Writings of Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu wrote The Art of War around 500 BC and the tenets of the text are still relevant today, not just in military terms but also in anything involving organizations and the competition for resources. One book that applies Sun Tzu’s seminal writings to the business world particularly well is Sun Tzu for Execution by Steven W. Michaelson.

I enjoy reading Michaelson’s book because it takes quotes from Sun Tzu and applies them to concepts that that he illustrates with real-world examples. For instance, in one chapter called “Mass” it describes the need to be stronger at a decisive point versus the competition. It refers to defining and exploiting what your core strength is as a company and aligning your resources behind it to create a distinct advantage in the marketplace.

For example, QuickBooks became the number one provider of accounting software to small businesses by creating a user-friendly interface and work-flow for business owners who could not afford to hire a full-time accountant or spend lots of money on advanced accounting software. While most companies that need advanced operational functionality usually abandon QuickBooks, the average small business owner couldn’t live without it.

Applying that same philosophy to business software consulting can be a challenge in that many small VARs don’t have the luxury of creating a “brand” that becomes known in the marketplace. The brand is essentially owned by software companies like Sage, Microsoft and SAP. Moreover, the smaller you are as a software VAR, the fewer marketing resources you have to spare. Still, you have the ability to define yourself on your website, marketing collateral, customer testimonials, press releases and more. Plus, each time you battle for a new customer project, you can differentiate yourself from the competition in ways that emphasize your strengths. If you apply your strengths in the right way, and with enough resources, then you may find yourself the victor more often than not.

One VAR that has had success differentiating itself from the competition is Mindover Software, which is based in Austin and has offices in Dallas and San Antonio. Mindover Software sells, implements and supports a variety of business software and accounting software from Sage, including Sage Accpac ERP, Sage MAS 500 and SageCRM.

Mindover Software differentiates itself from the competition by focusing on more than just selling SageCRM or Accpac ERP. It competes on product knowledge and business process consulting as much as what any Sage product is or can do. The company seeks larger prospects with which it can create a multi-layered relationship involving software, custom programming and business process consulting.

Mindover’s best Accpac, MAS 500 and SageCRM customers routinely rely upon the company to help deploy business strategies designed to accomplish far-reaching business goals. It’s no surprise that Mindover prefers to be very selective in who it supports as a customer. “We tend work best with companies that view us as a partner in how technology can support its business strategies,” affirms Lloyd Smith, president of Mindover Software. “We find the level of customer satisfaction rises in direct proportion to our degree of collaboration. Our customers don’t mind spending money with us as long as they see the value it what we provide. Customers that don’t feel that way have a tendency to seek help elsewhere,” he adds.

Mindover “forms a single united body,” to borrow the words of Sun Tzu, around its deep product expertise and business consulting acumen in everything it does. Its marketing collateral reinforces the concept across all fronts. Its website provides proof in the form of frequent press releases announcing its latest customer accomplishments and services offerings. It posts favorable testimonialsattesting to the company’s ability to figure out ways to improve customer performance. It created several success storiesabout real-world customers and the transformative effects of Mindover’s products and consulting services.

Each and every software consulting reseller should find its own core strengths and align its resources behind them. If you excel at selling software, then take a more transactional approach to marketing and sales. If you don’t enjoy the sales process at all but have good relationships with certain key customers, then consider implementing a customer referral system to get more qualified, interested leads. Whatever your core strength is, stay focused on it and stay consistent in your execution. Make sure your marketing messages and activities support those strengths. In the end, you will find ways to defeat the “enemy” where you are strongest and walk away with the victory.