1150: Keys to Marketing a Managed Service Provider w/ Carla Roddy

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:04.519 Want to expand the reach of your content, start a podcast, feature industry 2 00:00:04.519 --> 00:00:08.910 experts on your show and leverage the influence and reach of your guests to grow 3 00:00:08.990 --> 00:00:18.309 your brand. Learn more at sweet fish Mediacom. You're listening to be tob 4 00:00:18.429 --> 00:00:23.260 growth, a daily podcast for B TOB leaders. We've interviewed names you've probably 5 00:00:23.300 --> 00:00:27.059 heard before, like Gary Vander truck and Simon Senek, but you've probably never 6 00:00:27.179 --> 00:00:31.300 heard from the majority of our guests. That's because the bulk of our interviews 7 00:00:31.379 --> 00:00:35.810 aren't with professional speakers and authors. Most of our guests are in the trenches 8 00:00:35.929 --> 00:00:40.570 leading sales and marketing teams. They're implementing strategy, they're experimenting with tactics, 9 00:00:40.929 --> 00:00:45.250 they're building the fastest growing BTB companies in the world. My name is James 10 00:00:45.289 --> 00:00:48.890 Carberry. I'm the founder of sweet fish media, a podcast agency for BB 11 00:00:49.009 --> 00:00:52.320 brands, and I'm also one of the CO hosts of this show. When 12 00:00:52.359 --> 00:00:56.320 we're not interviewing sales and marketing leaders, you'll hear stories from behind the scenes 13 00:00:56.359 --> 00:01:00.039 of our own business. Will share the ups and downs of our journey as 14 00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:04.310 we attempt to take over the world. Just getting well, maybe let's get 15 00:01:04.349 --> 00:01:12.750 into the show. Welcome back to BTB growth. I am your host for 16 00:01:12.829 --> 00:01:18.069 today's episode. Nikki Ivy, was sweetish media guys. I've got with me 17 00:01:18.189 --> 00:01:23.859 today Carlo Roddy, who is the director of marketing at APPs associates. Carla, 18 00:01:23.939 --> 00:01:26.900 how you doing today? I'll Nikki. Thank you. How are you? 19 00:01:26.659 --> 00:01:29.939 I am good. I'm so good. I'm glad to talk about this, 20 00:01:30.379 --> 00:01:34.010 this subject that that you're going to illuminate for us, because it isn't 21 00:01:34.049 --> 00:01:36.489 one that I've got tackled on the show yet. We're going to talk about 22 00:01:36.730 --> 00:01:41.849 marketing a managed service provider and you're going to dig into what exactly that means 23 00:01:41.930 --> 00:01:45.810 here. Just to move but before we do, Carla, I would love 24 00:01:45.890 --> 00:01:49.519 it if you would just give us all a little bit of background on yourself 25 00:01:49.640 --> 00:01:52.680 and what you and the folks that APPs associates are up to these days. 26 00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:56.280 Absolutely so, thank you so much for having me today. We really appreciate 27 00:01:56.319 --> 00:01:59.599 it. As you said, I'm Carl Rotti, on the director of marketing 28 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:02.829 with APPS associate. We are a man of service provider based out of Boston 29 00:02:04.549 --> 00:02:09.750 with deep expertise around Oracle applications and cloud migration, excuse me, and we 30 00:02:09.870 --> 00:02:15.780 have a major differentiator with a breath of service offfering. We are a oracle 31 00:02:15.860 --> 00:02:20.620 platinum partner, we are premier consulting partner with Amazon Web Service and we really 32 00:02:20.699 --> 00:02:23.620 have to enable, you know, customers journeys to the cloud, whether it 33 00:02:23.819 --> 00:02:29.419 be private, publicx APP or a hybrid cloud. It's important stuff help them 34 00:02:29.460 --> 00:02:32.689 so focus their their journey to the cloud. It sounds very, very mystical 35 00:02:32.729 --> 00:02:36.810 and certainly something I would know nothing about, which is why we have folks 36 00:02:36.889 --> 00:02:39.650 like you here to de mystify it for us all. But so, so 37 00:02:39.810 --> 00:02:44.919 do you get started and sort of frame this? You guys have done some 38 00:02:45.719 --> 00:02:51.000 some research recently