RSPA Trusted Advisor

In Episode 70 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy talks with Tracey Lande, Vice President of Strategy and Growth/Business Development Lead at VAULT, about her unconventional – and highly successful – employee recruiting strategies. Lande shares how her personal journey back to the retail IT channel is influencing her hiring plans at VAULT, the importance of personalizing open positions and creating outcome-based job descriptions, and how to leverage your network and social media to build a strong team fast. “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), is an award-winning content series designed specifically for retail IT resellers and software developers. Our goal is to educate you on the topics of leadership, management, hiring, sales, and other small business best practices. For more insights, visit the RSPA blog at www.GoRSPA.org. Registration is now open for RetailNOW 2022, the retail technology channel’s #1 trade show, education conference, and networking event! Join RSPA and retail IT channel leaders live and in-person July 24-26 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando. RetailNOW will have everything you’ve come to expect from the RSPA – plus several new features including Niche & Startup Alley in the expo hall, the first-ever ISV Community Networking Reception, six education tracks (Executive Education, Security & Legal, NextGen Technology, Sales & Customer Service, Cannabis, plus a new ISV Education Track), and more. If you’re serious about the retail IT channel, you have to attend RetailNOW 2022. It’s Where the Industry Meets! www.GoRSPA.org/retailnow The RSPA is North America’s largest community of VARs, software developers, vendors, and distributors in the retail, restaurant, grocery, and cannabis verticals. The mission of the RSPA is to accelerate the success of its members in the retail technology ecosystem by providing knowledge and connections. The organization offers education, hotlines for legal, security, sales, and business advice, industry advocacy, and discounts on other services to assist members with becoming and remaining successful. RSPA is most well-known for its signature events, RetailNOW and Inspire which provide face-to-face learning and networking opportunities. Learn more by visiting www.GoRSPA.org.

In Episode 69 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy sits down with Mike Monocello, the co-founder of DevPro Journal and XaaS Journal, about his perspective on the ever-changing retail technology channel – both the past 15 years and what’s ahead. Monocello and Roddy also break down an RSPA-exclusive chart analyzing current and emerging business models in the retail IT channel including VARs, ISVs, ISOs, PayFacs, and DISDs (Direct Independent Software Developers).   “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), is an award-winning content series designed specifically for retail IT resellers and software developers. Our goal is to educate you on the topics of leadership, management, hiring, sales, and other small business best practices. For more insights, visit the RSPA blog at www.GoRSPA.org.   Registration is now open for RetailNOW 2022, the retail technology channel’s #1 trade show, education conference, and networking event! Join RSPA and retail IT channel leaders live and in-person July 24-26 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando. RetailNOW will have everything you’ve come to expect from the RSPA – plus several new features including Niche & Startup Alley in the expo hall, the first-ever ISV Community Networking Reception, six education tracks (Executive Education, Security & Legal, NextGen Technology, Sales & Customer Service, Cannabis, plus a new ISV Education Track), and more. If you’re serious about the retail IT channel, you have to attend RetailNOW 2022. It’s Where the Industry Meets! www.GoRSPA.org/retailnow   The RSPA is North America’s largest community of VARs, software developers, vendors, and distributors in the retail, restaurant, grocery, and cannabis verticals. The mission of the RSPA is to accelerate the success of its members in the retail technology ecosystem by providing knowledge and connections. The organization offers education, hotlines for legal, security, sales, and business advice, industry advocacy, and discounts on other services to assist members with becoming and remaining successful. RSPA is most well-known for its signature events, RetailNOW and Inspire which provide face-to-face learning and networking opportunities. Learn more by visiting www.GoRSPA.org.

