Chat Log
00:02:48 Marc Pickard - CBTech Support: @Brooke - love the shirt!
00:04:18 Brooke Smith: Thanks Marc - it's my bowling team tshirt!
00:06:23 Joel Osera: wrangling cats
00:07:49 Jorge Viveros: I prefer herding cats
00:08:39 Derek Gabriel: what happens after what happens next
00:08:52 Craig Anderson, PCM: ive got one who's really bad about that
00:09:24 Chuck: Client, "WE NEED THIS QUOTE NOW" Gets quote. Crickets...
00:10:42 Derek Gabriel: I have the opposite problem, client dropped an 80k bomb on me yesterday, budgeted but unspent, "what should we do?"
00:12:20 Derek Gabriel: 👍Craig
00:12:58 Odin Fuhrman: that sounds like a good problem to have
00:14:16 Brooke Smith: maybe easier to say sorry than ask for permission? like... oh well you said yes during the meeting.... we sent quote for your records and we are here today to install?
00:14:29 Brooke Smith: @Chuck ALLLLLL the time!
00:15:26 Jared Belcher: Status: Waiting on Parts
00:16:16 Craig Anderson, PCM: bleehhhhhh
00:16:37 Bob Tukin: Get that client on the phone with an engineer and bill for that time. They will stop asking.
00:16:40 Chuck: If it's something commonly quoted and we know what it's going to be. We will just say hey look the quote is going to be about this much. Before I spend a bunch of time quoting this, is this an amount that you are willing to spend because if not we will not waste the time.
00:16:41 Marc Pickard - CBTech Support: Can you pass them off to the TAM to have that conversation?
00:17:02 Derek Gabriel: reframe - even with a technical background, I don't talk tech
00:17:20 Jorge Viveros: Tell them what risk the tool protects against
00:17:38 Marc Pickard - CBTech Support: What Jorge said
00:17:51 art meyer: have you asked them what their end goal is in relation to that question?
00:17:54 Michael Courts: +1 to what Marc said.
00:18:56 Brooke Smith: @Bob that's a good plan LOL
00:19:15 Chuck: everybody wants a good deal, can't blame clients for shopping. if we have clients that use our quote to go by it on their own we bill for our consulting/quoting time
00:20:03 Derek Gabriel: I hate to type this out loud, but bias too probably comes in. You're a woman, is it men that push you on that?
00:20:32 Brooke Smith: YES DEREK EXACTLY
00:21:27 Greg Bartlett: I also know that Owners tend to be very detail oriented and want to know everything they want to add to their company as well. That's the glass half full approach though.
00:21:57 Derek Gabriel: That's essentially reframing, the video is in sales section but if you have access, but it's specifically about the sales cycle when they want to know what AV or other tech you use, that's the everybody stuff. But if this persons a super nerd, it might be as simple as scheduling TAM or a tech to tech talk for him.
00:23:20 Jared Belcher: Rob I want to hear how you would shut down the questions from the owner. You said you would shut it down hard.
00:26:00 Joel Osera: Is it the recommendation you don't trust or is it me? If it's me... why is that?
00:26:10 Jorge Viveros: ^^ this
00:26:19 Jared Belcher: I like that Joel
00:27:54 Derek Gabriel: or if you've already had the business case conversation and they ask technical details, in the spirit of reframing you can say something like "Oh, that's an interesting question, I don't usually get those types of questions about this, can you tell me more about what you're thinking here?"
00:28:22 Brooke Smith: @Derek THAT is IT exactly how I am looking to reframe!!!
00:28:42 Derek Gabriel: 🙌
00:30:49 art meyer: Gotta run. Client "emergency"
00:31:03 Rob Danser: good luck art!
00:32:49 Michael Courts: Let them know cheap does not mean the lowest price.
00:34:29 Andy M. Dick: We like to say "not spending anything is not the cheapest approach!"
00:34:37 Marc Pickard - CBTech Support: Had a few of those conversations the past 2 weeks
00:34:46 Rob Danser: Brandi@quercusit.com
00:37:16 Bob Tukin: WVD requires AD. Waiting to see if Windows 365 required Active Directory or if it can be tied directly to accounts in 365. Looking at publishing remote app for Mac users.
00:38:22 Marc Pickard - CBTech Support: Anybody playing with Windows 11 yet? Specifically the new docking features?
00:39:02 Derek Gabriel: Rob that requirement just dissolved. Azure connect is now an option in public preview.