that you're going to share some of the findings with. Firsts, 39 00:02:51.080 --> 00:02:54.319 talk about what? What were some of the objectives of that? So 40 00:02:54.759 --> 00:03:00.150 really we were in the middle of a brand refresh and our goals were to 41 00:03:00.270 --> 00:03:05.830 really increase brand awareness and get recognition, you know, among the IP decisionmakers, 42 00:03:06.150 --> 00:03:09.270 to establish some real thought leadership that allowed for our company to enter really 43 00:03:09.349 --> 00:03:15.379 a clouded, crowded clouds conversation without disrupting established partnerships, and to really, 44 00:03:15.740 --> 00:03:21.259 you know, touched our hypotheties through research, to get survey results, to 45 00:03:21.300 --> 00:03:25.099 quantify and to educate our constituents. Right, okay. And so did you 46 00:03:25.180 --> 00:03:31.250 go into it with, you know, things that you were maybe expecting to 47 00:03:31.849 --> 00:03:38.569 confirm or dispel and where the really surprises initially in this research? So really 48 00:03:38.689 --> 00:03:43.319 we were out there to kind of debunk some this through our conversations with our 49 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:46.400 process and our customers. You know, we were hearing some of their pain 50 00:03:46.479 --> 00:03:52.400 first points and concerns about moving legacy orable applications, which our mission critical and 51 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:55.069 often customized, to the cloud, whether it be, you know, issues 52 00:03:55.110 --> 00:04:00.909 around security or cost or feasibility or licensing. And so we said, hey, 53 00:04:00.949 --> 00:04:03.030 you know what, we're hearing this a lot out in the marketplace. 54 00:04:03.590 --> 00:04:08.389 LET Commissioner, survey and really, you know, put it to the task 55 00:04:08.509 --> 00:04:12.939 find out what they're feeling. So we reached out to three hundred what we 56 00:04:13.020 --> 00:04:16.980 call IPDM, which are it, you know, decisionmakers using order of applications, 57 00:04:17.220 --> 00:04:20.259 about where they were in terms of their move to their cloud and what 58 00:04:20.339 --> 00:04:24.810 their concerns might be. And, you know, we did formal research around 59 00:04:24.850 --> 00:04:29.529 it and then compiled the data and did the analysis and we're able to confirm, 60 00:04:29.689 --> 00:04:32.129 you know, some of our thoughts and illuminate some others. Right, 61 00:04:32.410 --> 00:04:39.399 right. And so from start, to launch what needed to happen to make 62 00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:43.399 sure that this was successful. So really started, you know, with a 63 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:46.560 kickoff meeting, kind of putting our premise out there, what we thought we 64 00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:50.160 were seeing and what we wanted to validate. And we had to get our 65 00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:56.589 key take olders together. We tested our asset and we put those together. 66 00:04:57.149 --> 00:05:00.670 We looked at what kind of need media the might be, what kind of 67 00:05:00.709 --> 00:05:04.310 earned media, what may resonate with the audience. We connected with influencers, 68 00:05:04.509 --> 00:05:09.180 we connected with press to see if there was an appetite for this so that 69 00:05:09.300 --> 00:05:12.699 really would be able to share the message and to educate the public. You 70 00:05:12.779 --> 00:05:15.139 know, are projects about what was available and what was out there. So 71 00:05:15.259 --> 00:05:17.300 there was, you know, a lot, a lot of key planning, 72 00:05:17.300 --> 00:05:21.170 kind of working from the end goal backwards, making sure you involve the right 73 00:05:21.209 --> 00:05:26.290 people along the way and putting the process in place and how it it roll 74 00:05:26.370 --> 00:05:30.410 out. Yeah, and so how did you guys get the word out about 75 00:05:30.490 --> 00:05:33.490 the research? And then, once you lay that out, give us the 76 00:05:33.569 --> 00:05:36.319 