In Episode 68 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy sits down with Paul Griffiths and Stephen Bergeron of apg (formerly APG Cash Drawer) to discuss rebranding lessons for VARs, ISVs, and vendors in the retail technology channel. They discuss rebranding principles and processes, how to best engage employees and customers during this journey, and why resellers with “cash register” in their company name are likely candidates for a rebrand of their own. “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), is an award-winning content series designed specifically for retail IT resellers and software developers. Our goal is to educate you on the topics of leadership, management, hiring, sales, and other small business best practices. For more insights, visit the RSPA blog at www.GoRSPA.org.  Registration is now open for RetailNOW 2022, the retail technology channel’s #1 trade show, education conference, and networking event! Join RSPA and retail IT channel leaders live and in-person July 24-26 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando. RetailNOW will have everything you’ve come to expect from the RSPA – plus several new features including Niche & Startup Alley in the expo hall, the first-ever ISV Community Networking Reception, six education tracks (Executive Education, Security & Legal, NextGen Technology, Sales & Customer Service, Cannabis, plus a new ISV Education Track), and more. If you’re serious about the retail IT channel, you have to attend RetailNOW 2022. It’s Where the Industry Meets! www.GoRSPA.org/retailnow  The RSPA is North America’s largest community of VARs, software developers, vendors, and distributors in the retail, restaurant, grocery, and cannabis verticals. The mission of the RSPA is to accelerate the success of its members in the retail technology ecosystem by providing knowledge and connections. The organization offers education, hotlines for legal, security, sales, and business advice, industry advocacy, and discounts on other services to assist members with becoming and remaining successful. RSPA is most well-known for its signature events, RetailNOW and Inspire which provide face-to-face learning and networking opportunities. Learn more by visiting www.GoRSPA.org.

In Episode 67 of “The Trusted Advisor,” Hunter Allen of VAR Cervion Systems, Tom Bronson of industry consultant Mastery Partners, and the RSPA’s Jim Roddy analyze the 2022 RSPA Retail IT Channel KPI Study. Among the topics discussed are the recent success of ISV/VAR hybrids, the as-a-Service recurring revenue business model’s continued acceptance, expected mergers and acquisitions, and the state of today’s retail IT channel. To obtain your copy of this year’s RSPA Retail IT Channel KPI Study, follow this link: 2022 RSPA Retail IT Channel KPI Study “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), is an award-winning content series designed specifically for retail IT resellers and software developers. Our goal is to educate you on the topics of leadership, management, hiring, sales, and other small business best practices. For more insights, visit the RSPA blog at www.GoRSPA.org. Registration is now open for RetailNOW 2022, the retail technology channel’s #1 trade show, education conference, and networking event! Join RSPA and retail IT channel leaders live and in-person July 24-26 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando. RetailNOW will have everything you’ve come to expect from the RSPA – plus several new features including Niche & Startup Alley in the expo hall, the first-ever ISV Community Networking Reception, six education tracks (Executive Education, Security & Legal, NextGen Technology, Sales & Customer Service, Cannabis, plus a new ISV Education Track), and more. If you’re serious about the retail IT channel, you have to attend RetailNOW 2022. It’s Where the Industry Meets! www.GoRSPA.org/retailnow

In Episode 66 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy sits down with Mark Fraker, CTO of RSPA distributor member BlueStar, to explore VAR opportunities with electric vehicle charging stations. Roddy and Fraker discuss the technologies, target market, and reseller recurring revenue opportunities related to EVCSaaS – Electric Vehicle Charging Stations-as-a-Service. “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), is an award-winning content series designed specifically for retail IT resellers and software developers. Our goal is to educate you on the topics of leadership, management, hiring, sales, and other small business best practices. For more insights, visit the RSPA blog at www.GoRSPA.org. Registration is now open for RetailNOW 2022, the retail technology channel’s #1 trade show, education conference, and networking event! Join RSPA and retail IT channel leaders live and in-person July 24-26 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando. RetailNOW will have everything you’ve come to expect from the RSPA – plus several new features including Niche & Startup Alley in the expo hall, the first-ever ISV Community Networking Reception, six education tracks (Executive Education, Security & Legal, NextGen Technology, Sales & Customer Service, Cannabis, plus a new ISV Education Track), and more. If you’re serious about the retail IT channel, you have to attend RetailNOW 2022. It’s Where the Industry Meets! www.GoRSPA.org/retailnow

