Full Speed with Partners: Turning Digital Strategy into Execution

Full Speed was the theme last week in Las Vegas during Cisco GSX, our global sales kick off event with over 20,000 Cisco sellers in attendance.  We’re going full speed because the digital world is here now.  After the GSX experience, it became even more clear to me - we must move even faster with our partners in executing a digital strategy to drive customer success - now!

How do partners and Cisco execute at full speed in the digital world? Here are my top takeaways for partners from Cisco GSX:

Security

Our security portfolio is a game changer and our best near-term opportunity. We have significantly invested in security to create the most complete portfolio available in the market – securing the network, the compute layer, and the cloud.  With CIOs’ trust in Cisco, we are the player moving fastest in this $100B market. 

Our partners’ commitment to Cisco’s full security portfolio is critical here.  The good news - there are robust profit opportunities around services and other rich value-add offerings in this fast growing space.

It's a Hybrid Cloud World

As customers adopt new consumption models, they demand greater operational agility and consistency to manage different workloads and environments. Biri Singh, Cisco’s CTO, discussed the importance of the Hybrid Cloud to customers, saying that Hybrid Cloud environments are very real -- and will be a major factor in IT environments in the future. 

A trusted Hybrid Cloud Platform is and will be a top priority for customers. This starts with partner sellers and Cisco sellers embracing the idea that an open conversation around cloud is the right first step to providing the right Hybrid Cloud solution.  We are ready to help partners start this conversation with customers through field training and roadshows.  Stay tuned for more information here.

Recurring Revenue and Leading with Software  

The transformative shift to recurring revenue is already underway for Cisco, as noted in our recent earnings call.  Together with partners, we must continue to drive this momentum, whether it’s Spark, Meraki, Webex, or Cisco ONE.  Hybrid Cloud, featuring recurring revenue models around software, services, cloud, complemented with on-site equipment, is a critical success factor for Cisco in the future. 

While we are off to a good start on this journey, partners and Cisco will need each other to evolve our capabilities to ensure success here.  APO Account Managers stand ready to engage with partners to build the right plans, practices and models to align successfully for growth and profitability.

Selling Today

Traditional ways of selling continue to give way to newer selling methodologies in our digital world – leveraging powerful demos, digital selling tools, and partner ecosystem teaming.

Chris Dedicoat noted that when a seller demos a solution, their close rates are 4% higher.  Wendy Bahr noted that when a seller works with an ecosystem partner, their deal sizes increase by as much as 5X.  And, over 60% of the buying experience is actually happening before a buyer speaks to a sales rep. 

The good news - both Cisco and partners have the tools to make this transition – whether it’s dCloud, our Customer Experience Center, our SSI options (like Hadoop) or Sales Connect – we remain committed to expanding our already rich arsenal of next generation tools to accelerate successful selling in a digital world. 

Never Better

There truly has never been a better time to be at Cisco or to partner with Cisco. Everything is in place – the leadership, the sales talent, our robust portfolio, our market-leading brand, and the world’s best partner ecosystem.  Now, it’s up to all of us to execute, together and at Full Speed.

Partner with Cisco today.