good stuff, talk to us about some of the the results that you saw. 77 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:41.240 So really, as as you said, we want to be unlocked up, 78 00:05:41.319 --> 00:05:45.800 particularly with with ourselves, for to make sure we were communicating consistent messages 79 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:48.480 that we were actually testing the theories that they were yearing out in the market 80 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:53.430 place of the pain points from the customer and getting real information that could choose 81 00:05:53.509 --> 00:05:57.589 help to inform our prospects and our customers on the decision that they were making, 82 00:05:57.949 --> 00:06:00.790 that, you know, what some of their concerns were, and then 83 00:06:00.829 --> 00:06:02.389 to have the sats behind it in terms of what other people were seeing. 84 00:06:02.750 --> 00:06:06.459 So that was a very important piece of the process as we went along. 85 00:06:06.980 --> 00:06:13.660 Then we commissioned our research for we put our questions out there, collected our 86 00:06:13.740 --> 00:06:16.740 data, kind of felt what the information was and really we came up with 87 00:06:16.819 --> 00:06:20.410 these five, you know, top myths that we de bunked. Obviously getting 88 00:06:20.529 --> 00:06:27.250 that into a beautiful ebooks to put together, promoting that on social, kind 89 00:06:27.290 --> 00:06:30.970 of amplifying the message S, as we mentioned, Yep, engaging the media 90 00:06:31.410 --> 00:06:35.920 to discuss these points, talking with our customers also to get their feedback and 91 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:40.560 have some case studies and testimonials to put out there, and then promotion, 92 00:06:40.720 --> 00:06:46.680 you know, paid paid social really website visit and what we really founded that 93 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:50.589 a resons that we introduced video and went across all of our social platforms. 94 00:06:51.110 --> 00:06:55.589 You know, it worked out really well. We really have a multi channel 95 00:06:55.709 --> 00:07:00.069 integrated marketing approach. Yes, what it sounds like you doing all the things, 96 00:07:01.339 --> 00:07:04.100 which I think is necessary and UN like you mentioned that, you guys 97 00:07:04.699 --> 00:07:10.540 were you debunked five major myths out there. Talk about that for us. 98 00:07:11.139 --> 00:07:15.889 So really, you know, as people have their like the Oracle applications on 99 00:07:15.089 --> 00:07:19.449 from it and they're looking to potentially move into the clouds for scalability availability, 100 00:07:19.850 --> 00:07:24.129 there was concern on, you know, will it be a secure as if 101 00:07:24.329 --> 00:07:26.769 when I have it, you know, in my own house, so to 102 00:07:26.810 --> 00:07:30.680 speak. Well, I have any issues with licensing as as I move, 103 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:33.199 is there? Is there cause? Is it more expensive? What happens after 104 00:07:33.240 --> 00:07:38.480 I get there? And you know, people definitely are interested in moving to 105 00:07:38.560 --> 00:07:44.829 the cloud for the innovation, for the efficiency and just very interesting to see 106 00:07:44.870 --> 00:07:47.870 what percentages, you know, broke down where and to validate some of our 107 00:07:47.949 --> 00:07:51.670 assumptions and and to see a couple of, you know, additional points brought 108 00:07:51.670 --> 00:07:57.230 up. But I would say in theory that really or in reality, what 109 00:07:57.430 --> 00:08:01.339 we found did support what we were hearing out in the market place and positions 110 00:08:01.420 --> 00:08:05.860 us well to talk to conspects about what others are seeing and then what their 111 00:08:07.060 --> 00:08:09.500 journey to the cloud could book like, right and in a way that's valuable. 