In Episode 65 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy talks with Randy Gunter, one of the principals at VAR Spark Solutions Group, and Jeff Sanders, the President of VAR Southwest Point of Sale, about customer service best practices for retail technology solution providers. Among the topics discussed are reactive and proactive customer communication strategies, the importance of an annual customer survey, how to win over an upset customer, and the biggest customer service mistake many resellers make.   “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), is an award-winning content series designed specifically for retail IT resellers and software developers. Our goal is to educate you on the topics of leadership, management, hiring, sales, and other small business best practices. For more insights, visit the RSPA blog at www.GoRSPA.org.   If you like this episode, you’ll love the courses offered at RetailNOW 2022 – the retail technology channel’s #1 trade show, education conference, and networking event! Join RSPA and retail IT channel leaders live and in-person July 24-26 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando. If you’re serious about the retail IT channel, you have to attend RetailNOW 2022. It’s Where the Industry Meets! Learn more and register today: www.GoRSPA.org/retailnow

In Episode 64 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy interviews Rohan Mani, the Senior Vice President of Business Development at Shift4, about lucrative growth strategies for retail IT VARs. Among the topics they tackle are achieving trusted advisor status in a chosen niche, adding new products and services, outspending the competition on marketing, and ramping up an outbound salesforce. “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), is an award-winning content series designed specifically for retail IT resellers and software developers. Our goal is to educate you on the topics of leadership, management, hiring, sales, and other small business best practices. For more insights, visit the RSPA blog at www.GoRSPA.org. If you liked this episode of the pod, you’ll love courses offered through RSPA Academy EXCELerate, the next generation of education for the retail IT channel. This online system offers continuous learning, training, and development opportunities anytime, anywhere, from any device. For more information on RSPA Academy EXCELerate, visit learn.GoRSPA.org.

In Episode 63 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy talks with Mike Canevaro, Senior Vice President at ISV Fobi, about how retail IT solution providers can embrace – and generate recurring revenue from – analytics, AI, and IoT. Roddy and Canevaro also discuss how Fobi will use its technology as the official Health and Safety Technology Provider for RSPA Inspire 2022. Fobi will help RSPA provide vaccination and COVID testing verification for the event (follow this link for more details). RSPA Inspire, the retail IT channel’s premiere leadership conference, is scheduled for Jan. 23-26 at the Wyndham Grand resort in Clearwater Beach, FL. Mornings include breakfast followed by executive-focused educational presentations, group workshops, and panel discussions. Afternoons and evenings feature world-class networking through elite excursions away from the resort and relaxing events at the resort. For more information on Inspire, follow this link: www.gorspa.org/inspire “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), is an award-winning content series designed specifically for retail IT resellers and software developers. Our goal is to educate you on the topics of leadership, management, hiring, sales, and other small business best practices. For more insights, visit the RSPA blog at www.GoRSPA.org.

In Episode 62 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy talks with labor technology experts Audrey Hogan of ISV TimeForge and Barb Trushenski and Jeff Zimmerman of VAR North Country Business Products about how VARs are helping merchants solve their labor crisis. They discuss their joint report on grocery labor market trends, how to best start a labor tech conversation with a merchant, and which technologies are helping merchants improve their labor situation. “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), is an award-winning content series designed specifically for point of sale resellers and software developers. Our goal is to educate you on the topics of leadership, management, hiring, sales, and other small business best practices. For more insights, visit the RSPA blog at www.GoRSPA.org. If you liked this episode of the pod, you’ll love courses offered through RSPA Academy EXCELerate, the next generation of education for the retail IT channel. This online system offers continuous learning, training, and development opportunities anytime, anywhere, from any device. For more information on RSPA Academy EXCELerate, visit learn.GoRSPA.org.

Episode 61 of “The Trusted Advisor” features the wildly popular “Battle of the Channel Stars” format, an industry-focused conversation in a fun and competitive framework. The RSPA’s Jim Roddy talks with Steve Silberman of VAR MPI POS and Stacy Carrillo of North American Bancard about the six key skills every channel leader needs: Sales/business development Customer service Troubleshooting Teamwork Lifelong learner Servant leadership “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), is an award-winning content series designed specifically for point of sale resellers and software developers. Our goal is to educate you on the topics of leadership, management, hiring, sales, and other small business best practices. For more insights, visit the RSPA blog at www.GoRSPA.org. If you liked this episode of the pod, you’ll love courses offered through RSPA Academy EXCELerate, the next generation of education for the retail IT channel. This online system offers continuous learning, training, and development opportunities anytime, anywhere, from any device. For more information on RSPA Academy EXCELerate, visit learn.GoRSPA.org.