RSPA Trusted Advisor

In Episode 60 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy connects with Jeff Brown, host of the world-renowned Read To Lead podcast and co-author of the new book Read to Lead: The Simple Habit That Expands Your Influence and Boosts Your Career. Brown discusses which practices will encourage your team to read more, effective tactics for sustaining that development, where to find the books your team will want to read, and more. “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.

In Episode 59 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA Legal Counsel Atty. Jill Miller talks with the RSPA’s Jim Roddy about compliance best practices for VARs and ISVs. Miller discusses common SMB compliance blind spots, steps solution providers should take to ensure they are compliant with the latest regulations, and more. “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. Included in EXCELerate are these courses: Preventing Workplace Harassment and Discrimination Preventing Workplace Harassment and Discrimination for Supervisors For more information on RSPA Academy EXCELerate, visit learn.GoRSPA.org.

In Episode 58 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy connects with John Bachanov, CEO of cannabis ISV Appspensary, and Oscar Alvidrez, Business Development Manager for Custom America, about selling technology to cannabis dispensaries. They discuss key differences between selling to dispensaries vs. traditional retailers, the best contact sources, how to earn a first meeting with the dispensary decision maker, and where the cannabis channel is heading. “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. Included in EXCELerate are courses on: Entering the Cannabis Vertical – Where Should VARs Start? 7 Elements of a Successful Cannabis VAR Mistakes VARs Can’t Afford to Make in the Cannabis Market and more For more information on RSPA Academy EXCELerate, visit learn.GoRSPA.org.

In Episode 57 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy sits down with Fredrik Carlegren, Vice President of Global Marketing for Toshiba, and Blake Gillum, General Manager of VAR/ISV hybrid DCR POS Solutions, to discuss self-service trends and how solution providers should adapt. “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. Included in EXCELerate are courses on: Retooling for Revitalization in Restaurants and Retail The Blurring of the Lines Between Stores and DCs Simplify and Streamline Payment Acceptance and more For more information on RSPA Academy EXCELerate, visit learn.GoRSPA.org.

Episode 56 of “The Trusted Advisor” features 2021 RSPA W2W Leaders of the Year Nell Alverson, the Director of Channel Marketing at ScanSource, and Breanna Brown, Global Marketing Manager for APG. Alverson, Brown, and the RSPA’s Jim Roddy discuss opportunities and challenges for women in today’s channel, actions both men and women can take to avoid bias and promote inclusion, and changes the retail IT industry should embrace to accelerate progress. “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. Included in EXCELerate are courses on: Mentoring Leadership development Self-development and more For more information on RSPA Academy EXCELerate, visit learn.GoRSPA.org.

In Episode 55 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy sits down with Mark Shelhart, the Director of Digital Forensics and Incident Response at Foregenix, and RSPA Security Advisor Nathan Sweaney to discuss security trends in the retail IT channel and what VARs and ISVs should expect in 2022.   “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. Included in EXCELerate are courses on: Malware and ransomware Passwords Email phishing Zero Trust and more For more information on RSPA Academy EXCELerate, visit learn.GoRSPA.org.

In Episode 54 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy connects with David Gosman of HP, Michel Sirois of BlueStar Canada, and Jeremy Julian of VAR/ISV CBS NorthStar to analyze “What Lies Ahead for the Retail IT Channel?”   “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.

Episode 53 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 Kelli Stewart and Jim Stewart of VAR POS.com about strategies and tactics for VARs to grow their sales. Among the topics discussed are investing in activities that deliver higher value, ramping up an outbound sales force, and entering new markets by creating micro niches inside the current market you serve.   “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), is a 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 52 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy shares several VAR and ISV best practices including five simple steps to alleviate your customers’ phone frustrations and one giant step that will change the trajectory of your business. Roddy says, “As the leader of an organization, you need to take a step back from your day-to-day tasks and frequently ask yourself why you do what you do.”   For more information on RetailNOW, July 25-27 in Nashville, or to register for “Where The Industry Meets,” follow this link: http://www.gorspa.org/retailnow   “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.

In Episode 51 of “The Trusted Advisor,” Keith Sampson, the National Sales Director for North American Bancard, previews his RetailNOW 2021 breakout session “Sell on Price, Lose on Price – Don’t be a Loser!” Sampson and the RSPA’s Jim Roddy discuss how to capture the attention of merchants, which tools will help you sell value over cost, and why VARs and ISVs should invest time attending shows, especially in 2021.   Scheduled for July 25-27 at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, RetailNOW 2021 will feature 20+ education sessions across six tracks: VAR & ISV Executive Education, Sales & Marketing, Customer Service, Security, Next Gen Technologies, and Cannabis. For more information on RetailNOW or to register for “Where The Industry Meets,” follow this link: http://www.gorspa.org/retailnow   “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.