals, very quickly among some of them.” Howard
- “It’s going to be a while before you see SoftPOS in mainstream retail. The main reason for that is a lack of familiarity by both retailers and consumers. But field service is a place where you can make money with SoftPOS today.” Bennett
- “Ten years ago, no one in this industry knew what an ISV was. Now ISVs are driving the industry and driving the innovation. We need to embrace that and take the bureaucracy out of payments. You’re going to see a lot of changes over the next year.” Schember
- “Understand the vertical so you become a business confidant, not a payments provider.” Schember
Other trends the panelists recommended VARs and ISVs pay attention to included biometrics, third party risk platforms/authenticators, AI risk mitigation, interoperability, EU regulations driving U.S. regulations, cryptocurrency/stable coin, and blockchain.
What Does Your Website Say About You?
The marketing-focused breakout I referenced at the start of this post was “What Does Your Website Say About You?” hosted by BlueStar marketing gurus Reverman, Korte, and John Martin. They shared several best practice principles and tactics for website design:
- Two fundamental elements: your website must be mobile responsive and have a fast load time
- A headline at the top of your home page should clearly and succinctly state what you do
- Explain your differentiation: “Are we telling a clear story on our website that explains ‘why us?’”
- Tell your story but don’t drop everything on the visitor
- Include proof statements like testimonials, case studies, and customer statements
- Organize your information: “Don’t jump ahead a couple of steps and give visitors information they’re not ready for.”
- Avoid obvious stock images: “Real people in real settings go a long way.”
- Perform routine maintenance on your site to ensure links work and each section includes up-to-date content
For those who think revamping your website is too heavy a lift, Reverman said, “If you’re going to burn calories on marketing, burn calories on your website design.” The BlueStar marketing trio then described how the imagery, themes, and messages on their website are carried across all their other marketing efforts.
The “What Does Your Website Say About You?” breakout will be a future episode of BlueStar’s TEConnect podcast. Follow this link to subscribe to the TEConnect YouTube channel.
More Top Quotes from VARTECH 2024
- Benjamin Lawrence of CB Insights: “Software is eating the factory, and this is because generative AI is fueling the emergence of new software platforms. The future factory is not just about the factory but about connectivity across the entire value chain.”
- Michael LeBlanc, Top Retail Expert and past RSPA Board Advisor: “All retail business models decay. You have to keep an eye on where the model is moving, and you need to react fast.”
- Tim Leberecht, VARTECH keynote and TED Talk speaker: “Beautiful organizations keep asking questions, and because of that they remain incomplete.”
