INTERVIEW Adam Cathcart - 9 Group
“Insight drives improvement and by hearing about the challenges your peers are facing, you can
learn to overcome similar hurdles” Adam Cathcart, MD of 9 Group’s Partner Division
Free to Perform Forum Launches
Comms Business and 9 Group are pleased to announce a new initiative for ambitious Channel Partners. The
new exclusive forum is designed to educate those partners that want to take their business to the next level. In
this interview we asked Adam Cathcart, MD of 9 Group’s Partner division why 9 wanted to get involved
Comms Business Magazine
(CBM): What sort of partners
does 9 like working with and
why?
Adam Cathcart (AC): We
support ambitious Partners
who are keen to grow their
business in a rapidly evolving
marketplace.
We recognise that our
job at 9 is to make sure our
Partners have access to the best
products, services and advice
available from a single source.
Our breadth of products
allows us to support Partners of
all sizes, but our focus on Value
Added Services means that
9 is a perfect t for Partners
who turn over £250k to £3m.
We provide solutions for those
tasks that may be distracting
Partners of this size. Our
value-added services include
Managed Billing, Direct Debit
Collection, Marketing and a
Virtual Oce which provides
an outsourced solution for
provisioning and customer
services – these tools equip
Partners to perform and
compete more eectively in a
crowded marketplace.
CBM: What attracted you to
support the Comms Business
Free to Perform Forum?
AC: Our channel is undergoing
a transformation. Technology
is more accessible than ever
before meaning that buyers
are equipped with even more
choice and control. is shift
is creating both opportunities
and threats for Partners and the
impact is already manifesting
itself in Partners’ revenues.
Our objective is to help
to deliver excellence in the
channel, through bringing
together the industry’s
key decision makers. Our
community will allow Partners
to learn about industry trends,
feed into initiatives to drive
innovation and learn how to
protect and increase revenues.
CBM: In your opinion, what
are partners looking for from
their suppliers today?
AC: Partners are looking for
support beyond the product.
Our Partners tell us that
they value access to unique
information, tools, support
and advice, to help them build
protable, long-term customer
relationships.
A lot of this can be delivered
through building genuine
relationships with Partners and
by working alongside them to
help them achieve their goals.
We clearly understand the ways
that our team can truly provide
value to Partners - initiatives
like delivering Marketing
advice and providing tangible
sales support are always well
received.
CBM: Members of the
forum must complete a
benchmarking survey. Why
is it important to benchmark
yourself against your
industry peers?
AC: Benchmarking enables
Partners to understand if they
are operating at the very best
of their ability. Insight drives
improvement and by hearing
about the challenges your peers
are facing, you can learn to
overcome similar hurdles.
It’s critical, now more than
ever, to place your business in
a position of strength. Partners
are identifying that they need
to protect their customer base
and protect their revenues.
Understanding whether or not
you’re ahead of the curve or
The Comms Business Free to Perform Forum is a specialist
platform for Channel Partners to educate themselves
and help grow their business. Members will have access
to exclusive research, content and events which will
address their business challenges. Want to find out more?
If you have a turnover between £250k and £3million and
want to grow your business email Publisher David Dungay
at David.Dungay@MarkAllenGroup.com
behind it equips you prepare for
the inevitable changes facing
our channel.
CBM: The new Brentford
Stadium will host our last
event of the year, why is this
a significant venue for the
final forum meeting of the
year?
AC: We appointed a group
of brand ambassadors from
across the world of British
sport to reect our ‘Free to
Perform’ ethos. With CEO
James Palmer’s passion for sport
and rugby in particular, the
partnership with London Irish
is a natural t.
We provide London
Irish with IT and
telecommunications support
throughout their business,
including their planned
move into the new Brentford
Community Stadium later this
year.
London Irish and 9 share a
sense of ambition and the drive
to succeed. We look forward to
inviting Partners to join us at
the new stadium later this year,
when they will also be able to
hear more about the London
Irish story from senior gures
at the club and meet some
of their leading players in a
relaxed atmosphere.
28 | Comms Business Magazine | March 2020 www.commsbusiness.co.uk
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