The Amazon Web Services Partner Network or APN is a community of global partners, which leverages expertise, resources, and programs to create, market, and sell customer services. The AWS Partner Network is very diverse, and it features over 100,000 partners who come from over 150 countries.
When you become an AWS consulting partner, you are better positioned to assist your clients in leveraging the benefits of AWS Consulting during the cloud migration and helping them transition to the cloud seamlessly. AWS consulting partners help solve technical challenges, provide innovative solutions, and deliver value to their clients. With that said, most people still wonder how they can become an AWS consulting partner. If you are one of these people, below are the steps of becoming an AWS consulting partner.
Have a Participant Agreement and Statement of Work
The Participant Agreement is an engagement letter between the consulting partner and the customer. It outlines the scope of work along with what activities should be included as part of any engagements, such as training or other deliverables. On the other hand, a Statement of Work (SOW) is a contract that contains specific details about the work that needs to be done. The SOW also includes information regarding timelines, deliverables, etc., which both parties require. As an AWS consulting partner, you will need to have those two documents for your clients to utilize your services. However, it is important to note that information contained in these documents may vary from one client to another since Statements of Work are customized by each Amazon Web Services consulting partner.
Get the Right Educational Resources
To become an AWS consulting partner, you will need to gather all educational resources that will help you shape your skills and knowledge about the cloud computing industry. Once you have completed these courses, you can easily share them with potential customers, which will give them the chance of getting the most out of their cloud experience and provide opportunities for increased sales. Some of these educational resources include:
- Certification Courses – if you want to get started with AWS training courses, ensure they are accredited through Global Knowledge Training (GKT). According to GKT, their certification course for AWS enables users to understand how they can build, design, implement and maintain cloud applications. Also, they have courses that cover AWS database services which will provide users the skills to create modern databases in the cloud.
- Unified Communications Training Courses – a great way of increasing your credibility is by understanding how you can effectively communicate with customers. With this in mind, you need to learn about unified communications (UC) such as Microsoft Lync or Cisco Unified Call Manager (CUCM). These courses will help you improve your communication skills and provide professional support to potential customers during critical conditions.
- AWS Partner Community Portal – the AWS Partner Portal focuses on assisting users to become fully trained and educated on all things related to Amazon Web Services. It does this by offering training courses, partner content, living documentation of AWS services, and examples on how to use them. By utilizing the knowledge gained from these resources, users will value-add to their company’s business growth plans.
These are just some of the educational resources that an AWS consulting partner should have before venturing into this field. There are also numerous other tools and professional certifications you can acquire to make you more competitive in this highly demanding industry.
Get Symbolically Certified
When it comes to signing contracts with customers, AWS partners need a symbolically certified logo for clients to see you as a credible source for cloud computing expertise. It is also important for you to have enough experience in cloud computing so that customers will know what they are buying. If customers have confidence in your skills, they are more likely to sign the contract.
Promote Yourself
Being an AWS consulting partner means that you need to have a strong customer base whom you can serve and who trust your abilities when it comes to cloud expertise. With this in mind, once you become certified with the most advanced IT certifications out there, spread the news by showcasing your services online through social media channels like Linkedin and Facebook. Also, let your prospective clients understand the importance of managed IT for business.
Also, post on Google+ about your new AWS qualifications and make sure that clients can see them on your websites or profiles (if possible). Another option would be posting articles on your blog site about cloud computing and updating it regularly with useful information. This is a great way to demonstrate your new skills to potential customers and get them familiarized with you as an AWS partner.
Be Ready for Anything and Maximize Your Opportunities
One of the advantages of becoming an AWS consulting partner is that you will be able to provide value-added services to businesses looking for more efficiency and security when it comes to their data storage and management. To maximize your chances, make sure that you work hard and learn everything about this promising new career opportunity by studying the tools mentioned above and making sure they are readily available in case clients inquire about them. Also, gain as much experience as possible and network with industry experts who will guide you and provide valuable advice.
