Carahsoft Technology Corp., Reston, VA
Company: Carahsoft Technology Corp., Reston, VA
Company Description: Carahsoft is the trusted government IT solutions provider. A top-ranked GSA Schedule Contract holder, Carahsoft is the largest government partner and master government aggregator for many of its vendors. It supports proactive sales, marketing and delivery of VMware, Adobe, Symantec, EMC, F5, Open Source, HR, HP Software, SAP and Intelligence and Innovative solutions and services among others.
Nomination Category: Sales Awards Team Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Government Sales Team of the Year
Nomination Title: Carahsoft Technology Corp's Government Sales Team
Tell the story about what this nominated team achieved since the beginning of July 2012 (up to 525 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:
Grow. Supplement. Scale.
A three-word formula for 18 months of record-breaking sales achievement—and the strategy behind Carahsoft Technology Corp.’s ascendance as the largest, most significant government sales and marketing engine for the nation’s largest software companies.
1. Grow.
In 2013, Carahsoft’s sales team elevated its strategic, long-term relationships with software industry titans like VMware, Adobe, Symantec, HP Software, F5 Networks, EMC, SAP, and Red Hat. In doing so, the company exceeded its bookings goal of $1.6 billion, hitting $1.8 billion, and adding more than 125 new employees. No other government contractor in the marketplace has been able to achieve and sustain such growth.
2. Supplement.
Simultaneously, Carahsoft expanded its portfolio to include more than 90 additional manufacturers and an ecosystem of over 700 government contractors, resellers, and integrators. Not only did this expansion produce more bookings, but by supplementing its core competencies with new vendor partnerships (emerging technology companies, in particular), Carahsoft’s sales team gained the means to single-handedly fulfill virtually all of the IT software-related requirements of its government customers.
3. Scale.
Key to Carahsoft’s success has been the practice of up-scaling staff and infrastructure in advance of need—so that trained personnel are always available, and always armed with the latest tools and resources. Late in 2012, Carahsoft took this practice a step further by creating an all-new, scalable business management system called “Carahsell.” The proprietary system integrates sales, marketing, order management, contracts, and accounting information to optimize reseller, distributer, and manufacturer functions—creating unprecedented efficiency and agility in up-scaling resources and empowering new sales, marketing and operations personnel. Utilizing “Carahsell,” Carahsoft has produced more proactive, government-focused sales and marketing initiatives than anyone else in the market, including more than 2,000 educational events and campaigns in 2012 alone.
Provide a brief (up to 125 words) biography about the leader(s) of the nominated team:
Craig P. Abod is president and founder of Carahsoft, government’s most trusted IT solutions provider. In founding Carahsoft, Abod combined his entrepreneurial spirit and 20+ years of experience in government sales, marketing and contract management. Since founding Carahsoft in 2004, he has grown the company into a billion-dollar entity, generating more than $4.2 billion in total revenue.
In recognition of his accomplishments, Abod received the Federal 100 Award and SmartCEO’s Circle of Excellence Award. He was also named CRN magazine’s 2012 Executive of the Year, and is a four-time finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.