00:40:01 Derek Gabriel: err Bob :D
00:40:23 Bob Tukin: Thanks Derek.
00:40:54 Chuck: onboarding varies per client for us. We basically factor in whatever our labor rate would be to get the client to where they need to be to meet our standards. Typically this is where we do the bulk of the initial project cost
00:40:54 Dan Seafoot: we've always put more time in than what we have charged for with Onboarding.
00:41:46 Andy M. Dick: Won't come out ahead with onboarding time expenditure, but should reap the benefits with the MRR
00:42:18 Onelio: Split the onboarding fee over a couple of months OR increase price for first three years at higher rate
00:42:42 Derek Gabriel: Bob.. here's a tech blog post on Win365.. buried in it is Azure AD Native info somewhere.. https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-it-pro-blog/get-started-with-windows-365-enterprise/ba-p/2530504
00:42:48 Craig Anderson, PCM: Onboarding is a Loss Leader
00:42:53 Bob Tukin: Perfect. TY.
00:43:59 Craig Anderson, PCM: building new infrastructure and migrating is different than how I think of onboarding Nadeem - in that context you are right you need to charge for tha, in that case thougth you aren't JUST selling a manged service contract you are selling a professional services engagement as well
00:45:38 Bob Tukin: 40-80 seems on par.
00:46:24 Craig Anderson, PCM: that is such a good point rob
00:46:27 Tim Happel: 40-80 what?
00:46:34 Jorge Viveros: hours
00:46:41 Bob Tukin: 40-80 hours for an onboard.
00:46:45 Jared Belcher: How do I tell the owner that he can't waive that in sales calls anymore? LOL
00:46:52 Derek Gabriel: in our MSA we identify onboarding a period of time that they get less active support, so that's how we account for it from a financial perspective, we service them less while doing the onboarding.
00:46:54 Craig Anderson, PCM: IF you waive/discount, it should be the one-time price, don't touch the recurring, but even then, use that carefully
00:47:01 Joel Osera: We just charge an onboarding fee that is equal to the first month of their agreement fee
00:47:02 Chuck: you say we are not a not for profit
00:47:25 Derek Gabriel: The last thing I'm doing after a sales cycle is hitting them with a massive labor bill, we already are essentially forcing them to buy new hardware in many places.
00:47:26 Chuck: or you can tell your sales guy he can cut his commission then
00:48:41 Derek Gabriel: let's put it this way, I hate all the vendors I try to hire that want onboarding. And if it's a deal breaker for me as a customer, there's no way I'm charging my customers.
00:48:59 Craig Anderson, PCM: that's true.. but I became a vcio so I wouldn't have to worry about that engineer utilixzation stuffanymore ;)
00:49:05 Derek Gabriel: if you need onboarding fees your package pricing is wrong
00:49:17 Derek Gabriel: COMMUNICATION UP FRONT
00:49:31 Chuck: it really varies on what you are doing in the onboarding
00:50:39 Chuck: Correct
00:50:58 Derek Gabriel: that is exactly onboarding
00:52:09 Derek Gabriel: Right, but with average customer lifetime of 8 years... we're being greedy to charge onboarding fees lol
00:52:55 Derek Gabriel: Greed is good
00:52:56 Derek Gabriel: lol
00:53:12 Chuck: who works for free?
00:53:22 Jared Belcher: I'm greedy - I want me and the company to get paid and have a chance at a bonus - not a layoff!
00:53:29 Derek Gabriel: it's not free
00:53:32 Derek Gabriel: you have a contract, yes?
00:53:47 Derek Gabriel: just because you didn't directly bill for an hour doesn't make it free
00:54:02 Brooke Smith: I would ask "how can that work for us"
00:54:27 Chuck: if you are doing a 30 hour project as part of the onboarding you should get paid for it.
00:54:57 Derek Gabriel: oh we're splitting hairs now... if you are doing a project, yes, bill and contract it as a stand alone project.
00:55:11 Chuck: you could I guess factor it into the monthly versus the onboard fee
00:55:12 Derek Gabriel: Onboarding is part of our magic, it's a layer in our chocolate cake
00:55:22 Chuck: yeah I see what you are saying
00:56:27 Derek Gabriel: We have to do our work to get the customer into our system, that's on us, not on them.
00:56:52 Odin Fuhrman: Please record it! I'm going to miss it
00:56:58 Dan Seafoot: cheers team!
00:56:59 Andy M. Dick: Great weekend everyone!