Last week, I dusted off my cowboy boots for the ScanSource Partner Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Yeehaw! The ScanSource Partner Conference is an annual customer appreciation event. It brings together resellers from all over the country to thank us for our business, much like what Retail Tech did at our “Explore” conference (on a larger scale…). Throughout the week in Nashville, we heard company updates, networked with other resellers, and participated in a number of activities (including uncovering hidden singing talents of some of the ScanSource elite!)
Even though I loved all the fantastic music of Nashville, my favorite part of the conference was listening to the keynote speakers. Two of the presenters, Roy Spence CEO of GSD & M and Doc Hendley founder of the non-profit Wine for Water, shared their impactful stories. First,Roy spoke about being “˜Purpose inspired.’ Mainly, in order to be successful, you need to know what you stand for. With GSD & M, Roy has consulted some of the top brands in the world (including: U.S. Air Force, Southwest Airlines, John Deere, and BMW) to recognize their purpose in times when they may have lost it. One of my favorite quotes by Roy was, “You need to be in the field of dreams business; if you’re in the business to help others, your customers will come.” Seems simple right?!
The following day, Doc Hendley, an ordinary bartender out of North Carolina, spoke on how he found a way to get much needed water to people in developing countries. The incredible take-away from Doc’s story was that a person with a passion can do anything. He is a single man with one idea who has changed the lives in people all over the world. Unfortunately, not everyone can drop everything in their lives and start a non-profit (although, for a brief moment, I think Doc had everyone in the room thinking about it). Ultimately, we need to recognize the larger message from both of these stories; we all have a purpose and a passion; our companies need one too.
These messages resonated within me during my time in Nashville, and after talking to ScanSource employees, I know that they are a company that’s driven by purpose. The theme “We’re Better Together” truly encompasses Retail Tech’s view on our relationship with this distributor. We recognize that without a solid channel, Retail Tech would have a difficult time retaining customers of our own. If we want to be “in the business to help yours,” we need them. So, we say, well done ScanSource, we truly appreciate you!
