IBM System Storage Foundations Top Gun

Do you:

• Need to establish a solid foundation for selling and supporting IBM System Storage solutions, including hardware, software, solutions, financing and services offerings?
• Want to understand how IBM System Storage solutions can deliver real value to your clients?
• Desire to know how IBM System Storage can help your clients maximize the benefits of the information explosion by developing and implementing an information infrastructure strategy that aligns with business goals?
• Yearn for insights on how to beat key disk, tape, SAN, NAS, archiving, lifecycle management and storage management competition?
• Require a refresher course, so that you can stay current in the fast changing storage marketplace?
• Wish you had some help preparing for the IBM System Storage sales certification exams?

 Then IBM System Storage Foundations TOP GUN is the class for you !!!

IBM System Storage Foundations Top Gun is a face-to-face (classroom) class. 

• All IBM and Business Partner sellers new to IBM System Storage products and solutions
• Experienced IBM and Business Partner sellers needing an IBM System Storage knowledge refresh
• New hire Storage Sales Specialists in 1st 3 - 18 months
• Anyone else selling or supporting the sales of IBM System Storage products and solutions

The objective for this class is to build the student's core product selling and value selling skills with regard to IBM's System Storage portfolio by providing an understanding of:

1. IBM's System Storage strategy, products and solutions
2. The Storage Marketplace
3. IBM's chief competitors in each market segment

Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to identify, validate, qualify, propose, and win IBM System Storage opportunities.

In addition, the course will help the student prepare for IBM System Storage sales certification.

There are several prerequisite activities for this class, as follows:

1. You should have a fundamental working knowledge of storage concepts and technologies. For example, you should be able to readily answer questions such as these:
   1. What is a device driver?
   2. What is latency?
   3. What is zoning?
   4. What is LUN masking?
   This prerequisite knowledge may be acquired through experience or through the IBM Top Gun Virtual Learning: Storage Fundamentals virtual class, available via the IBM TGVL website
   
2. You should have a basic understanding of the IBM System Storage Product Portfolio. Please review the IBM System Storage Product Guide (TSO00364USEN.pdf), which will be sent to you prior to class.
   
3. There will be prerequisite reading (whitepapers, solution briefs, etc.) prior to class in your Student Notice.
   
4. You should select a real, live customer DISK opportunity - one that you have identified and expect to close in the next 60 - 90 days. If you don't have a territory, ask your colleagues, mentor, or manager to share an opportunity with you. Document the currently installed environment and the customer's business problem(s) in as much detail as possible. We will use this Opportunity in our Student Workshops throughout the week.
5. We will be using the new TCONow! for Disk tool during our Student Workshops. Instructions for downloading the tool will be sent in your Student Notice approximately 4 weeks prior to class.

What people are saying about IBM System Storage Foundations Top Gun:

"This class gets you fired up about selling IBM VALUE!" - IBM Business Partner, Technical Specialist, US

"For me this TopGun was very VALUABLE. It was a lot of useful information to drive business in the future." - IBM Business Partner, Germany

"I learned more in a week than I learned in the last two years." - ibm.com Storage Sales Specialist, US

"This class is great. I gained a lot of knowledge and skills from this course. I think this will be very helpful in my selling." - IBM Business Partner, Sales Manager, China

"Great event, I learned much more than I expected! Super instructors & presentations! I'll be back!" - IBM EBIS Account Solution Manager, Germany

"Excellent introduction to the storage portfolio. Instructors were of high quality and able to articulate the value of IBM products." - IBM Storage Systems Architect, Malaysia

"The teach team was excellent in emphasizing the importance of VALUE selling versus hardware selling." - IBM Business Advisor, System Storage, Canada

"Very good format and has really helped me combine the technical aspects with the sales side [in] my role as a Presales Specialist." - IBM Business Partner, Technical Specialist, Australia

"Thanks for a great week. In all my years in the business I've never had such a well thought out and executed training session." - IBM Storage Sales Specialist, US

Dave Whoolery
dwhooler@us.ibm.com

Oliver Stark
Oliver_Stark@de.ibm.com