112 00:08:09.579 --> 00:08:13.290 Whether folks work with you or not, it's really important to back and 113 00:08:13.370 --> 00:08:16.649 talk to folks on the show, you're doing a great job of it, 114 00:08:16.050 --> 00:08:22.410 to talk about what they're doing to contribute to the community in which they belong, 115 00:08:22.569 --> 00:08:26.689 because there's a difference, right, between being lender that sells into and 116 00:08:26.769 --> 00:08:28.000 this is like a broken Recorpi of folks listen to the show, but a 117 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:33.440 it's true. You know, you're either a vendor that sells into an industry 118 00:08:33.720 --> 00:08:37.000 or you're contributing member of that industry, and one of the ways to make 119 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:39.759 yourself a contributing it, you know, member, is to do this kind 120 00:08:39.799 --> 00:08:43.350 of research that folks can use, whether they're they're working with you or not. 121 00:08:43.509 --> 00:08:46.509 So I like this idea of going in and tell them, folks, 122 00:08:46.669 --> 00:08:50.309 Hey, whether it's it's us who are helping you through this journey or not, 123 00:08:50.789 --> 00:08:56.460 you probably need help and and here's the here's where you where you can 124 00:08:56.580 --> 00:09:01.100 start with with debunking these these myths. So I really love that aspect of 125 00:09:01.220 --> 00:09:05.580 what of what you guys did and the fact that you got these tangible results 126 00:09:05.620 --> 00:09:11.009 that really speak to the experience of folks who are doing these jobs every day. 127 00:09:11.250 --> 00:09:13.049 So I'll give you a shot before we move on to the next segment, 128 00:09:13.129 --> 00:09:18.730 to talk about any other findings beyond those those miss debunked that you want 129 00:09:18.769 --> 00:09:20.250 to share with us, and then just a little bit of advice that you 130 00:09:20.370 --> 00:09:26.440 wanted to offer to marketers who are thinking about doing a similar project. Well, 131 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:28.960 you know, I think whenever you can position yourself as a subject matter 132 00:09:30.120 --> 00:09:35.559 expert who can educate, you know your prospects on what is best for them, 133 00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:39.070 but also give them reference to what other their peers are feeling to help 134 00:09:39.149 --> 00:09:43.110 either validate or or questions, you know, some of the decisions that they 135 00:09:43.149 --> 00:09:46.870 could make. That, I think, is a key piece to really just 136 00:09:46.029 --> 00:09:50.149 the savaging the relationship and establishing trust, for sure, for sure, and 137 00:09:50.269 --> 00:09:54.740 so I love the way you laid this out. Valuables of how can folks, 138 00:09:54.259 --> 00:09:56.299 you said you guys, put it on in an Ebook? Is that 139 00:09:56.460 --> 00:10:00.700 just how worse folks go to find that they want to dig deeper into what 140 00:10:00.740 --> 00:10:03.379 you guys so we do have it, you know, on our website at 141 00:10:03.419 --> 00:10:09.690 APPs Associatescom. There is promotion on Linkedin, on twitter, we have you 142 00:10:09.809 --> 00:10:13.129 know, evolved the ebook into video, you know, kind of segmenting smaller 143 00:10:13.169 --> 00:10:18.049 etips to because sometimes it can be a lot for, you know, someone 144 00:10:18.129 --> 00:10:22.120 to consume and maybe they want smaller pieces and smaller tongues. So we took, 145 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:26.759 you know, the points that resonates the most. We created thirty second 146 00:10:26.840 --> 00:10:28.639 pieces to say hey, all right, this is the myth that I'm most 147 00:10:28.679 --> 00:10:31.840 concerned about. Check this out, and that's the helpful and it's been getting 148 00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:35.389 traction, you know, retweeting really, as we said, way of opportunities 149 00:10:35.429 --> 00:10:39.870 to speak to the media, to have our story told from a different point 150 00:10:39.909 --> 00:10:45.269 of view. All of that has added to the amplification of the research itself. 