IT Certifications: Do Your Clients Even Understand Them?
478
Computers > Computer Certification
Mar 1, 2007
Joshua Feinberg
IT Certifications: Do Your Clients Even Understand Them?
When targeting small businesses that are in the sweet spot size, what IT certifications do you typically need? One thing to keep in mind is that you are not selling to a real IT manager in most cases.
Remember Who You Are Selling Your Services To
Of course, there are exceptions to the rule in certain industries and certain types of businesses. Generally you?re selling to a non-technical, small business owner. You?re selling to someone who understands his business really well but is not an IT professional.
As a result, they usually don?t have an appreciation of the differences between someone like a CNA and a CNE, or the difference between an MCT and an MCSE IT certification. This is another case where it?s not absolutely critical that you hold advanced level IT certifications in everything, or even be certified at all.
Start Small with Certification
If you feel that not having an IT certification is holding you back, it could be worthwhile to get one or two entry-level certifications. Then you can start working gradually toward more advanced IT certifications that you want to specialize in.
If you get too caught up in needing various IT certifications to market your business, you may end up losing out on possible business.
The Bottom Line about IT Certification
If you have launched your business, but are not doing the networking thing, not doing the follow-up or going out on sales calls, you may be missing opportunities.
You do not want to be running up bills for classes, have no billable hours and have nothing to show for it from a business development standpoint. It?s really important to set your priorities.
Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consultants Secrets. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance} Joshua Feinberg has helped thousands of computer consultants get more steady, high-paying clients. Learn how you can too. Sign-up now for Joshua's free Computer Consultants Secrets audio training at www.ComputerConsultantsSecrets.com/blog/
Remember Who You Are Selling Your Services To
Of course, there are exceptions to the rule in certain industries and certain types of businesses. Generally you?re selling to a non-technical, small business owner. You?re selling to someone who understands his business really well but is not an IT professional.
As a result, they usually don?t have an appreciation of the differences between someone like a CNA and a CNE, or the difference between an MCT and an MCSE IT certification. This is another case where it?s not absolutely critical that you hold advanced level IT certifications in everything, or even be certified at all.
Start Small with Certification
If you feel that not having an IT certification is holding you back, it could be worthwhile to get one or two entry-level certifications. Then you can start working gradually toward more advanced IT certifications that you want to specialize in.
If you get too caught up in needing various IT certifications to market your business, you may end up losing out on possible business.
The Bottom Line about IT Certification
If you have launched your business, but are not doing the networking thing, not doing the follow-up or going out on sales calls, you may be missing opportunities.
You do not want to be running up bills for classes, have no billable hours and have nothing to show for it from a business development standpoint. It?s really important to set your priorities.
Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consultants Secrets. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance} Joshua Feinberg has helped thousands of computer consultants get more steady, high-paying clients. Learn how you can too. Sign-up now for Joshua's free Computer Consultants Secrets audio training at www.ComputerConsultantsSecrets.com/blog/
Write a Review
Add to My Favorite
Refer it to Friend
Report Article
Other links owned by this user
When targeting small businesses that are in the sweet spot size, what IT certifications do you typically need? One thing to keep in mind is that you are not selling to a real IT manager in most cases. Remember Who You Are Selling Your
Category:
When starting an IT consulting business, should you already have partnerships established with other companies to provide services that you don?t? The whole problem with running an IT consulting business is that you d to be able to satisfy a lot of
Category:
After you hae learned to explain the concept of a "real" network to small business prospects and clients, you can look into the endors out there proiding small business serer suites (both client/serer and Web-based). The following is a listing of
Category:
New computer technology comes out continuously. As a computer consultant you probably want to keep up with all the new computer technology that comes along. You're most likely in love with technology - always looking for a new intrusion protection
Category:
Benchmarking and best practice is a way for you measure your success against others who have made the leap in computer consulting before you. By measuring your own performance against industry benchmarks you get an idea of what you need work on
Category:
Many small businesses mistakenly think that they?re too small to cost-justify a "real" client/server small business network. However, because small businesses want, and in most cases, need, the same technology tools as their larger competitors,
Category:
Work scheduling is one of the most time consuming aspects of a consulting business. First you have the issue of work scheduling that goes into your evenings and weekends and then you have to juggle which clients to schedule when and for how long.
