The Top 10 List of what to look for and ask when hiring a VAR

This is one question that I do get asked allot by people in both the SMB Market and the Mid Range Market. Most companies will just drink the Kool Aid of the VAR trying to sell them equipment or services and make the purchase. So I have written some questions down below along with some other pieces of information to help you spot those VAR's who really don't have it all together.

10. Always ask for references

                This is pretty standard but the problem is when you ask for references you only get the good ones. These would be the ones that the VAR uses with everyone so it all looks good. Now we are not saying that some VAR's don't have all good references, but they are few and far between. Sometimes it is good to have engineers ask other engineers what the word on the street is and also it is always good to use a little social networking to find out more.

9. Ask for a product demonstration and configuration in person

                Some VAR's just have people who are test takers so they can be a gold partner; this will weed them all out. You can always use the vendor office to have the VAR do a little install and configuration. Another option is to have the VAR bring the product to your office uninstalled and have them do it on site. Have them explain the install while to go along, this is good way to see how they will act during an install.

8. Ask questions that are out of the norm but specific to your environment

                Come up with five to ten questions that are not normal questions but are specific to the product in your environment. These would be how and why questions as to architecture, install and service.

7. Company affiliation questions with regards to staff are important

                Some VAR's have to outsource the installation, architecture and service of the equipment you have just purchased. A  VAR who has the ability to sell the equipment should have the staff to install and service the equipment. The problem you will run into if they do not have a staff is that if you need service or have an issue, they have no one to help you.

6. Never choose certification over experience

                Many companies both private and public are in this whole certification mess, they only look at how many letter are after your name. They don't think that this person has been only taking test using exam crams and could not install or service the product. During your interview if you have a company who has a great engineer, knows his stuff and has a good record you should pick him. Real world experience is better than book experience any day.

5. Don't get caught in the bait and switch

                Get what you paid for and don't settle for anything less. Some VAR's bring in the main guy or the guru to sweep you off your feet and have you buy from them. Then they bring in a lower level engineer who has either little or no experience with the product. Always make sure you get the person who you are comfortable with and knows the product or service. Settling for less will just cause you problems and cost more money down the road.

4. Worry if they bring more than two people to a meeting

                When companies bring multiple directors, vice presidents and architects to a meeting they are either there to cover for people who don't know that much or are in financial hurt and want to make a big impression. Either way less is always more or it is more of the personable experience that customers need to trust a new partner.

3. Never lease through the company you are buying from

                You should never use the company you are buying from as a leasing company or use one of their partner leasing companies. The reason for this is that you will lose money every time since the VAR will make points on the back end for your lease. Only use a vendors zero percent leasing as a rule when going through a VAR. You can always find your own leasing company or bank to finance your purchase and save money.

2. Ask for a copy of deliverables from multiple projects

                This will save you money and headache down the road; you can see how the VAR puts information together for projects. It will allow you to see if they just copy and paste the same thing into every deliverable. Also it will allow you to customize your deliverable so they just don't look like every other customer.

1. Sometimes you get better price and service from small partners

One thing I have found is that some of the vendor's best partners are the small partners. These are people who sometimes use to work for bigger partner.  They provide more personal service, have more knowledge of the products and services, they have more real world experience and knowledge than others. Also give the little guy a chance, it will not hurt anything and you could find that diamond in the ruff that you are looking for, most small partners don't have to make allot of markup. This means savings for you and your company.