Newsletter | Q3 2019

From the CEO’s Desk

Now’s the Time to Move the Goal Post

We’re nearly halfway through the year, and business is good. So good in fact, we’re ahead of plan and moving our goal post further out for another record-setting year! If you’re not tracking along with us or better yet outpacing us, let’s talk. Our view has always been that success is best shared. If we’re killing it out there, you should be too. If that’s not happening, please pick up the phone and let’s start the conversation and create opportunity.

Speaking of opportunity, for those who made it out to our Vegas and Anaheim Tech Tours, as well as the Channel Partners event where we took mainstage and the small stage, thank you. All three events were successful, and the networking and knowledge-sharing certainly led to stronger working relationships and greater insights about what’s happening now and what’s coming next, as well as more than a few memorable moments.

Our time together also uncovered a handful of topics that I’ve had a hard time letting go of – especially around bad sales behavior, fraud and the inability for some to really move the needle. For those who’ve seen my LinkedIn posts, you know what I am referring to. For those who may not have, check it out and weigh in https://www.linkedin.com/in/planet1.

One area I’ve talked about a bit recently is the hype cycle around the “customer experience.” The customer experience, or CX as the industry has dubbed it, is not new. It’s foundational to any successful, sustainable business, and has been since day one.

In my thirty years of experience, if a business isn’t hyper-focused on its associates and its customers, what’s the point? At PlanetOne, we wake up every single day focused on amplifying the success of our partners and providers, and it shows in everything we do.

From our engagement models to our incentive programs, we are all in. Whether your business is behind goal or you’re ready to move the post, we’ve got your back. Our Rhode Island and Laguna Beach PlanetOne Tech Tours are around the corner and registration is open. Let’s meet face-to-face and make 2019 epic for everyone!

Cheers,

Ted Schuman, Founder/CEO
PlanetOne

Company Name: Big Dog Networx

Headquarters: Boston, Mass., with agents in New York City; Washington D.C.; Chicago, IL.; and Denver, CO.

Website: www.bigdognetworx.com

Year Founded: 2004

Key Markets/Verticals Served: Big Dog Networx is a leading voice, data and cloud consultancy serving clients across a broad range of vertical markets including education, government, healthcare and financial services.

Specializations: Cloud, connectivity, voice, collaboration

Why Big Dog Networx Teams with PlanetOne: Integrity and Responsiveness

“It all comes down to trust,” said Gregory Howard, Founder and CEO, Big Dog Networx, when describing his relationship with PlanetOne.

Since 2004, the voice, data and cloud solutions consulting firm has been helping its clients identify the right communications solutions for solving their unique business challenges. “We believe in delivering the best solutions for our clients through honesty and integrity, and that is why PlanetOne is such a great fit for Big Dog Networx,” said Howard. “I would trust Ted and his team with my life.”

He added, “One of the biggest things for us is PlanetOne’s responsiveness. When I am in the middle of the deal and trying to win a piece of business, I can trust that PlanetOne will be there to support me. In our business, every single deal is the most important deal and they understand that. Even in a pinch, PlanetOne is there to make sure I can support the client and immediately resolve any issues that arise.”

Howard also says that he appreciates that PlanetOne is there, regardless of whether the business has closed or not. “A lot of times with other companies, I’ll only hear from the channel manager once the deal is inked, with PlanetOne its completely different. They come to me with a mindset of looking for what they can do to help me win the deal – no one is too good to take on even the most mundane of tasks. PlanetOne is truly an extension of my team and remains loyal to me regardless of whether we close the deal, or not.”
 

Large Nonprofit Teams with Big Dog Networx and PlanetOne for Voice and Data Upgrade

One of the areas of vertical focus for Big Dog Networx is large nonprofits within the education and healthcare sectors. Recently, Howard and his team received a call from a CIO, whom they had worked with before at a previous nonprofit organization. He had switched jobs and was working for another large nonprofit and had an opportunity he wanted to explore with Big Dog Networx.

