Insight’s Stephen Moss: ‘The Word ‘Partner’ Has to Mean Partner’

CHANNEL PARTNERS CONFERENCE & EXPO–Insight’s Stephen Moss (pictured above onstage with Netfortris’ Raquel Wiley), senior vice president and general manager of Connected Workforce, understands the power of communications—between partners, with clients and in the areas where the two overlap.

Moss is a 32-year veteran of the tech industry. And on Wednesday, he took the stage at Channel Partners Conference & Expo with Raquel Wiley, vice president of marketing for NetFortris, to share some of the lessons he has learned during his career.

For Moss, two elements have been key, no matter what company he was working for or what position he held. The first is to always take care of his team. The second is working with clients, making sure they are connected to the right people on his team.

A Change in the Way Teams Meet

During the pandemic, Moss realized that there had to be a change in the way his team met. The format was different, for sure. Virtual rather than in-person. But more than that, he made sure that meetings went beyond just business discussions and included a “wellness check” of team members. What was going on, good and bad?

As a result, Insight saw a 65% increase in team involvement. Conversations became more transparent, making it possible for the team to grow together.

But business causes stress whether there’s a pandemic or not, so Moss is determined that the new expectations for meetings and the new ways in which team members communicate will be part of Insight’s “new normal.”

He is also determined that his team will focus on what they want to do, how they want to do it and the role that partners will play. Just as importantly, they will be clear on who and what those partners are. “Lots of time people talk about partners and treat them like suppliers,” Moss said. “The word ‘partner’ has to mean partner. And you have to define that yourself, with your team and with your partners.”

And what does Moss see as the key to effective recruiting, onboarding, revenue generation and retention? “Create wins in others. If you think about your clients’ success, your peers’ success and your teammates’ success ahead of your own, you become a winner as a leader.”