Lost in translation

Dan — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 03:51:03 +0000

I get asked to describe Bellwether a lot. What do we do? I also read a lot of blogs of my colleagues out there who have helped shape how we do business. But I struggle. I struggle with how to describe what we do. How to choose the words that we as a company use to define not just our business model but the services we offer. Many of us that are Presidents and CEOs of these small IT service firms have a technical background where we're comfortable with acronyms. Maybe we take a little nerdy pride in knowing that we can use terms like BDR, OSPF or CNAMEs. But what good does it do us?

So, how are we referring to ourselves?
- IT
- Managed Services
- Flat-Rate IT

A lot of people say, "Well, we use these words internally but not with clients." I'd like to see that happen. Typically the words you use internally are what help define you and are eventually what you use with clients.

I describe Bellwether as the outsourced, flat-rate IT department because that's how I think of us. I want clients to know that for a flat rate, they get an entire IT department. They don't get me, or Adam, or anyone else in particular, they get everything from someone to answer help desk calls to someone that can attend an executive committee meeting and help them connect their business goals with their technology goals. They know that they can pick up the phone and get advice that's going to help them achieve what their trying to achieve in the business.

Bellwether Blog

Lost in translation