Category:
When you begin talking about a small business networking upgrades, prospects and clients will often dwell on cost. They neglect to consider the soft costs of not properly investing in a network, such as lost employee productivity when imprudent corners
Category:
As their IT consultant, your small business prospects and clients will need you to explain the different network ling options available to them. Traditional Wired Ethernet (Category 5) Until very recently, Category 5 data
Category:
Credit terms and policies for extending credit to customers requires a tight balancing act. You need to watch out for your money and tect your cash flow. You also want your services to be attractive to clients. By following a few simple rules about
Category:
In dealing with apathy toward small business networking, discontinued technical support is another powerful counterforce, especially when you?re talking about vertical, industry-specific software, such as niche applications designed for accountants,
Category:
Starting an IT consulting business requires patience and dedication. The hardest part is often getting new clients. In this article, learn some more of the steps you should take before beginning your IT consulting practice. Step Sixteen:
Category:
When working in small business consulting, your clients may ask, "Why do I need something as big and powerful as the network you?re recommending? We?re just a seven person company and our network works great, at least most of the
Category:
If you sense resistance during the IT network sales cycle, listen very carefully to the prospect's objections. Many times, they like what they hear, but small business owners need to hear three or four different opinions in order to bolster their
Category:
By engaging small business decision makers in discussions about their IT networking needs, you can highlight how automating services like faxing will ve your prospect?s or client?s company on manual labor, which indirectly translates into substantial
Category:
Small business netorking is absolutely critical to your business success. As a computer consultant you are in the professional services business. This industry is all about relationships and relationships are built through netorking. You
Category:
Securing moonlighting jobs s computer consultnt for smll businesses is difficult becuse you're typiclly working when the smll businesses re closed. You need the flexibility to crry out your moonlighting jobs during the evening nd on weekends
Category:
Small Busess Server 2003 is an excellent choice for your computer consultg busess. It is sold as a suite so you get a lot of great features. And Small Busess Server 2003 is designed strictly with the needs of small busess computer consultants
Category:
Business support systems are critical to your business success. The most important business support system is your family. The al relationship is particularly key to your ability to launch and operate a successful business. If your
Category:
PC-based servers and LANs may be relatively mature technologies. However, small businesses need your firm?s expertise, more than ever. For these businesses, you'll need to select, configure, customize, secure and maintain the right small business
Category:
Other links at Computers > Computer Certification
If a Layer Two switch doesn't have the capabilities to run IGMP Snooping, it will be able to run CGMP - Cisco Group Membership Protocol. CGMP allows the multicast router to work with the Layer Two switch to eliminate unnecessary multicast forwarding.
Category:
To pass your CCNA exam and earn this coveted certification, you must understand the details of port-based authentication. This knowledge has a great deal of value in production networks as well, since this authentication scheme is regularly implemented.
Category:
I know from experience that part of the excitement and anxiety of putting together your own CCNA / CCNP home lab is deciding what to buy! While you can make a workable home lab out of almost any combination of Cisco routers and switches, some routers
Category:
4. CCNA
CCNA stands for Cisco Certified Network Associate - a certification for IT professionals that is issued by Cisco Systems, Inc., one of the most successful computer networking companies. Cisco manufactures and markets a wide range of devices for both
Category:
Like TCP, BGP is connection-oriented. An underlying connection between two BGP speakers is established before any routing information is exchanged. This connection takes place on TCP port 179. As with EIGRP and OSPF, keepalive messages are sent out by
Category:
Site Sponsor
Directory Statistics
Articles: 68200
Categories: 501
Yahoo Entertainment