“The CIO was looking to upgrade the organization’s voice and data systems,” said Howard. “The nonprofit had 28 locations, a very tight budget and an IT staff consisting of three people. What they needed was a solution to offload as much of the management of their connectivity infrastructure, while at the same time conserving their limited budget and resources.”

The first order of business when Big Dog Networx came on board was to clean up the client’s existing voice and data services account. “We were able to locate a $40K credit due to bad billing practices, which helped free up funds to upgrade their phone system,” said Howard. “The next challenge was the lack of support they were receiving. With only three employees, there was not enough manpower to manage the connectivity infrastructure across all 25 locations, and the previous provider was not giving the client the support it needed. After consulting with PlanetOne, we recommended that the client migrate to SpectroTel for its voice and data services.”

Howard added. “Unlike their previous provider, with SpectroTel the nonprofit would gain a one-stop-shop for any type of carrier – whether cable or fiber, or service – i.e. telephone, internet, e-fax,” he added. “Further, SpectroTel’s portal would give them a quick and easy overview of the performance of their connectivity network at any given time, which would save time and reduce strain on internal resources. Giving the nonprofit full control over their entire connectivity infrastructure, made the decision to migrate to SpectroTel a no-brainer.”

Big Dog Networx delivered for the client, completing the install at its 25 locations within 30 days. “We installed multiple locations per day,” said Howard. “We conducted weekly calls with the client to ensure they were up to speed on the project, and our SpectroTel project manager, Mike Robinson, was invaluable in bringing this installation together.”

The Friday Flash Puts Money in My Pocket

When asked what PlanetOne does that makes the company standout, Howard had one word – education.

“When I work with different solution providers, I love hearing from the channel managers as they are typically the ones with the insights into what’s new and trending,” said Howard. “Unfortunately, with most companies, that contact is little and far between, but that is definitely not the case with PlanetOne.”

Howard continued, “I’ve come to count on the ‘Friday Flash’ that Ross Thompson sends out as a great source of information that I can then use to educate my team and clients about what is happening in the industry. Every time I read a ‘Friday Flash,’ it puts money in my pocket and inspires me with the stories of deals that have been won and closed, and how PlanetOne worked with his providers and partners to solve client challenges.”

For more information on the PlanetOne Partner Program, visit https://www.planetone.net/partner-program/.

TPx is the nation’s premier Managed Services Provider, delivering unified communications, managed IT and network connectivity to over 50,000 customer locations across the country.

Accelerate Your Success With TPx!

We are looking for motivated partners, driven to success, who enjoy unlimited opportunities for compensation. Doing business with us is a win-win-win for you, your customers, and TPx. You receive the sales resources and support you need, the customer receives the service and customer support they need, and we gain a long-term customer relationship.

Generate More Revenue with TPx

TPx offers one of the most aggressive and competitive compensation packages in the industry. That means unlimited growth potential for you! And with special SPIFs and contests throughout the year, you can bolster your compensation and even earn trips to top destinations.

Higher Customer Satisfaction

We’re long-term relationship junkies.  It’s easy to murmur sweet nothings like, “service is our middle name,” but here, you’d better have the cold hard numbers to back those claims up because we want those relationships to endure. We keep customers better than almost anyone, in any industry.

We’ve recently felt like Queen of the Prom in the industry since earning several prestigious awards:

• Datto Breakout Partner of the Year for selling the most devices in a 12 month period
• Datto Partner of the Year for providing exemplary technology and services to SMB business customers
• TMC named UcX Unified Communications Product of the Year
• Ranked #2 on the Channel Futures MSP 501 rankings
• Dick Jalkut, TPx President and CEO was named a Channel Partners Top Gun 51 Channel Leader

The TPx team is ready to help you design, price and present the best possible solution to your customers. Our agent managers are among the best you will find anywhere. With our extensive range of services, you can offer your customers a comprehensive suite of communications, managed IT and network services from a single source.