151 00:10:45.669 --> 00:10:48.789 Love that. Love that. So now that I have gotten the chance 152 00:10:48.990 --> 00:10:50.379 to pick your brain and see what I could get out of it, it 153 00:10:50.539 --> 00:10:52.980 is time, Carla, for you to tell us all about what you are 154 00:10:54.019 --> 00:10:58.179 putting in it. So tell us about a learning resource that you engage with. 155 00:10:58.379 --> 00:11:01.220 It is in forming your approach. This just got you excited these days. 156 00:11:01.860 --> 00:11:07.169 So you know, I love like Tony Robins and and that Mel Robins, 157 00:11:07.210 --> 00:11:11.970 who's actually not if you don't relate it, but your kindness about you 158 00:11:11.049 --> 00:11:13.529 know, how can I do think better. How can I take a moment 159 00:11:13.570 --> 00:11:18.679 when I'm caught up and really say what is best for the situation and just 160 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:22.960 kind of step back and see how I can do a better and also just 161 00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:28.480 hey, maybe you know sometimes when you don't get it right the first time, 162 00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:31.440 there's the learning there that really adds to that uha moment down the road. 163 00:11:31.799 --> 00:11:35.669 For sure I'm learning from Miss Steps. Is One of my favorite, 164 00:11:35.070 --> 00:11:41.070 one of my favorite resources or store Um actually just came across in my it 165 00:11:41.149 --> 00:11:46.029 was suggested to me in my audible library. Mel Robbins, is work it 166 00:11:46.110 --> 00:11:48.299 out, and so now I've now that I've heard you say that, now 167 00:11:48.340 --> 00:11:52.659 I have to do it. I'll have to read it. It's the sign 168 00:11:52.100 --> 00:11:56.340 versus will losing me for this. Thank you. So here in that with 169 00:11:56.500 --> 00:12:00.220 us. I like it. It's just sort of the you know, no 170 00:12:00.419 --> 00:12:05.210 nonsense, traditional self help stuff. I mean this, that's that's really good. 171 00:12:05.210 --> 00:12:07.490 It is is like self improvement. No apologies here. That's what I'm 172 00:12:07.850 --> 00:12:11.649 reading this. Listen, wonderful to my ask that question. They going to 173 00:12:11.690 --> 00:12:16.399 give me something that's not that they think no one's ever heard of or whatever. 174 00:12:16.519 --> 00:12:18.639 But I like how you keep it real with me. I hear they 175 00:12:18.679 --> 00:12:22.639 do that out in Boston. So thank you. Yeah, absolutely, see 176 00:12:22.679 --> 00:12:26.679 was six and then improve from there. That's exactly it. As exactly it. 177 00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:30.269 So, Carla, just like me, I know everybody listening has become 178 00:12:30.309 --> 00:12:33.309 a fast fan of yours and they are going to want to know how to 179 00:12:33.429 --> 00:12:35.750 keep up with you. So let us know how post you connect with you 180 00:12:35.350 --> 00:12:41.190 absolutely on twitter at APPs associate. We're on linked in a APPs associates, 181 00:12:41.309 --> 00:12:43.460 and then, you know, directly with me is Carla Dot Roddy at APPS 182 00:12:43.500 --> 00:12:48.340 Associatescom and I hope to hear from you boom. Y'All reach out. Thank 183 00:12:48.340 --> 00:12:50.340 you so much. We'll have to have you on again because I've took a 184 00:12:50.379 --> 00:12:54.179 look at you. Know your background, your experience and I'm sure I could 185 00:12:54.179 --> 00:12:56.100 ask you a million questions. I just soak pissed up up and so to 186 00:12:56.179 --> 00:13:01.370 our listeners. But until then, thanks again, Carlo. Will speak to 187 00:13:01.370 --> 00:13:07.409 you Sou likewise. Thank you so much. We totally get it. We 188 00:13:07.570 --> 00:13:11.210 publish a ton of content on this podcast and it can be a lot to 189 00:13:11.289 --> 00:13:15.360 keep up with. That's why we've started the Bob Growth, big three and 190 00:13:15.559 --> 00:13:18.879 no fluff email. That boils down our three biggest takeaways from an entire week 191 00:13:18.919 --> 00:13:24.559 of episodes. Sign up today at Sweet Fish Mediacom big three. That sweet 192 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:28.429 PHISH MEDIACOM Big Three