The owner of an emerging IT service provider business is truly no different than the quarterback of a good football team. He has skills and abilities that put him in the position to reach a certain goal, and his ability to execute plans is instrumental in the team’s overall success. Whether it be winning a game or reaching profitability, it takes good leadership to accomplish either objective. But even Peyton Manning doesn’t do win games on his own; in addition to the skilled players around him, he relies on his coach (actually coaches) to provide expert guidance and help him adapt his skills to overcome new challenges or defensive schemes.
In much the same manner, many successful business owners utilize a coach or mentor to help them achieve goals that push the limits of their capabilities. Many solution providers I’ve encountered are quick to admit that their formal education and experience is primarily technology-based; their business know-how is often ranked a distant second. As the service organization grows, it can be beneficial to engage with a skilled coach who has considerable experience in a similar type of organization.
While a comprehensive IT business trainer is best for many owners, an expert in a particular discipline can be particularly helpful for those challenged in one part of their business. Need to build a sales team and not sure where to start? Connect with a sales management expert. Want help constructing a valuable lead generation program? Engage a marketing professional with that capability.
Members don’t even have to search the globe for experts that understand the IT channel. CompTIA has assembled a list of mentors with a proven track record of success. Each was selected based on member demand, reference checks, and approval from the member review committee. Even if you haven’t taken the field (or picked up the ball for that matter), it’s never too early to huddle up with a quality coach to create a successful game plan.
CompTIA Mentors are available to help with a wide variety of business and professional development needs, including:
- Business Management
- Business Strategy / Supply Chain Management
- Customer Service
- Finance
- Green IT
- Health Care IT
- Human Resources
- IT Service Management / Process
- Legal
- Managed IT Services
- Market Research
- Marketing
- Project Management
- Public Relations
- Sales/Sales Management
- Security
- Unified Communications
- Virtualization