For more information contact your TPx Channel Manager or visit the PlanetOne provider page.

Jake Schuman
Director of Sales, Strategic Accounts, PlanetOne

At PlanetOne, we place tremendous value the contributions our employees make to ensure both our success and that of our providers and partners. In our newsletter each quarter, we shine a light on one of our amazing employees. This quarter, we are featuring Jake Schuman, Director of Sales for Strategic Accounts.

Jake has been with PlanetOne for five years, having joined the company in June 2014. He is based in PlanetOne’s Orange County Office and as Director of Sales, Strategic Accounts, is responsible for driving sales initiatives, increasing revenue and closing deals across the company’s strategic partner base.

Jake is also newly married and he and his wife, who works in the technology sector as well, love spending time in the outdoors and taking advantage of everything the Southern California lifestyle has to offer!

We recently sat down with Jake to learn what he likes most about working at here at PlanetOne, and how he spends time away from the office.

1. What do you like most about your job? Working with PlanetOne?Personally, I enjoy helping our partners solve their most pressing business challenges. Often, it’s like putting together the pieces of a puzzle – looking at the problem and then finding the right technology solution. The advantage that we have here at PlanetOne is our rich provider portfolio which enables us to identify the right technology solutions for our partners, regardless of the complexity of the problem.
   One of other reasons I enjoy working here at PlanetOne is being surrounded by some of the most talented technologists in this space. That, coupled with our trusted providers and partners, makes for great teamwork!

3. What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t working?
   I enjoy doing anything outside, especially when a motorized vehicle is involved! Many weekends and evenings you’ll find my wife and I at the beach or on the trail – often joined by our dog, Cash!
4. Do you have a ‘bucket list’? What are some of the things you would want to do if time or money were no object?
   One of the things I’ve always wanted to do was see the Monaco Grand Prix in person. Even better would be viewing it from a yacht docked in the harbor! What an experience that would be!
5. Do you have a favorite saying, mantra or quote?
   One of my favorite sayings that the team will often hear from me is “teamwork make the dream work.”

Our “From the Heart” initiative for this quarter was an Easter project for Phoenix Children’s Hospital.  We assembled and delivered 20 Easter baskets for their Adolescent age group.

Phoenix Children’s Hospital is a 433-bed, freestanding children’s hospital located in Phoenix, Arizona that provides specialty pediatric services in inpatient, outpatient, emergency, trauma, and urgent care. Affiliated with the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, and providing pediatric training for medical students there, Phoenix Children’s partners with Maricopa Integrated Health System for a 3-year pediatric residency training program.

U.S. News & World Report has recognized Phoenix Children’s as a Best Children’s Hospital seven years in a row.

Volunteers play a very important role in providing hope, healing and care for patients and their families and are active within the Hospital and throughout the community. We were honored to be able to bring some joy to 20 special adolescents staying in the hospital during the Easter holiday and cheer them up with our From the Heart Easter basket delivery.

For more information about Phoenix Children’s Hospital and how you can help, please visit https://www.phoenixchildrens.org/ways-help

More From the Heart Stories here.

Join us for these educational and networking events focusing on emerging technologies, industry trends and valuable product information. Our mission is to enable agents with the knowledge and tools to succeed in the ever-changing world of telecom & IT services. Each Tech Tour stop features executive speakers from our 2019  Preferred Providers, creating valuable engagement with some of highest regarded executives in the industry.

Win great prizes and receive gift packages just for attending. There is no cost to attend and meals are complimentary. These events are exclusively for PlanetOne agents, prospective channel partners and our Preferred Providers.

The PlanetOne Tech Tour 2019 schedule includes the following stops:

To register, visit https://www.planetone.net/2019-tech-tour/. For photos from our previous Tech Tour events, check out our photo album on Facebook.